The daily star-mirror., 1923-12-26
SCIENTIST CALLS
MAN, star ALIKE
Harvard Professor Says People
Are Made of Nothing u
usual or Exotic


the subject Of the symposium. The
director Of the Harvard observatory
Prof. Edward G. Jeffrey, an authority
on botany, and Prof. Kirsopp Lake,
whose field IL ecclesiastical history.
In opening Professor Shapley said :
Representing the diverse points OF
view OF astronomy, biology, theology,
we three are here tonight to discuss
this fundamental problem, The Origin
of Life with each other. You may
listen in If you care to. We are not
here to pretend that we know what is
tho origin of life-far from that. We
are here to confess that we do not
know.
We are three OF kind; all inter-
ested in the relation of human life to
she universe of things, each looking
at the problem from his own structure
OF study and training, and all hopeless
ly futile in getting to a final answer.
But by discussing the subject we may
learu just what the problem is, we
may clear away some of the supersti-
tions, prejudices and weedy thoughts
show to each other and to you who
listen in that subjects such as these
gain by synthetic treatment
THE rapid progress of the natural
sciences during the last generation, or
even during the last decade, has sup
Piled abundant reasons for restating
our views of the Importance of life in
the universe. There is one reason, per-
haps, why we should consider that life
now has more significance than was
formerly assigned to it. The analyses
OF the chemical constitution of man,
beast, rock and star by the chemist,
the geophysicist and the astrophysicist
have brought to light the remarkable
uniformity of atomic structure
the whole universe.
Not Chemically Unusual.
Little as we human beings are, so
temporary in time and space, yet the
chemical e@Srnents of which we are
are also the predominant ele-
ments in the crust of the earth and are
prominent If not predominant cOmpO-
neuts in the structure OF the fiery and
gaseous stars. We are, chemically.
are a part of the general scheme OF \
things and we could ask for no higher
than to be, as we seem to
be, made OF the same stuff as the eter-
nal stars. The knowledge that the
same kind of electr0ns and prOtons
and chemical atoms make up living or
ganisms and the remote stars and
lebulae in space seems to enhance the |
significance Of life.
But on the other hand, there are At |
east five modern products Of scientific
'esearch which seem to me to dimin-
sh, almost to the vanishing point. the |
gnificance of life in the universal |
One of those developments Is |
Iue to researches in physiology, and |
he others, as might be expected, are |
eductions from the studies OF stars
nd planets.
1.-The duration of various recOgniza-
lie stellar maneuverS has been found
" recent research to be incOnceivably !,
reater than we previously thought. I
We no longer think the earth Is cOm-
arabic in age with the stars. We see
he origin Of the earth and its subse-
ail in the recent history ofShe evoIu-
on OF stars, and now better recognize
ne brevity Of organic existence.
Sun Placed indIffsrentiy.
Astronomers now find that tase solar
gstem is not centrally situated with
aspect to the stars, but that the sun Is
differently placed, far from the cen
II Of the galactic system Not only Is
casually situated, but 1T is ordinary
size and brightness. In the same
ay that we had to give up the geOcen-
ic idea OF the universe, we now give
D the heliocentric, and with that sur
,nder the significance of life de-
eases.
"But from the astronomers pointr Of
ew the most potent factor in decreas- I.
< our respect for the problem of life .
the prevalent Interpretation of the
'igin of the planetary system. The
'bular hypothesis has been aban-
med, and in giving that up we give
, the idea that the birth OF planets
hat may later bear life) IL the nor
al process in the evolution of the
ar. We now see in the birth of the
nth fOrtuitOuS circumstance-the
!counter Of our sun, some thousands (!
millions of years ago, with still
eater star, resulting in the tidal dis
ption Of the outer layers Of the solar.
mospllere From the debris of that
counter the planets have formed.
ID because no similar encounter has
ace occurred the family Of fragments :
we been, maintained long enough for :
Q development of protoplasinic chem
ry, at least, on one of them"
Nature Of Material Life.
III conclusion Doctor SAaplcy said:
ITO summarize the astronomers con-
button TO the symposium on. the
1igin Of Life we may ask what can
say of the nature Of material life.
d his tentative answer will be that (4
Is highly complicated ensemble of
epical actions, subject to the laws
tiiea plivs1ra1 rifif fVefsp@a11 unstable RI