8 THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 
It may move in either direction, backwards or forwards, while biological 
time, like the time of experience, knows only a forward flow. Hence 
cosmic evolution, as we see it in astronomy and physics, is mostly in an 
opposite direction to that of organic evolution. While biological time 
on the whole shows a forward movement towards ever higher organisation 
and rising qualities throughout the geological ages, the process of the 
physical world is mostly in the opposite direction'—towards disorganisa- 
tion, disintegration of more complex structures, and dissipation of energy. 
The second law of thermodynamics thus marks the direction of physical 
time. While the smaller world of life seems on the whole to be on the 
up-grade, the larger physical universe is on the down-grade. One may say 
that in the universe we witness a majority movement downward, and a 
minority movement upward. The energy which is being dissipated by 
the decay of physical structure is being partly taken up and organised into 
life structures—at any rate on this planet. Life and mind thus appear 
as products of the cosmic decline, and arise like the phoenix from the 
ashes of a universe radiating itself away. In them Nature seems to have 
discovered a secret which enables her to irradiate with imperishable glory 
the decay to which she seems physically doomed. 
Another striking point arises here. Organic evolution describes the 
specific process of what we call life, perhaps the most mysterious phe- 
nomenon of this mysterious universe. When we ask what is the nature 
of life we are curiously reminded of the behaviour of the quantum referred 
to. Ido not for a moment wish to say that the quantum is the physical 
basis of life, but I do say that in the quantum the physical world offers an 
analogy to life which is at least suggestive. The quantum follows the all-or- 
nothing law and behaves as an indivisible whole : so does life. A part of a 
quantum is not something less than a quantum; it is nothing or sheer 
nonentity : the same holds true of life. The quantum is perhaps most 
easily symbolised as a wave or combination of waves, which can only exist 
as a complete periodicity, and whose very concept negatives its existence 
as partial or truncated. In other words, it is a specific configuration and 
can only exist as such ; the same holds true of life. The quantum does not 
fall completely within the deterministic causal scheme : the same seems true 
of life. Significant, also, is the fact that quantum phenomena underlie 
' No doubt there are exceptions to this broad generalisation. In astronomy stars 
and solar systems and galaxies are probably still being formed, while in physics 
syntheses of elements may possibly still be going on. In the same way we find in 
organic evolution minor phases of regression, degeneration and parasitism. 
