The fascinating physics of everyday life | Helen Czerski

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

As you heard, I'm a physicist.

如各位所聽說的，我是個物理學家。

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

我想，我們談論物理的方式 需要做些細微的修正。

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

我以前就住在這附近， 不過現在不住這裡了。

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

來自這附近就意味著， 我有個來自北部地區外婆，

my mum's mom.

我母親的母親。

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

外婆很聰明，沒受過多少正規教育，

but she's sharp.

但很精明。

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

當我還是劍橋物理系 大二學生的時候，

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

記得有一天，我整個下午 都在外婆位於厄姆斯頓的房子裡，

studying quantum mechanics.

研讀量子力學。

And I had these folders open in front of me

我面前有一些打開了的資料夾，

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

內容……你知道的， 說真的，根本就是象形文字。

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

外婆走了過來，看著資料夾，

and she said, "What's that?"

然後她說：「那是什麼？」

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

我說：「那是量子力學，外婆。」

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

然後我試著解釋頁面上的內容，

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

內容關於原子核 和愛因斯坦 A、B 係數。

And Nana looked very impressed.

外婆看起來非常佩服。

And then she said, "Oh.

接著，她說：「喔。

What can you do when you know that?"

你知道了那些之後能用來幹嘛？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"Don't know, ma'am."

「我不知道耶，外婆。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I think I said something about computers,

我想我說了一些關於電腦的東西，

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

因為那是我當下唯一能想到的。

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

但你可以擴大那個問題， 因為它是個非常好的問題：

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

「你知道了那些之後能用來幹嘛？」 「那些」指的是物理。

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

然後我意識到，

當我們社會談到物理 和我們對它的印象時，

and our sort of image of it,

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

並不包含我們了解物理後能做的事。

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

我們對於物理的認識需要一點轉變；

Not only does it need a bit of a shift,

不只是需要一點轉變，

but sharing this different perspective matters for our society,

而且分享這個不同的觀點 對我們的社會很重要。

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

會這麼說，並非因為 我是物理學家或是偏心，

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

也不因為自認我們學物理的 是世界上最重要的人。

真的。

Honest.

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

所以老實說，物理有些形象問題，

it hasn't moved on much from this.

一直以來它的形象差不多就這樣。

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

這張很有名的照片 來自 1927 年的索爾維會議。

This is when the great minds of physics were grappling

當時頂尖的物理學家

with the nature of determinism

在探討決定論的本質，

and what it means only to have a probability

只知道某粒子位於某處的機率 （註：不知道它的確切位置）

that a particle might be somewhere,

到底是什麼意思，

and whether any of it was real.

也不知道這說法的真假，

And it was all very difficult.

全都非常困難。

你們會注意到全都是 外貌嚴肅、身著西裝的男子。

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

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

瑪麗居禮──差點說成「瑪麗安東妮」 （註：上斷頭台的法國皇后）

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

──將成為物理書籍的轉折點。

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

瑪麗居禮，下排左起第三位，

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

她被允許加入， 但必須穿得和其他人一樣。

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

物理就像這個樣子， 總有各式各樣的象形文字。

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

these are to do with waves and particles.

圖上這些和波長、粒子有關。

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

那圖是藝術家對 兩個黑洞互撞的印象，

which makes it look worth watching, to be honest.

這讓它很值得一看，說真的。

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

很高興我無須為那裡發生的事 寫風險評估報告。

for whatever was going on there.

重點是，這就是物理形象：

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

既怪又難；

從事的人有點古怪，衣著稍奇特；

It's weird and difficult,

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

它很遙遠，難以接近；

It's inaccessible, it's somewhere else

最根本的是，我為什麽要在乎它？

and fundamentally, why should I care?

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

問題是，

我是個物理學家，

and I study this.

我研究物理，

This -- this is my job, right?

這是我的工作。

I study the interface between the atmosphere and the ocean.

我研究大氣和海洋之間的界面。

The atmosphere is massive, the ocean is massive,

大氣很巨大，海洋很巨大，

把它們結合在一起的那薄薄一層

and the thin layer that joins them together

非常重要，

is really important,

因為東西經過它 從一個大儲存器到另一個。

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 --

你們可以看到海面 ──我拍了這影片──

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

順道一提，那些波浪的 平均高度是 10 公尺。

So this is definitely physics happening here --

這裡發生的肯定是物理，

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

很多東西，肯定都是物理。

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

然而這些沒被包含在 我們對物理的文化認知中，

and that bothers me.

