中文字幕：馬成長 舊語新思 http://growupsoft.blog.163.com
Imagine that our sun is the size of just a single grain of sand.
試想一下，我們的太陽的大小 只是一粒沙子。
Now, our sun is just one of a multitude of stars.
現在，我們的太陽只是 眾多星星中的一個。
It's surrounded by over 200 billion of them
即使只考慮我們自己的銀河系
in our own Milky Way Galaxy alone.
它也被超過2000億顆的星星所環繞。
Our sun is just a speck in the vast beach of stars.
在廣大的星星沙灘中 我們的太陽只是一個小顆粒。
But the Milky Way Galaxy is in itself just one
而銀河系本身也只是
of 100 billion galaxies, scattered throughout the cosmos.
分散在整個宇宙中的 1000億個星系中的一員。
It's been estimated that there are more stars in the universe
據估計， 在宇宙中恆星的數目
than there are grains of sand on all the beaches in all the world.
比全世界所有海灘上 的沙粒數目還要多。
Just think about that for a moment.
試想一下這樣的情況。
The size and scale of the universe is awe-inspiring.
宇宙的規模和範圍 多麼令人驚嘆！
But, as a scientist, what I find so remarkable is that the human race
但是，作為一個科學家， 我更覺得人類是如此了不起,
has managed to deduce so much about what it looks like.
關於宇宙是什麼樣子的， 人類已設法推斷出如此之多。
Let me try and put this achievement into context.
讓我嘗試把這一成就 置於這樣的情境之中。
From our vantage point, living on a minuscule speck orbiting around
我們生活在一粒極小的灰塵上， 灰塵繞著一粒沙子。
this single grain of sand, we've managed to deduce the size and shape
從我們的角度， 我們已經成功地推斷出
of all those beaches.
所有這些沙灘的大小和形狀。
To my mind, this is one of the human race's greatest accomplishments,
在我看來， 這是人類最偉大的成就之一，
and I'd like to tell you the story of how we did it.
我很樂意告訴你這個故事: 我們如何取得這一成就的。
This film is the astonishing story of how we gazed upwards from our
這部影片是令人驚訝的故事： 我們如何向上凝視著，
isolated and unremarkable vantage point and began to deduce the shape,
從我們孤立的、 毫不起眼的角度，
size and origin of everything that there is.
開始推斷所有萬物的 形狀、大小和起源。
It's the story of how we came to understand reality
這個故事 是關於我們如何
at the largest scale.
在最大尺度上來理解現實世界。
It's the story of everything.
這是一個關於萬物的故事。
中文字幕翻譯：馬成長 舊語新思 http://growupsoft.blog.163.com
萬物
I want you to pause for a moment and think about this one basic question.
我想讓你暫停一下， 思考這個基本的問題。
Here I am, sitting under the night sky.
我在這裏， 坐在夜空下。
Above me is the atmosphere and beyond that the moon,
我上面是大氣 大氣之後是月亮，
and way beyond that the stars.
然後就是星星。
But then what?
星星之後是什麼呢？
What's the totality of everything there is?
萬物的總和又是什麼?
It's a question we've all asked at one point or another.
這是一個問題， 我們會時不時地問這個問題。
I remember as a kid, growing up in Baghdad,
我記得小時候, 成長在巴格達,
during the summer, we'd take the beds up onto the roof
在夏天， 我們會把床搬上屋頂
and I remember lying awake at night, looking up at the stars
我記得在夜晚，躺在床上， 仰視星空
and wondering whether space went on forever
很好奇 空間是否永遠延續開去
or whether the universe had an edge.
宇宙是否有一個邊緣。
Today, we're beginning to understand
今天，我們開始明白
just how complex this question really is.
這個問題實在是非常複雜。
But 500 years ago, it seemed like there was a very simple answer.
但在500年前，這似乎 有一個很簡單的答案。
You see, the prevailing belief was that the Earth was enclosed
你瞧，當時流行的信念是 地球是封閉在
in a vast but thin shell of rotating stars that were fixed in position.
一個巨大的旋轉薄球殼中， 星星被固定在球殼適當的位置。
When you look up on a starry night,
當你仰望黑夜的星空，
it's not difficult to see why people believed we lived within this shell.
不難想到，為什麼人們相信 我們生活在這個殼中。
But in the 16th century,
但在16世紀，
something happened which would shatter this view of the universe.
發生了一些事情 打破這個宇宙觀。
It was an event that would set the human race on a journey
這是一個事件， 將把人類帶上
to uncover the true size and shape of everything.
揭示萬物的 真實大小和形狀旅程。
This is a Type Ia supernova.
這是一個Ia型超新星。
An exploding star.
一顆爆炸的恆星。
It's an event of almost unimaginable scale.
這一事件的規模 幾乎難以想像。
It shines five billion times more brightly than our own sun.
它發出的光比我們的太陽 明亮50億倍。
In 1572, a supernova like this would have become visible on planet Earth.
1572年，像這樣的超新星 在行星地球上就能看見。
At the time, it was known simply as the phenomenon.
當時，它被簡單的稱為 奇跡。
And to anyone who saw it, it must have been an extremely shocking
任何人看到它，那一定是 一個極其令人震驚的
and mysterious sight.
神秘的景象。
This new light in the night sky
這在夜空中的新光源
shone more brightly than Venus and even became visible during the day.
比金星更明亮 甚至大白天也看得見。
It's not surprising then that many sought a religious explanation
隨後，毫不意外地，許多人 對這一離奇的令人不安的事件
for this bizarre and troubling event.
尋求宗教的解釋。
One possible interpretation
對於1572年的新星， 一些知識分子提出
of the new star of 1572, which was put forward by some intellectuals,
一個可能的解釋，
was that this is the star the wise men saw 1,570 years earlier.
這是1570年以前 三名智者(聖經典故)看見過的星星。
It's the star that shone over Bethlehem, and it's now returned.
它就是那顆照亮過伯利恆的星星， 現在它回來了。
So something as cosmically important as the incarnation of God on Earth
所以這顆新星正在宣佈某件事
might be being proclaimed by this new star.
這件事的極端重要性應該 與上帝在人間的化身一樣重要
The phenomenon fascinated and mystified many people across Europe.
這一奇跡使整個歐洲的 許多人著迷和困惑。
In England, it fired the imagination
在英國，它激發了一個人的想像力
of the MP of the sleepy Oxfordshire town of Wallingford.
他就是寧靜的沃靈福德的 牛津郡鎮的國會議員(MP)。
His name was Thomas Digges.
他的名字是托馬斯·迪格斯。
But just as Digges began to study this mysterious new star,
但正當 迪格斯 要開始 研究這個神秘的新星時，
it started to grow dimmer.
它開始變暗淡。
Digges' friend, mentor and fellow astronomer, a man named John Dee,
迪格斯的朋友,導師和同道， 天文學家，名叫約翰·迪伊
reasoned with him that this phenomenon could be a moving star,
與他一起推斷， 這一奇跡可能是一個移動的星星，
something previously thought to have been impossible.
而星星移動 以前認為是不可能的。
Perhaps it had grown brighter
它在接近地球時 會變明亮
as it approached the Earth and faded as it had gone away.
它遠離地球時 就會逐漸消失。
Now, although this theory was wrong, it got Digges thinking about
現在，雖然這一理論是錯誤的， 卻讓迪格斯開始考慮
the true nature of the stars that surround the Earth.
環繞地球的星星 的真實性質。
It began to seem very unlikely that they were all arranged
那種關於星星都被安排在
in a vast, thin shell.
一個巨大的薄球殼上的說法 變得似乎非常不可能了
Maybe this apparent shell was just an illusion?
也許這明顯的殼 只是一種假象？
It would take Thomas Digges another four years
托馬斯·迪格斯又花了四年時間
before he published his strange idea.
才發表他奇怪的想法。
And when he did, it was in the form of a simple diagram,
他發表的東西， 是一個簡單的圖的形式，
added to a translation of the works of Nicolaus Copernicus.
附加在哥白尼著作的 翻譯版的後面。
The man who'd first argued that the sun
(哥白尼)就是那個第一個提出
was at the centre of the universe.
太陽在宇宙的中心的人。
Have a look at this.
瞧瞧這個。
On this side is Copernicus' model.
這一邊是哥白尼的模型。
Absolutely revolutionary.
