What time is it on Mars? | Nagin Cox

譯者: yue chen 審譯者: JiYuan Zhang

So many of you have probably seen the movie "The Martian."

我想在座的大部分人可能 看過《絕地救援》。

But for those of you who did not, it's a movie about an astronaut

但是，沒有看過的，我講一下： 這部電影是關於一個太空人，

who is stranded on Mars, and his efforts to stay alive

他被困在火星上， 然後他想辦法要存活下來，

until the Earth can send a rescue mission to bring him back to Earth.

直到地球能發動一個 營救任務然後帶他回去。

Gladly, they do re-establish communication

還好他們和太空人瓦特尼

with the character, astronaut Watney, at some point

重新聯繫上了，

so that he's not as alone on Mars until he can be rescued.

這樣太空人在被救出去前 就不是孤單一人在火星上了。

So while you're watching the movie, or even if you haven't,

在你看這部電影的時候， 沒看過也沒關係，

when you think about Mars,

在你想起火星的時候，

you're probably thinking about how far away it is and how distant.

你可能在思考火星 離這裡有多遠，距離是多少。

And, what might not have occurred to you is,

還有，你腦海裡可能沒想過的：

what are the logistics really like of working on another planet --

後勤是什麼樣的？ 要是你真的在另一個星球上工作，

of living on two planets

或者居住在兩個星球，

when there are people on the Earth and there are rovers or people on Mars?

一邊是在地球的人， 一邊是火星上的小艇或者居民？

So think about when you have friends, families and co-workers

所以，想像當你嘗試聯繫

in California, on the West Coast or in other parts of the world.

在加州，在西海岸 或者在世界的另一面

When you're trying to communicate with them,

你的朋友、家人和同事的時候，

one of the things you probably first think about is:

你所想到的第一點就是

wait, what time is it in California?

等等，在加州是什麼時間？

Will I wake them up? Is it OK to call?

我會吵到他們嗎？ 我可以給他們打電話嗎？

So even if you're interacting with colleagues who are in Europe,

所以，如果你試著聯繫 你在歐洲的同事時，

you're immediately thinking about:

你馬上就會想到：

What does it take to coordinate communication when people are far away?

當人們這麼遠的時候， 彼此間聯繫需要協調什麼？

So we don't have people on Mars right now, but we do have rovers.

我們現在還沒有人居住在火星， 但是我們有探測小艇。

And actually right now, on Curiosity, it is 6:10 in the morning.

現在探測小艇「好奇號」那邊 是早上 6 點 10 分，

So, 6:10 in the morning on Mars.

所以在火星是早上 6 點 10 分。

We have four rovers on Mars.

我們有四部探測小艇在火星。

The United States has put four rovers on Mars since the mid-1990s,

美國自 1990 年代中期 就在火星投放四部探測小艇。

and I have been privileged enough to work on three of them.

我非常很榮幸地參加了 三部探測小艇的工作。

So, I am a spacecraft engineer, a spacecraft operations engineer,

我是太空船工程師， 太空船航務管理工程師，

at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles, California.

在位於洛杉磯的 太空總署噴射推進實驗室工作。

And these rovers are our robotic emissaries.

這些探測車是我們的機器密使。

So, they are our eyes and our ears, and they see the planet for us

所以，他們是我們的眼睛和耳朵， 他們在我們送人上去之前

until we can send people.

幫助我們探索這個星球。

So we learn how to operate on other planets through these rovers.

所以，我們透過這些小艇 學習怎麼在另一個星球上管理。

So before we send people, we send robots.

在我們送人上去之前， 我們先送機器人。

So the reason there's a time difference on Mars right now,

火星跟我們有時差的原因，

from the time that we're at

和我們現在的地方有時差，

is because the Martian day is longer than the Earth day.

是因為在火星的一天 比在地球的一天長。

Our Earth day is 24 hours,

我們在地球一天是 24 小時，

because that's how long it takes the Earth to rotate,

因為這是地球自轉的時間，

how long it takes to go around once.

這是轉一圈的時間。

So our day is 24 hours.

所以我們一天是 24 小時。

It takes Mars 24 hours and approximately 40 minutes to rotate once.

火星自轉一圈需要約 24 小時又 40 分鐘。

So that means that the Martian day is 40 minutes longer than the Earth day.

這就說明了火星的一天 比地球多了 40 分鐘。

So teams of people who are operating the rovers on Mars, like this one,

所以像這個在管理 火星探測小艇的團隊，

what we are doing is we are living on Earth, but working on Mars.

我們所做的就是雖然我們 居住在地球，卻在火星工作。

So we have to think as if we are actually on Mars with the rover.

所以我們得像實際在火星上 與探測艇一起一樣。

Our job, the job of this team, of which I'm a part of,

這個隊伍的工作，我也是其中之一，

is to send commands to the rover to tell it what to do the next day.

