TED2008
Brian Cox: CERN's supercollider
Brian Cox谈CERN的超级对撞机
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“摇滚明星物理学家”Brian Cox讲述他在欧洲粒子物理实验室(CERN)关于大型强子对撞机(LHC)的工作。他用富有魅力，简单易懂的方式讨论了科学界最大的命题，并带我们游历了这一巨大的工程现场。
Brian Cox - Physicist
Physicist Brian Cox has two jobs: working with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and explaining big science to the general public. He's a professor at the University of Manchester. Full bio
Physicist Brian Cox has two jobs: working with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and explaining big science to the general public. He's a professor at the University of Manchester. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:19
This is the Large Hadron Collider.
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这就是大型强子对撞机
00:22
It's 27 kilometers in circumference.
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它周长27公里
00:24
It's the biggest scientific experiment ever attempted.
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是有史以来开展过最大的科学实验
00:27
Over 10,000 physicists and engineers
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超过10000名物理学家和工程师
00:30
from 85 countries around the world
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来自全球85个国家
00:32
have come together over several decades
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共同在几十年的时间里
00:34
to build this machine.
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建造了这部机器
00:36
What we do is we accelerate protons --
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我们用它将质子——
00:38
so, hydrogen nuclei --
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也就是氢原子核——
00:40
around 99.999999
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的运动速度加到
00:44
percent the speed of light.
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光速的99.999999%
00:46
Right? At that speed, they go around
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了解？以这种速度，他们每秒
00:48
that 27 kilometers 11,000 times a second.
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环绕27公里的轨道11000次
00:52
And we collide them with another beam of protons
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然后我们使它与另一束
00:54
going in the opposite direction.
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来自相反方向的质子相撞
00:57
We collide them inside giant detectors.
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我们使质子在巨型探测器内对撞
00:59
They're essentially digital cameras.
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探测器基本上就是数码相机
01:01
And this is the one that I work on, ATLAS.
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而这是我所任职的那台，ATLAS
01:03
You get some sense of the size --
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你可以得到些尺寸上的概念
01:05
you can just see these EU standard-size
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你可以看到这些欧洲标准尺寸
01:07
people underneath.
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的人在那下面
01:09
(Laughter)
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（笑）
01:11
You get some sense of the size: 44 meters wide,
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你能有点概念：44米长
01:14
22 meters in diameter, 7,000 tons.
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直径22米，重7000吨。
01:17
And we re-create the conditions that were present
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我们所要重塑的
01:20
less than a billionth of a second after the universe began
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是宇宙形成十亿分之一秒后的状态
01:23
up to 600 million times a second
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每秒制造大约6亿次这一状态
01:25
inside that detector -- immense numbers.
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在这个探测器内部——天文数字
01:29
And if you see those metal bits there --
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如果你看到那里的那些小金属块
01:31
those are huge magnets that bend
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它们是巨型磁铁，用于弯折
01:33
electrically charged particles,
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带电粒子
01:35
so it can measure how fast they're traveling.
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使探测器能够测算出粒子运动的速度
01:37
This is a picture about a year ago.
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这是大概一年前的照片
01:39
Those magnets are in there.
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有那些磁铁在上面
01:41
And, again, a EU standard-size, real person,
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再一次重申，有一个欧洲标准身高的人
01:43
so you get some sense of the scale.
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在那里给你一些尺寸上的概念
01:46
And it's in there that those mini-Big Bangs will be created,
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这就是那些迷你大爆炸将要被批量制造的地方
01:48
sometime in the summer this year.
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在今年夏天的时候
01:50
And actually, this morning, I got an email
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事实上，今天早晨，我收到一封邮件
01:52
saying that we've just finished, today,
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说我们今天刚刚完成
01:54
building the last piece of ATLAS.
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建造ATLAS的最后一个环节
01:56
So as of today, it's finished. I'd like to say
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就是说今天，我们竣工了。我想说
01:58
that I planned that for TED,
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这是我特意为TED安排的
02:00
but I didn't. So it's been completed as of today.
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但实际上不是。不过无论怎样，它完成了
02:03
(Applause)
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（鼓掌）
02:07
Yeah, it's a wonderful achievement.
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没错，这是项伟大的成就
02:09
So, you might be asking, "Why?
