The fascinating physics of everyday life | Helen Czerski

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Yolanda Zhang

As you heard, I'm a physicist.

就像刚才介绍的， 我是一名物理学家。

And I think the way we talk about physics needs a little modification.

我觉得我们需要 稍微改变对物理的看法。

I am from just down the road here; I don't live here anymore.

我就出生在本地， 但我已经不住在这儿了。

But coming from round here means that I have a northern nana,

我来自这里，意味着 我有一个北方外婆，

my mum's mom.

即我母亲的母亲。

And Nana is very bright; she hasn't had much formal education,

外婆非常睿智， 她没有接受过多少正规教育，

but she's sharp.

但她很聪明。

And when I was a second-year undergraduate studying physics at Cambridge,

我在剑桥物理系念大二时，

I remember spending an afternoon at Nana's house in Urmston

记得有一个下午， 我在厄姆斯顿的外婆家，

studying quantum mechanics.

学习量子力学。

我打开了资料夹，

And I had these folders open in front of me

with this, you know, hieroglyphics -- let's be honest.

老实讲，资料中的文字晦涩难懂。

And Nana came along, and she looked at this folder,

这时，外婆走进来， 看到我面前的资料。

and she said, "What's that?"

她问：“这是什么？”

I said, "It's quantum mechanics, Nana."

我说：“外婆，这是量子力学。”

And I tried to explain something about what was on the page.

然后，我试着去解释那是什么， 解释书上讲的内容，

It was to do with the nucleus and Einstein A and B coefficients.

关于原子核，还有 爱因斯坦A、B系数的内容。

And Nana looked very impressed.

外婆看上去很惊讶，

And then she said, "Oh.

然后她说，“哦，

What can you do when you know that?"

那你知道了这些后 能做些什么呀？”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

"Don't know, ma'am."

“我也不知道啊。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

I think I said something about computers,

我想当时我说了些 跟电脑有关的事情，

because it was all I could think of at the time.

因为这是当时 我唯一能想到的用途。

But you can broaden that question out, because it's a very good question --

不过你可以把那个问题延伸开来， 其实是一个很棒的问题。

"What can you do when you know that?" when "that" is physics?

“当你了解物理知识后， 你能做些什么？”

And I've come to realize that when we talk about physics in society

然后我意识到， 当我们在社会中谈起物理、

and our sort of image of it,

以及我们对它的看法时，

we don't include the things that we can do when we know that.

我们并没有把“学到知识后 能做些什么”考虑在内，

Our perception of what physics is needs a bit of a shift.

我们需要稍微转变对物理的看法，

Not only does it need a bit of a shift,

不仅仅是稍微转变一下，

but sharing this different perspective matters for our society,

更重要的是，要向 社会传播这种不同的观点。

and I'm not just saying that because I'm a physicist and I'm biased

我这样说并非出于 一个物理学家的偏见，

and I think we're the most important people in the world.

或者觉得我们是 世界上最重要的人，

实话实说。

Honest.

坦白讲，我们对物理的看法 存在着一些问题，

So, the image of physics -- we've got an image problem, let's be honest --

it hasn't moved on much from this.

而且一直以来 并没有什么大的改观。

This is a very famous photograph that's from the Solvay Conference in 1927.

这张著名的照片拍摄于 1927年的索尔维会议，

This is when the great minds of physics were grappling

当时物理学大师们正合力解决

with the nature of determinism

决定论的本质问题，

and what it means only to have a probability

试图搞清一个粒子 可能出现在某个地方的概率

that a particle might be somewhere,

到底意味着什么，

and whether any of it was real.

以及这是不是真实的。

And it was all very difficult.

这些都是很难解决的问题。

你们也许会注意到，他们都是 西装革履，不苟言笑的男人。

And you'll notice they're all very stern-looking men in suits.

Marie Curie -- I keep maybe saying, "Marie Antoinette,"

玛丽 · 居里，我经常会说成 ”玛丽 · 安托瓦内特”（被送上断头台的法国王后），

which would be a turn-up for the books --

那历史可就要改写了——

Marie Curie, third from the left on the bottom there,

玛丽 · 居里在最前面一排的 左数第三位，

she was allowed in, but had to dress like everybody else.

