TED2015
Aomawa Shields: How we'll find life on other planets
奥玛娃•希尔兹: 我们如何寻找地外生命
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天文学家奥玛娃•希尔兹通过调查遥远的系外行星的大气组成，来寻找宇宙中存在其他生命的线索。在探索星空之余，这位接受过古典艺术训练的演员（同时也是TED会员），通过戏剧、写作和视觉艺术等方式吸引年轻女性参与科研。“也许有一天她们也能成为那些充满矛盾的天文学家中的一员，”她说，“运用自身所学，彻底证明我们在茫茫宇宙中并不孤独。”
Aomawa Shields - Astronomer, astrobiologist, actor, writer
Aomawa Shields studies the climate and habitability of planets outside of the Solar System. Full bio
Aomawa Shields studies the climate and habitability of planets outside of the Solar System. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I am in search of another planet
in the universe where life exists.
in the universe where life exists.
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我正在宇宙中寻找另一颗有生命的行星。
00:18
I can't see this planet
with my naked eyes
with my naked eyes
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靠肉眼肯定看不到，
00:21
or even with the most powerful telescopes
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即使借助如今最强大的望远镜
00:23
we currently possess.
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也看不到。
00:25
But I know that it's there.
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但我坚信它的存在。
00:27
And understanding contradictions
that occur in nature
that occur in nature
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了解自然界的矛盾法则，
00:31
will help us find it.
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能帮助我们找到它。
00:33
On our planet,
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在我们地球上，
00:34
where there's water, there's life.
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哪里有水，哪里就有生命。
00:36
So we look for planets that orbit
at just the right distance
at just the right distance
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因此我们将目光锁定在
那些与恒星的距离
那些与恒星的距离
00:39
from their stars.
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正合适的行星。
00:42
At this distance,
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这一距离，
00:43
shown in blue on this diagram
for stars of different temperatures,
for stars of different temperatures,
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在这张示意图中以蓝色表示，
根据恒星温度的高低而不同，
根据恒星温度的高低而不同，
00:47
planets could be warm enough
for water to flow on their surfaces
for water to flow on their surfaces
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能保证行星足够温暖,
使水保持液态，
使水保持液态，
00:50
as lakes and oceans
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形成湖泊和海洋，
00:52
where life might reside.
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就有可能孕育生命。
00:54
Some astronomers focus their time
and energy on finding planets
and energy on finding planets
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一些天文学家将时间和精力
投入到搜寻那些
投入到搜寻那些
00:58
at these distances from their stars.
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与其所围绕恒星的距离
在这一范围内的行星。
在这一范围内的行星。
01:00
What I do picks up where their job ends.
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而我的工作紧随其后。
01:03
I model the possible
climates of exoplanets.
climates of exoplanets.
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我建立这些系外行星的气候模型。
01:07
And here's why that's important:
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这项工作很重要：
01:09
there are many factors
besides distance from its star
besides distance from its star
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因为要决定行星上是否有生命存在，
01:12
that control whether
a planet can support life.
a planet can support life.
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除了与恒星的距离外，
还有许多其他因素。
还有许多其他因素。
01:16
Take the planet Venus.
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以金星为例。
01:18
It's named after the Roman goddess
of love and beauty,
of love and beauty,
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它以罗马（神话中）
爱和美之女神的名字命名，
爱和美之女神的名字命名，
01:22
because of its benign,
ethereal appearance in the sky.
ethereal appearance in the sky.
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因为它看起来如此优雅而美丽。
01:26
But spacecraft measurements
revealed a different story.
revealed a different story.
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然而宇宙飞船测量的结果
完全不是这么回事。
完全不是这么回事。
01:30
The surface temperature is close
to 900 degrees Fahrenheit,
to 900 degrees Fahrenheit,
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金星表面的温度接近900华氏度，
01:34
500 Celsius.
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也就是500摄氏度。
01:36
That's hot enough to melt lead.
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这温度足以融化铅。
01:39
Its thick atmosphere, not its distance
from the sun, is the reason.
from the sun, is the reason.
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原因并不在于它与太阳的距离，
而在于它厚厚的大气层。
而在于它厚厚的大气层。
01:42
It causes a greenhouse effect on steroids,
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金星的大气层引发的温室效应，
01:46
trapping heat from the sun
and scorching the planet's surface.
and scorching the planet's surface.