這讓我很困擾。

So what is included in our cultural perception of physics?

我們對物理的文化認知包含了什麼？

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

因為我是物理學家， 我一定得要有張圖，對嗎？

That's allowed.

那是被容許的。

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

下面的橫軸是時間， 這邊是非常快速移動的事物，

to things that take a long time over here.

那邊是要花較長時間的。

Small things at the bottom, big things up there.

下面的是小東西，上面是大的。

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

我們目前文化印象中的物理像這樣。

There's quantum mechanics down in that corner,

量子力學在下方那個角落，

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

它很小、很怪異，

it happens very quickly,

發生得很快，

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

整體來說，它在非常下面，

on the scale of anything that matters for everyday life.

相較於日常生活重要事件的 時間尺度，它差得很遠。

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

而宇宙論則是在高高在上面那裡，

very large, very far away,

非常大、非常遙遠，

also very weird.

也非常怪異。

And if you go to some places

若追溯到宇宙初始的黑洞之類地方，

like black holes in the beginning of the universe,

那麼二者（量子力學和宇宙論） 會在後面連到一塊兒，

we know that these are frontiers in physics, right?

而我們知道它們是物理學的邊陲，

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

正進行著許多物理新領域的研究。

in these places.

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

重點是，你會注意到 中間有很大的鴻溝。

And in that gap, there are many things.

在那鴻溝中，有許多東西。

There are planets and toasts and volcanoes and clouds

有星球、吐司、火山、雲、

and clarinets and bubbles and dolphins

單簧管、泡泡、海豚，

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

以及構成我們日常生活的各種東西，

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

這些也都靠物理來運作。

你會驚訝中間有物理，

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

只是沒有人談論它。

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

這些的通性是

只依據相對少數的物理法則來運作，

on a relatively small number of physical laws,

things like Newton's laws of motion,

比如牛頓運動定律、

thermodynamics,

熱力學、

some rotational dynamics.

轉動動力學。

The physics in the middle applies over a huge range,

中間區的物理應用的範圍很廣，

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

從非常、非常小的事物 到非常、非常大的。

你得要很努力才能超出這範圍。

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

And there is also a frontier in research physics here,

這裡也有物理研究中 尚未完全開拓的疆界，

it's just that nobody talks about it.

只是沒有人在談論它。

這是個複雜的世界。

This is the world of the complex.

When these laws work together, they bring about

這些法則一起運作，

帶來我們所居住的這個美麗、 混亂、複雜的世界。

the beautiful, messy, complex world we live in.

Fundamentally, this is the bit that really matters to me

基本上，這是對我而言 每天都很重要的一點，

on an everyday basis.

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

是我們不談論的那部份，

There's plenty of physics research going on here.

有許多的物理研究正在進行著。

但由於它不牽涉到某顆星星，

But because it doesn't involve pointing at stars,

people for some reason think it's not that.

人們基於某些原因忽視它。

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

很酷的一點是

中間這部份有非常多的東西，

in this middle bit,

all following the same physical laws,

都遵循著同樣的物理法則，

that we can see those laws at work

在我們周遭幾乎隨時 都看得到那些法則。

almost all the time around us.

I've got a little video here.

我這裡有段影片。

遊戲中一顆是生蛋，

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

另一顆是煮熟的。

I want you to tell me which one is which.

請各位告訴我，哪個是哪個。

Which one's raw?

哪個是生的？

(Audience responds)

（觀眾回應）

The one on the left -- yes!

左邊的──對！

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

即使沒做過這實驗，你們也都知道。

The reason for that is, you set them spinning,

理由是，轉動它們，

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

當你停下煮熟的蛋， 也就是內部完全凝固的蛋，

you stop the entire egg.

整個蛋會靜止。

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

當你停住另一顆蛋， 你只停住了蛋殼；

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

裡面的液體還在轉動， 因為沒東西讓它停下來，

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

它就會再推動蛋殼， 所以蛋又繼續轉。

This is brilliant, right?

