TEDGlobal 2014
Wendy Freedman: This telescope might show us the beginning of the universe
温蒂 弗里德曼: 新望远镜能向我们展示宇宙之初
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宇宙是何时、如何开始的？一只天文学家国际小组想通过一个巨大的新型望远镜回顾过去来回答这个问题。温蒂 弗里德曼率领制造巨型麦哲伦望远镜的团队，目前正在南非施工；在里约的TEDGlobal，她大胆地设想这台望远镜能够给我们带来的新发现。
Wendy Freedman - Astronomer
Wendy Freedman led the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a massive earthbound observatory. Full bio
Wendy Freedman led the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a massive earthbound observatory. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
When I was 14 years old,
I was interested in science --
I was interested in science --
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十四岁的时候，我对科学产生了兴趣，
00:17
fascinated by it,
excited to learn about it.
excited to learn about it.
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我痴迷于科学，乐此不疲的学习它。
00:20
And I had a high school science teacher
who would say to the class,
who would say to the class,
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可我的高中科学老师却对我们班级说：
00:24
"The girls don't have to listen to this."
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“女孩子们不需要学这个。”
00:28
Encouraging, yes.
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真是鼓舞人心，
00:30
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
00:31
I chose not to listen --
but to that statement alone.
but to that statement alone.
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我选择不听他的那一句话。
00:36
So let me take you
to the Andes mountains in Chile,
to the Andes mountains in Chile,
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接下来让我带你们看一看
位于智利的安第斯山脉，
位于智利的安第斯山脉，
00:40
500 kilometers, 300 miles
northeast of Santiago.
northeast of Santiago.
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它位于圣地亚哥东北部，绵延上千里。
00:45
It's very remote, it's very dry
and it's very beautiful.
and it's very beautiful.
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它地处偏远，干涸贫瘠，但却美艳动人。
00:50
And there's not much there.
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那里人迹罕至
00:51
There are condors, there are tarantulas,
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唯秃鹰与狼蛛相伴。
00:54
and at night, when the light dims,
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每当入夜，日息之时，
00:56
it reveals one of the darkest
skies on Earth.
skies on Earth.
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这里便会出现地球上最暗的天幕之一。
01:00
It's kind of a magic place, the mountain.
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这山，便仿佛成为魔法之地。
01:03
It's a wonderful combination
of very remote mountaintop
of very remote mountaintop
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这里简直就是一块遥远山顶与望远镜技术
01:07
with exquisitely sophisticated technology.
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相结合的宝地
01:11
And our ancestors, for as long
as there's been recorded history,
as there's been recorded history,
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有史以来，我们的祖先就早已经开始
仰望星空，思考人类存在的意义。
01:15
have looked at the night sky
and pondered the nature of our existence.
and pondered the nature of our existence.
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而我们这一辈人，也不例外。
01:20
And we're no exception, our generation.
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01:23
The only difficulty is
that the night sky now is blocked
that the night sky now is blocked
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而唯一的困难在于现在的夜空都被
01:26
by the glare of city lights.
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耀眼的城市之光给挡住了。
于是天文学家们纷纷去往偏远的高山之巅，
01:29
And so astronomers go
to these very remote mountaintops
to these very remote mountaintops
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01:32
to view and to study the cosmos.
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以观察和探索宇宙的奥秘。
01:34
So telescopes
are our window to the cosmos.
are our window to the cosmos.
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所以说，望远镜是我们的宇宙探索之窗
01:40
It's no exaggeration to say that
the Southern Hemisphere is going to be
the Southern Hemisphere is going to be
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毫不夸张地说，南半球将会成为
01:44
the future of astronomy
for the 21st century.
for the 21st century.
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21世纪天文学的要冲。
在智利安第斯山脉，
01:48
We have an array
of existing telescopes already,
of existing telescopes already,
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我们已经部署了一组望远镜部队.
01:51
in the Andes mountains in Chile,
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01:53
and that's soon to be joined by a really
sensational array of new capability.
sensational array of new capability.
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而且很快，它们将与拥有
超高性能的设备构架成一体。
超高性能的设备构架成一体。
未来将有两个跨国集团
会在此建造大型的望远镜群，
会在此建造大型的望远镜群，
01:58
There will be two international groups
that are going to be building
that are going to be building
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02:01
giant telescopes, sensitive
to optical radiation, as our eyes are.
to optical radiation, as our eyes are.