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那，你可能会问，“为什么？
02:11
Why create the conditions that were present
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为什么要制造那个
02:13
less than a billionth of a second after the universe began?"
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宇宙形成十亿分之一秒后的状态？”
02:16
Well, particle physicists are nothing if not ambitious.
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嗯，如果没有野心就当不成粒子物理学家
02:19
And the aim of particle physics is to understand
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而粒子物理学的目标就是要了解
02:22
what everything's made of, and how everything sticks together.
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所有一切是从何而来，又如何组建
02:25
And by everything I mean, of course,
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当然，所谓“一切”，我的意思是
02:27
me and you, the Earth, the Sun,
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我和你，地球，太阳
02:30
the 100 billion suns in our galaxy
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我们银河系中的几千亿个太阳
02:33
and the 100 billion galaxies
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和存在在可观测的宇宙中
02:35
in the observable universe.
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的那几千亿个银河系
02:37
Absolutely everything.
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绝对是一切事物
02:39
Now you might say, "Well, OK, but why not just look at it?
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现在你可能会说，“那，好吧，但是干嘛不直接观察它？
02:41
You know? If you want to know what I'm made of, let's look at me."
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明白么？如果你想知道我是拿什么做的，那我们就来看看我。“
02:44
Well, we found that as you look back in time,
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嗯，我们发现，当你回溯时间，
02:47
the universe gets hotter and hotter,
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宇宙会越来越热
02:50
denser and denser, and simpler and simpler.
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越来越致密，越来越单一
02:53
Now, there's no real reason I'm aware of for that,
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现今为止我不能告诉你我为什么知道这个
02:55
but that seems to be the case.
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不过事实貌似就是如此
02:58
So, way back in the early times of the universe,
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所以，回到宇宙形成初期
03:00
we believe it was very simple and understandable.
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我们认为它是非常简单易懂的
03:03
All this complexity, all the way to these wonderful things --
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所有繁复的衍生，所有这些美妙的事物——
03:06
human brains -- are a property of an old
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包括人脑——都是
03:08
and cold and complicated universe.
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一个古老，苍凉而又精密的宇宙的产物
03:11
Back at the start, in the first billionth of a second,
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在宇宙的起点，第一个十亿分之一秒
03:14
we believe, or we've observed, it was very simple.
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我们相信，或者我们发现，它是非常纯粹的
03:16
It's almost like ...
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这就好像
03:18
imagine a snowflake in your hand,
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想象你手里有一片雪花
03:20
and you look at it, and it's an incredibly complicated,
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当你观察它，会发现它是如此精致
03:23
beautiful object. But as you heat it up,
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如此美丽的事物。但当你散发出热量
03:26
it'll melt into a pool of water,
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它就会融化成一小滩水
03:29
and you would be able to see that, actually, it was just made
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这时你就能看到其实它不过是
03:31
of H20, water.
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H2O，水形成的
03:34
So it's in that same sense that we look back in time
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同样道理可以解释为什么我们从初始状态
03:36
to understand what the universe is made of.
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开始认知宇宙的形成
03:39
And, as of today, it's made of these things.
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如今我们发现，它由这些形成
03:42
Just 12 particles of matter,
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12种物质微粒
03:44
stuck together by four forces of nature.
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在4种自然力的作用下结合在一起
03:48
The quarks, these pink things, are the things that make up protons and neutrons
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夸克，这些粉色的东西，是构成质子和中子的粒子
03:51
that make up the atomic nuclei in your body.
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质子和中子组成你身体里的原子核
03:54
The electron -- the thing that goes around
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电子——那个绕着
03:56
the atomic nucleus --
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原子核运动的东西——
03:58
held around in orbit, by the way, by the electromagnetic force
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被制约在一个由电磁力控制的轨道上
04:01
that's carried by this thing, the photon.
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而电磁力由这个东西携带，光子
04:03
The quarks are stuck together by other things called gluons.
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将夸克结合在一起的东西叫做胶子
04:06
And these guys, here, they're the weak nuclear force,
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然后是这些家伙，这儿，他们是弱核力
04:08
probably the least familiar.
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大概是最不为人所知的
04:10
But, without it, the sun wouldn't shine.
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但是如果没有它们太阳就不会发光
04:12
And when the sun shines, you get copious quantities
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当太阳发光的时候，大量的
04:14
of these things, called neutrinos, pouring out.
