If superpowers were real: Super speed - Joy Lin

翻译人员: nancy liu 校对人员: Zhiting Chen

Some superheros can move faster than the wind.

有一些超级英雄可以跑得比风还快

The men in Apollo 10 reached

在阿波罗10号载人航天器里的人们达到了这个速度

a record-breaking speed

达到了这个打破了纪录的速度

of around 25,000 miles per hour

大约25,000英里每小时

when the shuttle re-entered

当载人航天器再次进入地球大气层的时候

the Earth's atmosphere in 1969.

那是在1969年

Wouldn't we save a lot of time

我们将节约很多时间

to be able to move that fast?

如果我们能像他们一样快

But what's the catch?

但是，这样做有没有什么不利之处？

Air is not empty.

空气中并不是什么都不存在的

Elements like oxygen and nitrogen,

像氧，氮这样的元素

even countless dust particles,

甚至数不尽的灰尘颗粒

make up the air around us.

组成了我们周围的空气

When we move past these things in the air,

当我们穿过空气中的这些物质时

we're rubbing against them

我们在摩擦它们

and creating a lot of friction,

因此出现了一些摩擦力

which results in heat.

导致了温度的上升

Just like rubbing your hands together warms them up

就像你搓手可以使手暖和起来

or rubbing two sticks together makes fire,

或者钻木取火

the faster objects rub together,

物体摩擦的越快

the more heat is generated.

温度上升的高

So, if we're running at 25,000 miles per hour,

因此，如果我们以每小时25,000英里每小时的速度奔跑

the heat from friction would burn our faces off.

摩擦引起的温度上升会烧掉我们的脸

Even if we somehow withstood the heat,

即使我们通过某种方式承受住了这种温度

the sand and dirt in the air

空气中的沙粒和尘埃将同时向我们袭来

would still scrape us up

会将我们刮伤

with millions of tiny cuts

带来无数的

all happening at the same time.

小创口

Ever seen the front bumper or grill of a truck?

你有没有观察过汽车的前保险杠？

What do you think all the birds and bugs would do

你认为那些飞着的鸟和虫子

会对你睁着的眼或者暴露在外的皮肤产生什么样的伤害？

to your open eyes or exposed skin?

Okay, so you'll wear a mask

那么，假如你戴着一张面具

to avoid destroying your face.

来避免对脸部的伤害

But what about people in buildings

然而，那些在你和你的目的地之间的

between you and your destination?

人和建筑呢？

It takes us approximately one-fifth of a second

从看见信号到作出反应

to react to what we see.

我们大概要用1/5秒

By the time we see what is ahead of us

从我们看见我们面前的东西

and react to it -

到我们作出反应

time times velocity equals distance

时间 x 速度 = 距离

equals one-fifth of a second

= 1/5秒x＝1.4英里

times 25,000 miles per hour

equals 1.4 miles

25,000英里每小时

- we would have gone past it

＝1.4英里

or through it by over a mile.

我们可能已经路过

We're either going to kill ourselves

或者穿过它们并且又走了一英里

by crashing into the nearest wall at super speed

我们可能杀死了自己

or, worse, if we're indestructible,

因为我们以巨大的速度撞上了离我们最近的墙

we've essentially turned our bodies into missiles

也有可能，更糟糕一些，如果我们不会被摧毁，而继续跑下去

that destroy everything in our path.

我们的身体就好像变成了导弹

So, long distance travel at 25,000 miles per hour

摧毁沿途的所有物体

would leave us burning up,

因此，以25,000英里每小时的长距离旅程

covered in bugs,

会使我们烧焦

and leaves no time to react.

我们会撞上许多的虫子

What about short bursts

并且没有反映的时间

to a location we can see

那么，短程的奔跑

with no obstacles in between?

把我们可以看到的地方作为目的地

Okay, let's say a bullet

并且途中没有障碍物，这样可行么？

is about to hit a beautiful damsel in distress.

假设有一枚子弹

So, our hero swoops in at super speed,

马上就要击中一个不幸的美丽少女

grabs her,

所以，我们的英雄要以巨大的速度

and carries her to safety.

来个英雄救美

That sounds very romantic,

并把她带到安全地带

but, in reality, that girl will probably suffer

这一切听起来很浪漫

more damage from the hero than the bullet

但是，事实上，相比起被子弹射中

if he moved her at super speed.

带着少女以巨大的速度移动

Newton's First Law of Motion deals with inertia,

可能会使少女受到更多伤害

which is the resistance to a change

牛顿第一运动定律也被称为惯性定律

in its state of motion.

它是关于物体应对改变其原有的运动状态的

So, an object will continue moving

抵抗性的阐述

or staying at the same place

因此，一个物体会继续移动

unless something changes it.

或者保持静止

Acceleration is the rate the velocity changes over time.

除非有什么改变了它

When the girl at rest,

加速度是速度在单位时间内的改变量

velocity equals zero miles per hour,

当那位少女静止的时候

begins accelerating to reach the speed within seconds,

也就是说她的速度是零

velocity increases rapidly

然后，她开始加速，在几秒内就达到了25,000英里每小时

to 25,000 miles per hour,

速度增长的非常快

her brain would crash into the side of her skull.

直到她达到那个速度才停止

And, when she stops suddenly,

由于惯性，她的大脑会撞上她头骨的一侧

velocity decreases rapidly back to zero miles per hour,

而且，当她突然停下来的时候

her brain would crash into the other side of her skull,

速度减小的非常快直到速度减到了零

turning her brain into mush.

这时，他的大脑就会撞击她头骨的另一侧

The brain is too fragile to handle the sudden movement.

她的大脑也因此变成“一团浆糊”

So is every part of her body, for that matter.

所以我们的大脑非常脆弱以至于无法应对突如其来的运动

Remember, it's not the speed that causes the damage

我们身体上的别的器官也是这样，也可能发生类似的事

because the astronauts survived Apollo 10,

记住，并不是巨大的速度带来的伤害

it's the acceleration

因为阿波罗10号里面的宇航员都活着回来了

or sudden stop

是加速度

that causes our internal organs

或者突然停止

to crash into the front of our bodies

引起我们身体内部的器官

撞上了它前面的什么东西，我们身体的另一部分

the way we move forward in a bus

when the driver slams on the brakes.

就像我们在坐公共汽车时

What the hero did to the girl

当司机踩刹车的时候

is mathematically the same as running her over

那个英雄救美的行为

with a space shuttle at maximum speed.

在数学意义上相当于以载人航天器的最大速度

She probably died instantly at the point of impact.

撞上了她

He's going to owe this poor girl's family an apology

由于巨大的冲击，她很可能当场死亡

and a big fat compensation check.

这样的话，这个英雄就欠这个可怜少女的家人一次道歉

Oh, and possibly face jail time.

和一笔巨大的赔款

Doctors have to carry liability insurance

对了，也有可能面对牢狱之灾

just in case they make a mistake and hurt their patients.

医生必须要买责任保险

以免他们误伤了患者

I wonder how much superhero insurance policy would cost.

Now, which superpower physics lesson

我很想知道超级英雄们会花多少钱来买保险

will you explore next?

现在，你将继续

Shifting body size and content,

参加哪一种超能力的物理课

super speed,

迅速改变身体的大小

flight,

超快的速度

super strength,

飞行

immortality,

力大无穷

and

长生不老

invisibility.

亦或是 隐身