她获准参加会议， 但必须和其他人着装一致。

（笑声）

(Laughter)

这就是人们对物理的印象， ——所有的一切都晦涩难懂，

So, this is what physics is like -- there's all these kinds of hieroglyphics,

these are to do with waves and particles.

讲的都是与波和粒子有关的事情。

That is an artist's impression of two black holes colliding,

这张图片是以艺术家视角 展现的两个碰撞的黑洞，

which makes it look worth watching, to be honest.

老实讲，这让它 看上去有了观赏价值，

I'm glad I didn't have to write the risk assessment

庆幸的是——我不必 为那里发生的事情

写一篇风险评估报告。

for whatever was going on there.

我想说的是，这就是 物理通常给人的印象，对吧？

The point is: this is the image of physics, right?

很古怪，而且很难，

研究物理的都是 一帮着装怪异的怪人们，

It's weird and difficult,

done by slightly strange people dressed in a slightly strange way.

它遥不可及、离我们很远，

It's inaccessible, it's somewhere else

说到底，我干嘛要关心这些呢？

and fundamentally, why should I care?

And the problem with that is that I'm a physicist,

问题在于， 我是一名物理学家，

and I study this.

我研究这个。

This -- this is my job, right?

这就是我的工作，

I study the interface between the atmosphere and the ocean.

我研究大气与海洋的交界面，

The atmosphere is massive, the ocean is massive,

大气是广袤的， 海洋也一望无际，

and the thin layer that joins them together

它们之间存在 一个薄层，将二者相连，

这个薄层非常重要，

is really important,

经由这个薄层，物质才能 在巨大的容器间传递。

because that's where things go from one huge reservoir to the other.

You can see that the sea surface -- that was me who took this video --

你能看到海面—— 这是我拍摄的视频——

the average height of those waves by the way, was 10 meters.

那些海浪平均高达10米。

So this is definitely physics happening here --

这个过程绝对存在着物理原理——

there's lots of things -- this is definitely physics.

很多事情正在发生—— 是绝对的物理现象。

And yet it's not included in our cultural perception of physics,

然而，我们对物理的认知中 并没有包括这些。

and that bothers me.

这让我很困扰。

通常我们对物理的认知包括哪些呢？

So what is included in our cultural perception of physics?

Because I'm a physicist, there has to be a graph, right?

我是个物理学家， 所以就离不开用图表说话，对吧？

That's allowed.

合情合理！

底部横轴代表时间，

We've got time along the bottom here, from very fast things there,

to things that take a long time over here.

左侧是快速发生的事情， 最右边的则需要比较长的时间；

Small things at the bottom, big things up there.

小东西在纵轴底部， 大家伙在最上面，

So, our current cultural image of physics looks like this.

我们对物理的文化认识大致如此。

There's quantum mechanics down in that corner,

最左下角是量子力学，

it's very small, it's very weird,

非常小、非常难以捉摸，

it happens very quickly,

它发生的速度很快，

and it's a long way down in the general ...

总体来说，量子力学 在坐标轴最下方......

on the scale of anything that matters for everyday life.

与我们日常生活事物 相比较而言的话。

And then there's cosmology, which is up there;

然后就是宇宙， 就在右上角那里。

very large, very far away,

它非常大、非常遥远，

also very weird.

也非常诡异。

And if you go to some places

如果你在宇宙形成之初 去了一些地方，

like black holes in the beginning of the universe,

比如黑洞， 它们就交织在宇宙背后，

we know that these are frontiers in physics, right?

我们都知道 这些是物理学的前沿，对吧？

There's lots of work being done to discover new physics

要做很多工作，才能在这些地方

发现新的物理学。

in these places.

But the thing is, you will notice there's a very large gap in the middle.

但问题是，你会注意到 中间缺少了一大块，

And in that gap, there are many things.

在这缺少的一大块中， 有非常多的东西。

There are planets and toasts and volcanoes and clouds

其中有行星、吐司、火山、云彩，

and clarinets and bubbles and dolphins

有单簧管、气泡和海豚，

and all sorts of things that make up our everyday life.