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中微子被放射出来
04:17
Actually, if you just look at your thumbnail --
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事实上，如果你看向你的指甲——
04:20
about a square centimeter --
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大概一平方厘米的面积——那儿大概有
04:23
there are something like 60 billion neutrinos per second
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每秒大概有600亿个中微子
04:26
from the sun, passing
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来自太阳，穿过
04:28
through every square centimeter of your body.
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你身上的每一个平方厘米
04:30
But you don't feel them, because the weak force
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但是你感觉不到他们，因为
04:32
is correctly named --
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弱力这个名字不是白起的
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very short range and very weak,
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非常短暂非常微弱
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so they just fly through you.
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所以它们可以直接穿过你
04:38
And these particles have been discovered
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这些粒子被发现的过程
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over the last century, pretty much.
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几乎持续了上世纪整整一世纪
04:42
The first one, the electron, was discovered in 1897,
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第一个，电子，是1897年被发现的
04:44
and the last one, this thing called the tau neutrino,
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然而最后一个，这个叫做陶子微中子的东西
04:47
in the year 2000. Actually just --
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是2000年被发现的。其实——
04:49
I was going to say, just up the road in Chicago. I know it's a big country,
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我刚才想说，就是在马路那头的芝加哥，但是我反应过来了
04:52
America, isn't it?
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美国超大的，是吧？
04:55
Just up the road.
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就在马路那头
04:58
Relative to the universe, it's just up the road.
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相对宇宙来说就在马路那头
05:01
(Laughter)
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（笑）
05:03
So, this thing was discovered in the year 2000,
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所以，这整套东西是2000年被完整发现的
05:05
so it's a relatively recent picture.
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可以说是一个非常年轻的成就
05:08
One of the wonderful things, actually, I find,
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我发现这之中一个非常美妙的事
05:10
is that we've discovered any of them, when you realize how tiny they are.
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实际上是，无论发现任何一个都是一样，当你意识到它们竟是如此的微小
05:13
You know, they're a step in size
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就好像，它们的数量级
05:15
from the entire observable universe.
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基本等同于整个可观测的宇宙的数量级
05:17
So, 100 billion galaxies,
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就是说，1000亿个银河系
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13.7 billion light years away --
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137亿光年的距离——
05:22
a step in size from that to Monterey, actually,
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和康乐区（加州一小镇）相比的数量级差
05:25
is about the same as from Monterey to these things.
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实际上就差不多是康乐区和这些小东西相比的数量级差
05:28
Absolutely, exquisitely minute,
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完全的，极致的微小
05:31
and yet we've discovered pretty much the full set.
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但我们几乎还是全部发现了它们
05:35
So, one of my most illustrious forebears
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嗯，我有一个著名的前辈
05:38
at Manchester University, Ernest Rutherford,
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在曼彻斯特大学，鄂尼斯特，拉特福德
05:40
discoverer of the atomic nucleus,
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原子核的发现者
05:42
once said, "All science is either physics
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曾经说：所有的科学不是物理
05:44
or stamp collecting."
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就是集邮
05:46
Now, I don't think he meant to insult
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呃，我不认为他是故意羞辱
05:49
the rest of science,
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其它的科学
05:51
although he was from New Zealand, so it's possible.
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不过他是新西兰人，所以也说不准
05:54
(Laughter)
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（笑）
05:56
But what he meant was that what we've done, really,
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但是他的意思其实是，我们所做的一切
05:58
is stamp collect there.
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其实就是在集邮——
06:00
OK, we've discovered the particles,
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好，我们发现了这些粒子
06:02
but unless you understand the underlying
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但是除非你明白了这背后
06:04
reason for that pattern -- you know, why it's built the way it is --
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这现象的原理——就是，为什么它们如此集结——
06:07
really you've done stamp collecting. You haven't done science.
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那你所做的就是集邮——你没有把它总结成科学
06:10
Fortunately, we have
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幸运的是，我们总结出来了
06:12
probably one of the greatest scientific achievements of the twentieth century
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可能是20世纪最伟大的科学成就之一
06:15
that underpins that pattern.
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这现象背后的理论
06:17
It's the Newton's laws, if you want,
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如果你愿意，可以把它想成
06:19
of particle physics.
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粒子物理界的牛顿定律
06:21
It's called the standard model -- beautifully simple mathematical equation.
