CHAPTER XIV
THE REVERSIBILITY THEORY OF COSMOGONY

We have seen that, according to the results of observed
facts, it seems probable that the pre-nebular stage of a star
was a negative, a living condition. Now let us see what would
be the theoretical result of supposing our theory of a
reversible universe, as far as such results may relate to
cosmogony.
We have seen that the structure of the universe, according
to the theory of reversibility, is that it consists of irregularly
shaped sections, alternately positive and negative. In the
positive sections all heated bodies give out radiant energy,
according to the second law of thermodynamics. In the
negative sections, on the contrary, hot bodies, instead of
giving out light or other radiant energy, would tend to absorb
it and convert it almost entirely to heat, thus heating
themselves up with light received from outside sources. This
is in strict accord with the reversal of the second law of
thermodynamics. In the first place, when we examine the
changes that take place in time, we may notice that the
structure of the universe probably remains somewhat the
same always. The positive and negative sections do
probably indeed change their position, but, on the whole
such change would consist of a general motion of all the
sections alike through space, so that the sections do not
move relatively to one another. Further, there may be slight
changes in the shape of the various sections. But by far
more important is the motion of the individual stars relative
to the various sections. The motion of a star, being uniform
motion in a straight line under the law of inertia, (the infinite
universe assuring us that there will be no gravitational
disturbance unless by accident the star should come very
close to another star) will have the result that the star will
constantly be crossing from one section of the universe into
the next, from a positive section into a negative, and from the
negative section into another positive one, and so on ad
infinitum.
In a positive section of the universe, the star, which was
at first hot and bright, radiates its heat into the outside space,
and gradually becomes cold and dark. We have already
seen (in Chapter X) that, as this cooling process goes on,
life gradually extends itself at the expense of the opposite,
the positive tendency, until, when the cooling process is well
under way, life has absorbed practically all inorganic matter,
leaving as non-living matter the organic compounds formed
by life, which it builds up into pseudo-living organisms. We
may suppose that, when a stellar system crosses over from
a positive to a negative section of the universe, there
happens this slow process of development, of life-growth,
changing the star from a positive one to a negative one very
gradually.
To trace this process of development farther, we must
note that the evolution of living stars and planets consists to
a great extent in their absorbing radiant energy from outside
space and using it to build up higher heat levels in themselves.
The life of these stars and planets depends on their being
constantly fed, so to speak, with radiant energy uniformly from
all directions; which is something that is not obtainable in the
positive section of the universe, where the distribution of light
is very irregular.
In the negative section, however, we are surrounded by
positive sections, and in such a way that the light obtained
from them is approximately uniform, so that the negative stars
and planets obtained therein can be properly fed. The tidal
forces produce, under those conditions, not tidal friction, as
they would under the positive tendency, but a sort of tidal
irritation, speeding up all motions of rotation, etc. These living
stars and planets, building up in themselves ever higher levels
of heat, finally pass into the molten and then into the vaporous
stage, and finally the star develops a nebular stage, this
nebula taking a spiral form on account of the rotational motion
of the star, ever increasing through the process of tidal irritation.
Thus we get to a nebular stage; and the dissociation of atoms
that goes on in the last part of the negative stage, when we
have great heat, will make the stellar system largely one that is
constituted of hydrogen, the smallest atom known.
Meanwhile we might expect that not only the star and its
planets, but also a number of small masses on the star, would
have life, that is, would follow the negative tendency; besides
the existence of a number of pseudo-living organisms. These
simple living masses would, when in the heated condition, also
tend to live by absorbing radiant energy from outside space.
Now, we may suppose that, after the nebular stage has
been reached, and the star and all its planets are but more
condensed vapors in the nebula, the stellar system in question
finally comes toward the end of that part of its path which is in
the negative section of the universe. The stellar system,
nebula and all, is quickly approaching the boundary surface,
with the positive section shining brightly ahead of it. The
sudden absorption of an immense amount of light from the
front will tend to cause a great, sudden, additional building
up of heat, so that we will have an immense amount of heat
developed before the boundary surface is finally reached.
Star, planets, nebula, and all, are constantly absorbing ever
more and more heat; including also the smaller living
masses on the stars and planets; with the possible exception
of the pseudo-living organisms. All are dependent on the
constant accession of radiant energy to sustain their life.
Now, when the system comes near the boundary
surface, when it is on that surface or very close to it, the
accession of radiant energy suddenly uniform in all
directions, and, once the boundary-surface is crossed,
no light whatever is received from behind, because light
crosses the boundary surface in only one direction, that
from the positive to the negative side. The uniform access
of radiant energy that the system has to feed on is
suddenly cut off, and the stars and planets can no longer
continue to live. The proper supply of radiant energy food
being suddenly cut off, the death of the system results, and
therefore, after crossing the boundary surface, if not a little
before, there occurs in the stars and planets of that system
transition from the negative tendency to the positive. As we
have seen before (in Chapter IX), the transition in this
direction might be theoretically expected to be a sudden
and complete one. Hence, somewhere near this boundary
surface, we might expect a sudden reversal of this process
due to the death of the system, to its suddenly ceasing to be
alive as it was when in the negative section of the universe.
And the moment this transformation occurs, the second law
of thermodynamics immediately begins to apply, and the
heat of the system being at a [last line of text cut off] begin to
spread itself at a rapid rate into outside space by a sudden
outburst from the star radiant energy. The nebula, being more
scattered, gives out much less light, but has to be lighted up
to a great extent by the central star. This will produce the
phenomenon of the "nebula in motion" as seen in Nova
Persei in 1902. In other cases, the nebula itself will give out
enough light to be visible immediately.
However, this reason for the "death" of the star,
planets, and nebula, does not by any means apply to the
smaller living masses that existed on those bodies. The
pseudo-living organisms that formerly existed on those
bodies will then, with very little change, become simply
inanimate bodies; but the small living bodies, unlike the
stars, planets, etc., will suddenly get a new and possibly
better supply of their food, radiant energy, from the
flare-up of the star. Instead of having to depend on the
radiant energy coming in from a distance, there is
suddenly opened up for them an immense new supply
of light on the star itself, or on the planets. The small
living bodies thus begin to feed on the dead bodies of
the stars and planets. The death of the stars and planets
gives an opportunity for new life to develop as a sort of
parasite on the dead bodies. From this survival of life,
further life on the planets of that system is descended.
After this sudden flare-up, the light and heat would
then proceed to fade out gradually, and the system would
continue to evolve along the lines indicated by the
Planetesimal Hypothesis, this being the precise reverse
of the evolution as it took place before in the negative
section of the universe. Finally, the worlds cool off, life
extends, and, by the time that the system leaves the
positive section, life has again gradually extended so as
to take on the large bodies. Now the cycle is complete,
and we are back at the original stage.