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它们可如人眼一般对光辐射敏感。
02:07
There will be a survey telescope
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未来会有一个巡天望远镜，
02:09
that will be scanning the sky
every few nights.
every few nights.
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每隔几个晚上，它便会扫描夜空。
我们还将有无线电天文望远镜，
02:13
There will be radio telescopes,
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02:14
sensitive to long-wavelength
radio radiation.
radio radiation.
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其可探测到长波无线电辐射。
然后还有太空望远镜。
02:18
And then there will be
telescopes in space.
telescopes in space.
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未来将有一个哈勃太空望远镜的后继者，
02:21
There'll be a successor
to the Hubble Space Telescope;
to the Hubble Space Telescope;
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我们叫它詹姆斯·韦伯望远镜
（詹姆斯·韦伯为美国宇航局第二任局长）
（詹姆斯·韦伯为美国宇航局第二任局长）
02:24
it's called the James Webb Telescope,
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02:26
and it will be launched in 2018.
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它将于2018年发射。
我们还将发射一颗命名为TESS的卫星，
02:29
There'll be a satellite called TESS
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02:30
that will discover planets
outside of our solar system.
outside of our solar system.
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它将用于探索太阳系外的行星。
在过去十年里，我领导了一个团队，
02:36
For the last decade,
I've been leading a group --
I've been leading a group --
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02:38
a consortium -- international group,
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其实是一个国际财团，
建造了一个即将会成为
02:41
to build what will be, when it's finished,
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02:44
the largest optical
telescope in existence.
telescope in existence.
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历史上最大的光学望远镜。
02:47
It's called the Giant
Magellan Telescope, or GMT.
Magellan Telescope, or GMT.
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它叫巨型麦哲伦望远镜，GMT。
02:51
This telescope is going to have mirrors
that are 8.4 meters in diameter --
that are 8.4 meters in diameter --
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这个望远镜将有直径长达8.4米的镜片组，
每片镜子都这么大。
02:56
each of the mirrors.
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02:57
That's almost 27 feet.
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大概27英尺左右。
它比这个舞台还要大，
大概要到观众席第四排的样子。
大概要到观众席第四排的样子。
02:59
So it dwarfs this stage -- maybe
out to the fourth row in this audience.
out to the fourth row in this audience.
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这个望远镜的所有七片镜子，
03:03
Each of the seven mirrors
in this telescope
in this telescope
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每一片的直径都将达到27英尺。
03:06
will be almost 27 feet in diameter.
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03:10
Together, the seven mirrors
in this telescope will comprise
in this telescope will comprise
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七片镜子组合到一起，
将使这个望远镜的直径
将使这个望远镜的直径
03:14
80 feet in diameter.
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达到80英尺（24米）。
03:16
So, essentially the size
of this entire auditorium.
of this entire auditorium.
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所以，它的整体大小相当于这整个讲堂。
整个望远镜将有43米高。
03:20
The whole telescope will stand
about 43 meters high,
about 43 meters high,
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03:24
and again, being in Rio,
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再形象点说，在里约的话，
03:26
some of you have been to see
the statue of the giant Christ.
the statue of the giant Christ.
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你们一定见过那个巨型基督像。
03:30
The scale is comparable in height;
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它大概跟这个望远镜差不多高吧。
03:32
in fact, it's smaller
than this telescope will be.
than this telescope will be.
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事实上，它将比望远镜稍矮一点。
03:36
It's comparable to the size
of the Statue of Liberty.
of the Statue of Liberty.
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而望远镜的大小跟自由女神像差不多。
03:39
And it's going to be housed
in an enclosure that's 22 stories --
in an enclosure that's 22 stories --
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然后它将被包围在一个有22层楼高的外壳内，
03:43
60 meters high.
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其可达60米高。
03:45
But it's an unusual building
to protect this telescope.
to protect this telescope.
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但这个用来保护望远镜的房子比较特别，
03:48
It will have open windows to the sky,
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为了能够观察和对准天空，
03:50
be able to point and look at the sky,
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它将有开放式的天窗，
同时这个望远镜将能够旋转观测，
03:52
and it will actually rotate on a base --
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其旋转基底重达2000吨。
03:55
2,000 tons of rotating building.
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03:59
The Giant Magellan Telescope
will have 10 times the resolution
will have 10 times the resolution
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巨型麦哲伦望远镜的分辨率将比
哈勃空间望远镜强十倍。
04:04
of the Hubble Space Telescope.
