The power of creative constraints - Brandon Rodriguez

翻译人员: Lipeng Chen 校对人员: Jack Zhang

Imagine you're asked to invent something new.

试想一下假如有人让你发明一样东西。

它可以是任何你想要的东西，

It could be whatever you want

made from anything you choose

你可以用任何材料去制作，

in any shape or size.

可以把它做成任何形状或大小。

That kind of creative freedom sounds so liberating, doesn't it?

这种创造自由听起来很让人感觉到解放，不是吗？

Or does it?

但真的是这样吗？

If you're like most people, you'd probably be paralyzed by this task.

如果你像大部分人那样， 你或许会对这任务感到无所适从。

Without more guidance, where would you even begin?

在没有更多指引的情况下， 你知道从哪里开始着手吗？

As it turns out, boundless freedom isn't always helpful.

事实证明，无限的自由并不总是有用的。

In reality, any project is restricted by many factors,

在现实生活中， 任何设计都会受到诸多因素的限制，

such as the cost,

比如说成本，

what materials you have at your disposal,

手头上有什么材料可供你自由支配，

and unbreakable laws of physics.

还有不会被打破的物理定律。

These factors are called creative constraints,

这些因素都被称为创造性约束，

and they're the requirements and limitations

这些因素都是要求和限制条件，

we have to address in order to accomplish a goal.

要想完成目标我们就必须面对它们。

Creative constraints apply across professions,

创造性约束适用于各类职业，

to architects and artists,

如建筑家和艺术家，

writers,

作家，

engineers,

工程师，

and scientists.

和科学家。

In many fields, constraints play a special role

在许多领域中，约束作为探索和发明的驱动因素，

as drivers of discovery and invention.

都扮演着一个特别的角色。

During the scientific process in particular,

尤其是在科学进程中，

constraints are an essential part of experimental design.

约束条件是实验设计中必不可少的一部分。

For instance, a scientist studying a new virus would consider,

例如，一位正在研究一种新病毒的科学家会思考，

"How can I use the tools and techniques at hand

“我应该怎样利用手中现有的工具和技术，

to create an experiment that tells me how this virus infects the body's cells?

去进行一个能够告诉我 这个病毒是怎样感染人体细胞的实验呢？

And what are the limits of my knowledge that prevent me

我现有的知识中有哪些局限性会阻碍我，

from understanding this new viral pathway?"

去理解这个新型病毒性路径？”

In engineering, constraints have us apply our scientific discoveries

在工程领域中，约束条件能让我们把科学发现

to invent something new and useful.

应用到新颖有用的事物的创造中。

Take, for example, the landers Viking 1 and 2,

举一个例子，着陆器维京1号和2号，

which relied on thrusters to arrive safely on the surface of Mars.

它们需要依靠推进器才能安全着落于火星表面。

The problem?

问题是？

Those thrusters left foreign chemicals on the ground,

那些推进器会在火星表面留下外来的化学物质，

contaminating soil samples.

污染土壤样本。

So a new constraint was introduced.

一个新的约束条件因而产生。

How can we land a probe on Mars

我们怎样使探测器在登陆火星的同时，

without introducing chemicals from Earth?

又不会把地球的化学物质带到火星上呢？

The next Pathfinder mission used an airbag system

在下一个探路者任务中就用到一个气囊系统，

to allow the rover to bounce and roll to a halt

这个系统可以让探测车弹跳和停止行驶，

without burning contaminating fuel.

同时不需要燃烧污染性燃料。

Years later, we wanted to send a much larger rover: Curiosity.

多年后，我们想要发射 一个更大的探测车：好奇号。

However, it was too large for the airbag design,

但对于气囊设计而言，好奇号实在太大了，

so another constraint was defined.

因而另一个约束条件也得以明确。

How can we land a large rover while still keeping rocket fuel

我们怎么让一个大型探测车 着落的同时，火箭燃料又能

away from the Martian soil?

远离火星土壤呢？

In response, engineers had a wild idea.

作为回应，工程师们有一个疯狂的想法。

They designed a skycrane.

他们设计出一个空中起重机。

Similar to the claw machine at toy stores,

它跟玩具店里的抓娃娃机很相像，

it would lower the rover from high above the surface.

可以让位于星球表面高空中的探测车降落。

With each invention, the engineers demonstrated an essential habit

每一个发明，工程师们都展示出一种

of scientific thinking -

科学思维的必要习惯——

that solutions must recognize the limitations of current technology

就是解决方法要意识到现有技术的限制，

in order to advance it.

这样才可以促使技术的发展。

Sometimes this progress is iterative,

有时候这样的过程需要重复多次，

as in, "How can I make a better parachute to land my rover?"

就像，“我怎样做出一个更好的 降落伞让探测车着陆？”

And sometimes, it's innovative,

有时候，这样的过程是革新性的，

like how to reach our goal

像是在现有最好的降落伞

when the best possible parachute isn't going to work.

都起不了作用的情况下， 怎样实现我们的目标。

In both cases, the constraints guide decision-making

在这两种情况下，约束条件指导决策，

to ensure we reach each objective.

确保我们达成每一个目标。

Here's another Mars problem yet to be solved.

这里还有一个尚待解决的火星问题。

Say we want to send astronauts who will need water.

那就是我们想把需要水 维系生命的宇航员送到火星上。

They'd rely on a filtration system that keeps the water very clean

他们需要依赖一个可以让水保持纯净的过滤系统，

and enables 100% recovery.

而且这个系统能让水100%回收利用。

Those are some pretty tough constraints,

这些都是相当严苛的约束条件，

and we may not have the technology for it now.

现在我们的技术也许还不能实现上述情况。

But in the process of trying to meet these objectives,

但在尝试实现这些目标的过程中，

we might discover other applications of any inventions that result.

我们可能会发现这些发明的其他用途。

Building an innovative water filtration system

建造一个创新性的水过滤系统

could provide a solution for farmers working in drought-stricken regions,

可以为工作在干旱地区的农民们服务，

or a way to clean municipal water in polluted cities.

或者为水污染城市过滤干净城市用水。

In fact, many scientific advances

实际上，很多科技发展

have occurred when serendipitous failures in one field

都是在一个领域的偶然失败下，

address the constraints of another.

需要解决另一个约束条件中产生的。

When scientist Alexander Fleming mistakenly contaminated

科学家亚历山大·弗莱明正是因为不小心污染了

a Petri dish in the lab,

实验室里的一个培养皿，

it led to the discovery of the first antibiotic, penicillin.

才会发现世界上第一种抗生素，即青霉素。

The same is true of synthetic dye,

同样的情况发生在合成染料，

plastic,

塑料，

and gunpowder.

还有火药的发明过程中。

All were created mistakenly,

它们都是在偶然情况下被发明出来的，

but went on to address the constraints of other problems.

但同时是因解决其他问题的 约束条件而发展下去的。

Understanding constraints guides scientific progress,

理解约束能引导科技进程，

and what's true in science is also true in many other fields.

这不但适用于科学还适用于很多其他领域。

Constraints aren't the boundaries of creativity, but the foundation of it.

约束不是创造的障碍，而是创造的源泉。