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StephenWolfram_2010-_计算万物的理论_
So I want to talk today about an idea. It's a big idea. 接下来,我今天想谈的是一个宏观理念。
Actually, I think it'll eventually be seen as probably the single biggest idea that's emerged in the past century. 其实,我认为这个构想最终 会被视为上个世纪出现过的 最伟大的理念
eventually:adv.最后,终于; emerged:v.(从隐蔽处或暗处)出现;暴露;露出真相;显现;(emerge的过去分词和过去式)
It's the idea of computation . 那就是计算的理念
computation:n.估计,计算;
Now, of course, that idea has brought us all of the computer technology we have today and so on. 现在,当然,这个理念已经带给我们 所有今天所拥有的电脑科技
technology:n.技术;工艺;术语;
But there's actually a lot more to computation than that. 然而,除此之外,还有更多可以计算的事物。
It's really a very deep, very powerful, very fundamental idea, whose effects we've only just begun to see. 这真是个非常深刻,非常有用,非常基本的理念 而我们只是刚开始见证这个理念的作用
fundamental:n.基础; adj.十分重大的;
Well, I myself have spent the past 30 years of my life working on three large projects that really try to take the idea of computation seriously. 过去30年里,我致力于 研究3个大型的项目 这些项目认真地将计算的理念付诸实践
So I started off at a young age as a physicist using computers as tools. 刚开始时我只是个年轻的物理学家 运用电脑作为工具
physicist:n.物理学家;物理学研究者;
Then, I started sort of drilling down, thinking about the computations I might want to do, trying to figure out what primitives they could be built up from and how they could be automated as much as possible. 然后,我开始深入 思考我可能想做的计算 尝试找出可以加以演变的主数据类型 以及它们尽可能自动运行的方式
computations:n.[数]计算;计算指令(computation的复数形式); primitives:n.[计]基元(primitive的复数);原始事物;基本体; automated:adj.自动化的;v.(使)自动化;(automate的过去式和过去分词)
Eventually, I created a whole structure based on symbolic programming and so on that let me build Mathematica. 最终,我创立了整个架构 基于符号编程等等 然后创造出了Mathematica
structure:n.结构;构造;建筑物;vt.组织;构成;建造; symbolic:adj.象征的;符号的;使用符号的;
And for the past 23 years, at an increasing rate, we've been pouring more and more ideas and capabilities and so on into Mathematica, and I'm happy to say that's led to many good things in R and D and education, lots of other areas. 过去23年间,以逐年增长的态势 我们已经为Mathematica注入了 越来越多的概念和性能 而且我很高兴地说这带来了很多进步 在研发和教育 以及其他很多方面
pouring:v.倾倒;倾泻;连续流出;倒出;喷发;(pour的现在分词)
Well, I have to admit, actually, that I also had a very selfish reason for building Mathematica. 当然,我必须承认,事实上 我开发Mathematica也有个自私的原因
I wanted to use it myself, a bit like Galileo got to use his telescope 400 years ago. 那就是我想要用它 就像伽利略在400年前 想要用望远镜一样
telescope:n.望远镜;v.(使)叠套缩短;精简;
But I wanted to look, not at the astronomical universe, but at the computational universe. 但我想了解的不是天文宇宙 而是可计算空间
astronomical:adj.天文的,天文学的;极大的; computational:adj.计算的;
So we normally think of programs as being complicated things that we build for very specific purposes. 通常我们觉得程序是 复杂的东西 我们编程有很多特定的目的
normally:adv.正常地;通常地,一般地; complicated:adj.复杂的;难懂的;v.使复杂化;(complicate的过去分词和过去式) specific:adj.特殊的,特定的;明确的;详细的;[药]具有特效的;n.特性;细节;特效药;
But what about the space of all possible programs? 然而所有程序的空间又有多少呢？
Here's a representation of a really simple program. 这里有个非常简单的程序
representation:n.表现;代表;描述;陈述
So, if we run this program, this is what we get. 所以呢,如果我们运行这个程序 这就是我们得到的结果
Very simple. 很简单
So let's try changing the rule for this program a little bit. 接下来,我们稍微修改一下 这个程序的规则
Now we get another result, still very simple. 我们便得到了另一个结果 仍旧非常简单
Try changing it again. 再试着改一下
You get something a little bit more complicated, but if we keep running this for awhile , we find out that, although the pattern we get is very intricate , it has a very regular structure. 你就看到稍微复杂一点的东西 不过如果我们把这个程序继续运行下去 我们将发现,尽管我们获得的图案十分复杂 但它具有有规律的结构
awhile:adv.一会儿;片刻; intricate:adj.复杂的;错综的,缠结的;
So the question is: Can anything else happen? 接下来的问题是:还能发生什么？
Well, we can do a little experiment. 好,我们可以做个小实验
Let's just do a little mathematical experiment, try and find out. 来做个小的数学实验,试着找出规律
mathematical:adj.数学的,数学上的;精确的;
Let's just run all possible programs of the particular type that we're looking at. 运行我们所关注的特定总类的 所有可能的程序