這很聰明，對吧？

It's a demonstration of something in physics

這是在展示物理中

that we call the law of conservation of angular momentum,

我們稱之為「角動量守衡定律」。

which basically says that if you set something spinning

基本上這定律是，如果你讓某物旋轉，

about a fixed axis,

繞著一個固定軸旋轉，

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

除非你主動去阻止它， 不然它會一直轉下去。

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

對於宇宙的運作 ， 這是非常基礎的法則。

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

它不只應用在雞蛋上面，

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

不過也的確挺有用， 如果你是那種人的話──

and apparently, these people do exist --

很顯然，那種人的確存在──

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

那種會把雞蛋煮熟了再放回冰箱的人。

誰會這樣做啊？不必承認── 沒關係。我們不會評斷你。

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

But it's also got much broader applicabilities.

但它還有更廣的應用性。

This is the Hubble Space Telescope.

這是「哈伯太空望遠鏡」。

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

「哈伯超深空」是太空中 非常微小的一部份。

Hubble has been floating in free space for 25 years,

哈伯已在自由空間中飄浮了 25 年，

not touching anything.

沒有碰觸任何東西。

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

但它可以對準天空中的一個小區域。

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

花 11.5 天的時間，

分段做。

accurately enough to take amazing images like this.

精準度足以拍出像這樣驚人的影像。

So the question is:

問題是：如何在完全不碰到 任何東西的情況下，

How does something that is not touching anything

know where it is?

知道它在哪裡？

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

答案就在它中間有某樣東西，

很可惜那東西並不是生的雞蛋，

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

但基本上功能是一樣的。

but basically does the same job.

It's got gyroscopes which are spinning,

它有不斷旋轉的陀螺儀，

and because of the law of conservation of angular momentum,

因為角動量守衡定律的緣故，

they keep spinning with the same axis, indefinitely.

它們會不斷繞著同一個軸旋轉，

永無止境。

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

而哈伯繞著它們轉，所以能自己定位。

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

我們在廚房裡使用的小小物理法則，

also explains what makes possible some of the most advanced technology

也能用來解釋

在我們這個時代最先進的某些技術。

of our time.

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

這是物理好玩的部份， 你能學到這些形式，

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

而且你可以把它們重複使用。

當你在新地方發現它們時 會很有成就感。

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

This is the fun of physics.

這就是物理的樂趣。

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

我曾把那部雞蛋的影片 放給商業界的觀眾看，

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

他們都穿得很正式、得體， 想要讓老闆印象深刻。

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

當時快沒時間了， 所以播完雞蛋影片後，我說：

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

「你們能找出來， 之後再來跟我確認答案。」

Then I left the stage.

然後我就離開講台了。

And I had, literally,

事後真的就有

middle-aged grown men tugging on my sleeve afterwards,

中年成人男子拉著我的袖子，問：

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

「這個嗎？是嗎？」

當我說：「是啊！」 他們就說：「太好了！」

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

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

發現這些模式時得到的喜悅，

The joy that you get from spotting these patterns

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

即使成年人也能得到。

And that's really important,

這點非常重要，

because physics is all about patterns,

因為物理的重點就是模式，

and a small number of patterns give you access

少量的模式就能讓你

to almost all of the physics in our everyday world.

探究日常生活中幾乎所有的物理。

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

最棒的一點就是，它也和玩玩具有關。

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

像雞蛋這樣的東西 不該被視為是平凡的小東西，

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

只在星期六下午給孩子們玩，

來讓他們安靜下來。

to keep them quiet.

這其實是很有意義的東西，

This is the stuff that actually really matters,

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

因為這是宇宙的法則，

能應用在雞蛋上、

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

吐司總是塗奶油的那面落地和其他，

就像是它廣泛應用在現代科技上，

just as much as it applies to modern technology

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

以及在世上正發生的其他事情上。

So I think we should play with these patterns.

我認為我們應該玩玩這些模式。

Basically, there are a small number of concepts

基本上，有少數的一些概念，

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

是用廚房的東西就可以認識的概念，

that are really useful for life in the outside world.

並且對生活在外面的世界很有用。

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

如果你想要學熱力學， 鴨子就是個很好的起點，

比如，為何牠們的腳不會變冷。

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

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

一旦你從鴨子理解了一點熱力學，

you can also explain fridges.

你也能夠用來解釋冰箱。

Magnets that you can play with in your kitchen

磁鐵也是你在廚房中可以玩的東西，

get you to wind turbines and modern energy generation.

它能教你風力發電機 以及現代發電方法。

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

還有發泡檸檬水中的葡萄乾， 它向來是很好玩的。

若你處在無聊的派對中， 拿點吧台上的葡萄乾點心，

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

put them in some lemonade.

