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NadyaMason_2019S-_如何激发对科学的好奇_-
A friend called me a few weeks ago with bad news. 几周前,一个朋友打电话给我, 捎来了坏消息。
She dropped her cell phone into the toilet. 她的手机掉到马桶里了。
Anyone here done that before? 有人曾经这样吗？
(Laughter) （笑声）
So it was a bad situation. 情况很糟。
You know, without getting into the details of exactly how that happened or how she got it out, let's just say it was a bad situation. 我就不细说是怎么发生 或她怎么把手机拿出来的。 咱们姑且就说情况很糟。
And she panicked because, like for many of us, her phone is one of the most used and essential tools in her life. 她慌了,因为她和我们很多人一样, 手机是她人生中最常用 且最重要的工具之一。
panicked:v.(使)惊慌,惊慌失措;(panic的过去分词和过去式) essential:n.要点;要素;实质;必需品;adj.完全必要的;必不可少的;极其重要的;本质的;
But, on the other hand , she had no idea how to fix it, because it's a completely mysterious black box . 但另一方面,她根本 不知道要如何修理手机, 因为它是个完全神秘的黑盒子。
on the other hand:另一方面; mysterious:adj.神秘的;不可思议的;难解的; black box:黑箱;(装在飞机上记录飞行情况等的)密封仪器;
So think about it: what would you do? 想想看:你会怎么做？
What do you really understand about how your phone works? 你有多了解手机如何运作？
What are you willing to test or fix? 你愿意测试或修理吗？
For most people, the answer is, nothing. 大部分人什么都不做。
In fact, one survey found that almost 80 percent of smartphone users in this country have never even replaced their phone batteries , and 25 percent didn't even know this was possible. 事实上,一项研究发现, 全国有 80% 的智慧手机使用者 从来没有换过手机电池, 25% 甚至不知道可以换电池。
survey:n.调查;测量;审视;纵览;vt.调查;勘测;俯瞰;vi.测量土地; smartphone:n.智能手机; batteries:n.电池;炮组;炮列;[法]殴打;(batteries是battery的复数)
Now, I'm an experimental physicist , hence the toys. 我是实验物理学家, 因此有这些玩具。
experimental:adj.实验的;根据实验的;试验性的; physicist:n.物理学家;物理学研究者; hence:adv.因此;今后;
I specialize in making new types of nanoscale electronic devices to study their fundamental quantum mechanical properties. 我的专长在做新型的 奈米尺寸电子装置, 来研究它们的基本量子力学特性。
specialize in:专门研究…; nanoscale:n.纳米级; electronic:adj.电子的;电子器件的;电子设备的; devices:n.[机][计]设备;[机]装置;[电子]器件(device的复数); fundamental:n.基础; adj.十分重大的; quantum:n.量子论;额;美国昆腾公司(世界领先的硬盘生产商); mechanical:adj.机械的;力学的;呆板的;无意识的;手工操作的;
But even I wouldn't know where to start in terms of testing elements on my phone if it broke. 但,如果我的手机坏了,
elements:n.要素;基本部分;少量;一群;(element的复数)
And phones are just one example of the many devices that we depend upon but can't test, take apart , or even fully understand. 手机只是一个例子, 我们还仰赖许多其他装置, 却无法测试、拆解, 或甚至完全了解这些装置。
depend upon:依赖;取决于; take apart:拆开;剖析;粗暴对待;
Cars, electronics , even toys are now so complicated and advanced that we're scared to open and fix them. 汽车、电器,甚至玩具 现在都很复杂且先进, 让我们不敢把它们打开修理。
electronics:n.电子学;电子工业; complicated:adj.复杂的;难懂的;v.使复杂化;(complicate的过去分词和过去式) advanced:adj.先进的; v.前进; (advance的过去式和过去分词形式)
So here's the problem: there's a disconnect between us and the technology that we use. 所以问题来了: 我们和使用的科技之间脱节了。
disconnect:vt.拆开,使分离;vi.断开; technology:n.技术;工艺;术语;
We're completely alienated from the devices that we most depend upon, which can make us feel helpless and empty. 我们疏离最仰赖的装置, 使我们无助、空虚。
alienated:adj.疏远的;被疏远的;v.使疏离(alienate的过去式); helpless:adj.无助的;无能的;没用的;