各种各样组成我们日常生活的东西。

And these are also run by physics, you'd be surprised --

你可能会惊讶的是， 这些也是由物理学支撑的，

there is physics in the middle, it's just that nobody talks about it.

中间的部分也有物理学存在， 只是没人谈论它而已。

And the thing about all of these is that they all run

所有这一切的一切，

它们的运转都遵循着 一小部分的物理定律，

on a relatively small number of physical laws,

things like Newton's laws of motion,

例如牛顿的运动定律、

thermodynamics,

热力学、

some rotational dynamics.

一些旋转动力学。

The physics in the middle applies over a huge range,

中间这部分涉及到的 物理学范围极其广泛，

from very, very small things to very, very big things.

从很小的事物，到很大的现象。

你很难脱离开这个领域。

You have to try very hard to get outside of this.

And there is also a frontier in research physics here,

这里也有前沿的研究物理学，

it's just that nobody talks about it.

只是没人会谈论它。

这是一个复杂的世界。

This is the world of the complex.

When these laws work together, they bring about

当这些原理协同作用时，就产生了

the beautiful, messy, complex world we live in.

我们所居住的 美妙、混乱和复杂的世界。

Fundamentally, this is the bit that really matters to me

从根本上讲， 这才是基于日常生活，

on an everyday basis.

对我意义重大的那部分，

And this is the bit that we don't talk about.

也是我们没有谈论的部分。

There's plenty of physics research going on here.

这里包含了大量的物理研究，

但是由于它不涉及天文学观测，

But because it doesn't involve pointing at stars,

people for some reason think it's not that.

人们出于某种原因， 认为这里不涉及物理学。

Now, the cool thing about this is that there are so many things

但真正有趣的是，中间领域

in this middle bit,

包含了许多事物，

all following the same physical laws,

都遵从同样的物理定律，

that we can see those laws at work

我们能看到这些定律

almost all the time around us.

在我们身边一直作用着。

I've got a little video here.

我这里有一段视频：

其中一个鸡蛋是生的， 另一个是煮熟的，

So the game is, one of these eggs is raw and one of them has been boiled.

I want you to tell me which one is which.

我希望你能区分出它们。

Which one's raw?

哪一个是生鸡蛋？

(Audience responds)

（观众回应）

The one on the left -- yes!

左边这个？ 回答正确！

And even though you might not have tried that, you all knew.

即使你没试过，也都知道答案。

The reason for that is, you set them spinning,

原因在于， 当你把它们转动起来，

and when you stop the cooked egg, the one that's completely solid,

再用手停住煮熟的鸡蛋时， 因为它已全部成为固体，

you stop the entire egg.

你就停住了整只鸡蛋。

When you stop the other one, you only stop the shell;

当你停住另一只鸡蛋时， 你只是停住了鸡蛋壳，

the liquid inside is still rotating because nothing's made it stop.

里面的液体仍在旋转， 因为没有力量去停止它。

And then it pushes the shell round again, so the egg starts to rotate again.

之后它会带动蛋壳再次旋转， 因此，鸡蛋再次转动起来。

很奇妙，不是么？

This is brilliant, right?

It's a demonstration of something in physics

这证明了物理学的一些东西，

that we call the law of conservation of angular momentum,

就是我们所说的动量守恒定律，

which basically says that if you set something spinning

它讲的是，如果你让什么东西

about a fixed axis,

沿固定轴转动，

that it will keep spinning unless you do something to stop it.

它会一直旋转， 直到有外力迫使它停下。

And that's really fundamental in how the universe works.

而这正是宇宙运转的基础。

And it's not just eggs that it applies to,

并非只有鸡蛋遵从这个规律，

although it's really useful if you're the sort of person --

虽然这很有用， 如果你是这样的人——

and apparently, these people do exist --

显然这样的人确实存在——

who will boil eggs and then put them back in the fridge.

他们把鸡蛋煮熟， 然后再放回到冰箱。

谁会这样做？别急着承认—— 没关系，没人会品头论足。

Who does that? Don't admit to it -- it's OK. We won't judge you.

But it's also got much broader applicabilities.

但物理也有更广泛的应用性。

This is the Hubble Space Telescope.

这是哈勃太空望远镜、

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which is a very tiny part of the sky.

