TEDActive 2013
Michael Stevens: How much does a video weigh?
Filmed:
Readability: 4
810,990 views
What color is a mirror? How much does a video weigh? Michael Stevens, creator of the popular educational YouTube channel Vsauce, spends his day asking quirky questions like these. In this talk he shows how asking the right -- seemingly silly -- questions can make incredibly effective lessons.
Michael Stevens - YouTube educator
Michael Stevens is the creator and host of Vsauce, an educational YouTube channel that addresses scientific oddities, like "Is Your Red the Same as My Red?" Full bio
Michael Stevens is the creator and host of Vsauce, an educational YouTube channel that addresses scientific oddities, like "Is Your Red the Same as My Red?" Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:14
Bean bags are awesome.
0
14040
3583
豆袋坐垫很赞.
但我看见那边有些人
00:19
But I see a few people out there
who are standing,
who are standing,
1
19230
3990
在站着呢,
00:23
we've got some over here,
2
23244
1365
这边也有一些,
00:24
and standing takes more
work than lounging.
work than lounging.
3
24633
3758
站着其实比倚着要费力气。
假如我们使用“坚强生活基金会”
（自行车手阿姆斯特朗创立的基金会）
（自行车手阿姆斯特朗创立的基金会）
00:29
Using the Live Strong
Organization's online database
Organization's online database
4
29415
3186
00:32
of weight loss resources,
5
32625
2485
网页上与减重相关的在线数据库,
00:35
you can calculate
6
35134
1278
你可以计算出
00:36
that by the time I'm done
with this speech,
with this speech,
7
36436
2122
截止我演讲完毕
00:38
those of you who are standing
8
38582
1890
你们站着的那些人
00:40
will have burned 7.5 more calories
9
40496
4393
就已然比倚在豆袋坐垫中听完演讲的人
多燃烧了7.5卡路里
00:44
than those of you who are bean-bagging it.
10
44913
2537
00:47
(Laughter)
11
47474
1063
好吧, 有个问题,
00:48
Okay, here's a question,
12
48561
2315
00:50
speaking of weight loss,
specifically weight,
specifically weight,
13
50900
2730
谈到减肥, 尤其是说到重量,
00:53
this speech is live.
14
53654
1150
这个演讲是直播的.
00:54
I'm actually here in front of you guys,
15
54828
1858
我其实就站在你们面前,
我们都在一起呢.
00:56
we're all here together.
16
56710
1197
但是这个演讲被录了下来
00:57
But this speech is being recorded
17
57931
1850
00:59
and it will become a video
that people can access all over the world
that people can access all over the world
18
59805
3866
然后它会被做成一个视频
全世界人民都能
在电脑上
01:03
on computers, mobile devices,
19
63695
1936
在移动设备上
01:05
televisions.
20
65655
1230
和电视上看到.
01:06
I weight about 190 pounds.
21
66909
3942
我大概190磅重 (译者: 约合86公斤)
那这段视频的重量是多少?
01:11
How much will the video weigh?
22
71749
4005
问这种问题
01:18
Asking questions like that
23
78413
1563
就是我每周在我的频道(Vsauce)上做的事.
01:20
is what I do every week
on my channel Vsauce.
on my channel Vsauce.
24
80000
2770
最近两年
01:23
For the last two years,
25
83238
1167
我一直在问特别有意思的问题,
01:24
I have been asking really fun questions,
26
84429
2439
01:26
mind-boggling questions,
27
86892
1346
令人震惊的问题,
01:28
and approaching them
as sincerely as I can,
as sincerely as I can,
28
88262
2995
然后
尽可能真诚地试着解答它们,
01:31
celebrating scientific
concepts and scientists.
concepts and scientists.
29
91281
3142
以此来宣扬科学观念和科学家们.
01:34
And I research and write
30
94447
1930
我做调查
写作
01:36
and produce and host
31
96401
1052
制作
主持
01:37
and edit and upload
32
97477
1242
编辑
然后上传
01:38
and run the social media all by myself,
33
98743
2049
整个社会媒体都是我自己一个人在运作,
01:40
but it's not lonely,
34
100816
1819
但（我）并不孤独
01:42
because Vsauce has
more than 2 million subscribers,
more than 2 million subscribers,
35
102659
3230
因为Vsauce 有超过2百万订阅者,
01:45
and every month, my videos are seen
by more than 20 million people.
by more than 20 million people.
