Evening star., 1937-12-30

INDIANAPOLIS. Dec. 30.-Life oper-
ates from within outwards
Few men of this generation have ex-
plored further into the depths Of funda-
mental living processes than DR.. Ralph
s. Lille, president of the National
Academy of Sciences and one of the
worlds foremost biologists.
He described some of the philosophical
conclusions to which his researches have
led in his vice presidential address before
a section of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science meeting
here today.
Consider" he said, "any individual Of
higher type. such as man. Each lndl'
vidual is temporary construction. COM
pletely organized according to q con-
slant pattern, and built up from elements
originally distributed at random in the
environment. Primarily and funda-
mentally the living organism is an inte-
grating center. Materials and energies
which previously we're isolated and indie
pendent come into closer association.
under some kind of directive influence or
compulsion, to form a characteristically
organized unity. For a time this unity.
no matter how complexly constituted. has
n SCdUAllUy WlAClI 10 0uCOAInCASoAAJ SN~-
served, and a correspondingly complex
activity.
After a period OF maintained organ
ization and activity the system dlslnte-
CRATES and is again resolved into random
ness and relative simplicity. The con-
trast between randomness and lntegra-
ton seems to correspond, in broad way.
to the essential difference between the
living and the non-living. The vital
impulse, whatever its ultimate nature
may be. has as its natural tendency or
effect the synthesis of beings or systems
which combine with complex organlza-
ton and activity persistent and cnar-
acteristic unity"
Now, DR.. Lille stressed, an automooile
or steam engine might be deflned IN
precisely the same way, with one lar
reaching exception. They also are "tem-
porary constructions, completely organ
ized according to constant patteln'
built up from elements originally dis.
tributed at random In the environment.
But some agency outside themselves had
to collect the randomly distributed ele-
ments and assemble them into the char
acteristic pattern. This agency was a
man. One steam engine is very similar
to another steam engine because man s
brain remembers the pattern. 1t Is I'M
pressed on his brain cells as tune Is
impressed on a phonograph record.
There Is no such external element IN
the building of mice and men. Inc
organizing agency is internal. It re
members" and builds according to the
pattern in its memory. It does not re-
member perfectly. 50 slight variations IN
the structure are always to be 1ouno.
The organizer and the rememberer can
be traced a little way back to the genes
enthusiastically minute bodies In the
nucleus Of the germ cell which seem to
determine whether the thing being or
ganized shall be a man or red-headed
woodpecker. But. Mr.. Lille stressed,
the gene itself Is an enormously complex
organism. It Is a pattern Of atoms. Is
there an organizer In the atom which
makes the gene? Is there an organizer
IN the electron or proton which makes
the atom? Is there something inside
the electron and proton which determine
their patterns?
However far back one goes, DR.. Lille
stressed, there IL never any trace OF an
external organizer. Always the thing
that remembers is coming from within.
1T has long been debated" DR.. Lille
said. how far the p1enomena Of hfs are