哈勃超深场， 它只观测太空很小的一部分。

Hubble has been floating in free space for 25 years,

哈勃望远镜 已漂浮在太空中25年，

not touching anything.

还没撞到过什么东西，

And yet it can point to a tiny region of sky.

它可以指向一小片区域，

For 11 and a half days, it did it in sections,

一张张地拍照，历时11.5天，

accurately enough to take amazing images like this.

就足够精确地拍摄出 像这样的精美图片。

So the question is:

那么问题在于，

How does something that is not touching anything

一个物体如何才能 不碰到其他东西？

know where it is?

如何知道自己所处的位置？

The answer is that right in the middle of it, it has something

答案是，就在中间的这片区域中，

让我极度失望的是， 存在的东西不是生鸡蛋，

that, to my great disappointment, isn't a raw egg,

但基本原理与其相似。

but basically does the same job.

It's got gyroscopes which are spinning,

它有正在旋转的陀螺仪，

and because of the law of conservation of angular momentum,

根据动量守恒定律，

they keep spinning with the same axis, indefinitely.

它们以同一个轴为中心， 保持旋转、永不停息。

Hubble kind of rotates around them, and so it can orient itself.

哈勃望远镜像是在围绕其运动， 因此它可以为自己导向。

So the same little physical law we can play with in the kitchen and use,

我们可以在厨房应用 同样的物理小定律，

also explains what makes possible some of the most advanced technology

这也解释了为什么 我们这个时代产生了

of our time.

如此多的高新科技。

So this is the fun bit of physics, that you learn these patterns

这就是物理有趣的地方， 你了解了这些模式，

and then you can apply them again and again and again.

然后就可以一次又次地应用它们。

当你发现它们应用在新领域时， 会觉得非常有成就感。

And it's really rewarding when you spot them in new places.

This is the fun of physics.

这就是物理的乐趣所在。

I have shown that egg video to an audience full of businesspeople once

我曾经将鸡蛋视频展示给 一些来自商业领域的人们，

and they were all dressed up very smartly and trying to impress their bosses.

他们都西装笔挺， 试图给老板留下好印象。

And I was running out of time, so I showed the egg video and then said,

当时我的演讲时间不多了， 就播放了刚才的鸡蛋视频，

"Well, you can work it out, and ask me afterwards to check."

说道：“你们可以想想， 然后跟我确认是否正确”。

Then I left the stage.

然后我就离开了讲台。

And I had, literally,

稍后，毫不夸张地说，

middle-aged grown men tugging on my sleeve afterwards,

这些中年人后来拉着我的衣袖问：

saying, "Is it this? Is it this?"

“是不是这个？是不是这个呀？”

当我回答“是”的时候， 他们激动地喊出“噢耶！”

And when I said, "Yes." They went, "Yes!"

（笑声）

发现这些规律的乐趣，

(Laughter)

The joy that you get from spotting these patterns

doesn't go away when you're an adult.

不会因为你的成年而消失。

And that's really important,

这一点尤为重要，

because physics is all about patterns,

因为物理全部在于规律，

and a small number of patterns give you access

这些为数不多的规律， 能够让你接触到

to almost all of the physics in our everyday world.

日常生活中的所有物理知识，

The thing that's best about this is it involves playing with toys.

最棒的是，它和玩玩具有关。

Things like the egg shouldn't be dismissed as the mundane little things

像鸡蛋这样的东西，不应当 被视为无聊小物而被忽视，

我们可以在周六下午 拿这种东西给孩子玩，

that we just give the kids to play with on a Saturday afternoon

让他们安静一会儿。

to keep them quiet.

实际上，这才是真正重要的东西，

This is the stuff that actually really matters,

because this is the laws of the universe and it applies to eggs

因为这就是 宇宙定律应用在鸡蛋上，

and toast falling butter-side down and all sorts of other things,

面包片抹了黄油的那面会先着地， 当然还有其它类似的现象。

这些现象与现代科技 运用的原理相同，

just as much as it applies to modern technology

and anything else that's going on in the world.

世界上其他现象也是如此。

So I think we should play with these patterns.

