Jedidah Isler: The Untapped Genius That Could Change Science for the Better | TED

譯者: Allen Kuo 審譯者: Winter Wei

Great things happen at intersections.

偉大的事往往都發生在交會點。

In fact, I would argue that some of the most interesting things

事實上，我會說人類所經歷的 幾件最有趣的事情

of the human experience occur at the intersections,

都發生在交會點，

in the liminal space,

在中介地帶，

where by liminal I mean the space in-between.

所謂中介，我是指 介於兩者之間的空間。

There's freedom in that in-between,

在這些地方你擁有自由，

freedom to create from the indefiniteness of not-quite-here, not-quite-there,

能從難以清楚界定的模糊地帶中

a new self-definition.

創造一種新的自我界定。

Some of the great intersections of the world come to mind,

我想到一些世界上重要的交會點，

like the Arc de Triomphe in Paris,

像是巴黎的凱旋門，

or Times Square in New York City,

或是紐約的時代廣場，

both bustling with the excitement of a seemingly endless stream of people.

兩者都熱鬧繁華、 有著川流不息的人們。

Other intersections,

還有其他交會點，

like the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama,

例如阿拉巴馬州的艾德蒙‧佩特斯橋 (黑人民權運動-血腥星期天發生地)

or Canfield Drive and Copper Creek Court in Ferguson, Missouri, also come to mind

或是密蘇里州的麥可·布朗命案 (18歲非裔美國青年遭白人警員射殺)

也都在我心中浮現，

because of the tremendous energy at the intersection of human beings,

因為我們將如此可觀的心力，

都花費在人權、意識形態 和永不停止的正義之戰的交會處。

ideologies and the ongoing struggle for justice.

Beyond the physical landscape of our planet,

在地球的自然景觀之外，

some of the most famous celestial images are of intersections.

許多知名的天體影像本身就是交會點。

Stars are born at the messy intersection of gas and dust,

星星是在凌亂的 氣體及塵埃交會處誕生的，

instigated by gravity's irrevocable pull.

受到必然發生的萬有引力牽引而成。

Stars die by this same intersection, this time flung outward

星星也在一樣的交會處滅亡，

這次是被一些較小原子 的劇烈碰撞而向外拋出，

in a violent collision of smaller atoms,

intersecting and efficiently fusing into altogether new and heavier things.

彼此交會並有效率地 融合成更重的新星體。

We can all think of intersections that have special meaning to us.

我們可以想想 那些對我們有著特別意義的交界處，

To be intersectional, then,

要產生交集，代表你得 在這個交會點佔有一席之地。

is to occupy a position at an intersection.

I've lived the entirety of my life in the in-between,

我一生都處在中介地帶。

in the liminal space between dreams and reality,

夢想和現實之間、

race and gender,

種族與性別之間、

poverty and plenty,

貧窮和財富之間、

science and society.

科學和社會之間。

I am both black and a woman.

我是黑人，又是女性。

Like the birth of stars in the heavenlies,

就像誕生於天界的星辰，

this robust combination of knowing results in a shining example

這種宿命的強烈結合

造就了所有爆炸性身分融合中 的一個傑作。

of the explosive fusion of identities.

I am also an astrophysicist.

我也是一位天體物理學家，

I study blazars, supermassive, hyperactive black holes

我研究耀類星體、 超大質量的活躍黑洞，

that sit at the centers of massive galaxies

它們位於大型星系中心，

and shoot out jets nearby those black holes

從這些黑洞附近發出噴射流，

at speeds approaching the speed of light

速度接近光速。

in a process we are still trying to completely understand.

我們還在試著理解這個過程。

I have dreamed of becoming an astrophysicist

我成為天體物理學家的夢想，

since I was 12 years old.

從12歲就開始了。

I had no idea that at that time,

當時我根本不知道，

according to Dr. Jamie Alexander's archive of African-American women in physics,

根據傑米·亞歷山大博士針對 物理學界的非裔美籍女性所做的研究，

only 18 black women in the United States had ever earned a PhD

美國僅有18個黑人女性

曾在物理相關領域拿到博士學位，

in a physics-related discipline,

and that the first black woman to graduate with a PhD in an astronomy-related field

而且天文學相關領域 第一位黑人女性博士畢業生

did so just one year before my birth.

直到我出生前一年才產生。

As I journeyed along my path,

在我人生的旅途上，

I encountered the best and worst of life at an intersection:

最好和最壞的幾件事情， 都是在交會點遇到的：

the tremendous opportunity to self-define,

包含自我定位的絕佳機會、

the collision of expectation and experience,

理想和現實的碰撞、

the exhilaration of victorious breakthroughs

成功獲得突破的快樂，

and, sometimes,

還有，不時會遇到的，

the explosive pain of regeneration.