They're called cellular automata . 他们被称为单元自动机
cellular:adj.细胞的;多孔的;由细胞组成的;n.移动电话;单元; automata:n.自动装置;机器人(automaton的复数);
You can see a lot of diversity in the behavior here. 你能看到这里有各种各样的图案模式
diversity:n.差异(性):多样性:多样化:
Most of them do very simple things. 大多数都很简单
But if you look along all these different pictures, at rule number 30, you start to see something interesting going on. 但是,如果你注意所有不同的图片 在30号规则上 你开始看见一些有趣的东西出现
So let's take a closer look at rule number 30 here. 所以我们仔细看一下 在30号规则这里
So here it is. 就在这里
We're just following this very simple rule at the bottom here, but we're getting all this amazing stuff . 我们只是按照底部非常简单的规律 然而我们得到了惊人的结果
stuff:n.东西:物品:基本特征:v.填满:装满:标本:
It's not at all what we're used to, and I must say that, when I first saw this, it came as a huge shock to my intuition , and, in fact, to understand it, 这与我们过去习惯的事物完全不同 而且,我必须说,当我第一次看见它的时候 它让我直觉为之震惊 实际上,为了理解它
not at all:毫无;一点也不;不用谢; intuition:n.直觉;直觉力;直觉的知识;
I eventually had to create a whole new kind of science. 我们最终不得不建立 一套全新的科学
(Laughter) （笑声）
This science is different, more general, than the mathematics-based science that we've had for the past 300 or so years. 这套科学是与众不同的,并且更加广义的 比起已经存在的基于数学的其他科学来说 在过去300年甚至更久的时间内
You know, it's always seemed like a big mystery how nature, seemingly so effortlessly manages to produce so much that seems to us so complex . 你知道的,它总是看似神秘 自然毫不费力地 制造出如此多的东西 让我们觉得如此复杂
seemingly:adv.看来似乎;表面上看来; effortlessly:adv.轻松地;毫不费劲地; complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施;
Well, I think we've found its secret. 于是,我觉得我们已经发现了其中的奥秘
It's just sampling what's out there in the computational universe and quite often getting things like Rule 30 or like this. 这只是我们能探索的计算空间的一个样本 它们都像30号规则 或者像这个
And knowing that, starts to explain a lot of long-standing mysteries in science. 在知道这件事后,我们可以开始解释 很多科学中长期以来的谜团
long-standing:adj.长期存在的;存在已久的;
It also brings up new issues though, like computational irreducibility. 不过,它也带来新的问题 就像计算的不可化归性
issues:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;(issue的第三人称单数和复数)
I mean, we're used to having science let us predict things, but something like this is fundamentally irreducible . 我的意思是我们曾习惯让科学帮我们预测一些事情 但是像这样的事情 是根本不可简化的
predict:v.预报;预言;预告; fundamentally:adv.从根本上;基础地;重要地 irreducible:adj.[数]不可约的;不能削减的;不能复归的;
The only way to find its outcome is, effectively, just to watch it evolve . 发现它结果的唯一方法 实际上就是看着它演化
outcome:n.结果,结局;成果; evolve:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;
It's connected to, what I call, the principle of computational equivalence , which tells us that even incredibly simple systems can do computations as sophisticated as anything. 与之相关的便是我所谓的 计算等价性原则 它告诉我们即使超级简单的系统 也能做极端复杂的计算
principle:n.原理,原则;主义,道义;本质,本义;根源,源泉; equivalence:n.等值;相等; incredibly:adv.难以置信地;非常地; sophisticated:adj.复杂的;老练的;见多识广的;水平高的;
It doesn't take lots of technology or biological evolution to be able to do arbitrary computation, just something that happens, naturally , all over the place. 不需要多先进的技术或是生物进化过程 就能使得它能够做任意的计算 这就是自然发生的事情 随处可见
biological:adj.生物学的;生物的;与生命过程有关的;加酶的;n.[药]生物制品; evolution:n.演变;进化;发展;渐进; arbitrary:adj.[数]任意的;武断的;专制的; naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地;
Things with rules as simple as these can do it. 有如此简单规则的东西能达此目的
Well, this has deep implications about the limits of science, about predictability and controllability of things like biological processes or economies , about intelligence in the universe, about questions like free will and about creating technology. 而且,这件事有深刻的意义 涉及科学的极限 概率论和控制论等 在生物进程或者经济方面发挥作用 还有关于宇宙中的智能 关于自由意志 以及创新技术的问题
implications:n.蕴涵式;暗指,暗示;含蓄,含意;卷入(implication的复数); predictability:n.可预测性;可预言; processes:n.过程; v.处理(process的第三人称单数形式); economies:n.经济;经济结构;节约;(economy的复数) intelligence:n.智力;智慧;才智;(尤指关于敌国的)情报; free will:n.自由意志;
You know, working on this science for many years, 从事这些科学工作很多年后