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将来自太阳的热量牢牢锁住，
将金星地表变成一片焦土。
将金星地表变成一片焦土。
01:50
The reality totally contradicted
initial perceptions of this planet.
initial perceptions of this planet.
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这与我们之前对金星的想象
完全不一样。
完全不一样。
01:55
From these lessons
from our own solar system,
from our own solar system,
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我们太阳系的这个例子告诉我们，
01:58
we've learned that a planet's atmosphere
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行星的大气层
02:00
is crucial to its climate
and potential to host life.
and potential to host life.
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对于其气候特点和
能否孕育生命至关重要。
能否孕育生命至关重要。
02:04
We don't know what the atmospheres
of these planets are like
of these planets are like
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我们无法了解那些（可能孕育生命的）
行星的大气情况，
行星的大气情况，
02:07
because the planets are so small
and dim compared to their stars
and dim compared to their stars
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因为跟它们围绕的恒星相比，
它们又小又暗，
它们又小又暗，
02:12
and so far away from us.
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而且离我们非常遥远。
02:14
For example, one of the closest planets
that could support surface water --
that could support surface water --
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比如，离我们最近的，
可能有液态水存在的行星之一，
可能有液态水存在的行星之一，
02:18
it's called Gliese 667 Cc --
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叫做“格利泽667Cc”——
02:22
such a glamorous name, right,
nice phone number for a name --
nice phone number for a name --
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多美的名字啊，对吧，
做电话号码应该不错——
做电话号码应该不错——
02:26
it's 23 light years away.
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离我们23光年。
02:29
So that's more than 100 trillion miles.
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也就是超过100万亿英里。
02:32
Trying to measure
the atmospheric composition
the atmospheric composition
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想要在一颗系外行星
从它的主恒星前经过时，
从它的主恒星前经过时，
02:35
of an exoplanet passing
in front of its host star is hard.
in front of its host star is hard.
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测量它的大气成分太难了。
02:39
It's like trying to see a fruit fly
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就好比要看清一只
02:41
passing in front of a car's headlight.
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从车头灯前飞过的果蝇一样。
02:44
OK, now imagine that car
is 100 trillion miles away,
is 100 trillion miles away,
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而且，这辆车还远在100万亿英里之外，
02:47
and you want to know
the precise color of that fly.
the precise color of that fly.
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你还想看清这只果蝇的颜色。
02:52
So I use computer models
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因此我用计算机建模，
02:54
to calculate the kind of atmosphere
a planet would need
a planet would need
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来计算一颗行星要形成
适宜水和生命存在的气候，
适宜水和生命存在的气候，
02:57
to have a suitable climate
for water and life.
for water and life.
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需要何种大气类型。
03:01
Here's an artist's concept
of the planet Kepler-62f,
of the planet Kepler-62f,
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这是一张“开普勒62f”行星的概念图，
03:05
with the Earth for reference.
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旁边是用来做对比的地球。
03:07
It's 1,200 light years away,
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它距离我们1200光年，
03:09
and just 40 percent larger than Earth.
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体积只比地球大40%。
03:12
Our NSF-funded work found that it
could be warm enough for open water
could be warm enough for open water
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我们的研究——由国家科学基金会资助——
发现它温度适宜，可能存在液态水，
发现它温度适宜，可能存在液态水，
03:16
from many types of atmospheres
and orientations of its orbit.
and orientations of its orbit.
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它的大气拥有多种成分，
还有它的公转轨道（都可能证明这一点）。
还有它的公转轨道（都可能证明这一点）。
03:20
So I'd like future telescopes
to follow up on this planet
to follow up on this planet
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因此我希望未来的望远镜
能继续观测这颗行星，
能继续观测这颗行星，
03:23
to look for signs of life.
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寻找生命存在的迹象。
03:26
Ice on a planet's surface
is also important for climate.
is also important for climate.
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行星表面的冰层对于气候同样重要。
03:29
Ice absorbs longer,
redder wavelengths of light,
redder wavelengths of light,
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冰能吸收波长较长、更靠近红端的光，
03:33
and reflects shorter, bluer light.
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反射波长较短、更靠近蓝端的光。
03:35
That's why the iceberg
in this photo looks so blue.
in this photo looks so blue.
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这就是为什么这张照片里的
冰山看起来这么蓝。
冰山看起来这么蓝。
03:39
The redder light from the sun
is absorbed on its way through the ice.
is absorbed on its way through the ice.
