36 ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIFE 



an active form, and although it might seem pos- 

 sible for one active form to pass into another 

 active form without the intermediation of a 

 passive form, as a matter of fact, in nature, 

 this rarely or never occurs. Some intermediate 

 change in position of atoms, molecules or large 

 masses toward each other is always involved, 

 which means a temporary development of 

 latent or positional energy. An energy trans- 

 formation involving two types of energy only, 

 is unknown, and usually, intermediately at 

 any rate, many types are produced in any 

 reaction. 



If regard be paid to the nature of the forms 

 termed potential energy it becomes obvious 

 that they are not really forms of energy at all, 

 but only potentialities for the development 

 of energy. The water in a reservoir as a still 

 mass does not really possess energy, it only 

 acquires energy as it runs down hill, and it 

 is only confused thinking which has led to the 

 term potential energy. It would be very 

 much clearer to recognize that there are two 

 qualities, energia and potentia, and that it is 

 the sum of these which is constant or con- 

 served. When this has been done it becomes 

 discernible that all forms of matter, whether 

 elements or compounds, may be various forms 

 of potentia, in forming which energia may 