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它叫做”标准模型“——漂亮简单的数学等式
06:24
You could stick it on the front of a T-shirt,
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你可以把它贴在T恤胸前
06:26
which is always the sign of elegance.
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显示你是一个文化人
06:29
This is it.
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这就是它
06:31
(Laughter)
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（笑）
06:33
I've been a little disingenuous, because I've expanded it out
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我有点不老实，因为我把它展开了
06:35
in all its gory detail.
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所有血淋淋的细节
06:37
This equation, though, allows you to calculate everything --
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不过这个等式，允许你计算任何事——
06:39
other than gravity -- that happens in the universe.
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除了引力——只要是在这个宇宙里的
06:42
So, you want to know why the sky is blue, why atomic nuclei stick together --
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假设你想知道为什么天是蓝的，为什么原子核结合在一起——
06:45
in principle, you've got a big enough computer --
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理论上来说，如果你有一台足够强大的电脑——
06:47
why DNA is the shape it is.
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为什么DNA是这样的
06:49
In principle, you should be able to calculate it from that equation.
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原则上讲，你应该可以通过这个等式计算出来
06:52
But there's a problem.
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但是这有一个问题
06:55
Can anyone see what it is?
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谁能看出来是什么？
06:59
A bottle of champagne for anyone that tells me.
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谁告诉我问题在哪奖一瓶香槟
07:02
I'll make it easier, actually, by blowing one of the lines up.
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我把难度降低点儿吧， 把其中的一行放大
07:05
Basically, each of these terms
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基本上，这上面每一个参数
07:07
refers to some of the particles.
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都代表一个粒子
07:09
So those Ws there refer to the Ws, and how they stick together.
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就是说，那些W就代表弱力，还有粒子是如何结合的
07:12
These carriers of the weak force, the Zs, the same.
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同样道理这些Z代表弱力的携带者
07:15
But there's an extra symbol in this equation: H.
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但是这个等式里多了一个符号，H
07:17
Right, H.
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对，H
07:19
H stands for Higgs particle.
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H代表希格斯介子
07:21
Higgs particles have not been discovered.
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我们还没发现希格斯介子
07:24
But they're necessary: they're necessary
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但是它们是必要的——
07:26
to make that mathematics work.
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没有它们等式就无法成立
07:28
So all the exquisitely detailed calculations we can do
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所以，所有理论上用这个美妙等式
07:30
with that wonderful equation
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所能做出的精确计算
07:32
wouldn't be possible without an extra bit.
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都不能缺少这关键的一点
07:34
So it's a prediction:
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所以这是个推论
07:36
a prediction of a new particle.
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对一个新粒子的预测
07:38
What does it do?
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它是干什么的？
07:40
Well, we had a long time to come up with good analogies.
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嗯，我们花了很长时间去想拿什么跟它类比才合适
07:42
And back in the 1980s, when we wanted the money
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上世纪80年代，当时我们想向英国政府
07:45
for the LHC from the U.K. government,
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申请资金继续在LHC的工作
07:47
Margaret Thatcher, at the time, said,
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撒切尔夫人，当时她当政，跟我们说
07:49
"If you guys can explain, in language
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“如果你们能用
07:51
a politician can understand,
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政治家听的懂的语言解释清楚
07:53
what the hell it is that you're doing, you can have the money.
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你们在搞什么鬼东西，我就拨给你们钱，
07:56
I want to know what this Higgs particle does."
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我想知道这个希格斯介子是干嘛的。”
07:58
And we came up with this analogy, and it seemed to work.
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于是我们想出了这个比较合适的类比
08:00
Well, what the Higgs does is, it gives mass to the fundamental particles.
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这样，希格斯介子是干嘛的呢？它给予基本粒子质量
08:03
And the picture is that the whole universe --
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也就是说整个宇宙——
08:05
and that doesn't mean just space, it means me as well, and inside you --
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不光是太空，也包括我，还有你——
08:08
the whole universe is full of something called a Higgs field.
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整个宇宙都充斥着这种叫做希格斯场的东西
08:11
Higgs particles, if you will.
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希格斯介子，如果你绕不过来
08:13
The analogy is that these people in a room
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这个比方是这样的：这些在屋子里的人
08:15
are the Higgs particles.