絕對是革命性的。
He has the sun at the centre with the Earth in orbit around it,
他把太陽置於中心， 地球在環繞太陽的軌道上，
along with the other planets.
與其他行星一樣。
And in the outermost shell is that of the fixed stars -
而在最外層 是固定的恆星 -
the stellarum fixarum.
stellarum fixarum. (恆星天球)。
On this side is Digges' diagram, included in the English translation.
這一邊是迪格斯的圖， 包括英文翻譯。
Exactly the same, but he's taken Copernicus' stars
完全相同， 但他把哥白尼的恆星
out of their fixed shell
移出到它們的固定球殼之外
and scattered them out into endless space.
把它們分散到 無盡的空間中。
Digges' diagram was describing a radical new picture of the cosmos.
迪格斯的圖描述了 激進的新宇宙圖像。
One where the stars in the night sky now existed in an infinite space.
在夜空中的星星 現在存在於一個無限的空間。
Digges shows it, unlike Copernicus, Digges shows it as being infinite.
迪格斯的圖，不像哥白尼的， 迪格斯顯示為無限。
This is a sphere, he says, of the stars fixed infinitely up.
他說，這是一個球體， 恆星固定其中沒有上限。
And that is a moment when perhaps Europeans start to think
就是在這一刻 也許歐洲人開始思考
of the world as unbounded, as infinite, as a world without end.
無邊界的，無限的世界， 一個沒有盡頭的世界。
Digges' new picture of the universe was revolutionary.
迪格斯的宇宙新圖像 是革命性的。
Previously, we'd been contained within a small shell of stars.
在此之前，我們被包含在 一個嵌有星星的小球殼內。
Now we were suspended within an infinite static universe.
現在我們被懸浮在 一個無限的靜態的宇宙。
But this picture of everything produced a strange paradox.
但是，這個關於萬物的圖片 導致了一個奇怪的悖論。
If this infinite universe contained an infinite number of stars,
如果這個無限的宇宙包含了 無限多的恆星，
then why was it dark at night?
那麼為什麼夜晚的天空 如此黑暗？
In the traditional old-fashioned view of the universe,
在傳統的老式的宇宙觀中，
the universe was infinite and static.
宇宙是無限的 和靜態的。
It was very soon recognised that
人們很快就認識到，
a static infinite universe was ridiculous.
一個靜態、無限的宇宙 是荒謬的。
And that is because, in such a universe,
這是因為， 在這樣的宇宙，
there would be an infinite number of stars and every line
會有無限多的恆星
of sight from us would intercept one of these stars.
我們的每條視線都將遇到 這些恆星中的一個。
The universe - static infinite universe - could not be dark.
宇宙 - 靜態無限 宇宙 - 不能暗。
It should be glowing as bright as the sun.
它應該是泛著 如太陽一樣明亮的光明。
And we know that's not our universe.
我們知道，那不是我們的宇宙。
In our universe, the night sky is dark.
在我們的宇宙， 夜空是黑暗的。
Although Thomas Digges first raised this question,
雖然托馬斯·迪格斯最先 提出這個問題，
the problem came to be known as Olbers' paradox.
這個問題後來卻被稱為 奧伯斯佯謬。
As simple as the question sounds,
問題聽起來簡單，
it would take until the 20th century to find a truly satisfactory answer
卻直到20世紀 才找到一個真正滿意的答案：
for why the night sky is not as bright as the day.
為什麼夜晚的天空 不像白天一樣明亮。
Solving Olbers' paradox would require many great scientists,
解決奧伯斯佯謬將 需要許多偉大的科學家，
who weren't afraid to think differently.
他們不怕 自己的想法與眾不同。
Radically differently.
徹底的與眾不同。
You see, solving the paradox is all about understanding the shape, size
你看看，解決這個佯謬 完全關係到如何
and origin of everything there is.
理解已有的萬物 的形狀、大小和起源。
Without this understanding, the puzzle would be impossible to solve.
如果沒有這一理解， 這個謎題就不可能解決。
You see, stuck here on Earth,
你瞧，我們停留在地球這裏，
we don't have access to interstellar travel.
我們沒有渠道 來個星際旅行。
So we have to allow our minds to make that intellectual leap.
因此，我們必須讓我們的頭腦 來個智力上的飛躍。
By simply looking up,
通過簡單的查找，
Digges and his contemporaries had begun a scientific journey
迪格斯和他的同時代人 已經開始了科學之旅
to understand what everything might actually look like.
去理解萬物 實際上可能的樣子。
But, for 200 years after Thomas Digges' insight,
但是，托馬斯·迪格斯的見解 提出來後的200年，
little progress was made in understanding the most
在理解宇宙能到達的 最遙遠距離上
distant reaches of the cosmos.
沒有取得什麼進展
At the end of the 18th century, however, all that would change.
然而，到18世紀末的時候， 一切將改變。
Until the end of the 1700s, everything that lies outside
直到1700年結束， 對於天文學家來說
the solar system is, for astronomers, pretty uninteresting.
一切處於太陽系之外的東西， 都是很乏味無趣的。
Astronomy until then was the science of our system -
在那之前，天文學就是 關於我們的太陽系的科學 -
of the Earth and the planets, satellites and comets.
地球和行星， 衛星和彗星。
The stars were a kind of glorified and rather interesting backdrop.
恆星是一種被讚美的 頗為有趣的背景。
This changes around 1800.
在1800年左右 這一狀況改變了。
This small and unremarkable house in Bath was once home to the astronomer
這個在巴思市的很小的 不起眼的房子一度是天文學家
William Herschel and his sister, and devoted assistant, Caroline.
威廉·赫歇爾和他的妹妹， 和忠實的助手，卡羅琳的家。
Together, they would develop and build a new generation of telescopes
他們將同心協力，開發和 建立一個新一代的望遠鏡
that would allow them to see further out into space
使他們能夠 看到外太空的更深處
than any human had ever done before.
比之前任何人看得更遠。
William Herschel was born in Hanover, but moved to England
威廉·赫歇爾出生於 漢諾威，但在1761年
in 1761 to pursue a career as a musician and composer.
搬到了英格蘭，尋求作為一個音樂家 和作曲家的事業發展。
But he soon developed a passion for astronomy
但他很快就發展出 一種對天文學的激情
and began building telescopes in his spare time.
並開始利用業餘時間 建造望遠鏡。
Herschel soon perfected a technique for producing telescopes
赫歇爾不久就完善了一種 製造望遠鏡的技術
borrowed from Sir Isaac Newton.
這種技術從艾薩克·牛頓爵士 那裏借鑒而來。
The telescopes used metal mirrors
望遠鏡使用金屬鏡
that were capable of capturing much more starlight
它比玻璃鏡片能夠 捕獲的星光要多得多
than the glass lenses that were popular among other astronomers.
而其他天文學家常用的只是玻璃鏡片。
This tiny room at the back of Herschel's house
這間小房間 在赫歇爾的房子後面
used to be his workshop.
用作他的工作間。
It was here that he'd smelt various metals together in the furnace
正是在這裏，他把各種金屬 一起放進熔爐冶煉
to make the reflecting mirrors for his telescopes.
為他的望遠鏡製造反射鏡。
And he would experiment with different metals,
而且，他將用不同的金屬， 不同的組合，進行實驗，
different combinations, to get them as reflective as possible.
讓它們盡可能地反光。
Then, with his sister Caroline to help him,
然後，他在妹妹卡羅琳的幫助下，
he'd spend literally hours on end
最後會花上數小時
polishing the surface of the mirrors to achieve the precision required.
將鏡子表面拋光 以達到所需的精度。
And you have to remember, this was quite
你要記住， 這是一個相當
a dangerous, confined environment.
危險的，密閉的環境。
The floor still bears the scars of the molten metal that
地板仍帶有熔融金屬 導致的傷痕
they'd spilt, cracking the paving stones.
它們會灑出來， 使鋪地石開裂。
With his powerful telescopes, Herschel and his sister Caroline
憑借其強大的望遠鏡， 赫歇爾和他的妹妹卡羅琳
would scour the heavens, night after night, cataloguing the stars.
會一夜又一夜地搜索天空， 對恆星進行編目。
The universe they were seeing was revealing itself
他們看到的宇宙 揭示出宇宙本身
to be one of dynamic complexity, a universe of natural, organic motion,
是一個具有動態複雜性的宇宙， 一個自然，有機運動的宇宙，
a place of endless wonder.