必須重新來過的劇痛。

I began my college experience just after my family had fallen apart.

我的大學生活從家庭分崩離析開始。

Our financial situation disintegrated

父親離開我們的生活， 經濟狀況馬上急轉直下。

just after my father's departure from our lives.

This thrust my mother, my sister and I

逼著母親、姊姊和我

out of the relative comfort of middle-class life

離開相對舒服的中產階級，

and into the almost constant struggle to make ends meet.

開始幾乎只能勉強維生的生活。

Thus, I was one of roughly 60 percent of women of color

因此，就像大約60%的 有色人種女性一樣，

who find finances to be a major barrier to their educational goals.

我發現財務狀況是 完成教育的最大阻礙。

Thankfully, Norfolk State University provided me with full funding,

還好諾福克州立大學提供我全額獎學金，

and I was able to achieve my bachelor's in physics.

讓我順利取得物理學士學位。

After graduation, and despite knowing that I wanted a PhD in astrophysics,

畢業後，儘管懷著 成為天體物理學博士的夢想，

I fell through the cracks.

但這夢想終究破滅。

It was a poster that saved my dream,

救了我的夢想的是一張海報，

and some really incredible people and programs.

還有一些很棒的人和課程。

The American Physical Society had this beautiful poster

美國物理學會 設計了一張很漂亮的海報，

encouraging students of color to become physicists.

鼓勵有色人種的學生成為物理學家。

It was striking to me because it featured a young black girl,

它深深打動了我， 因為上面是一個年輕黑人女孩，

probably around 12 years old,

大概只有12歲左右，

looking studiously at some physics equations.

孜孜不倦地看著一些物理方程式。

I remember thinking

這讓我想起

I was looking directly back at the little girl

那個還是小女孩的自己，

who first dared to dream this dream.

那個敢於擁有夢想的小女孩。

I immediately wrote to the Society

我馬上寫信給美國物理學會，

and requested my personal copy of the poster,

請他們把那個海報寄一張給我，

which to this day still hangs in my office.

這張海報至今仍掛在我的辦公室裡。

I described to them in the email my educational path,

我在郵件裡向他們描述我的求學之路，

and my desire to find myself again in pursuit of the PhD.

還有希望能透過博士學位的追尋 重新找回自我的渴望。

They directed me to the Fisk-Vanderbilt University Bridge Program,

他們指引我參加 費斯克－范德比爾大學橋樑課程，

itself an intersection of the master's and PhD degrees

這個方案本身就是個交會點， 涵蓋兩所大學的碩士和博士學位。

at two institutions.

After two years out of school, they accepted me into the program,

在我離開學校兩年後， 我順利進入這個課程，

and I found myself again on the path to the PhD.

並發現自己再度踏上 追求博士學位之路。

After receiving my master's at Fisk,

從費斯克大學取得碩士學位後，

I went on to Yale to complete my PhD.

我到耶魯大學完成了博士學位。

Once I was physically occupying the space that would ultimately give way

而當我覺得情況對我似乎很有利，

to my childhood aspirations,

讓我終究有機會實現兒時願望時，

I anticipated a smooth glide to the PhD.

我以為自己會一路順遂 直到博士學位到手。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It became immediately apparent

但很顯然地，

that not everyone was thrilled to have that degree of liminality

並不是每個人都能接受在他們的場子 出現這種格格不入的角色。

in their space.

I was ostracized by many of my classmates,

我被許多同學排擠，

one of whom went so far as to invite me to "do what I really came here to do"

有人甚至要我 「做我來這真正該做的事」，

as he pushed all the dirty dishes from our meal in front of me to clean up.

把所有髒盤子推到我面前要我洗乾淨。

I wish that were an isolated occurrence,

我希望這只是個偶發事件，

but for many women of color

但對在科學、科技、工程和數學， 或稱STEM領域的有色人種女性來說，

in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM,

this is something they have long endured.

這是她們必須一直忍受的事。

One hundred percent of the 60 women of color

高達100%的有色人種女性

在瓊·C‧威廉斯於加州大學 哈斯汀法學院最近做的60個研究訪談中

interviewed in a recent study by Joan C. Williams at UC Hastings

reported facing racialized gender bias,

表示自己正在遭受種族性別歧視，

including being mistaken for the janitorial staff.

包含被誤認為清潔工。

This mistaken identity was not reported

這種誤認的情形，

並沒有發生在 同樣接受訪談的白人女性身上，

by any of the white women interviewed for this study,

which comprised 557 women in total.

總人數高達557人。

While there is nothing inherently wrong with a janitorial position,

儘管清潔工作本身並沒有什麼問題，

and in fact my forefathers and foremothers were able to attend college

而且事實上我的前幾代家人中， 許多能上大學，

because many of their parents worked these jobs,

正是因為他們的父母從事此類工作，

it was a clear attempt to put me in my place.

