Laura Snyder: The Philosophical Breakfast Club

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Morton Bast

翻译人员: Wei Wu 校对人员: Jiewei Zhang

I'd like you to come back with me for a moment

我希望先带你们

to the 19th century,

回到19世纪，

specifically to June 24, 1833.

确切地说回到1833年6月24日。

The British Association for the Advancement of Science

英国科学促进协会正在剑桥大学，

is holding its third meeting at the University of Cambridge.

召开第三届大会。

It's the first night of the meeting,

会议举办的第一天晚上

and a confrontation is about to take place

发生了一次大讨论

that will change science forever.

永久的影响了科学的发展。

An elderly, white-haired man stands up.

一个白发苍苍的老者站了起来，

The members of the Association are shocked to realize

与会成员惊讶的意识到

that it's the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge,

他是诗人塞缪尔·泰勒·柯勒律治（Samuel Taylor Coleridge），

who hadn't even left his house in years until that day.

而今天是他多年来的第一次公开露面。

They're even more shocked by what he says.

但是更让他们震惊的是他说出来的话。

"You must stop calling yourselves natural philosophers."

“你们不应该继续自称为‘自然哲学家’了。”

Coleridge felt that true philosophers like himself

柯勒律治（Coleridge）认为真正的哲学家应该是像他那样

pondered the cosmos from their armchairs.

坐在自己的靠椅上思考宇宙万物的。

They were not mucking around in the fossil pits

哲学家是不应该在化石坑里面折腾的，

or conducting messy experiments with electrical piles

也不应该像英国科学促进协会的会员们那样

like the members of the British Association.

拿着电极做些恶心的实验。

The crowd grew angry and began to complain loudly.

人们变得愤怒并开始大声的抱怨。

A young Cambridge scholar named William Whewell stood up

一位名叫威廉姆·胡威立（William Whewell）的年轻剑桥学者

and quieted the audience.

站起来让大家安静了下来。

He politely agreed that an appropriate name

他很礼貌的承认还没有合适的名字

for the members of the association did not exist.

来描述协会成员的身份。

"If 'philosophers' is taken to be too wide and lofty a term,"

“如果‘哲学家’一词过于宽泛和崇高，”

he said, "then, by analogy with 'artist,'

“那么，类比‘艺术家’与‘艺术’的叫法，

we may form 'scientist.'"

我们可以使用‘科学家’一词。”

This was the first time the word scientist

这是‘科学家’一词首次

was uttered in public,

为公众所知，

only 179 years ago.

至今不过179年。

I first found out about this confrontation when I was in graduate school,

我第一次听说这个故事的时候还在念研究生，

and it kind of blew me away.

这个故事让我太惊讶了。

I mean, how could the word scientist

我是说“科学家”这个词怎么可能是

not have existed until 1833?

1833年才出现的？

What were scientists called before?

在那之前科学家们如何称呼自己？

What had changed to make a new name necessary

在那个年代，创造一个新的名字

precisely at that moment?

带来了什么改变？

Prior to this meeting, those who studied the natural world

在这次会议之前，研究自然世界的人

were talented amateurs.

都是一些很有天赋的爱好者。

Think of the country clergyman or squire

他们会是镇上的牧师或乡绅，

collecting his beetles or fossils,

热衷于收集甲虫或化石标本，

like Charles Darwin, for example,

比如达尔文（Charles Darwin），

or, the hired help of a nobleman, like Joseph Priestley,

又如发现了氧气的约瑟夫·普利斯特里（Joseph Priestley），

who was the literary companion

他当时是

to the Marquis of Lansdowne

兰斯顿侯爵（the Marquis of Lansdowne）

when he discovered oxygen.

的陪读。

After this, they were scientists,

在那之后，他们都成为了科学家，

professionals with a particular scientific method,

有特定的研究方法、目标、

goals, societies and funding.

团体和资金支持的专业研究人员。

Much of this revolution can be traced to four men

许多革新都可以追溯到1812年

who met at Cambridge University in 1812:

在剑桥大学聚会的四个人：

Charles Babbage, John Herschel, Richard Jones and William Whewell.

查尔斯·巴贝奇（Charles Babbage），约翰·赫歇尔（John Herschel）， 理查德·琼斯（Richard Jones）和威廉姆·胡威立（William Whewell）.

These were brilliant, driven men

这四位领军人物都非常智慧

who accomplished amazing things.