因此我认为， 我们应该学会玩转这些规律，

Basically, there are a small number of concepts

基本上来说， 当你使用厨房里的工具时，

that you can become familiar with using things in your kitchen,

会对一小部分概念熟悉起来，

that are really useful for life in the outside world.

在外界的生活中， 这些概念也同样适用。

If you want to learn about thermodynamics, a duck is a good place to start,

如果你想学习热动力学， 鸭子就是一个不错的开始。

for example, why their feet don't get cold.

譬如，为何它们的 脚蹼从来不会变凉？

Once you've got a bit of thermodynamics with the duck,

一旦你从鸭子身上 弄懂了一点热动力学，

you can also explain fridges.

你就可以解释冰箱的工作原理。

你在厨房使用的磁铁，

Magnets that you can play with in your kitchen

get you to wind turbines and modern energy generation.

会让你学到风力涡轮机 和现代能源产生的原理。

Raisins in [fizzy] lemonade, which is always a good thing to play with.

再比如苏打柠檬水里的葡萄干， 也是经常可以把玩的东西。

如果你在派对上很无聊， 可以从零食上取下点葡萄干，

If you're at a boring party, fish some raisins out of the bar snacks,

put them in some lemonade.

把它们放到柠檬水里，

It's got three consequences.

会得到三种结果：

First thing is, it's quite good to watch; try it.

第一，它的观赏性很好， 不妨试试看；

Secondly, it sends the boring people away.

第二，它把无聊的人赶跑了；

Thirdly, it brings the interesting people to you.

第三，它会把有趣的人吸引过来！

You win on all fronts.

一箭三雕！

And then there's spin and gas laws and viscosity.

还有旋转和气体定律以及粘滞性，

There's these little patterns, and they're right around us everywhere.

这些都是我们身边 无处不在的小规律。

And it's fundamentally democratic, right?

这些基本上人人可见，

Everybody has access to the same physics; you don't need a big, posh lab.

人人都能接触到同样的物理学， 不是只有光鲜的实验室里才会有。

When I wrote the book, I had the chapter on spin.

当我写这本书的时候， 有一章是专门讲旋转的，

I had written a bit about toast falling butter-side down.

我写了一点点关于 面包片抹了黄油那面先着地，

I gave the chapter to a friend of mine who's not a scientist,

然后把这一章 给一位非科学家朋友看，

for him to read and tell me what he thought,

让他告诉我读后感。

and he took the chapter away.

他把这一章拿走了，

He was working overseas.

他在海外工作，

I got this text message back from him a couple of weeks later,

几周之后我才收到他的来信。

and it said, "I'm at breakfast in a posh hotel in Switzerland,

信里写道：“我正在瑞士的 一家时尚酒店吃早餐，

and I really want to push toast off the table,

我很想把面包片推下桌子，

because I don't believe what you wrote."

因为我不相信你写的内容！“

And that was the good bit -- he doesn't have to.

这正是好玩的地方—— 他根本没必要相信我，

He can push the toast off the table and try it for himself.

只需把面包片推下桌子， 自己试试就好啦！

And so there's two important things to know about science:

因此，关于科学 有两件事非常重要：

the fundamental laws we've learned through experience and experimentation,

我们通过经验和实验 得到的基本法则

work.

是成立的。

The day we drop an apple and it goes up,

如果我们某天扔出苹果后， 苹果向上走，

那我们就要 好好辩论一下重力作用了。

then we'll have a debate about gravity.

那一刻，我们基本上 已了解重力的作用原理，

Up to that point, we basically know how gravity works,

and we can learn the framework.

我们可以了解其框架；

Then there's the process of experimentation:

接下来就是实验过程了：

having confidence in things, trying things out,

对某个事情有信心， 对事情进行验证，

critical thinking -- how we move science forward --

并进行批判性思维—— 我们如何推动科学向前——

and you can learn both of those things

而且，你还可以 通过日常生活中的玩具

by playing with toys in the everyday world.

来学习这两方面的技能。

And it's really important,

这一点十分重要，

because there's all this talk about technology,

因为我们本次讲的技术、

we've heard talks about quantum computing

听说过的量子计算、

and all these mysterious, far-off things.

