ORIGIN OF LIFE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3743, 8 December 1925, Page 38

ORIGIN OF LIFE.

TOLD IN MOVING PICTURES. LECTURE BY SIR TRUBY KING. An address by Sir Truby King on “The Origin and Gift of Life” drew a large attendance to the Kinema Hall in the Government Pavilion at the Exhibition on Friday evening. The lecture was followed by a remarkable kinematograph film illustrating typical processes of reproduction in various grades of plant and animal life. Sir Tru'by began by saying a few words about the most fundamental of our instincts and appetites—the appetite for food and drink, reproductive tendencies, the necessity to energise, and the innumerable social instincts. He outlined the Darwinian theory of evolution by process of natural selection. Later it was brought out that there were natural tendencies to self-sacrifice as well as to self-preservation, and that those altruistio tendencies were more marked as the race progressed. On tho altruistic side was seen love of mates and love of offspring, and willingness to sacrifice life for mates ’and offspring was found all through the animal kingdom. This broadened out into family life and broad hunmnitarianism. lie read a lengthy passage from Professor M’Dougall on the motive and purpose of animal instincts and the light they throw upon human instincts. There was, the lecturer said, a great deal of human activity that was pursued without conscious purpose just as animal activity was. Everyone ought to have some conception of our relation with the animal kingdom * Instead of explaining everything more knowledge only showed how wonderful everything was. Sir Triiby first had thrown on the screen several slides illustrating beautiful scenes at the Botanical Gardens. These were followed by a beautifully-planned and executed scientific film prepared by the American Social Hygiene Association, In five parts and a dozen or so chapters this film traced the origin of life and nature’s method of reproduction in its most primitive known form in the ameba up to it-s most complex and highly developed form in man. The ameba wag shown under a highpowered microscope dividing into two cells. Then came the yeast with its “buds” ‘ and the ulothrix with its distinct sex cells. A water plant called the oedogonium was selected as typical of the next stage of development in nature’s scale of reproduction, and then the picture passed oil to the rook rose, in which the male and female organs .are on one flower, tho Indian corn, in which they are on different flowers on the same plant, and the willow, in which tho male and female flowers are on different trees. The reproductive processes of nnimals woro traced through typical fish, birds, and mammals right up to human beings, to*whi< h a special section was devoted The photography of the film was exquisite, and every point was so clearlv and carefully explained that it would seem that any misunderstanding would he impossible. The final section illustrated in striking fashion tho points of similarity between the development of the seed, the development of the fertilised egg, and the development of the human embryo.

At tlie close of tho meeting a member of the audience proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Sir Truby King, and this was carried by acclamation.