I kept wondering, "What will be its first killer app?" 我开始思考 第一个令人震惊的应用程序是什么？
Well, ever since I was a kid, 恩,甚至我还是孩子时
I'd been thinking about systematizing knowledge and somehow making it computable. 我就想过关于知识系统化的问题 以及怎么让它变得可计算
systematizing:vt.使系统化;使组织化;将…分类; somehow:adv.以某种方法;莫名其妙地;
People like Leibniz had wondered about that too 300 years earlier. 莱布尼兹之辈也已经想过这个问题 在300年前
But I'd always assumed that to make progress, 但是我总是假设,为了进步,
assumed:adj.假定的;假设的;v.假定;假设;认为;承担;(assume的过去分词和过去式)
I'd essentially have to replicate a whole brain. 我不得不克隆出整个大脑
essentially:adv.本质上;本来; replicate:vt.复制; vi.重复; adj.复制的; n.复制品;
Well, now I got to thinking: 而现在,我想的是
This scientific paradigm of mine suggests something different. 我的科学模式意味着不一样的东西。
scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; paradigm:n.范例;词形变化表;
And, by the way , I've now got huge computation capabilities in Mathematica, and I'm a CEO with some worldly resources to do large, seemingly crazy, projects. 并且,顺便提一下,我已经 使Mathematica具备了超强的计算能力 并且,我是公司的首席执行官,拥有大量的资源 来做大型的,看似疯狂的项目。
by the way:顺便说一下; worldly:adj.世俗的;世间的;尘世的;adv.世俗地;世故地; resources:n.[计][环境]资源; v.向…提供资金(resource的第三人称单数);
So I decided to just try to see how much of the systematic knowledge that's out there in the world we can make computable. 所以,我决定尝试知道 在这世界上,有多少系统化的知识 是我们能够计算的
systematic:adj.系统的;体系的;有系统的;[图情]分类的;一贯的,惯常的;
So, it's been a big, very complex project, which I was not sure was going to work at all. 所以,这是个大型、复杂的项目, 我不完全确定它是否可行
But I'm happy to say that it's actually going really well. 但是我很高兴地说,它现在进行的不错
And last year we were able to release the first website version of Wolfram Alpha . 就在去年 我们发布了第一个网络版本的 Wolfram Alpha
release:v.释放;发射;让与;允许发表;n.释放;发布;让与; Wolfram:n.[化学]钨(金属元素,符号W);钨锰铁矿; Alpha:n.希腊字母表的第1个字母;
It's purpose is to be a serious knowledge engine that computes answers to questions. 目的是提供一个专业的知识搜索引擎 它为提问计算答案
computes:v.计算;求出;网络释义:码表;骑行码表;(computes是compute的第三人称单数)
So let's give it a try. 所以呢,我们来试试看
Let's start off with something really easy. 让我们先试试简单的东西
Hope for the best . 希望没问题
for the best:出于好意;
Very good. Okay. 非常好,没问题
So far so good. 到目前为止,不错
(Laughter) （笑声）
Let's try something a little bit harder. 让我们试试难一点的东西
Let's say ... 比如
Let's do some mathy thing and with luck it'll work out the answer and try and tell us some interesting things things about related math. 我们做点数学 希望它能幸运的计算出结果 并且试着告诉我们一些 关于数学的有趣的事
We could ask it something about the real world. 我们可以问他一些现实生活的事情
Let's say -- I don't know -- 比如,--- 让我想想 -----
What's the GDP of Spain? 西班牙的国民生产总值是多少？
And it should be able to tell us that. 它应该能告诉我们
Now we could compute something related to this, let's say the GDP of Spain divided by, I don't know, the -- hmmm ... 现在我们能计算和它相关的事 比如西班牙的国民生产总值 除以, 让我想想 嗯
let's say the revenue of Microsoft. 比如微软公司的收入
revenue:n.收益;营业额;税务署;
(Laughter) （笑声）
The idea is that we can sort of just type this in, this kind of question in however we think of it. 想法就是我们输入一些好奇的问题 不论是什么奇怪的问题
So let's try asking a question, like a health related question. 所以,我们提个问题 比如有关健康的问题
So let's say we have a lab finding that -- you know, we have an LDL level of 140 for a male aged 50. 比如,跟据实验室数据 你知道的,有低密度脂蛋白浓度值是140的数据 这是针对50多岁的男性
So let's type that in, and now Wolfram Alpha will go and use available public health data and try to figure out what part of the population that corresponds to and so on. 我们输入这个,然后Wolfram Alpha 就会使用存在的公共健康数据库 来试着分析出 这组数据对应哪部分人群等等
corresponds:v.相一致;符合;类似于;相当于;通信;(correspond的第三人称单数)
Or let's try asking about, I don't know, the international space station . 或者我们可以问,让我想想 国际空间站的问题
space station:n.太空站;航天站;宇宙空间站;
And what's happening here is that 结果就是
Wolfram Alpha is not just looking up something; it's computing , in real time , where the international space station is right now, at this moment, how fast it's going and so on. Wolfram Alpha不仅在查找信息 它是在实时计算 国际空间站现在此刻的位置 它运行的速度等等
computing:n.计算;计算机技术;信息处理技术;v.计算;求出;(compute的现在分词) real time:adj.实时的;接到指示立即执行的;