36
105913
4119
每个月我的视频
都有超过2千万的人观看.
01:50
Yeah.
37
110951
1065
没错.
01:52
(Applause)
38
112040
2177
01:54
It's very exciting.
39
114241
1439
很令人兴奋呢.
01:55
I've found that asking a strange question
is a great way to get people in,
is a great way to get people in,
40
115704
6026
我发现问一个奇怪的问题
是个让大家感兴趣的极好办法,
02:01
not just people, but fans.
41
121754
2151
不单单是吸引人, 更是吸引粉丝.
02:03
And fans are different
than just viewers or an audience,
than just viewers or an audience,
42
123929
2620
粉丝们和普通观看者、收听者不同
因为粉丝还想回来.
02:06
because fans want to come back.
43
126573
2328
02:08
They subscribe to you on YouTube
44
128925
2557
他们在YouTube上订阅你的频道
02:11
and they want to watch
everything you've made
everything you've made
45
131506
2096
他们想看你制作过的所有内容
和未来将要制作的所有内容
02:13
and everything you plan
to make in the future
to make in the future
46
133626
2143
因为我们是好奇心强的人
02:15
because we are curious people
47
135793
2447
02:18
and sparking curiosity is great bait.
48
138264
5378
而激起好奇心是个极佳的诱饵.
02:23
It's a great way to catch a human.
49
143666
2239
是抓住一个人注意力的极佳方式.
02:26
And once you've caught them,
50
146503
1334
而且一旦你抓住他们的注意力,
你就有了一个被俘获的听众
02:27
you have this captive
audience that you can,
audience that you can,
51
147861
3140
02:31
with the goal in mind
of answering the question,
of answering the question,
52
151025
2602
带着回答问题的目标
你就能意外地教给他们很多东西.
02:33
accidentally teach a lot of things to.
53
153651
2854
02:36
So, let's take a look
at some of my videos.
at some of my videos.
54
156529
2490
所以, 我们来看看我做过的一些视频.
02:39
Here are eight of them.
55
159043
1324
这儿有8个.
02:41
But down here in the lower-right corner,
56
161150
1905
但在右下角这个地方,
"镜子是什么颜色的?"
02:43
"What Color is a Mirror?"
57
163079
2202
02:45
When people see that,
58
165305
1392
当人家看到这个,
02:46
it's very difficult not to click,
because you think,
because you think,
59
166721
2429
就很难不去点击. 因为你们在脑子里想:
“哎哟我去, 你是认真的么?
02:49
"Come on, are you serious?
60
169174
1301
你怎么可能答出这种问题呢?"
02:50
How could you possibly
answer that question?"
answer that question?"
61
170499
2695
嘿至今760万人看过
02:53
Well, so far, 7.6 million
people have watched
people have watched
62
173938
4073
02:58
this five-minute video
about what color a mirror is.
about what color a mirror is.
63
178035
2850
这个时长5分钟的, 关于镜子是什么颜色的视频了.
03:00
And in that episode, I answer the question
64
180909
2000
而在这一期中, 我回答了这个问题
而我也有机会解释
03:02
and I get a chance to explain
what would normally be kind of dry topics:
what would normally be kind of dry topics:
65
182933
4206
一些正常情况下有点枯燥的话题:
03:07
optics,
66
187163
1008
光学,
漫射和镜面反射,
03:08
diffuse versus specular reflection,
67
188195
2016
03:10
how light works,
how light works on the retina,
how light works on the retina,
68
190235
2399
光如何传播,
光在视网膜上如何映射,
甚至是有关颜色的术语的语言学探讨
03:12
and even the etymology of color terms
69
192658
1762
比如白和黑.
03:14
like white and black.
70
194444
1814
好吧, 剧透警告:
03:17
Okay, spoiler alert:
71
197159
1941
03:19
mirrors are not clear,
72
199124
2301
镜子不是清透的,
03:21
they are not silvery,
73
201449
1867
他们不是银色的,
03:23
like they're often illustrated.
74
203340
1591
好像他们经常被说成的样子.
03:24
Mirrors, technically speaking,
75
204955
1430
镜子, 实际上来讲,
是一点点, 就一点点
03:26
are just a tiny, tiny, little bit ...
76
206409
2025
03:29
green.
77
209328
1379
绿色的.