是要下指令告訴探測艇 我們明天要幹什麼。

To tell it to drive or drill or tell her whatever she's supposed to do.

告訴它要開或鑽取 或告訴她任何她應該做的。

So while she's sleeping -- and the rover does sleep at night

所以當她在睡覺的時候， 這部探測艇的確需要在晚上休息，

because she needs to recharge her batteries

因為她需要充電，

and she needs to weather the cold Martian night.

她還需要在冰冷的火星 晚上保護自己。

And so she sleeps.

所以她需要睡覺。

So while she sleeps, we work on her program for the next day.

在她睡覺的時候，我們忙著告訴她 第二天需要做的事。

So I work the Martian night shift.

所以我值火星（錯誤包）夜班。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So in order to come to work on the Earth at the same time every day on Mars --

所以在地球上如果我們要在 火星的固定時間上班，

like, let's say I need to be at work at 5:00 p.m.,

舉個例，我需要在下午 5:00 工作，

this team needs to be at work at 5:00 p.m. Mars time every day,

這個團隊需要在火星時間 每天下午 5:00 工作，

then we have to come to work on the Earth 40 minutes later every day,

那麼在地球上我們每天都要 比前一天晚 40 分鐘來上班，

in order to stay in sync with Mars.

以便與火星保持同步。

That's like moving a time zone every day.

這就像每天換一個時區一樣。

So one day you come in at 8:00, the next day 40 minutes later at 8:40,

所以一天你 8 點到， 第二天晚 40 分鐘，8 點 40 到，

the next day 40 minutes later at 9:20,

第三天晚 40 分鐘，9 點 20，

the next day at 10:00.

第四天 10 點。

So you keep moving 40 minutes every day,

你會每天推遲 40 分鐘，

until soon you're coming to work in the middle of the night --

很快你就會在凌晨工作，

the middle of the Earth night.

在地球的凌晨。

Right? So you can imagine how confusing that is.

是吧？所以你可以想像 這有多麼的複雜。

Hence, the Mars watch.

因此，火星手錶。

(Laughter)

（笑）

This weights in this watch have been mechanically adjusted

重量已經過機械調整，

so that it runs more slowly.

使其運行更慢。

Right? And we didn't start out --

對？ 我們沒有開始──

I got this watch in 2004

我在 2004 年拿到這款手錶，

when Spirit and Opportunity, the rovers back then.

當時「精神號」和「機會號」 這兩艘小艇開始工作。

We didn't start out thinking

我們一開始沒有想到

that we were going to need Mars watches.

我們會需要火星手錶。

Right? We thought, OK, we'll just have the time on our computers

對？我們只想到我們的電腦上

and on the mission control screens, and that would be enough.

和任務管制螢幕上都有時間，

這就夠了。

Yeah, not so much.

是的，不夠。

Because we weren't just working on Mars time,

因為我們不只是在火星時間工作，

we were actually living on Mars time.

我們實際上生活在火星時間。

And we got just instantaneously confused about what time it was.

我們瞬間就搞不清楚到底是幾點了。

So you really needed something on your wrist to tell you:

所以你真的需要 你手腕上的東西告訴你：

What time is it on the Earth? What time is it on Mars?

在地球上是幾點？火星是幾點？

And it wasn't just the time on Mars that was confusing;

而且還不只是火星上的 時間令人困惑；

we also needed to be able to talk to each other about it.

我們還需要能夠彼此談論它。

So a "sol" is a Martian day -- again, 24 hours and 40 minutes.

所以在火星一個「太陽日」 是 24 小時又 40 分鐘。

So when we're talking about something that's happening on the Earth,

當我們談論在地球上的事情時，

we will say, today.

我們會說，今日。

So, for Mars, we say, "tosol."

所以在火星我們說，「今太陽日。」

(Laughter)

（笑）

Yesterday became "yestersol" for Mars.

昨日在火星成為「昨太陽日」。

Again, we didn't start out thinking, "Oh, let's invent a language."

情況再度發生，我們沒有想到 「哦，讓我們發明一種語言。」

It was just very confusing.

這只是很混亂。

I remember somebody walked up to me and said,

我記得有人走過來對我說：

"I would like to do this activity on the vehicle tomorrow, on the rover."

「明天我想在車上 做這個活動，探測車。」

And I said, "Tomorrow, tomorrow, or Mars, tomorrow?"

我說：「明天？ 地球的，還是火星的？」

We started this terminology because we needed a way to talk to each other.

我們開始用這個術語， 因為我們需要一種方式來相互交談。

(Laughter)

（笑）

Tomorrow became "nextersol" or "solorrow."

明日成為「翌太陽日」 或「明太陽日。」

Because people have different preferences for the words they use.