把它們丟到檸檬水中。

It's got three consequences.

會有三項後果。

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

第一是很好看，去試試看。

Secondly, it sends the boring people away.

第二是它能趕走無聊的人。

Thirdly, it brings the interesting people to you.

第三是它能吸引有趣的人 來到你身邊。

You win on all fronts.

是全贏的局面。

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

還有旋轉、氣體方程式、黏性。

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

這些小模式在我們身邊處處可見。

And it's fundamentally democratic, right?

它基本上是普羅大眾的。

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

每個人都能接觸到同樣的物理， 不需要大型、奢侈的實驗室。

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

當我寫這本書的時候， 有一章是關於旋轉的。

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

我寫到關於吐司總是 塗著奶油的那面落地。

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

我把這章拿給一位 不是科學家的朋友看，

for him to read and tell me what he thought,

請他讀完後告訴我他的想法，

and he took the chapter away.

他把那章拿走了。

He was working overseas.

他在海外工作。

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

幾週後，我收到了他的短信，

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

寫著：「我在瑞士 一間豪華飯店吃早餐，

and I really want to push toast off the table,

我真的很想把吐司推下餐桌，

because I don't believe what you wrote."

因為我不相信你所寫的。」

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

那是好事──他無須相信我。

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

他可以自己把吐司推下餐桌試試。

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

要知道兩件關於科學的重要事情：

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

我們透過經驗、實驗 所學來的基礎法則是有用的。

work.

The day we drop an apple and it goes up,

我們丟下蘋果而它會上向飛的那天，

then we'll have a debate about gravity.

我們就會辯論地心引力。

在那之前，我們基本上知道 地心引力是如何運作的，

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

and we can learn the framework.

我們可以學那架構。

Then there's the process of experimentation:

接著是實驗的過程：

having confidence in things, trying things out,

對事物有信心，去嘗試事物，

critical thinking -- how we move science forward --

批判性思維，如何讓科學向前邁進，

and you can learn both of those things

兩者你都可以學到，

by playing with toys in the everyday world.

玩日常中的玩具即可。

And it's really important,

這點十分重要，

because there's all this talk about technology,

因為關於科技有很多的討論，

we've heard talks about quantum computing

我們聽過量子運算，

and all these mysterious, far-off things.

還有各種神秘、遙遠的事物。

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

但根本上，我們還是活在 大約這麼大的身體當中，

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

我們還是會走來走去， 坐在這麼大的椅子上，

we still live in the physical world.

我們還是活在實體世界中。

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

了解這些概念， 意味著我們並非是無助的。

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

我認為非常重要的是我們並非無助，

that society feels it can look at things,

社會能夠去看事物，

because this isn't about knowing all the answers.

因為重點不在於知道所有的答案。

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

重點是要有架構， 讓你能問出正確的問題。

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

通過玩玩這些日常基本的小東西，

我們就能得到信心， 來問出正確的問題，

we gain the confidence to ask the right questions.

So, there's a bigger thing.

──這就是大的。

In answer to Nana's question

回答先前我外婆的問題，

about what can you do when you know that --

「知道了那些之後能用來幹嘛」，

because there's lots of stuff in the everyday world

因為在日常的世界中，有很多事

that you can do when you know that,

在你了解了那些之後都能做到，

特別是如果你家冰箱中有雞蛋的話。

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

there's a much deeper answer.

還有一個更深層的答案。

And so there's all the fun and the curiosity

從玩玩具，你能夠得到 各種樂趣和好奇心。

that you could have playing with toys.

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

順便問：為何只有孩子能享受樂趣？

All of us can have fun playing with toys,

所有人都能享受玩玩具的樂趣，

and we shouldn't be embarrassed about it.

我們不該為此感到不好意思。

你們可以怪在我頭上我，沒關係。

You can blame me, it's fine.

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

談到研究物理的理由為例，

here is the best reason I can think of:

我能想出的最佳理由是：

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

我認為每個人都有 三項生命維持系統：

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

自己的身體、

地球，

and we've got our civilization.

和文明。

Each of those is an independent life-support system,

各自是獨立的生命維持系統，

keeping us alive in its own way.

以自己的方式維持我們的生命，

And they all run on the fundamental physical laws

都依循著基本物理法則在運作，

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

是你在廚房用雞蛋、茶杯、檸檬水，

以及所有其他能玩的東西 就可以學到的法則。

and everything else you can play with.