03:30
You can demonstrate this
by putting two mirrors next to each other,
by putting two mirrors next to each other,
78
210731
3209
来证明这一点
你可以通过把两面镜子相对摆放
这样一来
03:33
facing so they reflect
back and forth forever.
back and forth forever.
79
213964
2150
两面镜子会做无穷次的来回反射.
顺着无穷次反射看下去
03:36
Look down that infinite reflection,
and it will get dimmer,
and it will get dimmer,
80
216138
2972
它会变得越来越暗
03:39
because some light is lost
or absorbed every time,
or absorbed every time,
81
219134
3710
因为每次反射都有一部分光丢失或被吸收了.
03:42
but it will also become greener,
82
222868
3132
同时它也变得越来越偏绿色
03:46
because green light,
83
226024
1782
因为绿光,
03:47
that is light of a wavelength
that we perceive as green,
that we perceive as green,
84
227830
3029
也就是说
我们认作是绿色的那个波长的光
03:50
is best reflected by most mirrors.
85
230883
2786
是被大部分镜子反射得最好的一种光.
03:54
Okay, so, how much does a video weigh?
86
234245
2118
好吧, 那, 一个视频到底多重呢?
03:56
Well, when you stream
a video onto your computer,
a video onto your computer,
87
236387
3006
当你用电脑观看一个视频时,
03:59
that information is temporarily stored
88
239417
2135
信息借助电子
04:01
using electrons.
89
241576
1515
被暂时储存
04:03
And the number of electrons on your device
won't actually increase or decrease.
won't actually increase or decrease.
90
243505
5417
而你设备上的电子数量
实际上不会增减.
04:08
But it takes energy
to store them in one place,
to store them in one place,
91
248946
2999
但是, 把它们储存在一个特定地方是要耗能的,
04:11
and, thanks to our friend Albert Einstein,
92
251969
2537
而我们知道,
托我们的朋友阿尔伯特爱因斯坦的福,
04:14
we know that energy and mass are related.
93
254530
2265
能量和质量是相关的.
04:16
Okay, so here's the thing:
94
256819
1544
好, 所以这事儿是这样的:
04:18
let's say you're watching a YouTube video
95
258387
1952
假设你在看一个Youtube视频
分辨率特别高, 有720p.
04:20
at a really nice resolution, 720p.
96
260363
2722
04:23
Assuming a typical bit rate,
97
263109
1894
假设比特率是通用型的,
04:25
we can figure that a minute
of YouTube video
of YouTube video
98
265027
5139
那么我们可以算出来
Youtube视频一分钟
04:30
is going to need to involve
about 10 million electrons on your device.
about 10 million electrons on your device.
99
270190
6294
会牵涉你设备上的1千万的电子.
把这些电子的个数
04:38
Plugging all those electrons
and the energy it takes to hold them
and the energy it takes to hold them
100
278065
3108
和需要把这些电子放在正确位置上
让你观看视频的能量
04:41
in the correct place
for you to see the video,
for you to see the video,
101
281197
2157
代入到公式里,
04:43
into that formula,
102
283378
1108
我们能算出来
04:44
we can figure out
that one minute of YouTube video
that one minute of YouTube video
103
284510
2921
一分钟的Youtube视频
使你电脑的重量
04:47
increases the mass of your computer
104
287455
3315
增加了10^(-19)克.
04:50
by about 10 to the negative 19th grams.
105
290794
3764
04:55
Written out, it looks like this.
106
295362
1818
把它展开写出来, 就是这样.
04:57
(Whistle)
107
297787
1001
这没多少.
04:58
That's like nothing.
108
298812
1072
你可以说它根本和没有一样
05:00
You could call that nothing,
and you wouldn't really get in trouble,
and you wouldn't really get in trouble,
109
300638
3675
也不会有什么问题
因为我们到目前为止发明出的
05:04
because the best scales
we've ever invented
we've ever invented
110
304337
3152
05:07
that we could try to use
to actually to detect that change
to actually to detect that change
111
307513
3039
能被用来
检测出重量变化的最好的称
05:10
are only accurate to 10
to the negative 9th grams.
to the negative 9th grams.
112
310576
2776
只能精确到10^(-9)克.
所以我们测不出来,
05:13
So, we can't measure it,
113
313852
1160
05:15
but we can, like we just did,
calculate it.
calculate it.