So Wolfram Alpha knows about lots and lots of kinds of things. 所以呢,Wolfram Alpha知道很多很多不同的事情
It's got by now, pretty good coverage of everything you might find in a standard reference library and so on. 到现在为止 它几乎可以很好的涵盖了你能在 一个标准图书馆中找到的知识
coverage:n.覆盖,覆盖范围; standard:n.标准;水准;旗;度量衡标准;adj.标准的;合规格的;公认为优秀的; reference library:n.参考图书馆;
But the goal is to go much further and, very broadly , to democratize all of this kind of knowledge, and to try and be an authoritative source in all areas, 不过,我们的目标远不止这些 概括地说 是要使所有的知识民主化 并且试着提供 所有领域中的权威资料
broadly:adv.明显地;宽广地;概括地;露骨地;粗鄙地; democratize:vt.使民主化;使大众化;vi.民主化;大众化; authoritative:adj.有权威的;命令式的;当局的;
to be able to compute answers to specific questions that people have, not by searching what other people may have written down before, but by using built in knowledge to compute fresh new answers to specific question. 使它能够计算人们特定问题的答案 不是靠搜索其他人 之前可能写下的资料 而是使用内建知识 来对特定问题计算新的答案
Now, of course, Wolfram Alpha is a monumentally huge, long term project with lots and lots of challenges. 现在,当然,Wolfram Alpha 是一个非常大型、长远的项目 面临着众多挑战
monumentally:adv.纪念地;非常地;作为纪念碑地;
For a start, one has to curate a zillion different sources of facts and data, and we built quite a pipeline of Mathematica automation and human domain experts for doing this. 开始的时候,我们要收集数以万计的 不同的事实来源和数据 而且,我们建立了Mathematica自动化流水线 还有知识领域专家来做这件事
curate:n.助理牧师;副牧师; zillion:n.庞大的数字;无法计算的大数字;adj.无限数的; automation:n.自动化;自动操作; domain:n.领域;域名;产业;地产;
But that's just the beginning. 不过,这只是开始
Given raw facts or data to actually answer questions, one has to compute, one has to implement all those methods and models and algorithms and so on that science and other areas have built up over the centuries. 对于运用一些没有处理的事实和数据 来解答实际问题 一方面要计算 另一方面要执行所有的方法、模型 以及算法等等 而科学以及其他领域于此已发展了数个世纪
implement:v.实施;执行;贯彻;使生效;n.工具;
Well, even starting from Mathematica, this is still a huge amount of work. 甚至从Mathematica开始 这仍然是一项浩大工程
So far, there are about 8 million lines of Mathematica code in Wolfram Alpha built by experts from many, many different fields. 至今为止,有8百万行 Mathematica的代码写在Wolfram Alpha里 这些代码由很多来自不同领域的专家构建
Well, a crucial idea of Wolfram Alpha is that you can just ask it questions using ordinary human language, which means that we've got to be able to take Wolfram Alpha中的一个最重要的想法 是你可以问它问题 使用普通人类语言 这意味着我们必须能够接受
crucial:adj.重要的;决定性的;定局的;决断的;
all those strange utterances that people type into the input field and understand them. 人们输入所有的奇怪的文字 并理解它们
utterances:n.表达;说话;说话方式; input:n.投入; v.把(数据等)输入计算机;
And I must say that I thought that step might just be plain impossible. 我必须说我曾觉得做到那一步 相当不可能
Two big things happened. 后来有了两大重要进步
First, a bunch of new ideas about linguistics that came from studying the computational universe. 首先是语言学上的很多新想法 来自于对计算空间的研究
a bunch of:一群;一束;一堆; linguistics:n.语言学;
And second, the realization that having actual computable knowledge completely changes how one can set about understanding language. 其次,可计算知识的实现 完全地改变了如何一个人能够 开始理解语言
realization:n.实现;领悟;
And, of course, now with Wolfram Alpha actually out in the wild, we can learn from its actual usage . 当然,现在 在浩瀚的网络中有了Wolfram Alpha 我们就能学习它的使用方法
usage:n.使用;利用;利用率;惯用法;
And, in fact, there's been an interesting coevolution that's been going on between Wolfram Alpha and its human users. 实际上,一直都有 一个有趣的共同进化 发生在Wolfram Alpha 和用户之间
coevolution:n.共同进化(指两个以上相互依存的物种共同进化);
And it's really encouraging. 并且,这相当鼓舞人心
Right now, if we look at web queries , more than 80 percent of them get handled successfully the first time. 现在,对于任意网络搜索 超过百分之80的搜索在第一时间就被成功处理。
queries:n.问题; v.[计]查询(query的第三人称单数形式);
And if you look at things like the iPhone app, the fraction is considerably larger. 如果你看看类似iPhone应用程序的东西 那被成功搜索部分就相当大了
fraction:n.分数;小部分;小数;少量; considerably:adv.相当地;非常地;
So, I'm pretty pleased with it all. 所以我对此很满意
But, in many ways, we're still at the very beginning with Wolfram Alpha. 但是,从很多角度看 我们仍然处于Wolfram Alpha开发的初级阶段。