一個具有無盡奇跡的地方。
Herschel's revolutionary telescope design made him famous.
赫歇爾望遠鏡的設計 具有革命性，使他成名。
With it, he'd discover a new planet, Uranus,
有了它，他發現了 一個新的行星，天王星，
a discovery that would earn him the job of the King's astronomer.
這一發現將為他贏得 國王之天文學家的工作。
This new role gave him the time and resources to start a much
這個新的角色，給他時間 和資源，以啟動
grander task, to try and map all the stars in the universe, in an attempt
一個更宏偉的任務，就是 試圖繪製宇宙中所有恆星的地圖
to draw a picture of everything.
繪製關於萬物的圖片。
In 1785, Herschel published this remarkable image.
在1785年，赫歇爾發表了 這一令人印象深刻的圖片。
It shows an approximation of the Milky Way,
它顯示了銀河系的一個近似圖像，
with our sun residing at the centre.
我們的太陽居住在中心。
Herschel had seen that we are part of a vast disc of stars,
赫歇爾看到，我們是 巨大的恆星盤的一部分，
a huge galaxy of suns that seemed to have a clear boundary.
一個巨大的由許多個太陽組成的星系， 而且似乎有一個清晰的邊界。
It appeared as though Herschel's craftsmanship
這就好像顯示了 赫歇爾的工藝實際上
had actually allowed him to see to the edge of everything.
讓他能夠看到萬物的邊緣。
But soon a nagging problem began to emerge.
但很快令人不安的問題 開始浮現出來。
Dotted around the sky, Herschel and others
赫歇爾和其他人 觀察到奇怪的雲狀物體
had been observing strange cloud-like objects,
點綴著天空，
known as nebulae.
人們稱之為星雲。
Some of these nebulae seemed to have distinctive form
這些星雲有些似乎 具有獨特的形式
and complex structure.
和複雜的結構。
Some astronomers began to suggest a radical idea.
一些天文學家開始 提出激進的想法。
Perhaps the Milky Way was not everything that there was.
也許銀河系並不是唯一的萬物。
Perhaps some of these nebulae were in fact themselves gigantic
或許這些星雲自身 其實是巨大星系
galaxies of stars, just like ours, that actually existed in deep space.
就像我們的銀河系， 事實上存在於太空深處。
Unfortunately, there was no way to answer this question satisfactorily.
不幸的是，沒有辦法 圓滿地回答這個問題。
The problem was that
問題是，
for all Herschel's great technological achievements,
對於所有赫歇爾的 偉大技術成就，
and for all of those long, cold nights that he spent with Caroline
和所有那些他與卡羅琳 苦心凝視太空度過的
outside, gazing painstakingly at the heavens, there was one problem
漫長而寒冷夜的夜晚而言， 有一個問題
they couldn't solve.
他們解決不了。
They had no way of accurately measuring distances in outer space.
他們沒有精確的方法 測量外層空間中的距離。
It would not be until after Herschel's death
這種方法 等到赫歇爾死後才出現。
that a cunning method was developed
這種巧妙的方法
to measure the distances to objects deep into space.
用來測量太空深處物體的距離。
The technique was known as stellar parallax.
這項技術被稱為 恆星視差。
If you look at an object like your finger from two vantage points,
如果你從兩個角度看一個物體 就像看你的手指一樣，
it will shift in your frame of reference.
它將會在你的參考系中移動。
By observing how much it shifts, you can calculate
通過觀察它移動了多少， 你可以計算出
how far away it is.
它有多遠。
My finger is moving a lot more between each frame
我的手指相對於 它後面的建築物而言
than the building that is behind it.
在兩幀圖片之間 移動了很多。
Now, an astronomer called Friedrich Bessel worked out that if you took
現在,一個名叫弗裏德裏希·貝塞爾的 天文學家得出
images of stars when the Earth was at either side of its orbit around
當地球在其繞太陽的 公轉軌道相對兩側時
the sun, it would be possible to actually see the stars shifting.
拍攝恆星的圖片，就有可能 實際看到的恆星的位置移動。
By observing how much they shifted,
通過觀察恆星的位置移動多少，
you could then work out their distance from us.
你就可以得出 恆星離我們有多遠。
Bessel calculated that the relatively close star,
貝塞爾計算， 比較接近的恆星，
61 Cygni, must be some 100 trillion kilometres away.
天鵝座61，一定有大約 100萬億公里之遙。
But amazing though this technique was,
但雖然這種技術 令人驚訝，
it was still very severely limited.
它仍然有非常嚴重的局限性。
The diameter of the Earth's orbit is 300 million kilometres.
地球軌道的直徑 是300萬公里。
This means the parallax method can only measure objects
這意味著視差法 只能測量
out to about 300 trillion kilometres,
大約300萬億公里開外的物體，
only a tiny fraction of the size of the Milky Way.
對銀河系的大小而言 這只是很小一部分。
It soon became clear that there was plenty in the heavens
很快,我們就清楚,在天上 有大量的天體
that was practically impossible to measure,
實際上是不可能測量的,
particularly those mysterious nebulae.
尤其是那些神秘的星雲。
They would remain an enigma until the beginning of the 20th century,
它們仍然是一個謎， 直到20世紀初
when they ignited a great debate.
它們點燃了一場大辯論。
One group of astronomers agrees that there is only one galaxy, ours,
一群天文學家認為， 只有一個星系，我們的星系，
the Milky Way and everything else we see,
那就是我們的星系，銀河系 我們看到的其他一切，
the globular clusters, the nebulae, are all somehow inside that galaxy.
球狀​​星團，星雲， 都因為某種原因，在銀河系內部。
Then there are other astronomers who argue no, many of these nebulae are
還有其他天文學家認為 不是這樣，
themselves giant island universes, unimaginably far away from us.
許多這些星雲自身就是宇宙中的巨島， 難以想像的遠離我們。
There was evidence on both sides.
雙方的觀點都有證據。
This mystery remained a source of bitter debate
直到1920年代初
until the beginning of the 1920s.
這個謎題仍然是 激烈辯論的一個源頭。
The woman who would help solve the problem is one of the great
這名女子是科學史上 最偉大的無名英雄之一
unsung heroes of science.
她將幫助人們解決這個謎題。
She worked at the Harvard College Observatory
她在哈佛大學天文台工作
and her name was Henrietta Leavitt.
她的名字叫是亨麗愛塔·勒維特。
Leavitt's job was to count and catalogue the stars
勒維特的工作就是對 世界各地天文台拍攝的
producing images from observatories around the world.
恆星照相底片進行測量和分類。
She was a brilliant scientist who loved her work.
她是一位傑出的科學家, 熱愛她的工作。
This is one of the photographic plates of space
這是一張太空的 照相底片，
that Leavitt worked with.
勒維特親手研究過它。
You can see her bright marks highlighting
你可以看到她的顯眼的標記
tiny details within the image.
用來突出 圖像內的微小細節。
With meticulous care,
數以百計的星星的細微特徵
hundreds of subtle features of stars have been noted.
被一絲不茍的記錄下來。
It was this ability that would help her come up with an ingenious idea,
正是這種能力，將有助於 她想出一個絕妙的主意，
one that would help unravel the true size of the universe.
這個主意將有助於解開 宇宙的真實大小的難題。
The idea rested on finding an objective way of defining
這個主意依賴於 找到一種客觀的方式
the true brightness of a star.
來定義一顆恆星的真實亮度。
Leavitt became fascinated by a type of star known as a Cepheid variable,
勒維特著迷於一類恆星， 稱為造父變星，
which pulses in the night sky.
在夜晚的天空中脈動。
Her breakthrough was discovering
她的突破在於，她發現
that their brightness was precisely related to the speed they blinked.
變星亮度與它們的 閃爍速度精確相關。
Let me explain.
讓我解釋一下。
These two stars are blinking at the same rate, which means they should
這兩顆星在閃爍 同樣的速度，這意味著它們應該
be exactly the same brightness.
完全是相同的亮度。
If one star appears dimmer, you can then calculate how much further away
如果一顆星星看起來更暗淡些， 你就可以計算
it is than the brighter one.
它比起那個 更亮的星星來說遠多少。
Leavitt's method meant that she knew
勒維特的方法意味著，
the true brightness of the Cepheid variables.
她知道造父變星的真實亮度。
She had found a method to measure the distance to stars that lay far
她找到了一種方法來測量 恆星的距離，
beyond the reaches of parallax.
