What cameras see that our eyes don't - Bill Shribman

相機讓我們超越眼睛極限 - Bill Shribman

Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar

譯者: Hao-Wei Chang 審譯者: Marssi Draw

The human eye is one of the most powerful machines

人眼是世界上

on the planet.

最厲害的機器之一

It's like a 500 megapixel camera

就像臺 500 萬畫素的相機

that can run in bright light,

可以在強光下

in near darkness,

或近乎黑暗時運作

and even under water, though not real well.

也可以在水中運作 只是效果不太好

It communicates to our brains

它連接到我們的大腦

so much about the world.

讓大腦看見了世界

Our eyes are how we find partners,

我們的眼睛 讓我們找到好夥伴

how we understand the people around us,

瞭解周遭的人

how we read,

讓我們閱讀

and how we watch game shows on TV

並享受電視上的綜藝節目

where people get knocked into cold water

就是有人會被大球

by padded wrecking balls.

撞到水裡的那種

Yup, the human eye is pretty neat,

沒錯，人類的眼睛十分靈巧

and we're lucky enough to have two of them.

我們很幸運有兩顆

But, there are things that,

但是有些東西

despite looking really hard,

即使我們再努力地看

we still can't quite see.

也看不太清的

For example, you can watch a horse galloping,

例如：你看著馬匹飛奔

but your eyes can't keep up with its fast-moving hooves

但是你的眼睛 跟不上快速奔馳中的馬蹄

enough to figure out whether all four feet

所以分不清是否

are ever off the ground simultaneously.

四肢腳會同時離地

For these types of questions, we need cameras.

對於這種問題，我們就需要相機

About 150 years ago,

大約 150 年前

the photographer Eadweard Muybridge used one

攝影師 埃德沃德．邁布里奇

to solve the galloping horse mystery.

解答了馬匹飛奔的謎題

Using careful photography,

利用精巧的攝影技術

Muybridge proved that at certain points as it gallops,

邁布里奇證實 在某個奔馳的時間點

a horse really is flying.

馬匹像是在飛翔

"Look, ma! No hooves!"

「媽，看哪！牠的腳沒碰地！」

Since then, photography has found its way

從此之後，攝影就參與在

into all aspects of math and science.

數學和科學領域中

It enhances our understanding of a world

它讓我們更瞭解世界

we thought we could already see,

我們以為我們看得清楚

but it's one which we really need help

但是我們真的需要幫助

to see a little better.

才能看得更清晰

It's not always a matter of the world

這並不只包含世界上

moving by too quickly for our eyes to process.

快過人眼辨識速度的運動

Sometimes cameras can help us see matter or movements

有時候我們可以借助相機

that are too small for the naked eye.

看肉眼看不見的微小物體和動作

Botanists use multiple photographs

植物學家利用攝影技術

to show the life cycle of plants

來呈現植物的一生

and how flowers turn over the course of a few hours

或是紀錄短時間內 花朵追隨太陽位置而改變方向

to follow the sun in what is called phototropism,

這被稱為：向光性

growing towards the light.

就是朝向光源生長

Mathematicians have used photos

數學家利用影像

to look at where in the twists and turns of a whip

找出鞭子打破音障時

the crack sound comes

鞭笞聲到底

when the whip is breaking the sound barrier.

從鞭子的那一段轉折發出

Meteorologists and environmental scientists

氣象和環境科學家

show the growth of major hurricanes

呈現出颶風形成的樣子

and the recession over the years

和世界上

of many of the world's glaciers.

許多冰河逐漸消退的現象

Slow-motion film or high-speed photography

慢動作影片或高速攝影

have shown us the beating of a hummingbird's wings

呈現出蜂鳥翅膀的拍擊

and the course of a bullet through its target.

和子彈貫穿標靶時的路徑

In one project, cadavers,

有一份關於屍體的計畫

that's dead bodies,

就是將死者的大體

were frozen and sliced into thousands of wafer-thin discs.

冰凍並切成上千塊、薄餅厚的切片

The discs were photographed

這些切片被照相紀錄

to produced animated movies

以製成動畫影片

that allow a viewer to travel up and down the skeleton,

讓觀眾可以在骨頭

and into the flesh,

與肌肉間肆意瀏覽

and through the bones,

並穿過骨骼

and the veins,

and,

進入到血管中

而且

perhaps I should have suggested

或許我要先給個警告

you don't watch this during dinner,

你不會想在晚餐時間看這影片

my bad.

這是我的錯

In classrooms today, the camera,

現在，在教室中

now present in just about every phone and computer,

相機幾乎存在於每台電腦和手機上

allows the youngest scientists

讓年輕的科學家們

to observe the world around them,

可以透過它們觀察世界

to document it,

並紀錄下來

and to share their findings online.

在網路上分享他們的發現

Whether it's the change of seasons

不論是季節交替

or the growth of the germinating seed,

或是種子發芽

cameras are allowing us to see a beautiful world

相機是人類的新眼睛

through new eyes.

讓我們一窺世界的美好