但這種行為很明顯地就是想讓我 「記得自己的身分」。

While there was certainly the acute pain of the encounter,

儘管這種遭遇極度痛苦，

the real issue is that my appearance

但真正的問題是我的外表

can tell anyone anything about my ability.

可以讓任何人看到我的能力。

Beyond that, though, it underscores

除此之外，這也凸顯了一件事情，

that the women of color in STEM do not experience the same set of barriers

STEM領域的有色人種女性

所遭遇到的對待完全不同於 純粹女性或純粹有色人種。

that just women or just people of color face.

That's why today I want to highlight women of color in STEM,

這是為什麼今天我想特別指出 STEM領域裡的有色人種女性，

who are inexorably, unapologetically

都活在這種無法分離的身分總和裡， ，無可避免、也不會有人感到抱歉。

living as the inseparable sum of identities.

STEM itself is an intersectional term,

STEM本身就是個跨界的術語，

such that its true richness cannot be appreciated

若不仔細思考這幾個學科之間的交集， 它的價值就無法凸顯。

without considering the liminal space between disciplines.

Science, the pursuit of understanding the physical world

科學，追求的是對實體世界的了解，

by way of chemistry, physics, biology,

透過化學、物理、生物等各種方式，

cannot be accomplished in the absence of mathematics.

這些無法被建立在沒有數學的基礎上。

Engineering requires the application of basic science and math

工程則需要將科學與數學的基礎

to the lived experience.

應用到實際生活體驗。

Technology sits firmly on the foundation of math,

科技，更是需要穩固的數學、 工程與科學基礎。

engineering and science.

Math itself serves the critical role of Rosetta Stone,

數學本身就像是 羅塞塔石碑的關鍵角色，

decoding and encoding the physical principles of the world.

負責解碼和編碼這個世界的物理原理。

STEM is utterly incomplete without each individual piece.

STEM彼此之間相輔相成、缺一不可，

This is to say nothing of the enrichment that is realized

而當STEM與其他學科結合時， 會產生令人難以想像的力量。

when STEM is combined with other disciplines.

The purpose for this talk is twofold:

這場談話的目的分為兩部分：

first, to say directly to every black, Latina, indigenous, First Nation

第一是告訴所有黑人、拉丁裔、 原住民、第一世界

or any other woman or girl

或任何其他婦女或女孩，

who finds herself resting at the blessed intersection

如果你們被擱置在種族和性別的交叉路口

of race and gender,

that you can be anything you want to be.

你必須相信自己能成為你想成為的人。

My personal hope is that you'll become an astrophysicist,

我個人希望你成為一位天體物理學家，

but beyond that, anything you want.

但除此之外，你想成為什麼都行。

Do not think for one minute

千萬千萬不要

that because you are who you are,

因為你既定的身分

you cannot be who you imagine yourself to be.

放棄成為理想中的自己。

Hold fast to those dreams

緊緊握住那些夢想，

and let them carry you into a world you can't even imagine.

讓它們帶你走向一個 連自己都無法想像的世界。

Secondly, among the most pressing issues of our time,

第二，當今大部分迫切的問題中，

most now find their intersection with STEM.

幾乎都能找到與STEM的交集。

We have as a global society solved

透過全球社會的合作，

most of the single-faceted issues of our time.

我們解決了大部分單面向的問題。

Those that remain require a thorough investigation

剩下的這些問題，需要仔細研究一下

of the liminal space between disciplines

學科之間的中介地帶，

to create the multifaceted solutions of tomorrow.

才能在未來找到全面性的解決方案。

Who better to solve these liminal problems

要解決這種跨界問題，

than those who have faced their whole lives at the intersections.

有誰比畢生活在交會點的我們更合適呢？

We as thought leaders and decision makers

我們作為思想領袖和決策者，

must push past the first steps of diversity

必須從人群中踏出多元化的第一步，

and into the richer and more robust territory

建立一個更豐富、更健全的

of full inclusion and equal opportunity.

兼容並蓄、機會均等的領域。

One of my favorite examples of liminal excellence

我最欣賞的一位跨界菁英，

comes from the late Dr. Claudia Alexander,

是已故的克勞蒂亞‧亞歷山大博士，

a black woman plasma physicist,

一位黑人女性等離子物理學家，

who passed away this past July after a 10-year bout with breast cancer.