哪怕它處於遠遠超過 視差方法能測量的地方。
But without access to a telescope,
但是，如果不能使用望遠鏡，
she could go no further with her work.
她的工作就不能 更進一步。
She was forbidden from working in the supremely male-dominated
她被禁止在男權至上的
world of the observatory.
天文觀測台工作。
But her discovery now gave astronomers a tool
但她的發現 現在給了天文學家一個工具
to measure the distances to the mysterious nebulae.
來測量神秘的星雲的距離。
The idea that our Milky Way might contain everything that existed
我們的銀河系 可能包含現有萬物的想法
was about to crumble.
即將崩潰。
The scale of the universe is really only understood
對宇宙的規模的真正理解
amazingly recently.
只是最近的事。
In the 1920s, it was absolutely plausible
在1920年代，人們還絕對相信
that the universe consists of one galaxy,
宇宙由一個星系組成，
and some of the best astronomers in the world, in the US for example,
在全世界，例如在美國， 一些最好的天文學家，
seriously held that view, and had good evidence that it was true.
當真持有這種看法，並有充分的 證據表明這種看法是真實的。
And they were wrong.
他們錯了。
The evidence to finally settle the great debate would be found
最終解決這場大辯論 的證據之發現
thanks to the powerful new Hooker telescope
得益於強大的新建的 胡克望遠鏡
being built at the Mount Wilson Observatory
建造在威爾遜山天文台
just outside Los Angeles.
在洛杉磯郊區。
Using this incredible piece of technology,
使用這個令人 難以置信的技術裝置，
and Henrietta Leavitt's ingenious method for calculating distance,
和亨麗愛塔·勒維特的 計算距離的巧妙方法，
a young astronomer would make a discovery that would change
一個年輕的天文學家 將作出一個發現
our view of the universe and for ever immortalise his name.
這個發現將改變我們的宇宙觀 並讓他名垂千古。
The astronomer was called Edwin Hubble.
這個天文學家就是 埃德溫·哈勃。
Hubble was a very different kind of scientist to Leavitt.
哈勃與勒維特是 完全不同類型的科學家。
He was a larger-than-life character, extrovert, with a huge ego.
他個性鮮明，性格外向， 極端自負。
But he was still a hugely talented and visionary scientist.
但他還是一個極富天賦的、 富有遠見的科學家。
He was born and grew up in America but spent some time in England,
他出生並在美國長大 但在英格蘭度過了一些時間，
and this seems to have had a lasting impression
這似乎 有一個持久的印象
because he would be heard walking around the observatory
因為人們聽到他 徘徊在天文台附近
shouting things like, "By Jove!"
嘴裏喊著「By Jove!」
and "What-Ho!" in a completely over the top British accent.
和「What-Ho!」之類的東西， 非常濃厚的英國口音。
The talented, passionate and eccentric Hubble
這個才華橫溢、激情四射 古里古怪的哈勃
rapidly gained a name for himself in the world of astronomy.
迅速為自己在天文學界 贏得了名聲。
But it wouldn't be until 1923,
但直到1923年，
that he would discover something in what was then known
他才在僊女座星雲
as the Andromeda Nebula
發現一些東西，
that would reveal the true scale of our universe.
從而將揭示我們 宇宙的真實大小。
I've come to the University College London Observatory
我來到了 倫敦學院大學天文台
to meet astronomer Dr Steve Fossey,
與天文學家史蒂夫·福西博士見面，
to see for myself just what Hubble's revelation was.
親自來看看哈勃的啟示是什麼。
We're going to key in the co-ordinates
我們要把僊女座的坐標
of Andromeda to the console here.
鍵入到這裏的控制台。
So zero hours 43 minutes...
因此，零小時43分鐘...
'For Hubble and his assistant, Milton Humason,
「對哈勃和他的助手， 米爾頓·赫馬森來說
'studying Andromeda was a long and painstaking process.
「研究僊女座星系是一個漫長 而艱苦的過程。
'But today, we can quickly locate and photograph it in great detail.'
「但是，今天，我們可以對它 快速定位和拍攝極其詳細的照片。」
This is an image that we took a couple of weeks ago. Right.
這是一幅圖像，我們 幾個星期前拍攝的。對。
If I zoom in, you'll see just there
如果我放大，你會看到就在那
is the Hubble Cepheid, the first Cepheid that he found
是「哈勃」造父變星， 他發現的第一個造父變星
that unlocked the whole problem.
解鎖了整個問題。
Because presumably that is when he could use Leavitt's method
因為大概就在這時, 他可以利用勒維特的方法
of working out how far away it is.
來確定這個造父變星有多遠。
Exactly. Once he had seen this and identified it as a variable,
沒錯。一旦他看到了這 並把它作為一個變星，
he then had the key to determining just how bright that object was.
然後，他就有了一把鑰匙 來確定這個物體有多亮。
And worked out that it couldn't have been in our own galaxy.
然後他就推出，這個星體 不可能在我們自己的銀河系。
It had to be millions of light years away.
它得離我們有 數百萬光年之遠。
Absolutely, that is exactly it. You see the nuclear region,
絕對是的，就是它。 你看這個核心區域，
but as we adjust the contrast here, I can stretch the contrast
但是，當我們調整這裏的對比度， 我可以增加對比度
just to bring out some of the detail in the galaxy. Oh, wow!
就能看到 星系的一些細節。哦，哇！
Spiral arms. You see the dust lanes in silhouette
旋臂。你看到塵埃帶的輪廓
against the billions of stars that are within Andromeda.
在僊女座內的數十億顆恆星的背景中，
By finding one of the variable stars in Andromeda,
通過尋找僊女座的一顆星
and measuring exactly how long it took to pulse,
並測量它的一次脈動究竟 要花多長時間，
Hubble was able to use Leavitt's work
哈勃就能夠利用 勒維特的工作
to calculate exactly how far away it was.
精確計算它有多遠。
This is the photographic plate
這是照相底片
where Hubble marked his new Cepheid variable star.
哈勃在上面標記出 他新發現的造父變星。
Using it, he calculated that Andromeda was many, many times
使用它，他計算出僊女座星系
more distant than the furthest reaches of the Milky Way.
比銀河系能到達的最遠處 還要遠很多很多倍。
Andromeda was indeed an island universe,
僊女座星系的確 是一個島宇宙，
a vast galaxy of stars.
一個巨大的恆星星系。
We now know that Andromeda is over 2.5 million light years away.
我們現在知道，僊女座 超過250萬光年遠。
This means that the light that reaches us from Andromeda today,
這意味著今天到達我們這裏的 來自僊女座的光線，
left on its journey before modern humans had evolved.
在現代人類進化出來之前 就已經在其旅途上了。
That's our neighbour. That's our neighbour,
這是我們的鄰居。 這是我們的鄰居，
our nearest large, galactic neighbour.
離我們最近的 巨大的星系鄰居。
I have to remember that what I am looking at here is the real thing.
我一定要記住，我在這裏 所看到的，是千真萬確的事情。
These are photons that have travelled millions of years
這些光子已經旅行了 數百萬年
to reach my eye. Exactly.
才達到我的眼睛。沒錯。
These are photons directly from Andromeda
這些是光子 直接從僊女座而來
that are arriving in my eye.
正直達我的瞳孔。
Today, we have the power to see Andromeda
今天，我們有能力 看到僊女座
as Hubble had only dreamed of.
這種能力哈勃曾經夢寐以求。
We now estimate that Andromeda
我們現在估計，僊女座
contains over a trillion stars.
包含超過一萬億顆星。
And it is just one of a vast multitude of galaxies
它僅僅是數目巨大的 眾多的星系中的一個
scattered throughout our universe.
這些星系遍佈我們的宇宙。
In 1923, the universe had been the size of the Milky Way.
在1923年，宇宙 只是銀河系的規模。
By 1924, the space that surrounds us
到了1924年，我們發現 我們周圍的空間
had been revealed to be billions of times bigger
比銀河系要大數十億倍
and home to almost unimaginable cosmic complexity.
幾乎無法想像的宇宙複雜性 就位於這一空間。
Hubble had shown that there are a multitude of galaxies outside
哈勃曾證明，在我們的銀河系之外
of our own and had pushed back the boundaries of the universe.
還有眾多的星系， 他把宇宙的邊界向外推後。
But he had not seen an edge of space.