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04:06
It will be 20 million times
more sensitive than the human eye.
more sensitive than the human eye.
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其灵敏度是人眼的2000万倍。
并且它将可能发现太阳系外的行星生命，
04:11
And it may, for the first time ever,
be capable of finding life on planets
be capable of finding life on planets
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这将是人类有史以来的第一次。
04:17
outside of our solar system.
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04:20
It's going to allow us to look back
at the first light in the universe --
at the first light in the universe --
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它将使我们观测到宇宙的第一道光，
正如字面意义所说，就是宇宙的曙光，
04:24
literally, the dawn of the cosmos.
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04:27
The cosmic dawn.
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宇宙之初。
04:29
It's a telescope that's
going to allow us to peer back,
going to allow us to peer back,
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这个望远镜能让我们回望宇宙，
04:33
witness galaxies as they were
when they were actually assembling,
when they were actually assembling,
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让我们见证星系衍生的过程，
04:37
the first black holes in the universe,
the first galaxies.
the first galaxies.
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看到第一个黑洞和第一个星系。
04:41
Now, for thousands of years,
we have been studying the cosmos,
we have been studying the cosmos,
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到现在为止，
我们研究宇宙已经有好几千年了，
我们研究宇宙已经有好几千年了，
04:46
we've been wondering
about our place in the universe.
about our place in the universe.
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我们一直想知道我们位于宇宙何方。
04:49
The ancient Greeks told us
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古希腊人曾说，
地球是宇宙的中心。
04:50
that the Earth was the center
of the universe.
of the universe.
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04:53
Five hundred years ago,
Copernicus displaced the Earth,
Copernicus displaced the Earth,
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五百多年前，哥白尼推翻了它，
而视太阳为宇宙的中心。
04:56
and put the Sun
at the heart of the cosmos.
at the heart of the cosmos.
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然后随着几个世纪的研究，
05:00
And as we've learned over the centuries,
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05:02
since Galileo Galilei,
the Italian scientist,
the Italian scientist,
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自从意大利科学家伽利略
05:05
first turned, in that time, a two-inch,
very small telescope, to the sky,
very small telescope, to the sky,
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开始从他第一次把一个直径
两英寸的小型望远镜指向天空开始，
两英寸的小型望远镜指向天空开始，
05:10
every time we have built
larger telescopes,
larger telescopes,
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每当我们造出更大的望远镜，
我们就对宇宙多了解一分，
05:13
we have learned something
about the universe;
about the universe;
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05:16
we've made discoveries, without exception.
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无一例外，我们都有新发现。
20世纪的时候，我们发现宇宙在膨胀，
05:20
We've learned in the 20th century
that the universe is expanding
that the universe is expanding
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05:24
and that our own solar system
is not at the center of that expansion.
is not at the center of that expansion.
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并发现我们的太阳系并不处于膨胀中心。
05:29
We know now that the universe
is made of about 100 billion galaxies
is made of about 100 billion galaxies
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现在我们知道了宇宙有大约1000亿个星系，
05:35
that are visible to us,
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这仅仅是我们可探测到的。
05:36
and each one of those galaxies
has 100 billion stars within it.
has 100 billion stars within it.
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而每一个星系中都有约1000亿颗恒星。
05:43
So we're looking now
at the deepest image of the cosmos
at the deepest image of the cosmos
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我们正在看的是目前为止拍摄到的
05:46
that's ever been taken.
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最远的宇宙照片
05:48
It was taken using
the Hubble Space Telescope,
the Hubble Space Telescope,
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这是用哈勃望远镜拍下的，
05:50
and by pointing the telescope at what
was previously a blank region of sky,
was previously a blank region of sky,
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拍摄当时把它指向了在它发射之前
太空中的一块空白区。
05:55
before the launch of Hubble.
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05:57
And if you can imagine this tiny area,
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然后你可以想象一下它的面积，
05:59
it's only one-fiftieth
of the size of the full moon.
of the size of the full moon.
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它只有满月的五十分之一的大小。
06:03
So, if you can imagine the full moon.
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如果你能想象出满月的话，
而在那张影像里可观测到的星系就有一万个。
06:05
And there are now 10,000 galaxies
visible within that image.
visible within that image.