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他们就是希格斯介子
08:17
Now when a particle moves through the universe,
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当一个粒子穿过宇宙
08:19
it can interact with these Higgs particles.
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它就会与希格斯介子发生联系
08:22
But imagine someone who's not very popular moves through the room.
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但是假设一个不怎么受欢迎的人穿过这个房间
08:25
Then everyone ignores them. They can just pass through the room very quickly,
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那样所有人都会无视他。它们（粒子）就能很快的穿过空间
08:28
essentially at the speed of light. They're massless.
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基本以光速穿过。它们没有质量
08:31
And imagine someone incredibly important
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但是如果是一个无比重要
08:33
and popular and intelligent
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人气爆高智慧超群的人
08:35
walks into the room.
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穿过这个房间
08:38
They're surrounded by people, and their passage through the room is impeded.
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她就会被人们团团围住，前进的路也障碍重重
08:41
It's almost like they get heavy. They get massive.
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就好像它们（粒子）变沉重了，变大了
08:44
And that's exactly the way the Higgs mechanism works.
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这就是希格斯介子的工作机制
08:47
The picture is that the electrons and the quarks
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也就是说电子和夸克
08:49
in your body and in the universe that we see around us
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这些组成我们和我们可见的宇宙的粒子
08:52
are heavy, in a sense, and massive,
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之所以重，或者在某种意义上说，大
08:54
because they're surrounded by Higgs particles.
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是因为它们被希格斯介子所包围
08:56
They're interacting with the Higgs field.
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它们与希格斯场产生联系
08:59
If that picture's true,
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如果这推论是真的
09:01
then we have to discover those Higgs particles at the LHC.
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那么我们就必须在LHC发现这些希格斯介子
09:05
If it's not true -- because it's quite a convoluted mechanism,
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如果不是——因为这是一个非常繁复的机制
09:07
although it's the simplest we've been able to think of --
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虽然它已经是我们能想到的最简单的一个——
09:10
then whatever does the job of the Higgs particles
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那无论这个担任希格斯介子角色的东西是什么
09:12
we know have to turn up
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我们知道它都会
09:14
at the LHC.
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出现在LHC
09:16
So, that's one of the prime reasons we built this giant machine.
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这就是我们建造这个庞然大物的主要原因之一
09:19
I'm glad you recognize Margaret Thatcher.
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你们能认出撒切尔太好了
09:21
Actually, I thought about making it more culturally relevant, but --
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真的，我还想我应该找个更具文化共通性的——
09:24
(Laughter)
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（笑）
09:27
anyway.
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随便啦
09:29
So that's one thing.
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所以这基本上
09:31
That's essentially a guarantee of what the LHC will find.
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是LHC一定能获得的成果之一
09:34
There are many other things. You've heard
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还有很多别的东西，你一定听说过
09:36
many of the big problems in particle physics.
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很多别的粒子物理领域中的大课题
09:38
One of them you heard about: dark matter, dark energy.
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其中你听过暗物质，暗能量
09:41
There's another issue,
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这是另外一个课题
09:43
which is that the forces in nature -- it's quite beautiful, actually --
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就是自然力——这个现象非常奇妙——
09:45
seem, as you go back in time,
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当你回到过去，就能看到
09:47
they seem to change in strength.
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它们的力度会随着时间推移而变化
09:49
Well, they do change in strength.
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对，它们真的会变
09:51
So, the electromagnetic force, the force that holds us together,
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就像电磁力，把我们结合在一起的力
09:54
gets stronger as you go to higher temperatures.
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温度越高越强
09:57
The strong force, the strong nuclear force, which sticks nuclei together,
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而强力，或者说核力，使原子核结合在一起的力
10:00
gets weaker. And what you see is the standard model --
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温度越高越弱。在这里你看到的是标准模型——
10:03
you can calculate how these change -- is the forces,
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你可以计算出这些力如何变化——
10:05
the three forces, other than gravity,
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除了引力以外的三种力——
10:07
almost seem to come together at one point.
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它们几乎相交于一点
10:09
It's almost as if there was one beautiful
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就好像那里有一种美妙的
10:11
kind of super-force, back at the beginning of time.
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超级自然力，形成于时间之始
10:14
But they just miss.
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但它们还是岔开了
10:16
Now there's a theory called super-symmetry,
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现在有一种理论叫做“超对称性理论”
10:18
which doubles the number of particles in the standard model,
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它将标准模型中的粒子数翻倍
10:21
which, at first sight, doesn't sound like a simplification.
