52 THE MECHANISM OF LIFE 



case; or work is done by the system (CH^+Oo) in the first case, 

 but work would be done on the system (CO2 and HgO) in the 

 second case. The latter transformation does not occur unless 

 there is a compensatory energy transformation, a matter to 

 which we return later. 

 Thus we obtain another principle: 



Energy transformations will only occur of themselves if energy 



, becomes dissipated — that is, if intensity differences are 



diminished . . . . . . . . . . • • (7) 



The principles stated in the course of this chapter are, to some 

 extent, repetitions, and they may be summarised and included 

 in the two fundamental laws of science — the first and second laws 

 of thermo- dynamics. These are: 



1. The Energy of the Universe is Constant. 



2. The Entropy of the Universe tends to a maximum.'^ 



Now we may, very shortly, examine these statements. 



Matter, we have seen, can only be defined in terms of energy, 

 , so the first law includes the old statements of the conservation of 

 matter and " force." 



But energy was defined on p. 46 as the entity that was con- 

 stant in all transforming systems, and so there is something in the 

 universe that is constant. This something is energy. There- 

 • fore the first law is a definition of energy in the abstract. 



Thinking about all this critically, the reader cannot fail to see 

 that the law of conservation is not true without some qualifica- 

 tion. It says that there is an entity — an existence — in the 

 universe that can neither increase nor diminish. He will 

 notice that we have experience of nothing but energy trans- 

 formations, to which, it appears, all existences must reduce. But 

 there are existences which arise from nothing, and are annihilated. 

 These are dreams, hallucinations, " spooks," etc. Our dreams 

 may be vivid and convincing, and " true while they last," and 

 apparitions, if we may fully believe those who have seen them, 

 can have all the appearances presented to us by material things. 

 Obviously disordered sense organs may mislead us, and we may 

 hear noises and smell odours which we may be pretty sure do 

 not come from outside our own bodies. Then there is telepathy, 

 mediumistic control, table-rapping, the jDlanchette, etc., all of 



* The concept of entropy is discussed in Chapter XI. 



