The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-25
A NEW rrACHEH.

eHecI that living organisms nave feai-
 ly been created or evolved by human
 efforts. Professor Loeb positively
 claims to have produced sea urchins; l a very low form of life, it is true, but life nevertheless. Then Professor Fischer went a step further and created a still higher form of life It is true
 that there has always been more or less doubt as to the stories related. but
 they have been accepted in many auar-
 ters as actual facts.
 These experiments and claims are
 thrown completely into the shade by Professor Ostfald. of the University of
 Leipsic, who makes the positive state-
 ment that moving breathing, thinking beings can be created artifical1y That
 there may be no doubt as to what he
 means and what he claims we ropy a
 portion of his language:
 While I will not go so far as pro-
 acle. will come to pass, there is now
 hardly hardly any any question but that in the
 ly few years. possibly within cen
 tury, but sooner or later certainly
 science will be creating form of life
 as advanced as that of our domestic
 animals.
 And then the learned scientist goes
 on to predict and specify what he cons ceives is bound to, come in the future,
 though he does not rIx definite time
 when these wonders will be accom- plished. Still he, talks as eglibfy of creation, evolution, selection andaper- lection as finished mechanic will speak of a machine he proposes to build He totally discards the story of Divine creation, telling us that man was sown but he has raised; himself to his present state,"as though he were speaking of the most actual affairs of life, Then he goes on in the field of speculation or anticipation and tells that creatures will be manufactured to order so as to, fill any and all require ments, just as men now contract ma chimes to perform almost any and all work needed to be done.
 It Is all very wonderful, to be sure, and opens up great possibilities. We cannot, however. avoid the reflection that there may be some complication involved in the business. What will be the good of creating human beings artifically and without limit when the question of room and sustenance for the. natural human increase bids fair to be a perplexing question? It is true that if man to create man he might construct his creations so that they will not require food and drink, and thus one difficulty will be avoid ed. But come to think of 1t, if we are to go into the creating business we can manufacture hogs, sheep, cattle. fowls. and other foods to order, so that in- creased humanity will find plenty to eat. it matters not how numerous the population may become, or how raven ous the new creatures may be. If the supply keeps pace with the demand everything will be lovely.
 But there is a disturbing thought in connection with mans anticipated pow CT as a creator, and that is. that he may not be able te control his own creation. Those who have read the | writings of Mrs. Mary wollstonecraft Shelley will recall her story of | "Frankenstein' a monstrous being | created by a student from gruesome | material collected in the tombs and | dissecting room. This being was en- dowed with life and the accounts of It's wonderful career, its uncomfortable actions and atrocious crimes form an hairraising story for lov- CTS of that sort of literature. Suppose, now, when men get to creating living beings they should be unable to fully control their work, and should turn loose a lot of Frankenstein's. would not life be made rather strenuous for the common people?
 And there is another troublesome thought along the same line. If we understand Professor Oslwald the theory of evolution will play an i'm portant part in his scheme. He does not teach that perfect animal or hu- man being will be created all at one operation. In fact, he admits that he 1oesn't know whether the initial crea- ton will be crustacean, amphibian or or whether 1t will be bip- ed, quadruped, fish, fowl or reptile What he claims to be sure of is that man will create or form a living be- ing and evolution will do the rest
 Right here comes fin the disturbing thought or anticipation. The' doctrine of evolution. as we understand it, teaches that the beginning of life was a very simple organism or germ ages of evolution and selec- ton improvement went on, rising through all the forms of fish, fowl. , reptile and animal to the perfected : human being. Now science teaches us hat during certain ages the earth was inhabited by animals of such mon- s ;trous forms and. dimensions that we , n this day can hardly conceive of their l1 ize, ferocity and appearance. Are we O apprehend another age of that form i f life as a result of mans creative towers? If so there will be stirring ! imes for those who remain alive. or vho come on the stage of life when a lew era of dinosaurs. trieerops. and ther long dead monsters take their faces in the scheme or creation.
 All these reflections may seem fan astic but they are based on the pos 1 ibilities suggested by the words of otcd scientist Professor Ostwald oc- i mics the chair of physical chemistry