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而他们看起来那么微弱渺小只是因为
06:09
And the faintness of those images
and the tiny size is only a result
and the tiny size is only a result
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06:14
of the fact that those galaxies
are so far away, the vast distances.
are so far away, the vast distances.
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这些星系离我们太远太远了。
06:18
And each of those galaxies
may contain within it
may contain within it
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然后在每一个星系里，
06:21
a few billion or even hundreds
of billions of individual stars.
of billions of individual stars.
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都有数十亿甚至上千亿颗恒星。
望远镜就像时光机器一样。
06:27
Telescopes are like time machines.
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06:29
So the farther back we look in space,
the further back we see in time.
the further back we see in time.
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我们在太空里看得有多远，
就是多遥远的过去。
就是多遥远的过去。
06:34
And they're like light buckets --
literally, they collect light.
literally, they collect light.
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它们也像是光篮子一样，
意思是，它们搜集光。
意思是，它们搜集光。
06:37
So larger the bucket,
the larger the mirror we have,
the larger the mirror we have,
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越大的镜片就相当于越大的篮子，
就有越多的光被我们采集到，
就有越多的光被我们采集到，
06:40
the more light we can see,
and the farther back we can view.
and the farther back we can view.
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然后看到越远的过去。
06:45
So, we've learned in the last century
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接着，我们在上个世纪发现了
06:47
that there are exotic objects
in the universe -- black holes.
in the universe -- black holes.
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宇宙中有种奇异的东西 -- 黑洞。
06:50
We've even learned
that there's dark matter and dark energy
that there's dark matter and dark energy
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我们也得知了暗物质和暗能量的存在，
06:53
that we can't see.
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这些东西是肉眼不可见。
06:55
So you're looking now
at an actual image of dark matter.
at an actual image of dark matter.
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所以，你们现在正在看的就是一团暗物质
06:58
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
06:59
You got it. Not all audiences get that.
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你们懂的。不是所有的听众都懂这点哦
07:02
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
所以，尽管暗物质不可见
07:04
So the way we infer
the presence of dark matter --
the presence of dark matter --
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07:07
we can't see it -- but there's
an unmistakable tug, due to gravity.
an unmistakable tug, due to gravity.
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我们还是通过重力作用产生的
显而易见的拖曳发现了它们。
显而易见的拖曳发现了它们。
再看看别的，这是位于一个
07:13
We now can look out,
we see this sea of galaxies
we see this sea of galaxies
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07:16
in a universe that's expanding.
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膨胀宇宙中的星际海洋。
我所做的是观测，记录宇宙的膨胀。
07:18
What I do myself is to measure
the expansion of the universe,
the expansion of the universe,
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在上世纪90年代我所带领的项目中,
07:22
and one of the projects
that I carried out in the 1990s
that I carried out in the 1990s
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有一项就是通过哈勃望远镜
来测量宇宙膨胀速度。
来测量宇宙膨胀速度。
07:25
used the Hubble Space Telescope to measure
how fast the universe is expanding.
how fast the universe is expanding.
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07:31
We can now trace back to 14 billion years.
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我们现在可以追溯回140亿年前了。
07:35
We've learned over time
that stars have individual histories;
that stars have individual histories;
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随着研究的进展我们也看到了恒星们的历史。
07:40
that is, they have birth,
they have middle ages
they have middle ages
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它们有出生之时，它们有中年之境，
07:43
and some of them
even have dramatic deaths.
even have dramatic deaths.
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甚至它们中的一些还有如戏剧般的死亡。
07:45
So the embers from those stars actually
then form the new stars that we see,
then form the new stars that we see,
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而这些死去的恒星留下的余烬
也形成了我们现在看到的新恒星，
也形成了我们现在看到的新恒星，
07:51
most of which turn out to have
planets going around them.
planets going around them.
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它们中的大多数也都有绕其而转的行星。
过去20年里，最令人惊讶的成果之一
07:56
And one of the really surprising results
in the last 20 years
in the last 20 years
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就是其他恒星系中绕日行星的发现。
08:00
has the been the discovery
of other planets going around other stars.
of other planets going around other stars.
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它们被称为外星行星。
08:04
These are called exoplanets.
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一直到1995年，
我们才知道除了我们太阳系以外，
我们才知道除了我们太阳系以外，
08:06
And until 1995, we didn't even know
the existence of any other planets,
the existence of any other planets,
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08:11
other than going around our own sun.
