126 TWO NEW WORLDS 



years ago. But so long as the probability of a 

 galaxy being bright is the same throughout space 

 and time, it does not matter at what particular 

 epoch any given galaxy shines out. The average 

 will hold good, and our argument will remain valid. 



The Life of our G-cdaxy. The question of a possible 

 " life " of the galactic system as an organism may at 

 first sight appear strange or even absurd ; but can 

 we logically deny it, or even make it improbable ? 

 The monist or materialist who analyses life into 

 matter and motion must find within our galaxy 

 sufficient of both to satisfy his most exacting con- 

 ditions. Reduce sizes and times by the " world- 

 ratio," and what do we find ? Some 1000 million 

 atoms in rapid motion, mostly forming binary 

 "molecules," but also clusters, chains, and solar 

 systems, with an inner " nucleus " and outer rim or 

 cell-wall sufficiently cohesive to exhibit individuality, 

 yet sufficiently open to admit material from outside 

 and even whole invading systems; a continuous 

 evolution of energy within, and a continuous ex- 

 change of energy with the outside world, showing 

 evidences just at present of a surplus of " imports " 

 over " exports." 



Nothing is essentially altered by restoring this 

 " cell " to its original dimensions. What we lack at 

 present to complete the analogy is some evidence 

 of adaptation such as Herbert Spencer postulates 

 for all organic life. Such adaptation would, of 



