Page:Nature and Life (1934).pdf/73

 trace of the passivity of inorganic Nature on a larger scale.

In this survey some main conclusions stand out. One conclusion is the diverse modes of functioning which are produced by diverse modes of organization. The second conclusion is the aspect of continuity between these different modes. There are border-line cases, which bridge the gaps. Often the border-line cases are unstable, and pass quickly. But span of existence is merely relative to our habits of human life. For infra-molecular occurrences, a second is a vast period of time. A third conclusion is the difference in the aspects of Nature according as we change the scale of observation. Each scale of observation presents us with avetage effects proper to that scale.

Again, another consideration arises. How do we observe Nature? Also, what is the proper analysis of an observation? The conventional answer to this qrestion is that we