這就是為什麼

This is the reason, for example,

why something like climate change is such a serious problem,

像氣候變遷之類的問題會如此嚴重，

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

因為它的兩種生命維持系統，

our planet and our civilization,

我們的地球和文明，

kind of butting up against each other;

有點像是在彼此碰撞、互相衝突，

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

我們需要協調出界線。

And the fundamental physical laws that we can learn

關於我們周遭世界的運作，

that are the way the world around us works,

我們能學習的基本物理法則，

are the tools at the basis of everything;

是最基本的工具，是基礎。

they're the foundation.

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

人生中有很多東西需要知道，

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

但了解基礎能讓你走得長遠。

我認為如果你沒有興趣

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

去快樂地學物理，諸如此類，

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

──很奇怪，但顯然這類人的確存在──

至少你會感興趣

you surely are interested in keeping yourself alive

要維持自己的生存，

and in how our life-support systems work.

以及我們的生命維持系統如何運作。

The framework for physics is remarkably constant;

物理學的架構非常穩定，

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

在我們測量的許多東西當中都一樣，

It's not going to change anytime soon.

近期內它不會改變。

They might discover some new quantum mechanics,

他們可能會發現一些新的量子力學，

but apples right here are still going to fall down.

但這裡的蘋果還是會向下落。

So, the question is --

所以，問題是──

I get asked sometimes: How do you start?

我有時被問： 「要從何開始？從何處著手？」

What's the place to start

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

如果你對物質世界有興趣， 不想要感到無助，

and in finding some toys to play with?

以及有興趣找新玩具來玩，

Here is my suggestion to you:

我給你的建議如下：

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

就從那一刻開始──成年人會這樣──

you're drifting along somewhere,

你在某處隨波逐流，注意到某樣東西，

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

你的大腦會說：「喔，那好奇怪。」

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

你的意識會說： 「你是成年人了，繼續前進。」

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

就是那個點──留住那個想法──

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

你的大腦說「喔，那有點怪異」的點，

因為那邊就有可以玩的東西，

because there's something there to play with,

且它值得你去玩玩看，

and it's worth you playing with it,

那就是要開始的地方。

so that's the place to start.

但如果你從家裡到這個活動的路上

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

on your way home from this event,

都沒有這類的小時刻，

here are some things to start with.

你還是可以從這些開始。

Put raisins in [fizzy] lemonade; highly entertaining.

把葡萄乾放到發泡檸檬水中， 極有娛樂性。

Watch a coffee spill dry.

看著濺出的咖啡乾涸。

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

我知道那聽起來 有點像是看著油漆乾涸，

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

但會發生很怪異的事，值得去看。

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

我漸漸開始喜歡上晚宴， 如果那兒有茶杯的話。

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

茶杯可以玩出好多花樣，它非常棒。

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

最明顯的一項是拿個茶杯，

拿支湯匙輕敲茶杯的邊緣，傾聽，

tap the teacup around the rim and listen,

and you will hear something strange.

你會聽到奇怪的聲音。

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

另一樣是把你的吐司推下餐桌，

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

因為你能這麼做， 且你會從中學到東西。

And if you're feeling really ambitious,

如果你很有野心，

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

試著用塗奶油的那一面不朝下的 方式把吐司推下餐桌，

which is possible.

這是辦得到的。

The point of all of this is that,

這一切的重點是，

first of all, we should all play with toys.

第一，我們都應該玩玩具。

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

我們不該害怕自己用身邊的工具

with the tools around us,

來研究物質世界，

because we all have access to them.

因為我們都能取得這些工具。

It matters, because if we want to understand society,

這有意義；因為若我們想要了解社會，

if we want to be good citizens,

若我們想要當個好公民，

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

我們得要了解一切基本的架構。

Playing with toys is great.

玩玩具很棒。

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

了解如何保持我們的 生命維持系統也很棒。

But fundamentally, the thing that we need to change

但基本上，我們需要 改變談論物理的方式，

in the way that we talk about physics,

我們必須要了解物理並非遙不可及，

is we need to understand

that physics isn't out there with weird people

並不是只有怪胎用著奇怪的象形文字

and strange hieroglyphics

for somebody else in a posh lab.

在豪華的實驗室中做的。

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

物理就在這裡，是大家的， 我們都能跟它玩。

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）