114
315036
2816
但是我们能(并且已经)
计算出来这个增加的数值
05:17
And that's really cool
because when I was a kid,
because when I was a kid,
115
317876
2395
而这太酷了
因为在我的孩提时代,
05:20
my school had two shelves
of science books.
of science books.
116
320295
5039
我们学校有两书架的科普读物.
05:25
That was really cool,
117
325358
1111
确实有不少,
05:26
but I read all of them
within, like, two grades,
within, like, two grades,
118
326493
2281
可我在差不多两年之内就把它们都读完了,
05:28
and it was hard to get more books
119
328798
1913
很难获得更多的书
因为书很重
05:30
because books are heavy,
you need space for them
you need space for them
120
330735
2309
你需要找地方存放它们
而把书搬来搬去
05:33
and moving books around is tougher
than what we can do today.
than what we can do today.
121
333068
2897
比我们现今要难上许多.
就通过这么小一个数字,
05:35
With numbers that small,
122
335989
1451
05:37
I can fit thousands of books
123
337464
2472
我就可以在我的个人电子阅读器里
05:39
on my own little personal
electronic reader.
electronic reader.
124
339960
3071
塞进上千本书.
05:43
I can stream hours and hours
125
343055
2155
我可以看上几小时
05:45
and days and days of YouTube video
126
345234
2022
甚至几天的Youtube视频
05:47
without my computer
ever getting measurably heavier.
ever getting measurably heavier.
127
347280
3741
我的电脑都不会有什么察觉得出来的重量变化
当信息变轻的时候,
05:52
And as information becomes that light,
128
352123
2184
05:54
it becomes a lot more democratic,
129
354331
1572
它也变得越来越民主,
也就是说比原来更多的老师
05:55
meaning that more teachers
130
355927
2206
05:58
and presenters and creators
and viewers than ever before
and viewers than ever before
131
358157
5351
演讲者
创作者
和观看者
06:03
can be involved.
132
363532
1111
可以参与进来.
06:06
Right now, on YouTube,
133
366638
1100
现在在Youtube网站上
就有像这样的
06:07
there is an explosion
of content like this happening.
of content like this happening.
134
367762
2719
信息大爆炸.
06:10
The three Vsauce channels
are down there in the corner.
are down there in the corner.
135
370505
2764
三个Vsauce频道
就在角落这里.
但是其他人
06:13
But everyone else,
all together, collectively,
all together, collectively,
136
373293
2216
加在一起,
他们的观看数量使我一个人的能力
06:15
their views dwarf what I can do alone
137
375533
2666
06:18
or with the people that I work with,
138
378223
1905
或是我共事的人们的能力 相形见绌.
06:20
and that is really, really exciting.
139
380152
2147
而这真是非常, 非常令人兴奋的.
06:22
It turns out that tapping
into people's curiosity
into people's curiosity
140
382323
2773
抓住人们的好奇心
06:25
and responsibly answering their questions
141
385120
3165
并负责任的回答他们的问题
06:28
is a brilliant way to build
fans and an audience
fans and an audience
142
388309
3942
是个增加粉丝, 听众和观众
06:32
and get in viewers.
143
392275
1062
的极佳方法.
06:33
It's even a great way
for brands and companies
for brands and companies
144
393361
3256
这甚至是品牌和公司
06:36
to build trust.
145
396641
1405
建立信誉的好方法.
所以说计算一个视频的重量,
06:38
So, calculating the weight of a video
146
398828
4360
06:43
is kind of a funny question,
147
403212
1987
好像是个滑稽的问题,
06:45
but I cannot wait to see
what we ask and answer next.
what we ask and answer next.
148
405223
6722
但是我等不及想要看到
我们下一个问出并解决的问题是什么.
06:51
As always, thanks for watching.
149
411969
1894
一如往常, 谢谢观看.
06:53
(Applause)
150
413887
1000
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Michael Stevens - YouTube educatorMichael Stevens is the creator and host of Vsauce, an educational YouTube channel that addresses scientific oddities, like "Is Your Red the Same as My Red?"
Why you should listen
Michael Stevens is an educator -- but when he answers questions, 3.2 million people tune in to hear the answer. That's because Stevens is the creator and host of Vsauce, an educational YouTube channel that addresses quirky but intriguing topics like "The Science of the Friend Zone" and "What Is Déjà vu?" Stevens has made a career feeding popular hunger for cool and interesting facts.
Michael Stevens | Speaker | TED.com