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还有其他行星的存在。
08:14
But now, there are almost 2,000
other planets orbiting other stars
other planets orbiting other stars
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而现在，有将近两千颗外星行星
被我们找到，还测量出了它们的质量。
08:20
that we can now detect,
measure masses for.
measure masses for.
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08:23
There are 500 of those
that are multiple-planet systems.
that are multiple-planet systems.
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其中有500颗还是多行星系统。
08:27
And there are 4,000 --
and still counting -- other candidates
and still counting -- other candidates
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有待确定的外星行星还有四千多颗，
08:31
for planets orbiting other stars.
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并且数目还在增长。
08:33
They come in a brooling variety
of different kinds.
of different kinds.
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它们的种类繁多。
有些炽热的行星有木星那么大，
08:37
There are Jupiter-like
planets that are hot,
planets that are hot,
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08:40
there are other planets that are icy,
there are water worlds
there are water worlds
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有一些就像冰球，有一些行星充满了水，
08:44
and there are rocky planets
like the Earth, so-called "super-Earths,"
like the Earth, so-called "super-Earths,"
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有一些岩态行星如地球一样，如所谓的“超级地球”，
08:48
and there have even been planets
that have been speculated diamond worlds.
that have been speculated diamond worlds.
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还有一些被推测为钻石世界的行星。
08:53
So we know there's at least one planet,
our own Earth, in which there is life.
our own Earth, in which there is life.
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所以我们认识到至少会有一个
像我们地球一样的行星，存在着生命。
像我们地球一样的行星，存在着生命。
08:58
We've even found planets
that are orbiting two stars.
that are orbiting two stars.
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我们甚至发现了绕着两个恒星公转的行星。
09:02
That's no longer the province
of science fiction.
of science fiction.
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它们已不再只是科幻小说的内容了。
接着回到我们地球，这里有着生命，
09:07
So around our own planet,
we know there's life,
we know there's life,
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09:09
we've developed a complex life,
we now can question our own origins.
we now can question our own origins.
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也发展出了复杂的生命结构，
所以我们现在可以思考自己的起源。
所以我们现在可以思考自己的起源。
考虑到我们所有的探索发现，
铺天盖地的数据指出
铺天盖地的数据指出
09:15
And given all that we've discovered,
the overwhelming numbers now suggest
the overwhelming numbers now suggest
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09:19
that there may be millions, perhaps --
maybe even hundreds of millions --
maybe even hundreds of millions --
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可能有着近百万，甚至近亿万的行星，
09:24
of other stars that are close enough --
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它们离自己的恒星足够近，
近到拥有恰当的公转距离，
09:26
just the right distance from their stars
that they're orbiting --
that they're orbiting --
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以至于拥有了水的存在
从而也许可以支持生命的存在。
从而也许可以支持生命的存在。
09:30
to have the existence of liquid water
and maybe could potentially support life.
and maybe could potentially support life.
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09:36
So we marvel now at those odds,
the overwhelming odds,
the overwhelming odds,
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所以我们感到惊诧，
惊诧这些惊人的奇迹，
惊诧这些惊人的奇迹，
09:40
and the amazing thing
is that within the next decade,
is that within the next decade,
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同时令人惊诧的是在未来十年里，
09:43
the GMT may be able to take spectra
of the atmospheres of those planets,
of the atmospheres of those planets,
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GMT或能够拍到这些行星大气表面的光谱，
09:48
and determine whether or not
they have the potential for life.
they have the potential for life.
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从而确定他们是否有潜在的生命。
09:53
So, what is the GMT project?
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那么，什么是GMT项目呢？
09:55
It's an international project.
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这是一个国际项目工程。
09:57
It includes Australia, South Korea,
and I'm happy to say, being here in Rio,
and I'm happy to say, being here in Rio,
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参与的国家有澳大利亚，
韩国，并且在这里，在里约，
韩国，并且在这里，在里约，
我很高兴向大家介绍我们的新成员是巴西
10:03
that the newest partner
in our telescope is Brazil.
in our telescope is Brazil.
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10:06
(Applause)
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（欢呼、掌声）
10:11
It also includes a number of institutions
across the United States,
across the United States,
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参与项目的还有一些美国的机构，
包括有哈佛大学、
10:16
including Harvard University,
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史密森学会和卡内基学院、
10:19
the Smithsonian
and the Carnegie Institutions,
and the Carnegie Institutions,
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10:22
and the Universities of Arizona, Chicago,
Texas-Austin and Texas A&M University.