I mean, everything is scaling up very nicely . 我的意思是,每件事情的规模都在扩大
scaling:n.缩放比例; v.剥落; nicely:adv.细致地;有吸引力;令人满意;令人愉快;adj.强健的;
We're getting more confident . 我们也变得更有信心
confident:adj.自信的;确信的;
You can expect to see Wolfram Alpha technology showing up in more and more places, working both with this kind of public data, like on the website, and with private knowledge for people and companies and so on. 你能期待看到Wolfram Alpha技术 在越来越多的地方使用 既能使用公共数据,比如网站 又能使用私人数据 给个人和公司等等提供服务
You know, I've realized that Wolfram Alpha actually gives one a sort of whole new kind of computing that one can call knowledge-based computing, in which one's starting, not just from raw computation, but from a vast amount of built-in knowledge. 我觉得Wolfram Alpha其实是一个 全新的计算方法 我们可以称之基于知识的计算 这种计算方法,不仅可以使用原始数据 还能使用大量的内建知识
built-in:adj.嵌入的;固定的;n.内置;
And when one does that, one really changes the economics of delivering computational things, whether it's on the web or elsewhere . 而且,一个能做这样计算的工具真的能够改变 传递可计算事物的理论 无论在网络上或者是其他地方
elsewhere:adv.在别处;到别处;
You know, we have a fairly interesting situation right now. 我们现在处于一个很有意思的状态
fairly:adv.相当地;公平地;简直;
On the one hand , we have Mathematica, with its sort of precise , formal language and a huge network of carefully designed capabilities able to get a lot done in just a few lines. 一方面,我们拥有Mathematica这个软件 它有精确性,正规性 以及大规模 设计仔细的功能网络 用几行代码就能做很多事情
On the one hand:一方面; precise:adj.准确的;确切的;精确的;明确的; formal:adj.适合正式场合的; n.(美)须穿礼服的社交集会; (口)夜礼服;
Let me show you a couple of examples here. 我来展示几个例子
So here's a trivial piece of Mathematica programming. 这是Mathematica编程中很小的一段代码
trivial:adj.不重要的,琐碎的;琐细的;
Here's something where we're sort of integrating a bunch of different capabilities here. 这里是我们整合 大量不同的功能
integrating:v.(使)合并,成为一体;(使)加入,融入群体;(integrate的现在分词)
Here we'll just create in this line a little user interface that allows us to do something fun there. 这行,我们就能建立 一个简单的用户界面 它允许我们做一些有趣的事情
interface:n.接口;人机界面;连接电路;v.连接;
If you go on, that's a slightly more complicated program that's now doing all sorts of algorithmic things and creating user interface and so on. 如果你继续的话,那就出现一些更复杂的程序 这些程序在运行算法之类的程序 并且建立用户界面等等
slightly:adv.些微地,轻微地;纤细地; algorithmic:adj.[数]算法的;规则系统的;
But it's something that's very precise stuff. 不过,这是非常精准的东西
It's a precise specification with a precise formal language that causes Mathematica to know what to do here. 它精准的命令需要精准的正式编程语言 才能让Mathematica知道要干什么
specification:n.规格;规范;明细单;说明书;
Well, then on the other hand , we have Wolfram Alpha, with all the sort of messiness of the world and human language and so on built into it. 另一方面,我们拥有Wolfram Alpha 包含了世界上所有杂乱无章的东西 以及人类语言等内建的知识体系
on the other hand:另一方面; messiness:n.乱糟糟;混乱;
So what happens when you put these things together? 如果把他们放一起,会发生什么呢？
I think it's actually rather wonderful. 我觉得真是非常棒
With Wolfram Alpha inside Mathematica, you can, for example, make precise programs that call on real-world data. Mathematica里有Wolfram Alpha, 你就能编写精准的程序 来接触真实世界的数据
real-world:adj.现实生活的;工作的;
Here's a really simple example. 这里有个很简单的例子
You can also just sort of give vague input and then try and have Wolfram Alpha figure out what you're talking about. 你可以只是输入模棱两可的话语 试着让Wolfram Alpha 来分析出你想研究的内容
vague:adj.模糊的;含糊的;不明确的;暧昧的;
Let's try this here. 我们在这儿试试看
But actually I think sort of the most exciting thing about this is that it really gives one the chance to democratize programming. 不过事实上我想最激动人心的事是 它给了我们一个机会 来全民编程
I mean, anyone will be able to just sort of say what they want in plain language, then, the idea is, that Wolfram Alpha will be able to figure out what precise pieces of code can do what they're asking for 我的意思是,任何人都能用日常用语说话 关键在于,Wolfram Alpha能分析出 什么样的精准代码 能符合人们要求的事情
and then show them examples that will let them pick what they need to build up bigger and bigger, precise programs. 然后显示出样例来帮助人们找到想要的答案 由此建立越来越多的精准程序