但他還沒有看到空間的邊緣。
He had not seen everything.
他還沒有看到萬物。
There was still no clue
目前仍沒有線索
as to how big our universe was, or even what shape it might be.
我們的宇宙有多大， 甚至，它可能是什麼形狀。
To understand the strange truth about everything would require
要瞭解有關萬物的 奇異的真相
more than just observations.
僅有觀測是不夠的。
It would require mathematics -
還需要數學 -
a powerful new type of mathematics that would be able to describe
一個功能強大的新型數學 將能夠描述
the bizarre properties of space itself.
空間本身離奇的屬性。
When you're trying to understand the universe, it's easy to think,
當你試圖瞭解宇宙， 人們很容易就會想到，
what you do is you make lots and lots of observations, see what's there,
你要做的就是進行很多很多觀測， 看看那裏有什麼東西，
and you fit it all together into your grand picture.
把它們整合到 您的宏偉畫面中。
But the problem is, unless you have some sort of idea
但問題是，除非你有某種想法， 設想圖像應該是啥樣的，
what the picture should be, you don't know what observations to make,
否則你就不知道 該去做什麼觀測，
you don't know what's significant.
你不知道什麼是重要的。
And throughout the history of science,
縱觀科學發展史，
every so often someone has to come up with a new mathematical idea.
每隔一段時間就會有人 帶著一種新的數學概念出現。
The new mathematical ideas about space were so weird,
關於空間的新數學思想 如此怪異，
so far removed from common sense, that it would take over 2,000 years
如此與常識相去甚遠， 系統地闡述它們
and the genius of Albert Einstein to formulate them.
需要經過2000多年的努力 和愛因斯坦的天才奉獻。
But when they were ready, these strange new types
但是，當這一切準備停當， 這些怪異的新型數學
of mathematics would lead to a revolution
將會導致一場革命
in our understanding of the space that surrounds us.
如何理解我們周圍的空間的革命。
OK. So what is space?
很好。那麼，什麼是空間？
We think we know the answer. I can talk about this room being spacious.
我們認為，我們知道答案。我可以 談論這個寬敞的房間。
There's a lot of space in here.
在這裏有很多空間。
Or a confined space. There's not enough volume, not enough space.
或密閉空間。沒有 足夠的體積，沒有足夠的空間。
But does space only exist when there's stuff in it?
但是，難道只有當空間中 放有東西時空間才存在嗎？
Does space only have a meaning when it's enclosed by walls?
只有當它被牆壁封閉時 空間才有意義嗎？
Think of the distance between two objects.
想想兩個物體之間的距離。
Does that gap still exist if you take the objects away?
如果你把物體移走 這種間隔是否依然存在？
What meaning can we give to distance
如果沒有起點和終點
if it doesn't have a start and end point?
我們還能給距離賦予什麼意義？
Ultimately, the question is this -
最終，問題是這樣的 -
does space in itself have form?
空間本身是有形式嗎？
Does it have structure or shape?
空間是否有結構或形狀？
Or is it just the place where things happen?
或者它只是事件發生的地方？
The properties of space were first described by the mathematician
首先描述空間屬性的 是2000多年前的數學家
Euclid over 2,000 years ago, in his legendary text, The Elements.
歐幾里得在他的傳奇文獻 《幾何原本》中給出的。
In it, he laid down a set of simple, logical rules about space,
在這本書中，他預設了一套簡單的， 關於空間的邏輯規則，
in what today, we call Euclidian geometry.
在今天，我們稱之為 歐幾里得幾何。
Euclidian geometry is the geometry we see around us every day.
歐幾里得幾何是我們每天 都見到的我們周圍的幾何。
If you're sitting in a room and it's the usual rectangular room,
如果你坐在一個房間裏，它是 通常的矩形房間，
what you see is lots of straight lines, right-angles, you see
你看到的是大量的直線，直角，
parallel lines, the window, the two sides of the window are parallel.
您會看到平行線，這個窗戶， 窗口的兩邊平行。
If you extended them, they'd stay exactly the same distance apart,
如果你延長它們，它們會 保持完全相同的距離，
they would never meet.
它們永遠不會相交。
And the other thing you would see if you look a little closer
如果你走近了看， 你會看到另一件事
is that any triangle you draw, the angles in the triangle
那就是你畫的任何三角形， 三角形的角度
always add up to 180 degrees.
加起來總是為180度。
That's characteristic of Euclidian geometry.
這就是歐幾里得幾何的特點。
And people used to think that this was how geometry was,
人們常常認為 這就是所謂的幾何學，
that nothing else was possible.
沒有別的可能。
For Euclid himself, and for almost all mathematicians
對於歐幾里得自己， 以及其後2000年
for the next 2,000 years,
幾乎所有的數學家而言，
these rules weren't just true mathematically,
這些規則不只是 從數學上來說是真的，
they were also true statements about physical reality itself.
它們也是物理現實本身 真實的表述。
So they thought that two parallel lines
因此，他們認為兩條平行線
would remain parallel for ever.
將永遠保持平行。
That a triangle in real space would always have
一個在真實空間中的三角形
angles adding up to 180 degrees.
其角度之和總是180度。
But weird as though this might sound,
但是,儘管聽起來 可能很奇怪,
it's not actually always true.
它實際上並不總是如此。
Almost 250 years ago, in a small town in northern Germany,
大約250年前， 在德國北部的一個小鎮，
a mathematician was born who had the ability and originality to start
一個數學家誕生了，他有能力和創意開始
to unravel Euclid's geometry
拆分歐幾里得幾何,
and begin to change our ideas about space.
並開始改變我們關於空間的想法。
His name was Carl Friedrich Gauss.
他的名字就是 卡爾·弗裏德裏希·高斯。
Gauss tackled many great problems in his career, but from a young age,
高斯在他的職業生涯中解決了許多 重大問題，但是從年輕的時候開始，
he began to speculate that the rules of Euclid may not be as absolute
他開始猜測歐幾里得的規則
as everyone had assumed.
可能並不像每個人想像的那樣絕對。
Specifically, Gauss began to see that in curved spaces,
具體來說，高斯開始注意到 在彎曲空間，
other types of geometry could exist, with different rules to Euclid's.
可能存在其他類型的幾何， 不同於歐幾里得的幾何規則。
For example, on the surface of a sphere, the angles of a triangle
例如，在球的表面，
can add up to more than 180 degrees.
三角形的角度之和 可以超過180度。
Many others would refine and develop Gauss's ideas.
許多其他人完善和發展了 高斯的思想。
But one of his greatest achievements would be to give us a cunning method
但他最偉大的成就之一 就是給了我們一個巧妙的方法
of accurately measuring curvature.
來準確地測量曲率。
It would become known simply as the Remarkable Theorem.
這個方法因其簡稱為「絕妙定理」 而為人所知。
Let me explain with this globe.
讓我用這個地球儀來解釋一下。
We can see that it's three-dimensional,
我們可以看到，它是三維的，
because we can stand back and look at it.
因為我們可以 退後一步來看它。
But what if you were an ant, stuck on the surface?
但是，如果你是一隻螞蟻， 停留在球的表面呢？
How would it know that that surface is curved?
它怎麼會知道， 這個表面是彎曲的？
So, imagine you're the ant, and you start off at the North Pole.
所以，想像你是這只螞蟻， 你開始在北極。
And facing south, you move down towards the equator.
面朝南方， 向下移動向赤道。
At the equator, you still face south, and you shuffle sideways,
在赤道上，你仍然面朝南方， 你沿著赤道，
along the equator.
側身移動。
Then, you reach a certain point, and then you start walking backwards
然後，您在到達了某點， 然後你開始往後退
so you're still facing the same direction, and head back
所以你仍然面朝 相同的方向，
to the North Pole.
回到了北極。
Now, look what's happened here.
現在，看看這裏發生了什麼。
You've been pointing south all the way round, and yet when you arrive
在整個路程中，你一直指向南方 但是，當你回到
back at your starting point, you're facing in a different direction.
你的出發點時，你 面向著不同的方向。
Understanding this gives us a way of calculating the curvature
對這一現象的理解 給了我們一個方法來
of a surface without ever leaving it.
計算一個表面的曲率, 而從不離開表面。
'This was an amazing insight.'
「這是一種驚人的洞察力。」
But it only applies to curved surfaces, which are two-dimensional.