并且成果颇丰。

Charles Babbage, I think known to most TEDsters,

我想大多数TED听众都知道查尔斯·巴贝奇（Charles Babbage）

invented the first mechanical calculator

他发明了第一台机械计算机

and the first prototype of a modern computer.

以及第一代计算机的原型。

John Herschel mapped the stars of the southern hemisphere,

约翰·赫歇尔（John Herschel）制作了南半球的星图，

and, in his spare time, co-invented photography.

并且在他的业余时间与他人共同发明了照相技术。

I'm sure we could all be that productive

我相信如果我们戒掉脸书（Facebook）和推特（Twitter），

without Facebook or Twitter to take up our time.

我们也能这么高产的。

Richard Jones became an important economist

理查德·琼斯（Richard Jones）成为了一名重要的经济学家，

who later influenced Karl Marx.

日后他影响到了卡尔·马克思（Karl Marx）。

And Whewell not only coined the term scientist,

胡威立（Whewell）不仅创造了“科学家”这个词，

as well as the words anode, cathode and ion,

还创造了“阳极”、“阴极”和“离子”，

but spearheaded international big science

而他关于全球潮汐的研究

with his global research on the tides.

在国际上也有着深远的影响。

In the Cambridge winter of 1812 and 1813,

在1812年至1813年冬天的剑桥，

the four met for what they called philosophical breakfasts.

这四个人多次参与到被称为“哲学早餐”的会面中。

They talked about science

他们谈论科学

and the need for a new scientific revolution.

以及一次新的科学革命的需要。

They felt science had stagnated

他们认为源于17世纪的

since the days of the scientific revolution that had happened

科学革命到现在已经陷入了

in the 17th century.

某种停滞。

It was time for a new revolution,

是时候来一场新革命了，

which they pledged to bring about,

这场革命是他们要确保发生的，

and what's so amazing about these guys is,

而最叫人吃惊的是这些人

not only did they have these

不仅能够有这些大胆

grandiose undergraduate dreams,

和美好的梦想，

but they actually carried them out,

而且他们真的实现了这些梦想，

even beyond their wildest dreams.

甚至超越了他们自己最疯狂的梦想。

And I'm going to tell you today

接下来我就来简述一下

about four major changes to science these men made.

这四个人对于科学界的主要贡献。

About 200 years before,

大约200年前，

Francis Bacon and then, later, Isaac Newton,

培根和之后的牛顿

had proposed an inductive scientific method.

总结了一套归纳总结的科学方法。

Now that's a method that starts from

这种方法首先基于观察

observations and experiments

或实验得到的数据，

and moves to generalizations about nature called natural laws,

然后通过将这些数据一般化来得到所谓自然法则，

which are always subject to revision or rejection

这些结论能够被新的证据

should new evidence arise.

所支持或推翻。

However, in 1809, David Ricardo muddied the waters

然而，在1809年，大卫·李嘉图（David Ricardo）搅了一趟浑水，

by arguing that the science of economics

他主张在经济学领域

should use a different, deductive method.

应该使用另外一种方法：演绎法。

The problem was that an influential group at Oxford

问题源自牛津一个很有影响的科学团体，他们主张

began arguing that because it worked so well in economics,

既然演绎法在经济学领域如此有用，

this deductive method ought to be applied

那么也应该适用于

to the natural sciences too.

自然科学领域。

The members of the philosophical breakfast club disagreed.

哲学早餐俱乐部的成员们并不同意这个观点。

They wrote books and articles promoting inductive method

他们写了一些书和文章来推动归纳法

in all the sciences

在所有的科学领域中应用，

that were widely read by natural philosophers,

这些文字被当时的自然哲学家、

university students and members of the public.

大学学生和公众广泛阅读。

Reading one of Herschel's books

赫歇尔（Herschel）的著作成为后来

was such a watershed moment for Charles Darwin

后来改变达尔文思想的分水岭。

that he would later say, "Scarcely anything in my life

达尔文后来写道：“好可怕，从没有一种思想

made so deep an impression on me.

这么深刻的影响了我。

It made me wish to add my might

这让我开始有了一种欲望

to the accumulated store of natural knowledge."

为人类的自然知识宝库添砖加瓦。”

It also shaped Darwin's scientific method,

达尔文及其同行的科学研究方法的形成

as well as that used by his peers.

也受到了赫歇尔（Herschel）的影响。

[Science for the public good]

[公众利益导向的科学]

Previously, it was believed that scientific knowledge

以前，人们相信科学知识

ought to be used for the good of the king or queen,

应该为国王和王后

or for one's own personal gain.

