ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adam Savage - Maker, critical thinker
Adam Savage is an internationally renowned television producer, host and public speaker.

Why you should listen

Adam Savage's mother is a psychologist; his father was a celebrated artist, painter and filmmaker. From the youngest age they encouraged his flights of fancy. Savage has been a paperboy, a projectionist, juggler, unicycle rider, sculptor, graphic designer, scenic painter, robot builder, welder, carpenter, machinist, prop maker, toy designer, actor, writer, executive producer and director. He spent six years in theater and 10 years in commercial and film special effects working for clients such as Nike, Corning, Hershey's, and Coca-Cola, and films like Star Wars, The Matrix films, A.I., Space Cowboys, Terminator 3 and Galaxy Quest.

Savage has built everything from theater sets to miniature particle accelerators. From spaceships to animatronic arms. He's made Rube Goldberg machines, hand props and spacesuits. His online videos have generated over 230 million page views. He's written for Popular Mechanics, the Wall Street Journal and Wired Magazine, among others. His program "Mythbusters" produced 270 episodes that aired in over 100 countries for 14 years. Adam shares his builds, his love for movie props and costumes, and passion for the transformative power of making on his award winning website Tested.com. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Julia, his twin boys Thing1 and Thing2, and two amazing dogs.

(Photo: Michael Shindler)

More profile about the speaker
Adam Savage | Speaker | TED.com
TED-Ed

Adam Savage: How simple ideas lead to scientific discoveries

Filmed:
2,830,544 views

Adam Savage walks through two spectacular examples of profound scientific discoveries that came from simple, creative methods anyone could have followed -- Eratosthenes' calculation of the Earth's circumference around 200 BC and Hippolyte Fizeau's measurement of the speed of light in 1849. Find more TED-Ed videos on our new YouTube channel: youtube.com/TEDEd.
- Maker, critical thinker
Adam Savage is an internationally renowned television producer, host and public speaker. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