So, sometimes, Wolfram Alpha will be able to do the whole thing immediately and just give back a whole big program that you can then compute with. 所以,有时候,Wolfram Alpha 能够立即处理整个问题 然后仅仅回馈你能用来计算的整个大程序
So here's a big website where we've been collecting lots of educational and other demonstrations about lots of kinds of things. 这里有个大网站 这里,我们收集了很多关于教育等 各种事物的样例
educational:adj.教育的;有关教育的;有教育意义的 demonstrations:n.示范,展示(demonstration复数);
So, I don't know, I'll show you one example, maybe here. 我来展示一个例子,例如这个
This is just an example of one of these computable documents. 这只是可计算文档的其中一个样例
This is probably a fairly small piece of Mathematica code that's able to be run here. 它是相当小的 一段Mathematica代码 能在这里运行
Okay. Let's zoom out again. 我们再缩小一下
So, given our new kind of science, is there a general way to use it to make technology? 所以,有了这个新版科学 存在一个通用的办法来用它革新技术吗？
So, with physical materials, we're used to kind of going around the world and discovering that particular materials are useful for particular technological purposes and so on. 使用物理材料 我们过去常常遍步世界 并发现特定材料 用于特定的 技术目的等等。
physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查; technological:adj.技术[工程](上)的;因工艺技术高度发展而引起的;
Well, it turns out, we can do very much the same kind of thing in the computational universe. 结果,我们可以做很多差不多的事情 在这个可计算的世界中。
There's an inexhaustible supply of programs out there. 有无穷无尽的程序资源在那儿。
inexhaustible:adj.用不完的;不知疲倦的;
The challenge is to see how to harness them for human purposes. 面临的挑战是如何 让它们供人类使用
harness:vt.治理; n.马具;
Something like Rule 30, for example, turns out to be a really good randomness generator . 举个例子,一些像30号规则的东西 结果可以是很好的随机生成器。
randomness:n.随意;无安排;不可测性; generator:n.发电机;发生器;电力公司;
Other simple programs are good models for processes in the natural or social world. 其他简单的程序是很好的模型 来处理自然世界或者社交活动的问题
And, for example, Wolfram Alpha and Mathematica are actually now full of algorithms that we discovered by searching the computational universe. 再比如,Wolfram Alpha和Mathematica 确实包含很多算法 我们通过搜索计算空间找到它们
And, for example, this -- we go back here -- 再比如,我们返回到这里
This has become surprisingly popular among composers finding musical forms by searching the computational universe. 这个已经变成相当的流行 在作曲家间 通过搜索计算空间来找出音乐模式
surprisingly:adv.令人惊讶地;出乎意料地 composers:n.作曲家;作曲者(composer的复数形式);
In a sense , we can use the computational universe to get mass customized creativity. 某种意义上说,我们可以使用计算空间 来获得大量的个性化创造。
In a sense:在某种意义上; mass:n.块,团; adj.群众的,民众的; v.聚集起来,聚集; customized:v.订制,订做,改制;(customize的过去分词和过去式)
I'm hoping we can, for example, use that even to get Wolfram Alpha to routinely sort of do invention and discovery on the fly and to find all sorts of wonderful stuff that no engineer and no process of incremental evolution would ever come up with . 我希望我们能够 使用Wolfram Alpha 来运行常规的发明和发现的过程 并且来找出所有令人惊讶的事情 这些事情没有一个工程师 也没有一个渐进式演化的过程能够找出
routinely:adv.例行公事地;老一套地; on the fly:n.邻近备用设备;即时烧录;真时; incremental:adj.增加的,增值的; come up with:提出;想出;赶上;
Well, so, that leads to sort of an ultimate question. 这些最终导向一个终极问题
ultimate:adj.最终的;极限的;根本的;n.终极;根本;基本原则;
Could it be that someplace out there in the computational universe we might find our physical universe? 有没有可能使这个计算空间 与我们的物理世界相融合？
Perhaps there's even some quite simple rule, some simple program for our universe. 也许存在简单的规则 一些简单的程序,对于我们的物理世界来说。
Well, the history of physics would have us believe that the rule for the universe must be pretty complicated. 物理的历史让我们相信 宇宙的内部规则一定是很复杂的
But in the computational universe we've now seen how rules that are incredibly simple can produce incredibly rich and complex behavior. 但是在计算空间中 我们已经看到那些规则惊人的简单 却能够产生非常丰富和复杂的结果
So could that be what's going on with our whole universe? 所以,这可能是我们的物理世界的本质吗？
If the rules for the universe are simple, it's kind of inevitable that they have to be very abstract and very low level, operating, for example, far below the level of space or time, which makes it hard to represent things. 如果这个宇宙的规则很简单 不可避免的,他们一定是 十分抽象以及初级 远远运行于 时间、空间之下 这种运行方法很难表现某种东西