因為人們對他們使用的詞 有不同的偏好。

Some of you might say "soda" and some of you might say "pop."

有些人可能會說「蘇打水」， 有些人可能會說「汽水。」

So we have people who say "nextersol" or "solorrow."

所以我們有人說 「翌太陽日」或「明太陽日。」

And then something that I noticed after a few years of working on these missions,

然後，我注意到， 做了這些任務幾年後，

was that the people who work on the rovers, we say "tosol."

做探測挺工作的， 我們會說「今太陽日。」

The people who work on the landed missions that don't rove around,

只做登陸任務、不做探測挺的，

they say "tosoul."

他們說「今太陽天。」

So I could actually tell what mission you worked on from your Martian accent.

所以我可以從你的火星用語 辨別你的工作任務。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So we have the watches and the language, and you're detecting a theme here, right?

所以我們有手錶和語言， 你開始有點感覺了吧？

So that we don't get confused.

所以我們不會困惑。

But even the Earth daylight could confuse us.

但即使是地球的日光 也可能讓我們迷惑。

If you think that right now, you've come to work

如果你認為現在，你來上班，

and it's the middle of the Martian night

但這是火星的深夜，

and there's light streaming in from the windows

又有窗口流進的光，

that's going to be confusing as well.

這也會造成混亂。

So you can see from this image of the control room

所以你可以看到控制室的樣子，

that all of the blinds are down.

所有的百葉窗都放下來了。

So that there's no light to distract us.

所以沒有光可以分散我們的注意力。

The blinds went down all over the building about a week before landing,

著陸前一個星期 整個建築物的百葉窗都放下來，

and they didn't go up until we went off Mars time.

沒有拉上去， 直到我們開始火星時間。

So this also works for the house, for at home.

所以這也適用於房子，在家裡。

I've been on Mars time three times, and my husband is like,

我已經在火星時間三次， 我的丈夫就好像，

OK, we're getting ready for Mars time.

好的，我們準備好過火星時間了。

And so he'll put foil all over the windows and dark curtains and shades

所以他會把窗戶全貼上鋁箔紙， 窗簾和遮陽板都放下，

because it also affects your families.

因為這也影響你的家人。

And so here I was living in kind of this darkened environment, but so was he.

所以我生活在這種 黑暗的環境中，他也是。

And he'd gotten used to it.

他已經慢慢習慣了。

But then I would get these plaintive emails from him when he was at work.

當我在工作的時候， 我會收到他楚楚可憐的電子郵件。

Should I come home? Are you awake?

我可以回家嗎？妳醒著嗎？

What time is it on Mars?

現在在火星是幾點？

And I decided, OK, so he needs a Mars watch.

然後我決定了， 他需要一個火星手錶。

(Laughter)

（笑）

But of course, it's 2016, so there's an app for that.

但是當然，這是 2016 年， 所以他們當然有一個應用程式。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So now instead of the watches, we can also use our phones.

現在除了手錶， 我們還可以用我們的手機。

But the impact on families was just across the board;

但對家庭的影響是全面的；

it wasn't just those of us who were working on the rovers

不只對我們這些做探測挺工作的人，

but our families as well.

對我們的家庭也一樣。

This is David Oh, one of our flight directors,

這是歐大衛， 我們的一名飛行指引長，

and he's at the beach in Los Angeles with his family at 1:00 in the morning.

這是他凌晨 1:00 在洛杉磯海灘 和他家人的合照。

(Laughter)

（笑）

So because we landed in August

因為我們在八月份著陸，

and his kids didn't have to go back to school until September,

他的孩子在九月份之前 都不用回學校，

they actually went on to Mars time with him for one month.

他們真的和他一起 過了一個月的火星時間。

They got up 40 minutes later every day.

他們每天晚起 40 分鐘，

And they were on dad's work schedule.

他們跟著爸爸的工作日程過日子。

So they lived on Mars time for a month and had these great adventures,

所以，他們過了一個月火星時間， 這是一次非常棒的歷程。

like going bowling in the middle of the night

譬如在凌晨打保齡球，

or going to the beach.

或者去海灘一樣。

And one of the things that we all discovered

我們都發現到一件事，

is you can get anywhere in Los Angeles

就是你早上 3:00 可以去洛杉磯任何地方，

at 3:00 in the morning when there's no traffic.

因為不會塞車！

(Laughter)

（笑）

So we would get off work,

所以我們下班後，

and we didn't want to go home and bother our families,

我們不想回家或者打擾我們的家人，

and we were hungry, so instead of going locally to eat something,

但是我們很餓， 可是我們沒有去附近找東西吃，

we'd go, "Wait, there's this great all-night deli in Long Beach,

反而是：「等等， 長灘有一家很棒的宵夜店，

and we can get there in 10 minutes!"

我們能在 10 分鐘內到那裡！」

So we would drive down -- it was like the 60s, no traffic.