(音樂)
擁有大腦的有趣之處在於
00:14
One of the funny滑稽 things
about owning擁有 a brain
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你無法控制大腦如何收集與保留
00:16
is that you have
no control控制 over the things
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00:18
that it gathers and holds持有 onto,
the facts事實 and the stories故事.
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事實和故事。而當你越來越老, 事情只會變得更糟
00:21
And as you get older舊的, it only gets得到 worse更差.
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有些事情會留在你的腦袋裡很多年
00:23
Things stick around for years年份 sometimes有時
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你根本不知道為什麼會一直記著這些事
00:25
before you understand理解
why you're interested有興趣 in them,
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也不清楚到底是怎麼把它記起來的。
00:28
before you understand理解 their import進口 to you.
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以下我有三個例子
00:30
Here's這裡的 three of mine.
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當理查 · 費曼還是一個小男孩, 住在皇后區
00:31
When Richard理查德 Feynman費曼
was a young年輕 boy男孩 in Queens皇后,
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有一次他和他的父親去散步, 拉著他的玩具拖車
00:34
he went for a walk步行 with his dad
and his wagon車皮 and a ball.
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上面放了一個球。他注意到,當他拉車的時候
00:38
He noticed注意到 that when he pulled the wagon車皮,
the ball went to the back of the wagon車皮.
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球會往拖車後面跑
他問他的爸爸, "為什麼球會跑到拖車的後面呢?"
00:42
He asked his dad, "Why does
the ball go to the back of the wagon車皮?"
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他的父親說, "這是慣性。"
00:45
And his dad said, "That's inertia慣性."
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他問說, "慣性是什麼?" 他的父親說, "啊。
00:47
He said, "What's inertia慣性?"
And his dad said, "Ah.
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慣性是科學家們給的名稱
00:50
Inertia慣性 is the name名稱 that scientists科學家們 give
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00:52
to the phenomenon現象 of the ball
going to the back of the wagon車皮."
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用來描述球跑去拖車後面的這種現象。
但事實是, 沒有人真正知道這現象到底是怎麼一回事。"
00:55
(Laughter笑聲)
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00:57
"But in truth真相, nobody沒有人 really knows知道."
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費曼後來取得了學位
01:00
Feynman費曼 went on to earn degrees
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在麻省理工學院、 普林斯頓大學, 他還解決了挑戰者號太空梭爆炸的謎團,
01:02
at MITMIT, Princeton普林斯頓, he solved解決了
the Challenger挑戰者 disaster災害,
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他還得到了諾貝爾物理學獎,
01:05
he ended結束 up winning勝利
the Nobel諾貝爾 Prize in Physics物理
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因為他在描述亞原子粒子的運動方面的成就
01:08
for his Feynman費曼 diagrams, describing說明
the movement運動 of subatomic亞原子 particles粒子.
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他把一切歸功於那次與他父親的對話
01:12
And he credits學分 that conversation會話
with his father父親 as giving him a sense
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給了他一個啟發:
從最簡單的問題開始, 可以帶領你探索到人類知識的前鋒,
01:16
that the simplest簡單 questions問題 could carry攜帶
you out to the edge邊緣 of human人的 knowledge知識,
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這就是他想做的
01:21
and that that's where he wanted to play.
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而他也如此做到了
01:23
And play he did.
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第二個例子, 艾拉托斯特尼是亞歷山大
一個偉大圖書館的第三任館長
01:25
Eratosthenes埃拉托色尼 was the third第三 librarian圖書管理員
at the great Library圖書館 of Alexandria亞歷山大,
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他在科學方面有很多貢獻。
01:29
and he made製作 many許多 contributions捐款 to science科學.
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其中最讓人津津樂道的
01:32
But the one he is most remembered記得 for
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是在他當圖書館館長時, 收到了一封信
01:34
began開始 in a letter that he received收到
as the librarian圖書管理員,
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寄自亞歷山大城南邊的斯威尼特鎮。
01:37
from the town of SwenetSwenet,
which哪一個 was south of Alexandria亞歷山大.
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這封信提到的一件事, 一直在艾拉托斯特尼的心中揮之不去
01:41
The letter included包括 this fact事實
that stuck卡住 in Eratosthenes'艾拉托斯特尼' mind心神,
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寫信的人說, 當他在夏至的中午
01:44
and the fact事實 was that the writer作家 said,
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望進一口深井的時候
01:46
at noon中午 on the solstice冬至,
when he looked看著 down this deep well,
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他可以看到井底的水面, 有陽光反射, 而且他的頭
01:49
he could see his reflection反射 at the bottom底部,
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01:51
and he could also see
that his head was blocking閉塞 the sun太陽.
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正好可以擋住太陽。
而我應該告訴你,
關於克里斯多夫 · 哥倫布
發現地球是球形的這回事
01:54
I should tell you -- the idea理念
that Christopher克里斯托弗 Columbus哥倫布
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根本就是胡扯。完全不正確。
01:57
discovered發現 that the world世界
is spherical球形 is total bull公牛.
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事實上, 受過教育的人都知道地球是圓的
01:59
It's not true真正 at all.
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02:00
In fact事實, everyone大家 who was educated博學
understood了解 that the world世界 was spherical球形
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因為在亞里斯多德的年代, 他就已證明了這事
02:04
since以來 Aristotle's亞里士多德 time.
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只靠簡單的觀察。
02:05
Aristotle亞里士多德 had proved證實 it
with a simple簡單 observation意見.
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他注意到, 每次在月亮上看到地球的影子(月食)
02:07
He noticed注意到 that every一切 time you saw
the Earth's地球 shadow陰影 on the Moon月亮,
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影子是圓的
而唯一能每次都造成圓影的形狀
02:11
it was circular,
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02:12
and the only shape形狀 that constantly經常
creates創建 a circular shadow陰影
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就是一個球體, 所以證明地球是圓的。
02:15
is a sphere領域, Q.E.D. the Earth地球 is round回合.
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但沒有人知道地球有多大
02:18
But nobody沒有人 knew知道 how big it was
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直到艾拉托斯特尼有了這封信跟井的這回事。
02:19
until直到 Eratosthenes埃拉托色尼 got
this letter with this fact事實.
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他想到太陽是斯威尼特鎮的正上方
02:23
So he understood了解 that the sun太陽
was directly above以上 the city of SwenetSwenet,
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因為向井下頭看, 這是一條直線
02:26