In fact, it's not surprising then that one study found that we are now more afraid of technology than we are of death. 事实上,意料得到有研究发现 我们现在对科技的害怕程度 甚于害怕死亡。
(Laughter) （笑声）
But I think that we can reconnect to our devices, rehumanize them in a sense , by doing more hands-on experiments. 但我认为,我们可以 和我们的装置重新连结, 在某种意义上, 重新让它们更有人性, 只要我们能动手做更多实验。
reconnect:v.使再接合; rehumanize:v.使改邪归正; in a sense:在某种意义上; hands-on:adj.亲身实践的,亲自动手的;
Why? Well, because an experiment is a procedure to test a hypothesis , demonstrate a fact. 为什么？因为实验就是 测试假设、展示事实的过程。
procedure:n.步骤;手术;(商业、法律或政治上的)程序; hypothesis:n.假设; demonstrate:vt.证明;展示;论证;vi.示威;
It's the way that we use our senses, our hands, to connect the world and figure out how it works. 我们使用感官、双手来连结世界, 了解其运作原理。
And that's the connection that we're missing. 那正是我们缺少的连结。
So let me give you an example. 让我举个例子。
Here's an experiment that I did recently to think about how a touchscreen works. 我最近做了一项实验 来思考触控萤幕的原理。
recently:adv.最近;新近; touchscreen:n.触摸屏;
It's just two metal plates, and I can put charge on one of the plates from a battery . 它只是两片金属板, 我可以用电池 对其中一片板子通电。
battery:n.[电]电池,蓄电池;n.[法]殴打;n.[军]炮台,炮位;
OK. 好。
And I can measure the charge separation with this voltmeter here. 我可以用这个电压计 来测量电荷分离。
separation:n.分离;分开;分割;隔离; voltmeter:n.[电]伏特计,电压计;
Now -- let's make sure it's working. 现在——先确定它能用。
So when I wave my hand near the plates, you can see that the voltage changes just like the touchscreen responds to my hand. 当我在金属板附近挥手时, 可以看到电压改变, 就像触控萤幕对我的手 做出反应一样。
voltage:n.电压;伏特数; responds:v.(口头或书面)回答,回应;作出反应;响应;(respond的第三人称单数)
But what is it about my hand? Now I need to do more experiments. 但,我的手有什么特别的？ 现在我需要做比较实验。
So I can, say, take a piece of wood and touch one of the plates and see that not much happens, but if I take a piece of metal and touch the plate, then the voltage changes dramatically . 例如我可以拿一片木头, 用它来接触其中一片金属板, 发现没有发生什么事, 但如果我拿个金属去接触金属板, 电压就会有很大的改变。
dramatically:adv.戏剧地;引人注目地;adv.显著地,剧烈地;
So now I can do further experiments to see what the difference is between the wood and the metal, and I should find out that the wood is not conducting but the metal is conducting like my hand. 现在我可以再进一步实验 木头和金属之间的差别, 我应该会发现,木头不会导电, 但金属和我的手一样会导电。
conducting:v.组织;安排;实施;指挥;引导;导游(conduct的现在分词)
And, you see, I build up my understanding. 各位可以看到, 我是渐渐增进我的了解。
Like, now I can see why I can't use a touchscreen with gloves, because gloves aren't conducting. 比如,现在我知道为什么 不能戴着手套用触控萤幕, 因为手套不会导电。
But I've also broken down some of the mystery behind the technology and built up my agency , my personal input and interactions with the basis of my devices. 但我也解开了科技背后的一些谜, 建立与我的装置有关的 能力、键入与互动。
agency:n.代理,中介;代理处,经销处; personal:adj.个人的;身体的;亲自的;n.人事消息栏;人称代名词; input:n.投入; v.把(数据等)输入计算机; interactions:n.[计]交互,相互作用;相互交流;干扰;(interaction复数)
But experimenting is a step beyond just taking things apart. 但,做实验并不只是 把东西拆解而已。
It's testing and doing hands-on critical thinking. 它是边测试边做的 亲自动手批评性思考。
critical:adj.鉴定的;[核]临界的;批评的,爱挑剔的;危险的;决定性的;评论的;
And it doesn't really matter whether I'm testing how a touchscreen works or if I'm measuring how conducting different types of materials are, or even if I'm just using my hands to see how hard it is to break different thicknesses of materials. 重点不在于测试触控萤幕的原理 或测量不同类型的材料导电程度, 甚至只是用双手测试 有多难破坏不同厚度的材料。