inevitable:adj.必然的,不可避免的; abstract:n.摘要; adj.抽象的; vt.摘要; vi.做摘要;
But in at least a large class of cases, one can think of the universe as being like some kind of network, which, when it gets big enough, behaves like continuous space in much the same way as having lots of molecules can behave like a continuous fluid . 但是至少,从其中一类大量的事例中 我们能把这个宇宙想成 某种网络 当它变得足够大时 它表现得像一个连续空间 某种程度上就像很多分子 表现得像流体一样。
behaves:v.表现;表现得体;有礼貌;(behave的第三人称单数) continuous:adj.连续的,持续的;继续的;连绵不断的; molecules:n.[化学]分子,微粒;[化学]摩尔(molecule的复数); fluid:adj.流动的;流畅的;不固定的;n.流体;液体;
Well, then the universe has to evolve by applying little rules that progressively update this network. 之后,宇宙进化就要依靠 应用这个网络中不断更新的简单规则。
applying:v.申请,请求;使用;应用;(apply的现在分词) progressively:adv.渐进地;日益增多地; update:vt.使现代化;更新;n.现代化;更新的信息;
And each possible rule, in a sense, corresponds to a candidate universe. 并且,每一个可能的规则,在某种程度上说, 对应一个候选空间
Actually, I haven't shown these before, but here are a few of the candidate universes that I've looked at. 事实上,我之前从来没有展示过 不过,这里有几个候选空间 我正在研究的
universes:语义层;此生彼世;
Some of these are hopeless universes, completely sterile , with other kinds of pathologies like no notion of space, no notion of time, no matter, other problems like that. 一些是没希望的空间 完全不能演化, 包括很多缺点,例如没有空间的观念 没有时间的概念,没有物质 或者类似的其他问题
sterile:adj.不育的;无菌的;贫瘠的;不毛的;枯燥乏味的; pathologies:n.病理学(复数pathologies); notion:n.观念;信念;理解;
But the exciting thing that I've found in the last few years is that you actually don't have to go very far in the computational universe before you start finding candidate universes that aren't obviously not our universe. 但是,我近几年发现的最令人激动的事 是你其实不必深入 在计算空间中 你就能发现与我们的物理空间 明显不同的候选空间
Here's the problem: 问题在这里:
Any serious candidate for our universe, is inevitably full of computational irreducibility, which means that it is irreducibly difficult to find out how it will really behave, and whether it matches our physical universe. 任何有可能的候选空间 不可避免地充满了计算不可化归性, 这意味着简化它的具体表现 是极其困难的 并且不易判断它是否符合我们的物理世界。
inevitably:adv.不可避免地;必然地;
A few years ago, I was pretty excited to discover that there are candidate universes with incredibly simple rules that successfully reproduce special relativity and even general relativity and gravitation and at least give hints of quantum mechanics . 几年前,我非常兴奋地发现 有些候选空间具有极其简单的规则 却能成功再现狭义相对论 和广义相对论以及重力 而且至少还给出了量子力学的暗示。
reproduce:v.繁殖;复制;再现;生育; relativity:n.相对论;相关性;相对性; gravitation:n.重力;万有引力;地心吸力; hints:n.暗示,提示(hint的复数形式);v.暗示,示意(hint的单三形式); quantum mechanics:n.量子力学;
So, will we find the whole of physics? 所以,我们将会发现整个物理学吗？
I don't know for sure. 我不确定。
But I think at this point it's sort of almost embarrassing not to at least try. 但是我觉得现在 不去尝试的话真的是令人羞愧的。
embarrassing:adj.令人尴尬的; v.使尴尬; (embarrass的现在分词)
Not an easy project. 虽然这不是件简单的事。
One has got to build a lot of technology. 一方面要发展技术
One's got to build a structure that's probably at least as deep as existing physics. 一方面要建立架构 这架构至少要达到现有物理学的深度。
And I'm not sure what the best way to organize the whole thing is. 而且,我不确定去整合整件事情最好的方法是什么。
organize:v.组织;安排;处理;分配;管理;
Build a team, open it up, offer prizes and so on. 建立一个团队,运营它,还是提供奖励等等。
But I'll tell you here today that I'm committed to seeing this project done, to see if, within this decade, we can finally hold in our hands the rule for our universe and know where our universe lies in the space of all possible universes -- and be able to type into Wolfram Alpha "the theory of the universe," 但是,我今天要告诉你 我要把这个项目做完, 要看看在这10年内 我们是否最终可以掌握 我们宇宙的规则 并且知道我们宇宙在 所有可能的宇宙空间的位置 并且,能够在Wolfram Alpha中输入“宇宙理论”
committed:adj.坚信的; v.做出错事; (commit的过去分词和过去式) finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地;
and have it tell us. 让它告诉我们结果。
(Laughter) （笑声）
So I've been working on the idea of computation now for more than 30 years, building tools and methods and turning sort of intellectual ideas into millions of lines of code and grist for server farms and so on. 我已经在计算的这个想法上做了 超过30年了研究 打造工具,创立方法,将专业知识 编写成数百万行的代码 在服务器中收获结果等等。