但它僅適用於彎曲的表面， 也就是二維曲面。
It would take a brilliant student of Gauss's, Bernhard Riemann,
現在輪到高斯的一個高才生， 伯恩哈德·黎曼
to develop these ideas in a way that could be applied
用一種方式拓展這些想法
to the three-dimensional space that surrounds us.
以便將這些想法應用到 我們周圍的三維空間上。
It would be a daring, outlandish,
這將是一個大膽，古怪，
and to non-mathematicians, absurd-sounding concept.
非數學家式的、 聽上去很是荒唐的概念。
Aged just 26, Riemann encapsulated his strange new ideas about geometry
在他只有26歲時，黎曼把他 奇怪的幾何學新思想
in a lecture that was to become legendary among mathematicians.
放在一次演講中， 這次演講成為數學家之間的傳奇。
In June 1854, Riemann delivered his lectures to an enraptured audience.
在1854年6月，黎曼面對激動萬分的觀眾 進行了他的演講。
In them, he detailed how he'd taken Gauss's ideas on curved surfaces,
在這些演講中，他詳細論述了怎樣 借用高斯關於曲面的思想，
and generalised them, so that they applied not only to curved
推廣這些思想 使它們不僅能用於二維曲面
two-dimensional surfaces, but the curvature of space in any dimension.
還可以用於 任何維度的空間曲率。
OK, so I'm sure this all sounds rather complicated.
好了，的確，我相信這一切 聽起來相當複雜。
What exactly do we mean by curved space in any dimension?
在任何維度中彎曲的空間， 我們究竟是什麼意思啊？
So let me try and explain.
因此，讓我試著解釋一下。
Here's the thing, Gauss talked about curved two-dimensional surfaces.
東西就在這裏，高斯談到 彎曲的二維曲面。
Well, here we have a sheet of paper, and it's two-dimensional.
好，在這裏我們有一張紙， 它是二維的。
So if I curve it, we can visualise and see this curvature.
所以，如果我把它彎曲，我們可以 看到和理解這一曲率。
But only because it's embedded in three dimensions.
但僅僅是因為它嵌入 在三維空間中。
Now, what if we curved three dimensions?
現在，如果我們彎曲三維 又會如何？
Presumably, we'd need a fourth dimension.
可以推測， 我們需要一個第四維。
But how do you get to this four-dimensional space?
但是，你怎麼得到這個 四維空間？
It's impossible to step outside of our three-dimensional world.
跨出我們的三維世界 是不可能的。
Wherever you travel in the universe,
無論你在宇宙中旅行到哪裏，
no matter how far you go, you're always stuck in three dimensions.
無論你走多遠， 你始終被困在三維空間中。
The genius of Riemann was to show that you didn't
黎曼的天才之處在於
need to stand in a fourth dimension to tell if space was curved.
你不需要站在第四維 來斷定空間是否彎曲。
You could actually do it from the inside.
你確實可以就在三維空間裏 斷定三維空間是否彎曲。
But for Riemann, this would always remain a purely mathematical idea.
但是，對黎曼而言，這仍然始終 是一個純粹的數學概念。
It would take Albert Einstein to tie these mathematical ideas together,
這將需要愛因斯坦， 把這些數學思想整合起來，
and apply bendy, curved, non-Euclidian geometries
把柔韌的，彎曲的 非歐幾里得幾何
to the real space that surrounds us.
應用到我們周圍的真實空間。
I think the most important point about the whole story
我認為關於整個非歐幾何的故事
of non-Euclidian geometry is it shows
最重要的一點就是
how mathematics and the real world relate.
它顯示了數學和現實世界 是如何關聯起來的。
And it starts out with mathematicians pottering around, asking,
故事開始於數學家的閒逛
"Could there be a geometry different from Euclid's?"
問，「可以有不同於歐氏幾何的幾何學嗎?」
and if anyone said, "Why are you studying that?"
如果有人說， 「你為什麼要研究那？」
They'd say, "Haven't got a clue." "What's it useful for?"
他們會說：「不知道。」 「它有什麼用嗎？」
"No idea. It's just interesting."
「不知道，只是覺得這很有意思。」
But they pottered around and they found a surprising answer -
但他們閒逛著， 發現一個驚人的答案 -
that different geometries were possible.
不同的幾何學是有可能的。
And even at that point, nobody had any real applications for this idea.
而即使到了這一時刻，沒有人 把這個思想應用到任何實際中。
And then when the moment is ripe, Einstein comes along and says,
然後時機成熟了， 愛因斯坦一路走來，說，
"That's what I need, that's real physics."
「這就是我所需要的， 這是真實的物理學。」
And suddenly this piece of esoteric mathematics
而突然之間，這一深奧的數學
becomes vital to the scientific enterprise.
對科學事業至關重要了。
Einstein would reveal that we live not in the flat world of Euclid,
愛因斯坦表明，我們不是生活 在歐幾里得的平坦世界，
but in the strange, curved worlds of Gauss and Riemann.
而是在高斯和黎曼的 奇異的，彎曲的世界。
In the space of a few, short years,
在短短的幾年之內，
Einstein went from wrestling with some of the most difficult
愛因斯坦竭力馴服 這些最困難的
and abstract mathematical ideas to dinner dates with Charlie Chaplin.
抽像的數學思想， 直到他與卓別林共進晚餐的日子。
And it was all thanks to the pinnacle of his life's work -
這一切都拜他一生中的 巔峰工作所賜 -
the general theory of relativity.
廣義相對論。
In the general theory of relativity, Einstein took the mathematics
在廣義相對論中， 愛因斯坦採用了
of Gauss and Riemann
高斯和黎曼的數學
and used it to paint a revolutionary picture of the physical world.
並用它來畫一個革命性的 物理世界的圖像。
He showed that just as Gauss had suspected, the geometry of the space
他證明了，正如高斯曾懷疑的， 我們周圍的空間幾何
around us isn't always of the regular, flat, Euclidian kind.
並不總是規則的， 平直的，歐幾里得類型的。
'But if space is bent, and warped all around us,
但如果我們周圍的空間 是彎曲的，扭曲的，
'surely we must be able to observe that this is the case?
當然,我們必須能夠觀察到, 是這樣吧?
'Well, we do - just not in the way you might expect.
嗯,我們觀察到了 -隻是 不是以你可能期望的方式。
'This was Einstein's major insight.
這就是愛因斯坦的主要見解。
'He showed that it was the ability for space to bend and warp,
他證明了，正是 空間具有彎曲、形變的能力，
'for it to be flexible, and change its geometry,
空間的柔韌性， 對自身幾何屬性的改變，
'that gives rise to the force we call gravity.'
才產生了我們 稱之為引力的力
Right.
對。
Now, since Newton's time,
現在，從牛頓時代以來，
gravity was thought to be a force that pulls all objects together.
引力被認為是一種力， 它把所有物體拉在一起。
So if I drop this apple,
所以，如果我放開這個蘋果，
it's as though there's an invisible rubber band that's pulling it
就彷彿有一根無形的 橡皮筋
down towards the earth.
把它拉向地球。
But Einstein's general theory of relativity gives us a completely
但愛因斯坦的廣義相對論 為我們提供了一個
different picture, and a totally new perspective.
完全不同的畫面， 一個全新的角度。
So although gravity appears to be a force,
因此，儘管引力顯示出 是一種力，
it's nothing more than the curvature of space itself.
實際上它只不過是 空間本身的曲率而已。
When an object falls, it's not being pulled by gravity at all,
當一個物體落下時，它完全不是 被引力拉下來的，
it's just following the simplest path through bent space.
它只是順著最簡單的路徑 通過彎曲的空間。
But the equations of general relativity didn't end there.
但廣義相對論的方程 並沒有就此結束。
They revealed that it was the presence of mass
這些方程顯示， 正是由於質量的存在
that caused space to curve and distort.
造成了空間的 彎曲和變形。
The reason we have gravity on Earth is because the Earth is actually
我們在地球上有重力的原因 是因為實際上是地球
bending the space around it.
使它周圍的空間彎曲了。
In Einsteinian theory of the universe,
在愛因斯坦的宇宙理論中，
space becomes a dynamic entity that reacts to its contents.
空間成為一個動態的實體， 反作用於空間中的物質。
Space knows about the presence of gravitating bodies, and responds
空間知道引力體的存在， 並以很有趣的方式
to the presence by changing its geometry in really interesting ways.