thicknesses:n.厚度;层;浓度;含混不清;
In all cases, I'm gaining control and understanding of the basis of the things that I use. 我能从上述这几种状况 掌控和更进一步了解 所用东西的道理。
And there's research behind this. 这些背后还有研究。
For one, I'm using my hands, which seem to promote well-being . 比如,用我的双手似乎有好处。
promote:v.促进;推动;促销;提升;晋升; well-being:n.幸福;康乐;
I'm also engaging in hands-on learning, which has been shown to improve understanding and retention , and even activate more parts of your brain. 我也学习亲自动手, 已知这样的学习法 能改善了解和记忆力, 甚至更能活化大脑的功能。
engaging:adj.有趣的; v.吸引住(注意力、兴趣); (engage的现在分词) improve:v.改进;改善; retention:n.保留;扣留,滞留;记忆力;闭尿; activate:vt.刺激;使活动;使活泼;使产生放射性;vi.激活;有活力;
So hands-on thinking through experiments connects our understanding, even our sense of vitality , to the physical world and the things that we use. 因此,透过动手实验的思考 能够将我们的了解甚至活力 连结到实体世界和我们用的东西。
vitality:n.活力,生气;生命力,生动性; physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查;
Looking things up on the internet does not have the same effect. 在网路上查资料 没有同样的效果。
Now, for me this focus on experiments is also personal. 对我来说,把焦点放在实验上 也有个人的原因。
I didn't grow up doing experiments. 我并不是做实验长大的。
I didn't know what a physicist did. 我不知道物理学家要做什么。
I remember my sister had a chemistry set that I always wanted to use but she never let me touch. 我记得我姐有组化学用具, 我总是很想去用它, 但她从来不让我碰。
I felt mentally disconnected from the world and didn't know why. 在心理上,我觉得 我和世界没有连结, 且不知道为什么。
mentally:adv.精神上,智力上;心理上; disconnected:adj.分离的; v.切断(煤气、水或电的供应); (disconnect的过去式和过去分词)
In fact, when I was nine years old, my grandmother called me a solipsist , which is something I had to look up. 事实上,我九岁时, 我祖母说我是唯我论者, 我还得去查才知道意思。
solipsist:n.唯我论者;
It means that you think that yourself is all that exists. 意思是,你认为世界上 就只有你存在而已。
And at the time I was pretty offended , because whose grandmother calls them that? 当时,我觉得我深受冒犯, 因为谁的祖母会这样说他啊？
offended:v.得罪;冒犯;犯罪;犯法;(offend的过去分词和过去式)
(Laughter) （笑声）
But I think that it was true. 但,我想她说的没错。
And it wasn't until years later, when I was in college and studying basic physics, that I had a revelation that the world, at least the physical world, could be tested and understood, 一直到很多年后, 我上了大学,在研读基础物理时, 我得到了一个启示: 这个世界,至少实体的世界, 可以被测试、了解,
revelation:n.披露; adj.暴露的;
that I started to gain a completely different sense of how the world worked and what my place was in it. 在那之后,我才开始 有了完全不同的观念, 重新看待世界怎么运作, 及我在其中的位置。
And then later, when I was able my own testing and understanding through research, a big part of my connection to the world was complete. 之后,当我能自己透过研究 来做测试和了解时, 我和世界的连结 有很大一部分才就此圆满。
Now, I know that not everyone is an experimental physicist by profession , but I think that everyone could be doing more hands-on experiments. 我知道并非人人的职業 都是实验性物理学家, 但我认为人人都能 动手做更多实验。
profession:n.行业,职业;业内人士;同行;
And actually I think we sort of -- 其实,我认为我们有点——
I'll give you another example. 让我再举个例子。
I was recently working with some middle school students, helping them learn about magnetism , and I gave them a Magna Doodle to take apart. 最近,我在和一些中学生合作, 协助他们了解磁学, 我给他们一个磁性 涂鸭板让他们拆解。