intellectual:n.知识分子;脑力劳动者;adj.智力的;脑力的;理智的;有才智的; grist:n.谷物(尤指磨成粉用或已磨成粉的谷物);酿造用的碎麦芽;
With every passing year, 每过去一年
I realize how much more powerful the idea of computation really is. 我都意识到 计算的想法是多么的强大。
It's taken us a long way already, but there's so much more to come. 它已引领我们走过很长一段路 但是还有更多可以做的事情。
From the foundations of science to the limits of technology to the very definition of the human condition, 从科学的根基 到技术的极限 再到人类条件的定义,
foundations:n.基础;地基;基金会;粉底;(foundations是foundation的复数) definition:n.定义;清晰度;(尤指词典里的词或短语的)释义;解释;
I think computation is destined to be the defining idea of our future. 我觉得,计算注定 是定义我们的未来的想法
destined:adj.注定的;命定的;去往…的;v.注定;(destine的过去式和过去分词) defining:v.解释(词语)的含义;给(词语)下定义;阐明;界定;(define的现在分词)
Thank you. 谢谢。
(Applause) （鼓掌）
Chris Anderson: That was astonishing . Chris Anderson（克里斯 安德森）:太令人惊讶了。
astonishing:adj.令人十分惊讶的;v.使十分惊讶;使吃惊;(astonish的现在分词)
Stay here. I've got a question. 别走,我有问题。
(Applause) （鼓掌）
So, that was, fair to say, an astonishing talk. 说实在的,那真的是很惊人的演讲。
Are you able to say in a sentence or two how this type of thinking could integrate at some point to things like string theory or the kind of things that people think of as the fundamental explanations of the universe? 您能用一两句话概括 这种思考方式如何 能在某些点上整合 一些如弦论或者 人们在思考的一些关于根本宇宙解释的问题？
integrate:v.成为一体;(使)加入;adj.完全的; string:n.字符串; v.悬挂; adj.由弦乐器组成的;
Stephen Wolfram: Well, the parts of physics that we kind of know to be true, things like the standard model of physics. Stephen Wolfram（斯蒂芬.沃尔夫勒姆）:好的。 那部分我们视作真理的物理学 就像标准物理模型
What I'm trying to do better reproduce the standard model of physics or it's simply wrong. 我尝试做得更好的是再现标准物理模型 或者说明它是错的。
The things that people have tried to do in the last 25 years or so with string theory and so on have been an interesting exploration that has tried to get back to the standard model, but hasn't quite gotten there. 人们在近25年里已尝试的事情 有关弦论等等 都是非常有趣的探索 这些探索已经尝试回到标准模型, 却还不能到那一步。
exploration:n.探索;勘探;探险;[医]探查术;
My guess is that some great simplifications of what I'm doing may actually have considerable resonance with what's been done in string theory, but that's a complicated math thing that I don't yet know how it's going to work out. 我猜我的研究中的一些极端简化 可能和弦论中的某些研究 有相当的相似度 不过,那是复杂的数学 我还不知道有些是怎么回事情。
simplifications:n.简化;简化的事物;(simplification的复数) considerable:adj.相当大的;重要的,值得考虑的; resonance:n.[力]共振;共鸣;反响;
CA: Benoit Mandlebrot is in the audience. 克里斯 安德森: Benoit Mandlebrot也在观众席中。
He has also shown how complexity can arise from a simple start. 他也展示了如何复杂 可以从简单的初始状态演化过来。
complexity:n.复杂性;难以理解的局势 arise:v.出现;发生;产生;起身;
Does your work relate to his? 这和你的研究相关吗？
SW: I think so. 史蒂芬:我觉得有。
I view Benoit Mandlebrot's work as kind of one of the founding contributions to this kind of area. 我看过Benoit Mandlebrot的研究, 觉得像这个领域的 基础贡献
contributions:n.捐款;捐资;定期缴款;贡献;促成作用;(contribution的复数)
Benoit has been particularly interested in nested patterns, in fractals and so on, where the structure is something that's kind of tree-like , and where there's sort of a big branch that makes little branches, and even smaller branches and so on. Benoit致力于 复杂图样,分型等等的研究, 在那些方面,结构就像 树型之类的东西, 有大分支,能产生小分支 和更小分支
particularly:adv.特别地,独特地;详细地,具体地;明确地,细致地; fractals:n.碎形;分形学(fractal的复数); tree-like:[林]树枝状的;
That's kind of one of the ways that you get towards true complexity. 那也是一种方法 来到达真正的复杂。
I think things like the Rule 30 cellular automaton get us to a different level. 我觉得像30号规则的单元自动机 将我们带到了不同的水平上。
automaton:n.自动机;机器人;自动机器;
In fact, in a very precise way they get us to a different level because they seem to be things that are capable of complexity that's sort of as great as complexity can ever get ... 事实上,更精确地说,它能将我们带到不同的水平 因为他们看似能够 达到复杂状态 这种复杂是前所未有的...
capable:adj.能干的,能胜任的;有才华的;
I could go on about this at great length , but I won't. 我可以持续不断地讲下去,但是我不打算去做。
at great length:详细地;
CA: Stephen Wolfram, thank you. 克里斯:史蒂芬,谢谢你。
(Applause) （鼓掌）