还有其他神秘的、 离我们很远的东西。

But fundamentally, we still live in bodies that are about this size,

但究其根本，我们 依然生活在这么大的身体中，

we still walk about, sit on chairs that are about this size,

我们依然走来走去， 坐在这么大的椅子上，

we still live in the physical world.

我们仍然生活在物理世界中。

And being familiar with these concepts means we're not helpless.

熟悉这些概念 意味着我们不会有无助感，

And I think it's really important that we're not helpless,

而且，我认为 没有无助感是非常重要的，

that society feels it can look at things,

社会觉得能够思考 是非常重要的，

because this isn't about knowing all the answers.

因为它是关于 要了解所有的答案，

It's about having the framework so you can ask the right questions.

而是在于你了解了框架后， 可以正确地提出问题。

And by playing with these fundamental little things in everyday life,

通过把玩这些日常生活中 基本的小东西，

我们会拥有正确提问的信心。

we gain the confidence to ask the right questions.

So, there's a bigger thing.

还有一件更重要的事要说。

In answer to Nana's question

在回答奶奶的问题

about what can you do when you know that --

“当你了解这些后， 你能够做些什么”——

because there's lots of stuff in the everyday world

因为在你了解这些物理规律后，

that you can do when you know that,

在日常世界中就可以做很多事情，

尤其是如果你冰箱有鸡蛋的时候——

especially if you've got eggs in the fridge --

there's a much deeper answer.

而这个问题 现在有了更深刻的答案。

And so there's all the fun and the curiosity

当你玩玩具时，

that you could have playing with toys.

会获得极大乐趣，还有好奇心，

By the way -- why should kids have all the fun, right?

顺便说一句—— 为何只有孩子能玩乐呢？

All of us can have fun playing with toys,

我们大家都可以 通过玩玩具来获得乐趣，

而且我们不应对此感到难为情。

and we shouldn't be embarrassed about it.

没关系，你可以把责任推到我头上。

You can blame me, it's fine.

So when it comes to reasons for studying physics, for example,

比如，说到学习物理的原因，

here is the best reason I can think of:

我能想到的最好的原因就是：

I think that each of us has three life-support systems.

我认为每个人都有 三个支撑我们生活的系统，

We've got our own body, we've got a planet

即我们的身体、我们的星球、

and we've got our civilization.

和我们的文明。

Each of those is an independent life-support system,

每一个都是 独立的生活支撑系统，

keeping us alive in its own way.

以其独特的方式 维持着我们的生存；

And they all run on the fundamental physical laws

它们都遵循 基本的物理定律运行着，

that you can learn in the kitchen with eggs and teacups and lemonade,

你可以在厨房用鸡蛋、 茶杯和柠檬水学到这些定律，

and everything else you can play with.

也可以通过 其它任何能玩的东西学到。

这就是为什么说

This is the reason, for example,

why something like climate change is such a serious problem,

像气候变化类的事情 是一个严峻的问题的原因，

because It's two of these life-support systems,

因为它影响到 两个生命支持系统：

our planet and our civilization,

我们的星球和我们的文明，

kind of butting up against each other;

使二者互相碰撞；

they're in conflict, and we need to negotiate that boundary.

它们之间出现冲突， 这就需要我们去确定界限。

And the fundamental physical laws that we can learn

我们能够学到的、 周围世界的运转方式的

that are the way the world around us works,

最基本物理定律，

are the tools at the basis of everything;

就是基于万物的工具，

they're the foundation.

它们才是根基所在。

There's lots of things to know about in life,

生活中需要了解的东西很多，

but knowing the foundations is going to get you a long way.

但了解了根本， 才会让你走得更远。

我认为，如果你对物理 或类似事情带来的乐趣毫无兴趣，

And I think this, if you're not interested in having fun with physics

or anything like that -- strange, but apparently, these people exist --

——虽然奇怪，但很显然， 这样的人确实存在——

you surely are interested in keeping yourself alive

你肯定会对自己如何生存、

and in how our life-support systems work.

我们的生命支持系统 如何运转感兴趣。

The framework for physics is remarkably constant;

物理学的框架非常稳定，

it's the same in lots and lots of things that we measure.

它和我们所测量的 大量事物一样是恒定的，

It's not going to change anytime soon.