middle school:n.初中;(英国为9到13岁儿童所设的)中间学校; magnetism:n.磁性,磁力;磁学;吸引力; Magna:n.麦格纳(全名为麦格纳国际,为世界第三大汽车零部件供应商); Doodle:v.涂鸦;乱涂,胡写乱画;n.乱写乱画(出的东西);
Remember one of these things? 还记得磁性涂鸭板吗？
So at first, none of them wanted to touch it. 一开始,他们碰都不想碰它。
They'd been told for so long not to break things that they're accustomed to just passive using. 长久以来,他们被 要求不要破坏东西, 导致他们习惯当被动的使用者。
accustomed to:习惯于; passive:adj.被动的,消极的;被动语态的;n.被动语态;
But then I started asking them questions. 但我问他们问题。
You know, how does it work? What parts are magnetic ? 比如,它的原理是什么？ 哪些部分有磁性？
magnetic:adj.像磁铁的;有磁性的;磁的;富有吸引力的;
Can you make a hypothesis and test it? 你能做出假设并测试它吗？
But they still didn't want to break it open. 但他们仍然不想把它拆开。
They wanted to take it home with them, really. 其实,他们想要把它带回家。
Until, one kid finally sliced it through and found really cool stuff inside. 直到一个孩子终于把它打开,
finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地; sliced:adj.(食物)已切成薄片的;v.切成薄片;分配(slice的过去式和过去分词); stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本:
And so this is something we can do here together. 我们在这里也可以一起做。
They're pretty easy to take apart. 要把它拆开很容易。
See, there's a magnet inside, and I can just cut this open. 看,里面有个磁铁, 我可以把这个剪开。
Cut it open again, you can split it. 再把它剪开,你可以把它分开。
split:v.分离;使分离;劈开;离开;分解;n.劈开;裂缝;adj.劈开的;
OK, so when I do that -- I don't know if you can see this, but there is sort of -- there it is, this oozy white stuff in here. 好,当我正在动手时—— 不知道各位是否看得见, 但,有一种——有了, 这里有种白色软泥。
oozy:adj.渗出的;软泥的;
Now you can see it on my finger. 可以看到,在我的手指上。
And when I drag the pen on it, you can see that these filaments are attached to it. 当我把笔从上面拖过去, 各位可以看到 这些细丝会附着上去。
drag:v.拖曳;生拉硬拽;拖动;n.拖累;令人厌烦的人;累赘;绊脚石; filaments:n.[植]花丝;细丝(filament的复数);[电子]灯丝;电加热丝; attached:adj.依恋;v.重视;把…固定;(attach的过去分词和过去式)
So the kids saw this, and at this point they're like, this is really cool. 孩子看到这个现象, 此时,他们觉得这好酷。
They got excited. 他们兴奋起来。 全都开始把涂鸭板解体,
They all started ripping them open and taking them apart and yelling out the things that they discovered, how these magnetic filaments connected to the magnetic pen and that's how it wrote. 把他们的发现大喊出来, 叫着这些磁性细丝如何 和磁性笔连结在一起, 那就是写字的原理。
ripping:adj.极好的;美妙的;v.撕破,裂开;突然拉开;(rip的现在分词)
Or, how the oozy white stuff kept things dispersed so it could write. 或,那白色软泥如何 透过分离功能让笔可以写字。
dispersed:adj.散布的;被分散的;被驱散的;v.分散;传播(disperse的过去分词);
And as they were leaving the room, two of them turned to me and said, "We loved that. 当他们要离开房间时, 其中有两个人转向我,说: 「我们很喜欢。
Me and her are going home this weekend to do more experiments." 这个周末,我和她 要回家做更多实验。」
(Laughter) （笑声）
Yeah, I know, the parents in there are worried about it, but it's a good thing! 是啊,我知道, 在座的父母开始担心了, 但这是好现象！
Experimenting is good, and actually I found it extremely gratifying , and I think hopefully it was very life-enriching for them. 会做实验是好现象,而且其实 我觉得做实验非常让人满足, 我希望他们能感到做实验 让他们的生活更丰富。
extremely:adv.非常,极其;极端地; gratifying:adj.令人高兴的;使人满意的;v.使高兴;使满意;满足;(gratify的现在分词)
Because, even a basic magnet is something that we can experiment with at home. 因为,甚至连基本的磁铁 也可被拿来在家里做实验。
They're both simple and complex at the same time . 磁铁既简单又复杂。
complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; at the same time:同时;另一方面;与此同时;
For example, you can ask yourself, how can the same material both attract and repel ? 比如,你可以问自己: 为什么同样的材料 又会相吸又会相斥？
repel:v.击退;抵制;使厌恶;使不愉快;
If I take a magnet, is it useful if I can get one of them to rotate the other, for example? 比如,如果我有磁铁, 若我能用一个磁铁 让另一个磁铁旋转, 会有什么用途吗？
rotate:v.旋转;转动;轮换;使…轮流;
Or, you can take this dollar bill over here, and I can take a set of magnets , and you can see that the dollar bill gets lifted by the magnets. 或者,你可以实验这张一元钞票, 我拿一组磁铁, 各位可以看到钞票被磁铁吸附起来。
magnets:n.磁铁;磁石;吸铁石;有吸引力的人(或地方、事物);(magnet的复数)
There's magnetic ink hidden in here that prevents counterfeiting . 这里面藏有磁性墨水,用来防伪造。
counterfeiting:v.伪造(counterfeit的ing形式);n.伪造;
Or, here I have some crushed-up bran cereal . OK? 或者,这里有一些碾碎的 小麦麸皮早餐麦片,
bran:n.麸,糠; cereal:n.谷物;谷类植物;adj.谷类制成的;
And that's also magnetic. Right? 也有磁力,对吧？
That has iron in it. 它里面有铁。
(Laughter) （笑声）
And that can be good for you, right? 那对人是有益的,对吧？
OK, here's something else. 好,还有别的。
This thing over here is not magnetic. 这里的这样东西没有磁性。
I can't lift it up with the magnet. 我无法用磁铁把它吸起来。
But now I'm going to make it cold. 但,现在,我把它变冷。
The same thing in here, cold, and when I make it cold, and put it on top of the magnet, so -- 这是同样的东西,冷的, 冷却之后, 放在磁铁的上面, 所以——
(Applause) （掌声）
It's amazing. 很不可思议。
That's not magnetic, but somehow it's interacting with a magnet. 那不是磁力, 但它会以某种方式和磁铁作用。
somehow:adv.以某种方法;莫名其妙地; interacting:v.交流;沟通;合作;相互影响;(interact的现在分词)
So clearly understanding this is going to take many more experiments. 要明确了解原理就得做更多的实验。
In fact, this is something that I've spent much of my career studying. 事实上,我大半职涯都在研究它,
career:n.职业;事业;生涯;经历;
It's called a superconductor . 叫做超导体。
superconductor:n.[低温]超导体;
Now, superconductors can be complex, but even simple experiments can connect us better to the world. 超导体有时很复杂, 但就算只是简单的实验 也能让我们更连得上世界。
superconductors:n.[低温]超导体;
So now if I tell you that flash memory works by rotating small magnets, then you can imagine it. You've seen it. 若我告诉各位,快闪记忆体的原理是 旋转的小型磁铁, 那么各位就不难想像,因为曾见过。
flash memory:n.闪速存储器; rotating:v.(使)旋转,转动;(工作)由…轮值;(rotate的现在分词)
Or, if I say that MRI machines use magnetism to rotate magnetic particles in your body, you've seen it done. 或者,如果我说核磁共振成像机 用磁力来转动你体内的磁性粒子, 各位也见过那操作。
particles:n.微粒,粒子;粒子系统;碎木料(particle的复数形式);
You've interacted with the technology and understood the basis of these devices. 各位曾经和这项技术有过互动,了解这些装置的原理。
interacted:v.交流;沟通;合作;相互影响;(interact的过去分词和过去式)
Now, I know that it's hard to add more things to our lives, especially experiments. 我知道很难在我们的生活中 再塞进别些什么, 特别是实验。
especially:adv.尤其;特别;格外;十分;
But I think that the challenge is worth it. 但我认为这值得挑战。
Think about how something works, then take it apart to test it. 想想某样东西的原理是什么, 接着把它拆开来测试看看。
Manipulate something and prove some physical principle to yourself. 操作东西,向自己证明物理的法则。
Manipulate:vt.操纵;操作;巧妙地处理;篡改; principle:n.原理,原则;主义,道义;本质,本义;根源,源泉;
Put the human back in the technology. 把人性重新放入到科技中。
You'll be surprised at the connections that you make. 这么做所建立起的连结会令你讶异。
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （掌声）