MECHANISM OF NATURE 



In investigating any machinery it is well to 

 begin with the motive power. In searching nature 

 it is well to settle the question what constitutes the 

 real motive power of the Universe. And whenever 

 it becomes apparent that there is an everflowing 

 stream of void matter, flowing in alternate layers, 

 through everything human reason can perceive, 

 then all that living identities can do to one another, 

 all the changes they can undergo, must be based 

 on these currents. 



No living identity has power of its own, not one 

 of them can produce energy or destroy it; like the 

 delicate parts of the elaborate machine, they can 

 only modify and transmit the motive power. 



Any atom that is, any form built up of spheres 

 in closest contact when placed in a stream of 

 spheres of equal size, flowing irresistlessly in alter- 

 nate layers, must be torn up. (Ocular demonstra- 

 tion.) 



And in tearing up, unless the spheres themselves 

 be torn up, the number of spheres constituting the 

 form will require more room. 



Then in order to move out of closest contact they 

 must shove an equal number of spheres in adjoin- 

 ing layers into closest contact, and the process must 

 be repeated continuously. 



Spheres in plan layers that are in motion occupy 



the same amount of space as if they were round 



disks of equal diameter, about 314/400 of the total 



space. Spheres as close as they can be put to- 



118 