她在和乳癌奮戰了10年後， 於去年七月去世。

She was a NASA project scientist who spearheaded the NASA side

她是NASA專案科學家，

在NASA這方帶領羅賽塔號的任務，

of the Rosetta mission,

which became famous this year for landing a rover on a comet,

這項任務在今年登陸彗星後大為有名。

and the 1.5 billion dollar Galileo mission to Jupiter,

此外還有耗資1.5億美元的 伽利略木星登陸計劃，

two high-profile scientific victories

兩項非常了不起的科學成就，

for NASA, the United States and the world.

無論是對NASA、對美國， 還是對整個世界來說。

Dr. Alexander said it this way:

亞歷山大博士是這麼說的：

"I'm used to walking between two cultures.

「我很習慣遊走在兩個文化之間，

For me, it's among the purposes of my life

對我來說，生命的意義之一

to take us from states of ignorance to states of understanding

就是讓我們從忽略走向理解，

with bold exploration that you can't do every day."

並用非比尋常的大膽探索 來完成這一切。」

This shows exactly the power of a liminal person.

這完全展現了跨界人的力量，

She had the technical ability to spearhead

她有卓越的技術能力

some of the most ambitious space missions of our time,

帶領當今最雄心勃勃的太空任務，

and she perfectly understood her place

她也非常明白自己的地位，

of being exactly who she was in any place she was.

無論在哪都能忠實地做自己。

Jessica Matthews, inventor of the SOCCKET line of sports products,

潔西卡‧馬修斯， 體育產品SOCCKET的發明人，

like soccer balls, that generate renewable energy as you play with them,

看起來像一般足球， 但它會在你踢它時產生能源。

said it this way:

她是這麼說的：

"A major part of invention isn't just creating things,

「發明的意義不只在創造新事物，

it's understanding people

還在於理解人、

and understanding the systems that make this world."

理解組成這個世界的系統。」

The reason I tell my story

我之所以要說自己的故事、

and the story of Dr. Alexander and Jessica Matthews

還有亞歷山大博士 以及潔西卡‧馬修斯的故事，

is because they are fundamentally intersectional stories,

因為在基礎上，這些都是跨界的故事，

the stories of lives lived at the nexus of race, gender and innovation.

是一些活在種族、性別和創新 交會點的生命的故事。

Despite implicit and explicit questions of my right to be in an elite space,

儘管我不知道自己是否可以算是菁英，

I'm proud to report that when I graduated,

但我很榮幸地告訴各位，

在我畢業時，我是第一個拿到 天體物理博士學位的黑人女性，

I was the first black woman to earn a PhD in astrophysics

in Yale's then 312-year history.

耶魯大學312年歷史上的第一個。

(Applause)

(掌聲)

I am now part of a small but growing cadre of women of color in STEM

我加入了一個小型但持續成長中的組織， 由STEM領域的有色人種女性所組成，

who are poised to bring new perspectives and new ideas to life

我們不斷將新的觀點和想法帶入生活，

on the most pressing issues of our time:

來解決一些當今最迫切的問題，

things like educational inequities,

例如教育的不平等、

police brutality, HIV/AIDS, climate change, genetic editing,

警察濫用職權、愛滋病、 氣候變遷、基因改造、

artificial intelligence and Mars exploration.

人工智慧和火星探索。

This is to say nothing of the things we haven't even thought of yet.

可以說，想像得到的我們都討論過了。

Women of color in STEM occupy some of the toughest

STEM領域的有色人種女性，

在當今最艱鉅、也最令人振奮的 社會技術議題上，佔有一席之地。

and most exciting sociotechnological issues of our time.

Thus, we are uniquely positioned

因此，我們處於獨特的地位，

to contribute to and drive these conversations

能在推動這種討論中有所貢獻，

in ways that are more inclusive of a wider variety of lived experience.

利用我們更廣泛、更多元的生活經驗。

This outlook can be expanded to the many intersectional people

這樣的前景可以 擴展到更多跨界人身上，

whose experiences, positive and negative,

用他們的經驗，無論好的或不好的，

enrich the conversations in ways that outmatch

來讓這些討論更加豐富，

甚至勝過那些握有最多資源、 但是同質的團體。

even the best-resourced homogenous groups.

This is not a request born out of a desire to fit in.

這不是因為渴望融入某個群體 而產生的要求，

It's a reminder that we cannot get to the best possible outcomes

而是一種提醒：

如果我們想為全人類帶來最好的結果，

for the totality of humanity

without precisely this collaboration,

就一定要通力合作， 結合那些活在中介地帶、

this bringing together of the liminal,

the differently lived, distinctly experienced

用不同方式生活、有著不同體驗、

and disparately impacted.

受到完全不同的衝擊的人。

Simply put, we cannot be the most excellent expression

簡單來說，如果我們不能 全面考量人性的影響，

of our collective genius

without the full measure of humanity brought to bear.

就無法體現人類全體的智慧。

Thank you.

謝謝各位。

(Applause)