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阳光里偏红的光在穿过冰层时被吸收。
03:42
Only the blue light
makes it all the way to the bottom.
makes it all the way to the bottom.
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只有蓝色的光一路走到底。
03:45
Then it gets reflected
back to up to our eyes
back to up to our eyes
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然后反射到我们的眼睛里，
03:48
and we see blue ice.
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我们就看到了蓝色的冰。
03:50
My models show that planets
orbiting cooler stars
orbiting cooler stars
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我的模型显示，恒星温度越低，
其行星反而更温暖，
其行星反而更温暖，
03:53
could actually be warmer
than planets orbiting hotter stars.
than planets orbiting hotter stars.
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恒星温度越高，
其行星反而更寒冷。
其行星反而更寒冷。
03:56
There's another contradiction --
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这又是一个矛盾之处——
03:58
that ice absorbs the longer
wavelength light from cooler stars,
wavelength light from cooler stars,
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冰层吸收来自温度较低恒星
发出的波长较长的光，
发出的波长较长的光，
04:02
and that light, that energy,
heats the ice.
heats the ice.
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而这些光，这些能量，又加热了冰层。
04:06
Using climate models to explore
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运用气候模型
04:09
how these contradictions
can affect planetary climate
can affect planetary climate
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来研究这些矛盾，
看它们如何影响行星的气候，
看它们如何影响行星的气候，
04:12
is vital to the search for life elsewhere.
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对于寻找地外生命至关重要。
04:16
And it's no surprise
that this is my specialty.
that this is my specialty.
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而我命中注定要从事这个行业。
04:19
I'm an African-American female astronomer
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我是一名非裔美籍女天文学家，
04:22
and a classically trained actor
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也是受过古典艺术训练的演员，
04:24
who loves to wear makeup
and read fashion magazines,
and read fashion magazines,
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我喜欢化妆，喜欢时尚杂志，
04:28
so I am uniquely positioned to appreciate
contradictions in nature --
contradictions in nature --
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所以上帝派我来理解这些矛盾——
04:33
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
04:34
(Applause)
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（掌声）
04:38
... and how they can inform our search
for the next planet where life exists.
for the next planet where life exists.
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并利用它们来寻找
下一个有生命的行星。
下一个有生命的行星。
04:42
My organization, Rising Stargirls,
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我成立的“新星女孩”组织，
04:45
teaches astronomy
to middle-school girls of color,
to middle-school girls of color,
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通过戏剧、写作和视觉艺术的方式，
04:48
using theater, writing and visual art.
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向非白人女中学生传授天文学知识。
04:52
That's another contradiction --
science and art don't often go together,
science and art don't often go together,
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这也是一对矛盾——
科技和艺术看起来不同路，
科技和艺术看起来不同路，
04:56
but interweaving them can help
these girls bring their whole selves
these girls bring their whole selves
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但两者的交融可以
帮助这些姑娘们实现自我，
帮助这些姑娘们实现自我，
05:00
to what they learn,
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学有所成，
05:01
and maybe one day join
the ranks of astronomers
the ranks of astronomers
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也许有一天她们也能成为
那些充满矛盾的
那些充满矛盾的
05:05
who are full of contradictions,
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天文学家中的一员，
05:06
and use their backgrounds
to discover, once and for all,
to discover, once and for all,
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运用自身所学，彻底证明
05:10
that we are truly not alone
in the universe.
in the universe.
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我们在茫茫宇宙中并不孤独。
谢谢大家。
05:14
Thank you.
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05:15
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aomawa Shields - Astronomer, astrobiologist, actor, writerAomawa Shields studies the climate and habitability of planets outside of the Solar System.
Why you should listen
Dr. Aomawa Shields received her PhD in Astronomy and Astrobiology from the University of Washington in 2014. She also received an MFA in Acting from UCLA in 2001, and a Bachelor's degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences from MIT in 1997. She is currently an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow, a UC President's Postdoctoral Program Fellow, and a 2015 TED Fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Dr. Shields is the founder of Rising Stargirls, an organization dedicated to encouraging girls of all colors and backgrounds to explore and discover the universe using theater, writing, and visual art. She uses her theater and writing background to communicate science to the public in engaging, innovative ways.
Aomawa Shields | Speaker | TED.com