COSMIC EVOLUTION 



Beethoven were potential in that nebula, as were 

 Kant and Laplace, whose destiny it was to advance 

 and establish the nebular theory of their own and 

 our origin. 



This is no less than a stupendous theory, but its 

 basis is mathematical, and therefore essentially ir 

 refragable. I must attempt to outline it in intelli 

 gible language. 



Given a nebula or gaseous cloud of any shape 

 whatever; given, indeed, a nebula whose particles 

 are moving in a condition of absolute chaos, obvi 

 ously without &quot;order&quot; and apparently without 

 law; given, indeed, what is probably the initial 

 stage of all nebula? it is demonstrable by the 

 infallible processes of mathematics, acting upon 

 the basis provided by the law of gravitation, that 

 such a nebula must assume a spiral form. The 

 law of the &quot;conservation of momentum,&quot; which 

 enables the physicist to forecast the history of 

 any two or more particles moving in any direc 

 tion, but constituting a system not subjected to 

 any external influence, is the foundation of this 

 assertion that any nebula, if left to itself, must 

 become spiral. This spiral form is essential in 

 the production of a stellar system such as the 

 Pleiades or a solar system such as ours. It there 

 fore behooves us to look more closely at the spiral 

 nebulae, as constituting the most important link 

 in the chain of events. 



The astronomers of this particular planet are 

 acquainted with some hundred and twenty thou- 



73 