或个人的利益服务。

For example, ship captains needed to know

例如，船长需要知道潮汐的规律

information about the tides in order to safely dock at ports.

让自己的船能够安全的停泊在港口。

Harbormasters would gather this knowledge

港务长收集这些信息

and sell it to the ship captains.

并将其卖给船长们。

The philosophical breakfast club changed that,

哲学早餐俱乐部通过协同工作

working together.

改变了这个现状。

Whewell's worldwide study of the tides

胡威立（Whewell）研究了全球的潮汐规律

resulted in public tide tables and tidal maps

做出了一张全球潮汐规律图，

that freely provided the harbormasters' knowledge

将原来只有港务长才能掌握的潮汐知识

to all ship captains.

免费提供给了所有的船长。

Herschel helped by making tidal observations

赫歇尔（Herschel）帮助在南非海岸

off the coast of South Africa,

建立了潮汐观察站，

and, as he complained to Whewell,

有一次，他向胡威立（Whewell）抱怨，

he was knocked off the docks during a violent high tide for his trouble.

他有一次因为失误而在码头被一个大浪冲倒了。

The four men really helped each other in every way.

这四个人真的做到了相互帮助。

They also relentlessly lobbied the British government

他们不知疲倦的游说英国政府

for the money to build Babbage's engines

拨款建造巴贝奇（Babbage）的差分机

because they believed these engines

因为他们相信这些引擎

would have a huge practical impact on society.

能够对社会产生非常大的积极影响。

In the days before pocket calculators,

在没有电子计算器的年代，

the numbers that most professionals needed --

很多行业需要用到数据——

bankers, insurance agents, ship captains, engineers —

银行家、保险代理人、船长、工程师——

were to be found in lookup books like this,

都只能通过这样的大部头书中查找，

filled with tables of figures.

书里面是预先计算好的各种数字表格。

These tables were calculated

这些表格都是由一些临时工——

using a fixed procedure over and over

被称作“人工计算机”——

by part-time workers known as -- and this is amazing -- computers,

依据固定的计算过程一遍一遍算出来的，

but these calculations were really difficult.

但是这些计算真的很复杂。

I mean, this nautical almanac

例如这份航海历就计算了

published the lunar differences for every month of the year.

一年中每个月份的月相差异。

Each month required 1,365 calculations,

每个月都需要1365个计算结果，

so these tables were filled with mistakes.

所以这些表格里面错误重重。

Babbage's difference engine was the first mechanical calculator

巴贝奇（Babbage）的差分机是第一个能够用来

devised to accurately compute any of these tables.

精确计算表格中任何结果的机器。

Two models of his engine were built in the last 20 years

二十年前，伦敦科学博物馆的

by a team from the Science Museum of London

一个团队根据他的图纸建造了

using his own plans.

两台差分机。

This is the one now at the Computer History Museum in California,

图中这个现在位于加州计算机历史博物馆，

and it calculates accurately. It actually works.

它现在仍可精确进行计算。它实际还是可以使用的。

Later, Babbage's analytical engine

巴贝奇（Babbage）之后提出的分析机

was the first mechanical computer in the modern sense.

是第一个现代意义上的机械计算机。

It had a separate memory and central processor.

该机有独立的中央处理器和内存。

It was capable of iteration, conditional branching

它可以进行迭代、条件跳转，

and parallel processing,

并且可以并行处理，

and it was programmable using punched cards,

可以使用穿孔卡进行编程，

an idea Babbage took from Jacquard's loom.

这是巴贝奇（Babbage）从雅卡尔（Jacquard）的织布机中得到的灵感。

Tragically, Babbage's engines never were built in his day

很遗憾的是巴贝奇（Babbage）的分析机没能得以实际制造出来，

because most people thought that

因为大多数人认为

non-human computers would have no usefulness

非人类的计算机对于公众利益而言

for the public.

没有什么好处。

[New scientific institutions]

[新的科学体制]

Founded in Bacon's time, the Royal Society of London

培根（Bacon）时代建立的伦敦皇家学会

was the foremost scientific society in England

是英格兰，

and even in the rest of the world.

甚至是全世界最早的科学团体。

By the 19th century, it had become

在19世纪的时候，

a kind of gentleman's club

它变成了上层绅士们的俱乐部，

populated mainly by antiquarians, literary men and the nobility.

挤满了古文物学家、文学家和贵族。

The members of the philosophical breakfast club

哲学早餐俱乐部

helped form a number of new scientific societies,

帮助建立一系列的科学团体，

including the British Association.