所以，我們會開車去那裡， 就像 60 年代，沒有塞車！

We would drive down there, and the restaurant owners would go,

我們到了那裡， 然後餐廳的主人過來了，

"Who are you people?

「你們這群人是誰？」

And why are you at my restaurant at 3:00 in the morning?"

「為什麼你們凌晨3 點 在我的餐廳？」

So they came to realize that there were these packs of Martians,

所以他們意識到，有這些火星人，

roaming the LA freeways, in the middle of the night --

漫遊洛杉磯高速公路，在半夜──

in the middle of the Earth night.

在地球的半夜。

And we did actually start calling ourselves Martians.

我們確實開始稱自己是火星人。

So those of us who were on Mars time would refer to ourselves as Martians,

所以過火星時間的我們 會自稱為火星人，

and everyone else as Earthlings.

其他人則是「地球上的生靈。」

(Laughter)

（笑）

And that's because when you're moving a time-zone every day,

這是因為當你每天換一個時區，

you start to really feel separated from everyone else.

你開始真正感覺與其他人分開。

You're literally in your own world.

你真的活在你自己的世界裡。

So I have this button on that says, "I survived Mars time. Sol 0-90."

所以我有這個圓別針上面說： 「我從火星時間生還，太陽日 0-90。」

And there's a picture of it up on the screen.

螢幕上有張相片。

So the reason we got these buttons is because we work on Mars time

我們得到這些別針的原因 是因為我們在火星時間工作，

in order to be as efficient as possible with the rover on Mars,

為了使火星探測車 在火星上盡可能高效，

to make the best use of our time.

以充分利用我們的時間。

But we don't stay on Mars time for more than three to four months.

但是我們不會過火星時間 超過三到四個月。

Eventually, we'll move to a modified Mars time, which is what we're working now.

最後，我們會轉到調整過的火星時間， 這是我們現在正在研究的東西。

And that's because it's hard on your bodies, it's hard on your families.

這是因為它對你的身體很不好， 對你的家人也很難熬。

In fact, there were sleep researchers who actually were studying us

事實上，有睡眠研究人員 實際在研究我們，

because it was so unusual for humans to try to extend their day.

因為人類試圖延長 他們的一天是非常難見的。

And they had about 30 of us

他們約有 30 個人

that they would do sleep deprivation experiments on.

會做睡眠剝奪實驗。

So I would come in and take the test and I fell asleep in each one.

所以我會進來參加測試， 而且我在每場測試都睡著了。

And that was because, again, this eventually becomes hard on your body.

這是因為，再說一次， 這最終變得對你的身體很糟。

Even though it was a blast.

即使它很好玩。

It was a huge bonding experience with the other members on the team,

這會與團隊中其他成員 產生很強的情誼，

but it is difficult to sustain.

但是難以維持。

So these rover missions are our first steps out into the solar system.

所以這些探測任務 是我們進入太陽系的第一步。

We are learning how to live on more than one planet.

我們正在學習 如何在多個星球上生活。

We are changing our perspective to become multi-planetary.

我們正在改變我們的觀點， 成為多行星。

So the next time you see a Star Wars movie,

所以下次你看到星際大戰電影，

and there are people going from the Dagobah system to Tatooine,

有人從達哥巴系統到塔圖因，

think about what it really means to have people spread out so far.

想想到目前為止人類向外擴散的 真正意義是什麼。

What it means in terms of the distances between them,

他們之間的距離意味著什麼，

how they will start to feel separate from each other

他們將如何開始感覺彼此分離，

and just the logistics of the time.

甚至只是物流的時間。

We have not sent people to Mars yet, but we hope to.

我們還沒有派人去火星， 但我們希望能。

And between companies like SpaceX and NASA

在像 SpaceX 這樣的公司和太空總署

and all of the international space agencies of the world,

及世界上所有的國際太空組織中間，

we hope to do that in the next few decades.

我們希望在未來幾十年裡能做到。

So soon we will have people on Mars, and we truly will be multi-planetary.

很快我們就會有人在火星上， 我們會是多行星的。

And the young boy or the young girl

今天在這裡看或聽的 年輕男孩或年輕女孩

who will be going to Mars could be in this audience or listening today.

都有可能會去火星。

I have wanted to work at JPL on these missions since I was 14 years old

我 14 歲時就想在 噴射推進實驗室做這些任務，

and I am privileged to be a part of it.

我有幸成為它的一部分。

And this is a remarkable time in the space program,

這是太空計劃中一個了不起的時代，

and we are all in this journey together.

我們一起在這個旅程中。

So the next time you think you don't have enough time in your day,

所以下次你認為 你一天沒有足夠的時間，

just remember, it's all a matter of your Earthly perspective.

只要記住，這只是你從地球角度看罷了。

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）