改變自身的幾何屬性 來對這種存在作出響應。
So what was in the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th century, a very boring,
這樣，一個在16，17， 18，19世紀裏非常乏味的，
still object, suddenly in Einsteinian theory,
靜止的物體， 突然在愛因斯坦的理論中，
it becomes a dynamic, almost alive body.
它就變成了一個動態的、 幾乎活著的物體。
Einstein's theory revealed that space itself,
愛因斯坦的理論表明， 空間本身，
the entire universe, everything,
整個宇宙，萬物，
wasn't just unimaginably large, it also had a shape, and structure.
不僅是難以想像的大， 它還有一個形狀和結構。
It was malleable.
它是可塑的。
Everything could be bent and warped.
一切都可以彎曲和變形。
Gauss, Riemann and Einstein, had between them come up with
高斯，黎曼和愛因斯坦， 他們給出了一種
a description of how the space and time we exist in can be warped.
我們身處其中的空間和時間 能夠如何彎曲的描述。
They showed that space and time are not the fixed, unchanging
他們發現，空間和時間 並不是固定不變的
stage on which the actions of the universe are played out.
供宇宙的行為表現出來的舞台。
They are actually part of the performance.
它們實際上是 演出的一部分。
It was soon realised that because the general theory of relativity
人們很快就意識到，因為 廣義相對論
applied to everything, it gave physicists a way of being
適用於一切事物， 它給了物理學家一種方法
able to step outside the universe, and imagine how it might be behaving
使他們能夠置身宇宙之外， 來設想
in its entirety.
宇宙作為一個整體 會如何表現。
And when they did this, they saw something
而當他們這樣做了之後， 他們看到一些
that was extremely disturbing.
非常令人困惑的東西。
The equations were giving a description of the universe
這些方程給出的 對宇宙的描述
that seemed ridiculous.
看起來荒謬可笑。
They were describing something that was actually expanding.
方程描述的東西 實際上是在膨脹。
It seemed preposterous that the entire universe
這似乎很荒謬， 整個宇宙居然
could be some sort of moving, organic, expanding entity.
可能是某種移動的， 有機的，膨脹的實體。
It was such a strange prediction
也正是這樣一個奇怪的預測，
that even Einstein refused to believe it.
即使是愛因斯坦 也拒絕相信它。
Einstein had overturned common sense notions of space and time held by
愛因斯坦推翻了 人類幾千年來
humans over thousands of years.
關於時間和空間的常識概念。
But he still couldn't accept
但他仍然不能接受
that the whole universe might be dynamic and changing.
整個宇宙可能是 動態的和不斷變化的結論。
In fact, he was so convinced that it was static, the he was prepared
事實上，他是如此堅信 宇宙是靜態的，他準備
to modify his original equations by adding an extra term
修改他原來的方程 給方程增加額外一項，
called the cosmological constant that would stabilise the universe.
這一項被稱為宇宙常數 這樣就使宇宙穩定了。
But Einstein was trying to fix something that wasn't broken.
但愛因斯坦是在試圖 修復並沒有損壞的東西。
It's at this point that our story returns to Edwin Hubble.
到這裏，我們的故事 返回到埃德溫·哈勃。
Armed with the Hooker telescope, Hubble would reveal the truth that
有了胡克望遠鏡的裝備， 哈勃將揭示
Einstein had refused to believe.
愛因斯坦曾拒絕相信的真理
After discovering that our galaxy was just one of many, Hubble began
在發現了我們的銀河系 只是眾多星系中的一個後，哈勃開始
to study the ways in which these other galaxies were moving.
研究其他這些星系 移動的方式。
Hubble knew that, as a light source approaches us, the light wave would
哈勃知道，當光源 接近我們時，光波會
become compressed and appear blue.
被壓縮，並顯示為藍色。
If an object was receding, the light waves would become stretched out
如果一個光源是在後退， 光波將被拉伸
and appear red.
顯示為紅色。
What he saw was astounding.
他看到的情況令人震驚。
All distant galaxies were being red shifted.
所有遙遠的星系 都是紅移的。
They were all moving away from us.
它們都正在遠離我們。
Not only that, but the further away a galaxy was,
不僅如此， 越是更遠的星系，
the faster it was moving away.
離開我們的速度越快。
Hubble's observations and Einstein's general theory of relativity
哈勃的觀測和愛因斯坦的 廣義相對論
were in agreement.
是一致的。
But, and this is the crucial point here, it's not that the galaxies
但是，最關鍵的地方 在這裏，並不是這些星系
are flying away from each other through space.
在穿過空間 相互遠離。
But rather that the fabric of space itself
而是星系之間的
in between the galaxies is expanding.
空間構架本身在膨脹。
So the universe in its entirety is getting bigger.
所以宇宙作為一個整體 變得越來越大。
This is what Hubble and Einstein's work revealed.
這就是哈勃和愛因斯坦 的工作所揭示出來的。
Einstein soon visited Hubble to see the data for himself.
不久愛因斯坦就訪問了哈勃 親自察看了觀測數據。
He would go on to admit that changing his equations had been
接下來他就會承認 修改他的方程
his biggest scientific blunder.
是他最大的科學失誤。
So, why was space expanding in this way?
那麼，為什麼空間 會這樣膨脹？
Both Hubble and Einstein soon came to agree.
不久哈勃和愛因斯坦 就達到了一致意見。
If the fabric of space was expanding
如果空間構架在膨脹
it meant, previously, the universe was smaller.
這意味著，此前， 宇宙是較小的。
Rewind the clock far enough back...
把時鐘往回撥，倒回去足夠遠... ...
..and it appeared as if there was a point
..結果似乎是 存在一個點
when our entire universe began.
我們的整個宇宙就從這點開始。
The data were pointing towards a moment of creation.
觀測數據正指向 宇宙創生的時刻。
But many scientists were not convinced by this apparent Big Bang.
但許多科學家並不相信 這一顯而易見的大爆炸。
It seemed like a leap too far.
這個飛躍似乎跨得太遠了。
But there was one piece of evidence
但有一件證據
that had the power to convince everyone.
具有使大家信服的說服力。
It seemed that if the Big Bang had happened, then some time after
大致情況是，如果宇宙大爆炸 發生過，那麼
the instance of creation,
宇宙創生一段時間後，
a flash of light should have been emitted throughout the universe.
一定會有一道閃光 放射到整個宇宙。
Every part of the cosmos should now be filled with this light.
現在宇宙的每一個部分 都應該被這束光所充滿。
And it turned out it was.
結果就是這樣。
It just happened to be in a rather unusual form.
只是碰巧是一種 相當不尋常的形式。
As unlikely as it sounds, the relic of the Big Bang fireball
並不像它聽起來的那樣， 宇宙大爆炸火球的遺跡
was actually visible on television.
實際上在電視上就可以看到。
Let me explain how this is possible.
讓我解釋一下 這是怎樣成為可能的。
Imagine this balloon is our universe.
想像一下，這氣球 是我們的宇宙。
Here it is just a few hundred thousand years old.
這是短短幾十萬年。
At this point, something very strange happens,
這個時候， 非常奇怪的事情發生了，
because the universe suddenly becomes transparent
因為宇宙突然對 原子形成時出現的可見光
to visible light as atoms form.
變得透明。
It's as though a fog has lifted and light is suddenly able
這好比是一層霧已消散了
to travel freely through the universe.
光突然能夠自由旅行 穿過整個宇宙。
At every point in space, photons began to travel
在空間的每一點， 光子開始不受阻礙地旅行
unimpeded and the entire universe is filled with a blinding light.
整個宇宙充滿了耀眼的光芒。
But this light, released in the hot turmoil of the early universe,
但在早期宇宙的炎熱騷動中 釋放出來的這光
didn't stay bright for ever.
並沒有永遠明亮。
As space expanded, it stretched through the spectrum
隨著空間的膨脹， 它沿著光譜延伸
from visible light down into microwaves.
從可見光降到 到微波頻率。
And it's these microwaves that get picked up by television aerials.
而就是這些微波， 被電視天線檢測到。
Incredibly,
令人難以置信的是，
almost one per cent of this static is the afterglow of creation itself.
這些靜電干擾的近百分之一 是宇宙創生的餘輝本身。
It's the stretched out remnants
它是宇宙最早期光的
of the very earliest light in the universe.