包括英国进步科学协会在内。

These new societies required

这些新的学会都要求他们的成员

that members be active researchers publishing their results.

是活跃的研究人员，并有发表研究结果。

They reinstated the tradition of the Q&A

他们恢复了

after scientific papers were read,

针对学术论文的问答环节，

which had been discontinued by the Royal Society

这一传统当时已经不被伦敦皇家学会采用，

as being ungentlemanly.

理由是不够绅士。

And for the first time, they gave women a foot in the door of science.

同时，他们首次让女性有机会涉足科学。

Members were encouraged to bring their wives,

英国科学进步协会鼓励会员

daughters and sisters to the meetings of the British Association,

携带自己的妻子、女儿、姐妹参加会议，

and while the women were expected to attend

虽然当时只是允许女性

only the public lectures and the social events like this one,

参加一些公开报告和社交类的活动，

they began to infiltrate the scientific sessions as well.

但是女性由此开始逐渐参与到科学领域中。

The British Association would later be the first

英国科学进步协会也是后来

of the major national science organizations in the world

第一个接收女性成为正式会员的

to admit women as full members.

主流国家学术团体。

[External funding for science]

[科学基金]

Up to the 19th century,

上至19世纪，

natural philosophers were expected to pay

自然哲学家是需要自己

for their own equipment and supplies.

支付实验设备和物资的。

Occasionally, there were prizes,

偶尔会有奖金，

such as that given to John Harrison in the 18th century,

如约翰·哈里森（John Harrison）在18世纪的时候

for solving the so-called longitude problem,

解决了所谓的“经度问题”而获得的奖金，

but prizes were only given after the fact,

但是仅仅当工作完成之后

when they were given at all.

才能获得全部的奖金。

On the advice of the philosophical breakfast club,

在哲学早餐俱乐部的建议下，

the British Association began to use the extra money

英国进步科学协会开始

generated by its meetings to give grants

利用举办会议时多出来的钱

for research in astronomy, the tides, fossil fish,

赞助天文学、潮汐、鱼类化石、造船业

shipbuilding, and many other areas.

和其它很多领域的研究。

These grants not only allowed

这些基金不仅让不那么富有的人

less wealthy men to conduct research,

也能参与到科学研究中来，

but they also encouraged thinking outside the box,

还鼓励人们寻找新挑战，

rather than just trying to solve one pre-set question.

而不是去解决预置好的问题。

Eventually, the Royal Society

最终，皇家协会和其他国家的科学团体

and the scientific societies of other countries followed suit,

都开始效仿，

and this has become -- fortunately it's become --

并且成为——很幸运的——

a major part of the scientific landscape today.

今天科学研究领域的基础形式。

So the philosophical breakfast club

哲学早餐俱乐部

helped invent the modern scientist.

帮助创造了现代科学家。

That's the heroic part of their story.

这是他们的英雄故事。

There's a flip side as well.

当然凡事都有反面。

They did not foresee at least one consequence

至少有一件事情

of their revolution.

是他们当时没有预见到的。

They would have been deeply dismayed

如果他们看到今天科学和其他大众文化的分离，

by today's disjunction between science and the rest of culture.

他们或许会深深失望。

It's shocking to realize

你们或许会惊讶于

that only 28 percent of American adults

只有28%的美国成年人

have even a very basic level of science literacy,

具备基本的科学知识，

and this was tested by asking simple questions like,

而测试用的问题都是非常简单的：

"Did humans and dinosaurs inhabit the Earth at the same time?"

例如“人类和恐龙是生活在一个时代的么？”

and "What proportion of the Earth is covered in water?"

“地球表面有多少部分覆盖着水？”

Once scientists became members of a professional group,

一旦科学家变成一个专业的团体，

they were slowly walled off from the rest of us.

他们就开始慢慢的跟大众脱离了。

This is the unintended consequence of the revolution

这是我们这四位朋友

that started with our four friends.

开启革命时没有想到的。

Charles Darwin said,

达尔文说过：

"I sometimes think that general and popular treatises

“我时常想到，通俗和大众的科普文章的重要性

are almost as important for the progress of science

跟科学领域的原创工作

as original work."

应该是同等重要的。”

In fact, "Origin of Species" was written

事实上，《物种起源》面向的就是

for a general and popular audience,

通俗和普通的读者，

and was widely read when it first appeared.

并且在初次发表之后得到了广泛传阅。

Darwin knew what we seem to have forgotten,

达尔文知道我们似乎忘记了一点：

that science is not only for scientists.

科学不仅仅是科学家的事情。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

(掌声)