because looking down a well,
it was a straight直行 line
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從太陽經過寫信者的頭, 一路到井底。
02:29
all the way down the well,
right past過去 the guy's傢伙 head up to the sun太陽.
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艾拉托斯特尼知道另一個事實。
02:33
Eratosthenes埃拉托色尼 knew知道 another另一個 fact事實.
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他知道在亞歷山大城當地立了一根棍子
02:34
He knew知道 that a stick stuck卡住
in the ground地面 in Alexandria亞歷山大
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在同一時間、 同一天中午,
02:37
at the same相同 time
and the same相同 day, at noon中午,
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太陽正在天頂的時候
02:40
the sun's太陽 zenith頂點, on the solstice冬至,
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陽光照出的棍子的陰影與鉛直線偏了 7.2 度。
02:42
the sun太陽 cast a shadow陰影 that showed顯示
that it was 7.2 degrees off-axis離軸.
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現在, 如果你知道一個圓的圓心角
02:49
If you know the circumference圓周 of a circle,
and you have two points on it,
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還有圓上的兩個點
你只要知道這兩點之間的距離
02:53
all you need to know is the distance距離
between之間 those two points,
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就可以推算出圓周長。
02:56
and you can extrapolate推斷 the circumference圓周.
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360 度除以 7.2 度等於 50。
02:58
360 degrees divided分為 by 7.2 equals等於 50.
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我知道正好整除有些太巧了,
讓人有點懷疑這個故事的可信度
03:02
I know it's a little bit
of a round回合 number,
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但這是一個好故事, 所以我們會繼續談下去。
03:04
and it makes品牌 me suspicious可疑
of this story故事 too,
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03:06
but it's a good story故事,
so we'll continue繼續 with it.
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他需要知道斯威尼特鎮
和亞歷山大城之間的距離
03:08
He needed需要 to know the distance距離
between之間 SwenetSwenet and Alexandria亞歷山大,
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這是容易的, 因為艾拉托斯特尼很擅長地理學。
03:11
which哪一個 is good because Eratosthenes埃拉托色尼
was good at geography地理.
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事實上, 地理學這個名詞就是他發明的。
03:15
In fact事實, he invented發明 the word geography地理.
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斯威尼特鎮 和亞歷山大之間的道路
03:17
(Laughter笑聲)
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03:19
The road between之間 SwenetSwenet and Alexandria亞歷山大
was a road of commerce商業,
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是一條經商者常走的路,
經商者需要知道路程要多久。
03:22
and commerce商業 needed需要 to know
how long it took to get there.
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所以實際的距離很重要,
所以他也非常精確地知道
03:25
It needed需要 to know the exact精確 distance距離,
so he knew知道 very precisely恰恰
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這兩個城市之間的距離是 500 英哩。
03:28
that the distance距離 between之間
the two cities城市 was 500 miles英里.
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乘上 50 倍, 就是 25,000 英哩,
03:31
Multiply that times 50, you get 25,000,
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03:34
which哪一個 is within one percent百分
of the actual實際 diameter直徑 of the Earth地球.
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這跟地球實際的大小只有 1% 的誤差。
在二千二百年前, 他就能做到這樣的事。
03:38
He did this 2,200 years年份 ago.
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現在, 我們生活在一個時代,
03:42
Now, we live生活 in an age年齡 where
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03:44
multi-billion-dollar數十億美元 pieces of machinery機械
are looking for the Higgs希格斯 boson玻色子.
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價值數十億元的設備正在尋找希格斯玻色子。
我們發現可能比光速更快的粒子
03:48
We're discovering發現 particles粒子
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03:50
that may可能 travel旅行 faster更快
than the speed速度 of light,
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而所有的這些發現都是靠著
03:52
and all of these discoveries發現
are made製作 possible可能
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在過去幾十年中所發展出來的科技。
03:55
by technology技術 that's been developed發達
in the last few少數 decades幾十年.
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但在人類歷史的大多數時間,
03:58
But for most of human人的 history歷史,
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我們只能靠我們的眼睛和耳朵,
還有思考能力, 來發現新事物。
04:01
we had to discover發現 these things using運用
our eyes眼睛 and our ears耳朵 and our minds頭腦.
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阿曼德斐索是在巴黎的實驗物理學家。
04:06
Armand阿爾芒 Fizeau菲佐 was
an experimental試驗 physicist物理學家 in Paris巴黎.
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他的專長是精煉和確認其他人的研究結果,
04:10
His specialty專業 was actually其實 refining精製
and confirming確認 other people's人們 results結果,
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這聽起來可能有點的遜,
04:15
and this might威力 sound聲音
like a bit of an also-ran也跑了,
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但事實上, 這就是科學的靈魂
04:17
but in fact事實, this is the soul靈魂 of science科學,
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因為若不能獨立的被重複驗證,
就不能被稱為科學事實。
04:19
because there is no such這樣 thing as a fact事實
that cannot不能 be independently獨立地 corroborated證實.
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他很熟悉伽利略的一個實驗
04:23
And he was familiar
with Galileo's伽利略 experiments實驗
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是關於光是不是有速度的。
04:26
in trying to determine確定
whether是否 or not light had a speed速度.
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伽利略曾做了這個特別的實驗
04:29
Galileo伽利略 had worked工作 out this
really wonderful精彩 experiment實驗
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他和他的助手各拿了一盞燈,
04:32
where he and his assistant助理 had a lamp,
each one of them was holding保持 a lamp.
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當伽利略打開他的燈,
他的助手看到光後,
也同樣地打開燈。
04:36
Galileo伽利略 would open打開 his lamp,
and his assistant助理 would open打開 his.
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他們把時間抓得很準。
04:39
They got the timing定時 down really good.
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他們只管自己的開燈時機。
然後他們站在兩個山頭
04:41
They just knew知道 their timing定時.
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04:42
And then they stood站在 at two hilltops峰巔,
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相距兩英里, 兩人做一樣的事情,
04:44
two miles英里 distant遙遠,
and they did the same相同 thing,
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伽利略的假設是, 如果光有一個特定的速度,
04:47
on the assumption假設 from Galileo伽利略
that if light had a discernible可識別的 speed速度,
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他應該會注意到在從他的助手燈回來的光的延遲。
04:50
he'd他會 notice注意 a delay延遲 in the light