展寬了的殘留物。
Today, with satellites, it's become possible to make an incredibly
今天，通過人造衛星，能夠繪製一幅 宇宙變明亮的時候的
precise map of the universe at the moment it became light.
全宇宙地圖， 其精度令人難以置信。
This is the fossilised light of the first dawn.
這是宇宙的第一個黎明 的化石光。
Convincing evidence that the universe had a beginning.
這是宇宙有一個開端的 令人信服的證據。
Using the microwave radiation, cosmologists could even date it.
利用微波輻射， 宇宙學家甚至能夠標注年代。
Our entire universe is 13.7 billion years old.
我們的整個宇宙有 137億歲。
This beginning of everything would be the final piece of information
這萬物的發端就是 回答那個問題所需要的最後一部分信息
needed to answer the question Thomas Digges had first posed
那個問題由 托馬斯·迪格斯第一個提出
over 400 years ago.
時間是在400多年前。
It would finally give us a satisfactory explanation
它最終將給我們 一個滿意的解釋：
for why it gets dark at night.
為什麼夜晚會變黑。
OK, so here it is, here's where I hope this all makes sense.
OK，事情就是這樣， 我希望這一切都言之成理。
The further away a star is, the longer it would take
越遠的恆星， 就要用越長的時間，
for its light to reach the Earth.
它的光才能到達地球。
So, if the universe has been around forever,
因此，如果宇宙 是永遠存在的，
then all the light that's out there will have had time to reach us
那麼在那裏的所有光線 就都會有時間到達我們這裏
and the night sky would be ablaze with starlight. But it's not.
夜空將由於星光而燈火輝煌。但事實並非如此。
And here's why.
這就是原因。
Imagine when the universe was much younger
想像當宇宙 比今天
and smaller than it is today.
更年輕，也更小的時候。
A beam of light on the other side of the universe begins a journey
在宇宙另一邊的一束光 朝向我們所在的制高點。
towards our vantage point.
開始一段旅程
But, as space expands,
但是，隨著空間的膨脹，
the distance the light has to cross keeps getting bigger and bigger.
光需要穿越的距離 持續地越來越大。
Fast forward to today, and this light still hasn't reached us.
快進到今天，這束光 仍然還沒有達到我們這裏。
So, no matter how hard we look into the sky,
所以，無論我們怎樣 努力地看著天空，
we simply won't be able to see it.
我們還是根本無法看到它。
We can only see the stars whose light has had time to reach us
我們只能看到這樣的恆星 它們的光能夠有時間到達我們這裏
in the 13.7 billion years since the Big Bang.
這個時間應該在 自宇宙大爆炸以來的137億年內。
This region is known as the observable universe.
這個區域被稱為 可觀察的宇宙。
And there are not enough stars here to light up the night sky.
這裏沒有足夠的恆星 來照亮夜空。
So, we only ever see the stars and galaxies whose light
所以，我們只看到 這樣的恆星和星系的光
has had a chance to reach us, and that's why it gets dark at night.
它們的光有機會到達我們這裏， 這就是為什麼夜晚會變黑。
The simplest fact that we take for granted,
我們看著理所當然， 最簡單的事實
that the sky at night is dark,
即夜晚的天空是黑暗的，
is in fact incredibly profound.
其含義令人難以置信的深刻。
It took 200 years of theorising, of thinking, it took the development
用了200多年來建立理論， 思考，還要等到
of general relativity, before we could understand
廣義相對論提出之後， 最終我們才能理解
why the sky at night is dark.
為什麼夜晚的天空是黑暗的。
By reasoning and observing and imagining, we've found
通過推理、觀察和想像， 我們發現了
ever better ways to project outside of the confines of our small rock
更好的方法來 投射我們的小岩石(地球)以外的情形
tumbling through space.
這塊小岩石翻滾著穿過太空。
We've become ever more skilled at creating pictures
我們已經變得比以往任何時候 都更加熟練
of everything.
來描繪萬物的圖像。
This is a computer simulation of the universe in its infancy.
這是一個宇宙處於起步階段時的 計算機模擬。
Using it, we can see how the force of gravity has shaped the universe
利用這個模擬，我們可以看到引力 的力量在數十億多年裏
over billions of years.
對宇宙的塑造。
The brightest white and yellow regions in this image
這個圖片最亮的 白色和黃色區域
show where galaxies and clusters of galaxies form.
顯示的是星系和星系群 形成的地方。
You can see how, as the universe evolves,
你可以看到， 在宇宙演變時，
a strange and hidden structure begins to emerge.
一種奇怪的隱藏的結構 如何開始涌現。
This is the cosmic web.
這就是宇宙之網。
It's our best picture yet of what everything might look like
這是迄今為止我們的最佳畫面， 展示了從最大尺度來說
at the largest scales.
萬物看起來可能是什麼樣的。
It shows massive clusters of galaxies linked together
它顯示了大量的星系團 由廣闊的細絲
in vast filaments, each one containing trillions of stars.
連在一起，每一個星系團 都含有數萬億的恆星。
Its scale is sometimes difficult to appreciate.
其規模之大有時 是很難估計的。
But it would take light almost 10 billion years
但光要穿越這幅圖中的距離
to cross the distance in this image.
需要幾乎100億年的時間。
But this incredible picture of everything is destined to change.
但這副令人難以置信的 關於萬物的圖片注定要改變。
We are starting to understand that, in the distant future, the universe
我們開始明白， 在遙遠的未來，
will become a terrifyingly bleak and desolate place.
宇宙將成為一個可怕的 暗淡荒涼的地方。
In 1998, a team of astronomers published a paper
1998年，一個 天文學家團隊發表了一篇論文
in which they looked at supernova explosions in distant galaxies.
報告他們在遙遠的星系 看到了超新星爆炸。
They were hoping to measure very accurately
他們希望 非常準確地測量
how fast the universe was expanding.
宇宙膨脹的速度有多快。
Now, they expected to find that the rate of expansion was slowing down,
現在，他們期望能夠發現 只需要宇宙中的所有物質的引力
just because of the pull of gravity of all the matter in the universe.
的牽引，膨脹的速度就能慢下來。
But they were in for a big surprise.
但他們大錯特錯了。
The universe was getting bigger, faster.
宇宙是越來越大， 越來越快。
The rate of expansion was accelerating.
膨脹的速度 正在加速。
There seemed to be some mysterious force pushing everything apart.
似乎有某種神秘的 力量把萬物相互推開。
We still don't understand its origin,
我們仍然不明白 這股力量的起源，
but it's been dubbed dark energy.
但它一直被冠以暗能量的名稱。
There's one fascinating yet disturbing consequence of this.
這還有一個迷人的 但又令人不安的後果。
If the expansion of the universe continues to accelerate
如果宇宙膨脹 持續加速下去
then our visible universe will begin to empty.
那麼我們可見的宇宙 將要變得空空蕩蕩。
Let me explain. Imagine that I'm in a distant
讓我解釋一下。 試想，我在一個遙遠的
galaxy that you can see from Earth.
星系上，你可以從地球看到這個星系。
As the space between us stretches, there will come a time in the future
隨著我們之間的空間的伸展， 在未來的某個時刻
when it is expanding so rapidly that light can't outrun it,
由於空間膨脹得太快，以至於 光也無法跑過它，
and the galaxy will disappear from view.
那樣我所在的星系 就會從你的視野消失。
What this means
這就意味著
is that, far into the future, some 100 billion years from now,
在遙遠的未來， 從現在開始大約1000億年之後，
if intelligent life forms still exist in our galaxy,
如果智能生命形式 仍然存在於我們的銀河系，
they'll look out into space and see only the stars in our own Milky Way.
他們仰望太空，就只會看到 存在於我們的銀河系中的恆星。
All the other galaxies will have disappeared.
所有其他星系 都已經消失了。
And they will be alone in a vast, dark, empty expanse.
而且他們將孤獨地獨處於 一個巨大的，黑暗的，空曠的區域。
I have here a box. What would happen if I were to remove everything
我這裏有一個盒子。如果我盡我所能地 移去裏面的所有一切
I possibly could from inside it?
會發生什麼？
What then exists inside the space in the box?
那麼，還會有什麼東西 存在於這個盒子的空間中？
Is it really nothing?
裏面難道真的是虛無的嗎？
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
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E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
中文字幕：馬成長 舊語新思 http://growupsoft.blog.163.com