The power of creative constraints - Brandon Rodriguez

譯者: Aaron Shoo 審譯者: Eve Chan

想像一下，有人找你發明新玩意。

Imagine you're asked to invent something new.

發明什麼都可以、

It could be whatever you want

made from anything you choose

什麼材料任你選、

in any shape or size.

任何形狀和尺寸都沒關係。

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

這些條件聽起來很自由，對吧？

真是如此嗎？

Or does it?

對大部分人來說， 你大概會不知所措。

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

沒有更多指示，要怎麼下手？

Without more guidance, where would you even begin?

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

你會發現，自由發揮未必就是好。

In reality, any project is restricted by many factors,

事實上，所有計畫 都有許多限制因素，

such as the cost,

比如說成本、

what materials you have at your disposal,

你能取得的材料，

還有亙古不變的物理定律。

and unbreakable laws of physics.

These factors are called creative constraints,

這些因素就稱為「創作限制」，

and they're the requirements and limitations

它們是條件也是侷限，

we have to address in order to accomplish a goal.

要達成目標就不能不考量進去。

Creative constraints apply across professions,

各行各業都有「創作限制」，

to architects and artists,

建築師、藝術家、

writers,

作家、

engineers,

工程師、

and scientists.

科學家。

In many fields, constraints play a special role

通常，「創作限制」扮演的

as drivers of discovery and invention.

是發現和創新背後的推手。

特別是在科學的演進，

During the scientific process in particular,

constraints are an essential part of experimental design.

限制是實驗設計的關鍵。

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

例如，研究新病毒的科學家會想：

"How can I use the tools and techniques at hand

「我怎麼用手邊的工具和技術，

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

設計實驗，了解病毒 感染人體細胞的途徑？

我目前的知識有什麼侷限，

And what are the limits of my knowledge that prevent me

影響我對這個感染途徑的了解？」

from understanding this new viral pathway?"

在工程學，限制會推著我們，

In engineering, constraints have us apply our scientific discoveries

to invent something new and useful.

把科學發現變成實用的發明。

舉例來說，維京 1 號 和維京 2 號著陸器，

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

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

要靠推進器才能安全降落火星。

The problem?

可是呢？

Those thrusters left foreign chemicals on the ground,

這些推進器附著的外來化學物，

contaminating soil samples.

會污染土壤標本。

So a new constraint was introduced.

所以這就是一個限制。

How can we land a probe on Mars

要怎麼讓探測器著陸火星，

without introducing chemicals from Earth?

卻不讓地球物質汙染火星？

The next Pathfinder mission used an airbag system

後來的拓荒者號採用氣囊，

to allow the rover to bounce and roll to a halt

讓探測車靠彈跳和滾動著陸，

without burning contaminating fuel.

不需燃燒具汙染性的燃料。

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

幾年後，更大台的好奇號 要被送上火星。

然而，它的體積太大不能用氣囊。

However, it was too large for the airbag design,

so another constraint was defined.

所以又有了新的限制。

怎麼讓大台的探測車著陸，

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

而不使用燃料汙染火星土壤呢？

away from the Martian soil?

In response, engineers had a wild idea.

工程師為此突發奇想。

They designed a skycrane.

他們設計一款空中吊車。

Similar to the claw machine at toy stores,

就像遊樂場的夾娃娃機，

it would lower the rover from high above the surface.

從高處把探測車放到火星表面。

With each invention, the engineers demonstrated an essential habit

這每一項發明，工程師都展現了

科學思維的關鍵：

of scientific thinking -

that solutions must recognize the limitations of current technology

深刻了解現有技術的侷限，

in order to advance it.

並突破框架找到解答。

Sometimes this progress is iterative,

這些進展絕非一蹴可幾，

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

就像「要怎麼幫探測車 做更好的降落傘？」

And sometimes, it's innovative,

而且還需要創意，

like how to reach our goal

才能在現有的降落傘都不管用時，

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

找到達成目標的方法。

In both cases, the constraints guide decision-making

上述兩個例子，是限制刺激決策，

to ensure we reach each objective.

讓我們能達成目的。

Here's another Mars problem yet to be solved.

還有個有待解決的火星問題。

Say we want to send astronauts who will need water.

太空人上太空後，會需要水。

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

他們需要過濾系統， 保持水質乾淨，

and enables 100% recovery.

並能 100% 回收廢水再利用。

Those are some pretty tough constraints,

這些條件很嚴格，

and we may not have the technology for it now.

目前的技術也無法達成。

But in the process of trying to meet these objectives,

但在嘗試達成目標的過程中，

we might discover other applications of any inventions that result.

我們可能意外發現某項新應用。

Building an innovative water filtration system

一套嶄新的濾水系統，

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

可以解決乾旱地區的農耕問題，

or a way to clean municipal water in polluted cities.

或改善受污染城市的供水系統。

In fact, many scientific advances

事實上，很多科學進展

have occurred when serendipitous failures in one field

都是在這個領域失敗，

address the constraints of another.

卻在另一個領域找到成就。

When scientist Alexander Fleming mistakenly contaminated

科學家佛萊明不小心汙染了

a Petri dish in the lab,

實驗室裡面的培養皿，

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

因此發現了最早的抗生素──青黴素。

The same is true of synthetic dye,

其他例子還有人工染劑、

plastic,

塑膠、

and gunpowder.

火藥。

這些發明原先都是失敗的設計，

All were created mistakenly,

然後意外找到新用處。

but went on to address the constraints of other problems.

Understanding constraints guides scientific progress,

了解侷限會引導科學發展，

不只在科學，其他領域也一樣。

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

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

限制不是創意的阻礙，而是基石。