Texas-Austin and Texas A&M University.
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还有亚利桑那州大学、芝加哥大学、
德州大学奥斯丁分校和德州农工大学。
德州大学奥斯丁分校和德州农工大学。
10:29
It also involves Chile.
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智利同时也参与其中。
10:32
So, the making of the mirrors
in this telescope is also fascinating
in this telescope is also fascinating
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而望远镜的镜片制造本身
就很令人着迷。
10:35
in its own right.
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10:37
Take chunks of glass, melt them
in a furnace that is itself rotating.
in a furnace that is itself rotating.
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取一大块的玻璃，
置于一个旋转着的熔炉中熔融。
置于一个旋转着的熔炉中熔融。
10:42
This happens underneath
the football stadium
the football stadium
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这是在一个橄榄球球场之下进行的，
10:44
at the University of Arizona.
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亚利桑那州大学球场。
10:46
It's tucked away under 52,000 seats.
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它隐藏在五万两千张椅子之下，
10:49
Nobody know it's happening.
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没人知道它的存在。
10:51
And there's essentially
a rotating cauldron.
a rotating cauldron.
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那本来就有一个旋转式大锅。
10:55
The mirrors are cast
and they're cooled very slowly,
and they're cooled very slowly,
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镜片被浇铸并缓慢冷却，
然后极其精细地打磨。
10:58
and then they're polished
to an exquisite precision.
to an exquisite precision.
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你可以想象一下镜子的打磨程度，
11:01
And so, if you think
about the precision of these mirrors,
about the precision of these mirrors,
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整个直径27英尺的镜子，
11:04
the bumps on the mirror,
over the entire 27 feet,
over the entire 27 feet,
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隆起总计不超过百万分之一英寸。
11:09
amount to less
than one-millionth of an inch.
than one-millionth of an inch.
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所以，你能想象到么那个样子么？
11:13
So, can you visualize that?
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11:15
Ow!
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噢！（拔了根头发）
11:16
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
11:17
That's one five-thousandths
of the width of one of my hairs,
of the width of one of my hairs,
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看我的头发，在27英尺的镜片上
它只有我的头发粗细的千分之五。
11:23
over this entire 27 feet.
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11:26
It's a spectacular achievement.
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这是个惊人的成果。
11:27
It's what allows us to have
the precision that we will have.
the precision that we will have.
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它让我们得以获得我们想要的精度。
11:32
So, what does that precision buy us?
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那么，这样的精度会给我们带来什么呢？
用GMT的话，你们可以想象一下，
11:35
So the GMT, if you can imagine --
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11:38
if I were to hold up a coin,
which I just happen to have,
which I just happen to have,
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如果我举起这枚我刚才碰巧得到的硬币，
我从这个距离看它上面的人脸，我可以看清
11:43
and I look at the face of that coin,
I can see from here
I can see from here
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11:48
the writing on the coin;
I can see the face on that coin.
I can see the face on that coin.
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上面的文字以及肖像。
11:52
My guess that even in the front row,
you can't see that.
you can't see that.
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但我猜即使坐在前排，你们也无法看清这些。
11:55
But if we were to turn
the Giant Magellan Telescope,
the Giant Magellan Telescope,
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但如果我用GMT来看的话，
11:58
all 80-feet diameter
that we see in this auditorium,
that we see in this auditorium,
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我们在这会堂里用直径80英尺的GMT，
12:01
and point it 200 miles away,
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把它对准200英里以外，
12:05
if I were standing in São Paulo,
we could resolve the face of this coin.
we could resolve the face of this coin.
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如果我站在圣保罗，
大家也依旧可以看清这枚硬币。
大家也依旧可以看清这枚硬币。
12:10
That's the extraordinary resolution
and power of this telescope.
and power of this telescope.
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这就是这个望远镜极其非凡的分辨力和能力，
12:15
And if we were --
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如果…如果…如果我们…
（掌声）
12:18
(Applause)
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12:22
If an astronaut went up to the Moon,
a quarter of a million miles away,
a quarter of a million miles away,
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如果一个宇航员去到月球，
离这里25万英里开外，
离这里25万英里开外，
然后点起一根蜡烛，就单独一根蜡烛，
12:27
and lit a candle -- a single candle --
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12:29
then we would be able
to detect it, using the GMT.
to detect it, using the GMT.
