NOTE IV 



A SEARCH FOR THE ORIGIN OF LIFE, SEX, SPECIES, ETC. 



Because it is inconceivable, the idea still found 

 in text-books that matter attracts matter has been 

 abandoned by many modern physicists. They ex- 

 plain motion as the result of propulsion. Though 

 the cart is behind the horse, yet is the latter not 

 said to pull, but to propel it by pushing against the 

 straps of the harness. The hand when stretched 

 out to pull a thing towards the body, as it is now 

 expressed, really pushes it or a part of it, and the 

 rest of it, by its cohesion with that part, is made to 

 follow in the direction of the push. 



To illustrate how attraction seems inconceivable, 

 let "A" be one mass of matter and "B" another. 

 Then as commonly understood "A" attracts " B," 

 and vice versa. In the effort of realizing this notion 

 in mind, and complete mental realizability is the 

 test of conceivability, one is limited to imagining 

 the extension of some part of "A," intangible and 

 invisible though this be, towards the far side of 

 "B," or vice versa, and then the foreshortening or 

 contracting of the extended part causes " B" to ap- 

 proach or meet "A," or vice versa. The cause of 

 this effect is called attraction. Such a proceeding, 



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