Darwin and Modern Science [397]
of ray-less changes by Rutherford, when those changes are interposed between two radio-active transformations which can be followed, show that spontaneous transmutation is possible without measureable radio- activity. And, indeed, any theory of disintegration, such as Thomson's corpuscular hypothesis, would suggest that atomic rearrangements are of much more general occurrence than would be apparent to one who could observe them only by the effect of the projectiles, which, in special cases, owing to some peculiarity of atomic configuration, happened to be shot out with the enormous velocity needed to ionize the surrounding gas. No evidence for such ray-less changes in ordinary elements is yet known, perhaps none may ever be obtained; but the possibility should not be forgotten.
In the strict sense of the word, the process of atomic disintegration revealed to us by the new science of radio-activity can hardly be called evolution. In each case radio-active change involves the breaking up of a heavier, more complex atom into lighter and simpler fragments. Are we to regard this process as characteristic of the tendencies in accord with which the universe has reached its present state, and is passing to its unknown future? Or have we chanced upon an eddy in a backwater, opposed to the main stream of advance? In the chaos from which the present universe developed, was matter composed of large highly complex atoms, which have formed the simpler elements by radio-active or ray-less disintegration? Or did the primaeval substance consist of isolated electrons, which have slowly come together to form the elements, and yet have left here and there an anomaly such as that illustrated by the unstable family of uranium and radium, or by some such course are returning to their state of primaeval simplicity?
INDEX.
Abraxas grossulariata.
Acquired characters, transmission of.
Acraea johnstoni.
Adaptation.
Adloff.
Adlumia cirrhosa.
Agassiz, A.
Agassiz, L.
Alexander.
Allen, C.A.
Alternation of generations.
Ameghino.
Ammon, O., Works of.
Ammonites, Descent of.
Amphidesmus analis.
Anaea divina.
Andrews, C.W.
Angiosperms, evolution of.
Anglicus, Bartholomaeus.
Ankyroderma.
Anomma.
Antedon rosacea.
Antennularia antennina.
Anthropops.
Ants, modifications of.
Arber, E.A.N., --and J. Parkin, on the origin of Angiosperms.
Archaeopteryx.
Arctic regions, velocity of development of life in.
Ardigo.
Argelander.
Argyll, Huxley and the Duke of.
Aristotle.
Arrhenius.
Asterias, Loeb on hybridisation of.
Autogamy.
Avena fatua.
Avenarius.
Bacon, on mutability of species.
Baehr, von, on Cytology.
Baer, law of von.
Bain.
Baldwin, J.M.
Balfour, A.J.
Ball, J.
Barber, Mrs M.E., on Papilio nireus.
Barclay, W.
Barratt.
Bary, de.
Bates, H.W., on Mimicry. --Letters from Darwin to. --elsewhere.
Bateson, A.
BATESON, W., on "Heredity and Variation in Modern lights". --on discontinuous evolution. --on hybridisation.
Bateson, W. and R.P. Gregory.
Bathmism.
Beche, de la.
Beck, P.
Becquerel, H.
Beebe, C.W., on the plumage of birds. --on sexual selection.
Beguyer de Chancourtois.
Bell's (Sir Charles) "Anatomy of Expression".
Belopolsky.
Belt, T., on Mimicry.
Beneden, E. van.
Benson, M.
Bentham, G., on Darwin's species-theory. --on geographical distribution.
Bentham, Jeremy.
Bergson, H.
Berkeley.
Berthelot.
Betham, Sir W.
Bickford, E., experiments on degeneration by.
Bignonia capreolata.
Biophores.
Birds, geological history of.
Blanford, W.T.
Blaringhem, on wounding.
Blumenbach.
Bodin.
Boltwood, B.B.
Bonald, on war.
Bonnet.
Bonney, T.G.
Bonnier, G.
Bopp, F., on language.
BOUGLE C., on "Darwinism and Sociology".
Bourdeau.
Bourget, P.
Boutroux.
Boveri, T.
Brachiopods, history of.
Brassica, hybrids of.
Brassica Napus.
Broca.
Brock, on Kant.
Brown, Robert.
Brugmann and Osthoff.
Brugmann.
In the strict sense of the word, the process of atomic disintegration revealed to us by the new science of radio-activity can hardly be called evolution. In each case radio-active change involves the breaking up of a heavier, more complex atom into lighter and simpler fragments. Are we to regard this process as characteristic of the tendencies in accord with which the universe has reached its present state, and is passing to its unknown future? Or have we chanced upon an eddy in a backwater, opposed to the main stream of advance? In the chaos from which the present universe developed, was matter composed of large highly complex atoms, which have formed the simpler elements by radio-active or ray-less disintegration? Or did the primaeval substance consist of isolated electrons, which have slowly come together to form the elements, and yet have left here and there an anomaly such as that illustrated by the unstable family of uranium and radium, or by some such course are returning to their state of primaeval simplicity?
INDEX.
Abraxas grossulariata.
Acquired characters, transmission of.
Acraea johnstoni.
Adaptation.
Adloff.
Adlumia cirrhosa.
Agassiz, A.
Agassiz, L.
Alexander.
Allen, C.A.
Alternation of generations.
Ameghino.
Ammon, O., Works of.
Ammonites, Descent of.
Amphidesmus analis.
Anaea divina.
Andrews, C.W.
Angiosperms, evolution of.
Anglicus, Bartholomaeus.
Ankyroderma.
Anomma.
Antedon rosacea.
Antennularia antennina.
Anthropops.
Ants, modifications of.
Arber, E.A.N., --and J. Parkin, on the origin of Angiosperms.
Archaeopteryx.
Arctic regions, velocity of development of life in.
Ardigo.
Argelander.
Argyll, Huxley and the Duke of.
Aristotle.
Arrhenius.
Asterias, Loeb on hybridisation of.
Autogamy.
Avena fatua.
Avenarius.
Bacon, on mutability of species.
Baehr, von, on Cytology.
Baer, law of von.
Bain.
Baldwin, J.M.
Balfour, A.J.
Ball, J.
Barber, Mrs M.E., on Papilio nireus.
Barclay, W.
Barratt.
Bary, de.
Bates, H.W., on Mimicry. --Letters from Darwin to. --elsewhere.
Bateson, A.
BATESON, W., on "Heredity and Variation in Modern lights". --on discontinuous evolution. --on hybridisation.
Bateson, W. and R.P. Gregory.
Bathmism.
Beche, de la.
Beck, P.
Becquerel, H.
Beebe, C.W., on the plumage of birds. --on sexual selection.
Beguyer de Chancourtois.
Bell's (Sir Charles) "Anatomy of Expression".
Belopolsky.
Belt, T., on Mimicry.
Beneden, E. van.
Benson, M.
Bentham, G., on Darwin's species-theory. --on geographical distribution.
Bentham, Jeremy.
Bergson, H.
Berkeley.
Berthelot.
Betham, Sir W.
Bickford, E., experiments on degeneration by.
Bignonia capreolata.
Biophores.
Birds, geological history of.
Blanford, W.T.
Blaringhem, on wounding.
Blumenbach.
Bodin.
Boltwood, B.B.
Bonald, on war.
Bonnet.
Bonney, T.G.
Bonnier, G.
Bopp, F., on language.
BOUGLE C., on "Darwinism and Sociology".
Bourdeau.
Bourget, P.
Boutroux.
Boveri, T.
Brachiopods, history of.
Brassica, hybrids of.
Brassica Napus.
Broca.
Brock, on Kant.
Brown, Robert.
Brugmann and Osthoff.
Brugmann.