coming未來 back from his assistant's助手 lamp.
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但光的速度對伽利略來說太快了。
04:53
But light was too fast快速 for Galileo伽利略.
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他對光的速度的臆測差了好幾個數量級 (10的n次方)
04:56
He was off by several一些 orders命令
of magnitude大小 when he assumed假定
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他猜測光大概只比聲音的速度快 10 倍。
04:58
that light was roughly大致 ten times
as fast快速 as the speed速度 of sound聲音.
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斐索聽說了這個實驗。他住在巴黎,
05:02
Fizeau菲佐 was aware知道的 of this experiment實驗.
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05:04
He lived生活 in Paris巴黎, and he set up
two experimental試驗 stations,
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他設立了兩個實驗站
相距大約五英里半,
05:09
roughly大致 5.5 miles英里 distant遙遠, in Paris巴黎.
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在巴黎。他解決了伽利略的實驗中的問題,
05:12
And he solved解決了 this problem問題 of Galileo's伽利略,
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他只用了一塊相對來說很小的設備。
05:14
and he did it with a really relatively相對
trivial不重要的 piece of equipment設備.
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他用的就像這個。
05:19
He did it with one of these.
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我先把遙控器收起來,
05:21
I'm going to put away
the clicker唱首歌 for a second第二
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因為我想讓你的大腦也來思考一下。
05:23
because I want to engage從事
your brains大腦 in this.
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這就是齒輪的樣子。它有一大堆的凹槽
05:25
So this is a toothed齒形 wheel.
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05:27
It's got a bunch of notches缺口
and it's got a bunch of teeth.
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還有一堆的凸齒。
這是斐索用來發送離散脈衝光的作法。
05:30
This was Fizeau's菲佐的 solution
to sending發出 discrete離散的 pulses脈衝 of light.
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他讓一束光穿過這些凹口之一。
05:33
He put a beam光束 behind背後 one of these notches缺口.
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射到另一個實驗站的鏡子反射
05:35
If I point a beam光束
through通過 this notch缺口 at a mirror鏡子,
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來回各五英里, 這束光回來後
05:39
five miles英里 away, that beam光束
is bouncing蹦蹦 off the mirror鏡子
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會通過這個凹口被看到。
05:41
and coming未來 back to me through通過 this notch缺口.
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但當他把齒輪轉得更快時, 有趣的事情發生了。
05:44
But something interesting有趣 happens發生
as he spins自旋 the wheel faster更快.
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他觀察到如同反射的光被關上的門擋住了
05:47
He notices通告 that it seems似乎
like a door is starting開始 to close
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眼睛看不到反射回來的光了。
05:50
on the light beam光束
that's coming未來 back to his eye.
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這是為什麼?
05:53
Why is that?
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這是因為反射的光並沒有
05:55
It's because the pulse脈衝
of light is not coming未來 back
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通過發射時相同的凹口。
實際上是擊中一顆凸齒。
05:57
through通過 the same相同 notch缺口.
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05:59
It's actually其實 hitting a tooth.
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他把齒輪轉得夠快
06:00
And he spins自旋 the wheel fast快速 enough足夠
and he fully充分 occludesoccludes the light.
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對光的現象充分的觀察
再依據兩個地點之間的距離
06:05
And then, based基於 on the distance距離
between之間 the two stations
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06:08
and the speed速度 of his wheel
and the number of notches缺口 in the wheel,
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還有他的齒輪的轉速與齒數
他計算出與實際光速誤差不到 2% 的數值。
06:11
he calculates計算 the speed速度 of light
to within two percent百分 of its actual實際 value.
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他在 1849 年作出了這樣的實驗。
06:16
And he does this in 1849.
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這也是為什麼讓我對科學一直有興趣的緣故。
06:21
This is what really gets得到 me
going about science科學.
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每當我在理解一個概念時遇到了問題,
我會回去研究發現了這個概念的研究者。
06:23
Whenever每當 I'm having trouble麻煩
understanding理解 a concept概念,
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06:26
I go back and I research研究
the people that discovered發現 that concept概念.
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我觀察他們如何逐漸搞懂整件事情。
06:29
I look at the story故事 of how
they came來了 to understand理解 it.
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當你看到了研究者如何思考,
06:31
What happens發生 when you look
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06:33
at what the discoverers發現者
were thinking思維 about
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看到他們如何發現事物, 你就會知道
06:35
when they made製作 their discoveries發現,
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06:37
is you understand理解 that
they are not so different不同 from us.
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其時他們跟我們沒有什麼不同。
我們都是血肉之軀。我們都能使用相同的工具。
06:42
We are all bags包裝袋 of meat and water.
We all start開始 with the same相同 tools工具.
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我很喜歡把科學的不同分支稱做研究領域的說法。
06:46
I love the idea理念 that different不同 branches分支機構
of science科學 are called fields領域 of study研究.
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大多數人認為科學是封閉的黑箱,
06:50
Most people think of science科學
as a closed關閉, black黑色 box,
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當事實上它是一個開放的領域。
06:53
when in fact事實 it is an open打開 field領域.
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而且我們大家都是探險家。
06:56
And we are all explorers探險.
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貢獻出這些發現的人只是想得比我們努力些
06:58
The people that made製作 these discoveries發現
just thought a little bit harder更難
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對於他們所研究的事情, 有著更多的好奇心
07:01
about what they were looking at,
and they were a little bit more curious好奇.
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他們的好奇心改變了人們對這個世界的觀點,
07:05
And their curiosity好奇心 changed the way
people thought about the world世界,
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也因此而改變了世界。
07:08
and thus從而 it changed the world世界.
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他們能改變這個世界, 當然你也可以。
07:10
They changed the world世界, and so can you.
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謝謝。
07:14
Thank you.
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07:15
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Yu-Sheng Lin
Reviewed by Geoff Chen