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我们用GMT也能够发现它。
12:33
Quite extraordinary.
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极其非凡的能力。
12:37
This is a simulated image
of a cluster in a nearby galaxy.
of a cluster in a nearby galaxy.
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这有一张图，
这是一个临近星系的一个星团的模拟图像，
这是一个临近星系的一个星团的模拟图像，
12:43
"Nearby" is astronomical,
it's all relative.
it's all relative.
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这个“临近”是天文学概念，相对的概念。
其实这离我们有上千万光年之远。
12:45
It's tens of millions of light-years away.
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12:48
This is what this cluster would look like.
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这是这个星团的大概样子，
12:50
So look at those four bright objects,
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看这四个明亮的物体，
12:52
and now lets compare it with a camera
on the Hubble Space Telescope.
on the Hubble Space Telescope.
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现在让我们拿哈勃望远镜上的照相机
做一下对比。
做一下对比。
你可以看到模糊的细节，
一些行星都显现出来了。
一些行星都显现出来了。
12:56
You can see faint detail
that starts to come through.
that starts to come through.
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最后看这个，看这图有多动人，
这是用GMT将能看到的样子。
这是用GMT将能看到的样子。
12:59
And now finally -- and look how dramatic
this is -- this is what the GMT will see.
this is -- this is what the GMT will see.
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再注意看那几个亮点。
13:05
So, keep your eyes on those
bright images again.
bright images again.
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这张是用现有的地球上
最强大的望远镜看到的，
最强大的望远镜看到的，
13:08
This is what we see on one of the most
powerful existing telescopes on the Earth,
powerful existing telescopes on the Earth,
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然后，这是GMT将能看到的。
13:12
and this, again, what the GMT will see.
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13:16
Extraordinary precision.
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及其非凡的精准度。
那么，我们进行到哪一步了呢？
13:18
So, where are we?
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13:20
We have now leveled the top
of the mountaintop in Chile.
of the mountaintop in Chile.
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我们现在已经把智利的山顶弄平了，
13:23
We blasted that off.
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我们炸平了它。
13:25
We've tested and polished
the first mirror.
the first mirror.
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我们已经调式并抛光好了第一面镜片。
13:28
We've cast the second
and the third mirrors.
and the third mirrors.
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我们已经浇铸好了第二和第三面镜片。
13:30
And we're about to cast the fourth mirror.
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然后我们即将开始浇铸第四面镜片。
13:32
We had a series of reviews this year,
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今年我们做了一系列的审核，
13:34
international panels
that came in and reviewed us,
that came in and reviewed us,
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国际座谈小组也已经来过并审核通过了我们，
13:37
and said, "You're ready
to go to construction."
to go to construction."
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他们说：“你们已经能够开始建造工作了。”
13:39
And so we plan on building this telescope
with the first four mirrors.
with the first four mirrors.
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所以我们在计划用前四面镜片
建造起这个望远镜。
建造起这个望远镜。
13:43
We want to get on the air quickly,
and be taking science data --
and be taking science data --
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我们想尽早完工以能够开始搜集科学数据，
即我们天文学家所谓的“第一束光”，
预计在2021年实现。
预计在2021年实现。
13:47
what we astronomers call
"first light," in 2121.
"first light," in 2121.
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13:53
And the full telescope will be finished
in the middle of the next decade,
in the middle of the next decade,
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整个望远镜的组建将在十年的中期完工，
13:56
with all seven mirrors.
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七面镜片将悉数完工。
我们平复一下看回到遥远的宇宙去，
13:58
So we're now poised to look back
at the distant universe,
at the distant universe,
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看看宇宙之初。
14:02
the cosmic dawn.
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14:03
We'll be able to study other planets
in exquisite detail.
in exquisite detail.
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我们将能够很详尽地研究其他的行星。
但对我而言，
最令人激动的关于建造GMT的事情之一，
最令人激动的关于建造GMT的事情之一，
14:08
But for me, one of the most
exciting things about building the GMT
exciting things about building the GMT
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莫过于探索事物的机会，
14:12
is the opportunity
to actually discover something
to actually discover something
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14:15
that we don't know about --
that we can't even imagine at this point,
that we can't even imagine at this point,
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探索那些我们不知道的，
甚至我们根本无法想象的东西，
甚至我们根本无法想象的东西，
那些全新的世界。
14:18
something completely new.