并且短时间内也不会改变，

They might discover some new quantum mechanics,

他们可能会 发现一些新的量子力学，

but apples right here are still going to fall down.

但这里的苹果依然会下落。

So, the question is --

这样，问题就来了——

I get asked sometimes: How do you start?

时常有人问我： 你是怎么开始的？

What's the place to start

“从哪儿学起呀，

if you're interested in the physical world, in not being helpless,

如果你对物理世界感兴趣、 对不感到无助有兴趣、

and in finding some toys to play with?

对玩玩具有兴趣的话？”

Here is my suggestion to you:

以下就是我的建议：

the place to start is that moment -- and adults do this --

开始的地方就是起点—— 成年人这么做——

you're drifting along somewhere,

不经意间，你在某个地方

and you spot something and your brain goes, "Oh, that's weird."

你发现了某个东西， 大脑会反应“哦，这个好奇怪”，

And then your consciousness goes, "You're an adult. Keep going."

然后你的潜意识会说， “你是个成年人了，别管它”。

And that's the point -- hold that thought --

这就是关键所在—— 要抓住此时的想法——

that bit where your brain went, "Oh, that's a bit odd,"

就是当大脑告诉你 “哦，这有点怪”的想法，

因为这是你可以把玩的东西，

because there's something there to play with,

并且值得你去钻研，

and it's worth you playing with it,

这就是你要开始的地方。

so that's the place to start.

但如果在你参加完这个活动后，

But if you don't have any of those little moments

on your way home from this event,

回家的路上并没有这种小瞬间，

here are some things to start with.

你也可以从以下的事情着手。

Put raisins in [fizzy] lemonade; highly entertaining.

放点葡萄干在柠檬水里， 这非常有意思；

Watch a coffee spill dry.

观察洒出来的咖啡 是如何干透的，

I know that sounds a little bit like watching paint dry,

我知道这听起来 有点像看着油漆干透，

but it does do quite weird things; it's worth watching.

但确实会有奇怪的现象， 非常值得观察。

I'm an acquired taste at dinner parties if there are teacups around.

我渐渐喜欢上晚宴， 如果周围有茶杯的话。

There are so many things you can do to play with teacups, it's brilliant.

你可以用茶杯玩出 很多花样，超级棒。

The most obvious one is to get a teacup, get a spoon,

最棒的一个是， 你拿一个茶杯和一个小勺，

tap the teacup around the rim and listen,

用勺子轻敲茶杯边缘， 然后仔细聆听，

and you will hear something strange.

你就会听到奇怪的声音。

And the other thing is, push your toast off the table

另一个可以玩的是 把面包片推下桌子，

because you can, and you'll learn stuff from it.

因为你能、而且也会 从中学到东西。

And if you're feeling really ambitious,

如果你还是觉得不过瘾，

try and push it off in such a way that it doesn't fall butter-side down,

试试如何避免让抹黄油那面着地，

which is possible.

这也是可能的呦。

The point of all of this is that,

这一切的重点在于：

first of all, we should all play with toys.

首先，我们都应该把玩一些东西。

We shouldn't be afraid to investigate the physical world for ourselves

我们不应该 惧怕利用周围的工具

来探索自己的物理世界，

with the tools around us,

because we all have access to them.

因为它们唾手可得。

It matters, because if we want to understand society,

这一点非常重要， 因为如果我们想了解社会、

if we want to be good citizens,

想做优秀公民的话，

we need to understand the framework on which everything else must be based.

我们就需要了解 生活中的一切所基于的框架，

Playing with toys is great.

玩玩具就非常好，

Understanding how to keep our life-support systems going is great.

了解我们的生命支持系统 是如何运转的也很棒，

But fundamentally, the thing that we need to change

但根本上，我们需要改变

谈论物理的方式是，

in the way that we talk about physics,

is we need to understand

我们需要明白

that physics isn't out there with weird people

物理不是那些怪人们的专利，

and strange hieroglyphics

不是专供在华丽实验室的人们

for somebody else in a posh lab.

阅读的奇怪而晦涩的文字。

Physics is right here; it's for us, and we can all play with it.

物理就在这里，它是所有人的， 我们都可以与它互动。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢！

(Applause)

（掌声）