THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD 117 



to absurdity. Mathematically it is a law of geometri- 

 cally decreasing types which reduce finally to a single 

 protoplasm. If we adopt the hypothetical method, we 

 should discuss the origin of this protoplasm. To say 

 it was made by God, is not scientific. Lord Kelvin 

 offers an hypothesis (although one would suppose he 

 was joking if the context were not so serious) when 

 he suggests that the original protoplasm may have 

 fallen on the earth from some celestial body! How- 

 ever we are to consider such an extraordinary state- 

 ment, we do know that Maxwell tried to support the 

 hypothesis of pangenetic evolution by the futile 

 method of estimating the number of molecules in a 

 germ. The question with him was whether there were 

 enough molecules to form miniature organs and parts 

 of the mature object into which the germ would ex- 

 pand. 



Another illustration may be given to show that as 

 soon as we extend our laws beyond the point where 

 verification is possible, we merely cause confusion. 

 Certain experiments indicate that the apparent mass of 

 a body changes when it moves in an electric field. The 

 law shows that the mass should become infinite when 

 the velocity equals that of light. This conclusion has 

 been accepted as the basis of an hypothesis that the 

 velocity of light is a maximum limit to motion. Such 

 a belief is not only pure hypothesis but it is contrary 

 to the conclusions of other hypotheses. If this hypo- 