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Adam Savage - Maker, critical thinker
Adam Savage is an internationally renowned television producer, host and public speaker.

Why you should listen

Adam Savage's mother is a psychologist; his father was a celebrated artist, painter and filmmaker. From the youngest age they encouraged his flights of fancy. Savage has been a paperboy, a projectionist, juggler, unicycle rider, sculptor, graphic designer, scenic painter, robot builder, welder, carpenter, machinist, prop maker, toy designer, actor, writer, executive producer and director. He spent six years in theater and 10 years in commercial and film special effects working for clients such as Nike, Corning, Hershey's, and Coca-Cola, and films like Star Wars, The Matrix films, A.I., Space Cowboys, Terminator 3 and Galaxy Quest.

Savage has built everything from theater sets to miniature particle accelerators. From spaceships to animatronic arms. He's made Rube Goldberg machines, hand props and spacesuits. His online videos have generated over 230 million page views. He's written for Popular Mechanics, the Wall Street Journal and Wired Magazine, among others. His program "Mythbusters" produced 270 episodes that aired in over 100 countries for 14 years. Adam shares his builds, his love for movie props and costumes, and passion for the transformative power of making on his award winning website Tested.com. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Julia, his twin boys Thing1 and Thing2, and two amazing dogs.

(Photo: Michael Shindler)

More profile about the speaker
Adam Savage | Speaker | TED.com