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14:20
And my hope is that with the construction
of this and other facilities,
of this and other facilities,
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而我的希望是通过这些望远镜等设备的帮助，
年轻人们可以受到鼓舞而去探索那些星星。
14:24
that many young women and men
will be inspired to reach for the stars.
will be inspired to reach for the stars.
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14:30
Thank you very much.
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十分感谢。
14:31
Obrigado.
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谢谢！（葡萄牙语）
14:32
(Applause)
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（掌声）
Bruno Giussani: 谢谢你，Wendy！
14:38
Bruno Giussani: Thank you, Wendy.
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稍等一下，我有一些问题想请教你。
14:40
Stay with me, because
I have a question for you.
I have a question for you.
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你提到了那些不同的设施。
14:42
You mentioned different facilities.
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14:45
So the Magellan Telescope is going up,
but also ALMA and others in Chile
but also ALMA and others in Chile
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所以说麦哲伦望远镜正在阿尔玛、智利、
以及夏威夷等地方建造着。
14:49
and elsewhere, including in Hawaii.
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它们会涉及合作、互补、或者竞争吗？
14:52
Is it about cooperation
and complementarity, or about competition?
and complementarity, or about competition?
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14:56
I know there's competition in terms
of funding, but what about the science?
of funding, but what about the science?
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我知道有关于经费的竞争，
那关于科学方面的内容呢？
那关于科学方面的内容呢？
Wendy Freedman: 关于科学方面，
他们是完全互补互助的。
他们是完全互补互助的。
15:00
Wendy Freedman: In terms of the science,
they're very complementary.
they're very complementary.
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不论是空间望远镜、接地望远镜、
15:03
The telescopes that are in space,
the telescopes on the ground,
the telescopes on the ground,
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探测不同波长的望远镜、
15:06
telescopes with different
wavelength capability,
wavelength capability,
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15:09
telescopes even that are similar,
but different instruments --
but different instruments --
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以及相似但却有不同设备的望远镜，
15:12
they will all look at different parts
of the questions that we're asking.
of the questions that we're asking.
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它们能够从不同的角度探究我们共同的问题
所以当我们探索其他行星的时候，
我们就能够检验不同的观察报告，
我们就能够检验不同的观察报告，
15:16
So when we discover other planets,
we'll be able to test those observations,
we'll be able to test those observations,
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15:19
we'll be able to measure the atmospheres,
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我们将能够测量大气状况、
能够在观测太空时得到很高的分辨率。
15:21
be able to look in space
with very high resolution.
with very high resolution.
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所以说，他们是完全互补互助的。
15:24
So, they're very complementary.
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15:26
You're right about
the funding, we compete;
the funding, we compete;
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关于资金方面，你说的对，我们有竞争，
15:28
but scientifically,
it's very complementary.
it's very complementary.
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但从科学方面讲，却是完全互补的。
15:31
BG: Wendy, thank you very much
for coming to TEDGlobal.
for coming to TEDGlobal.
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Bruno Giussani: Wendy，
十分感谢你能来 TEDGlobal。
十分感谢你能来 TEDGlobal。
Wendy Freedman: 也谢谢你们！
15:33
WF: Thank you.
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（掌声）
15:35
(Applause)
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Translated by Caroline Cai
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Wendy Freedman - AstronomerWendy Freedman led the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a massive earthbound observatory.
Why you should listen
Wendy Freedman and her colleagues raced to build the world’s first next-generation telescope. The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), in northern Chile, is one of three mega-telescopes currently under construction in the Atacama desert region (The others are the ALMA and the European Extremely Large Telescope, E-ELT).
The GMT will have 10 times more resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope. When it is finished, Freedman could be among those who answer one of astronomy’s greatest riddles: are there any other Earth-like planets out there? No stranger to big questions, Freedman and her colleagues at the Carnegie Observatories are also refining the measurement of the Hubble Constant, which could change our understanding of the speed of our expanding universe.
More profile about the speakerThe GMT will have 10 times more resolution than the Hubble Space Telescope. When it is finished, Freedman could be among those who answer one of astronomy’s greatest riddles: are there any other Earth-like planets out there? No stranger to big questions, Freedman and her colleagues at the Carnegie Observatories are also refining the measurement of the Hubble Constant, which could change our understanding of the speed of our expanding universe.
Wendy Freedman | Speaker | TED.com