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这乍一看不像是在简化问题
10:23
But actually, with this theory,
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但事实是，当我们这样做
10:25
we find that the forces of nature
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我们发现这三个自然力
10:27
do seem to unify together, back at the Big Bang --
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似乎真的在宇宙大爆炸的时候融为一体
10:30
absolutely beautiful prophecy. The model wasn't built to do that,
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无比完美的预言。建这个模型的时候人们没有想到
10:33
but it seems to do it.
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能够得到的如此巨大的回报
10:35
Also, those super-symmetric particles
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还有，这些超对称粒子
10:37
are very strong candidates for the dark matter.
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非常有可能就是暗物质
10:39
So a very compelling theory
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一个非常迷人的理论
10:41
that's really mainstream physics.
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这是目前的主流物理
10:43
And if I was to put money on it, I would put money on --
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如果我要给现代物理投资，我肯定投给它——
10:45
in a very unscientific way -- that
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用一个非科学的方式表达我的意思——
10:47
that these things would also crop up at the LHC.
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而这些问题的答案也会在LHC得到
10:50
Many other things that the LHC could discover.
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LHC还能发现很多其它东西
10:53
But in the last few minutes, I just want to give you
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但是在最后的几分钟里，我只想给你们
10:56
a different perspective
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提供一个不同的角度
10:58
of what I think -- what particle physics
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关于我认为粒子物理
11:00
really means to me -- particle physics and cosmology.
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到底意义何在——粒子物理和宇宙学
11:03
And that's that I think it's given us a wonderful
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这就是我认为它们给了我们一个美妙的
11:06
narrative -- almost a creation story,
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诠释——你可以把它想成
11:09
if you'd like -- about the universe,
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一个关于宇宙形成的故事——
11:11
from modern science over the last few decades.
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这诠释来自于近几十年的现代科学
11:14
And I'd say that it deserves,
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而它至少能够
11:16
in the spirit of Wade Davis' talk,
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——本着韦德讲话的精神——
11:18
to be at least put up there with these wonderful creation stories
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与那些意义深远的关于安第斯高山人和北方冰原人们
11:21
of the peoples of the high Andes and the frozen north.
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的开拓事迹相比肩
11:25
This is a creation story, I think, equally as wonderful.
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我想，这是一个同样伟大的故事
11:29
The story goes like this: we know that
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故事是这样的：我们知道
11:31
the universe began 13.7 billion years ago,
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宇宙形成于137亿年前
11:34
in an immensely hot, dense state,
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起始于一个极度高温致密的状态
11:37
much smaller than a single atom.
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体积远比一个原子更小
11:39
It began to expand about
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在大爆炸
11:41
a million, billion, billion, billion billionth
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10亿亿亿亿亿分之一秒后
11:44
of a second -- I think I got that right -- after the Big Bang.
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开始扩张——我觉得我没记错数据——
11:48
Gravity separated away from the other forces.
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引力与其它力分隔开来
11:50
The universe then underwent
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宇宙开始进入一个
11:52
an exponential expansion called inflation.
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呈指数级扩张的阶段，叫做暴涨期
11:55
In about the first billionth of a second or so,
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在大约十亿分之一秒后
11:57
the Higgs field kicked in, and the quarks
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希格斯场形成，然后夸克
11:59
and the gluons and the electrons
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胶子和电子这些基本粒子
12:02
that make us up got mass.
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获得了质量
12:04
The universe continued to expand and cool.
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宇宙继续扩展，冷却
12:07
After about a few minutes,
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大概几分钟以后
12:09
there was hydrogen and helium in the universe. That's all.
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氢和氦出现在宇宙中。就是这样
12:12
The universe was about 75 percent hydrogen,
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宇宙由75%的氢和
12:15
25 percent helium. It still is today.
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25%的氦形成，直到今天仍是这样
12:18
It continued to expand
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它继续扩张了大约
12:20
about 300 million years.
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3亿年
12:22
Then light began to travel through the universe.
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光线开始穿过宇宙空间
12:24
It was big enough to be transparent to light,
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此时的宇宙已经大到足以透明
12:26
and that's what we see in the cosmic microwave background
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而这就是我们所看到的宇宙微波背景
12:28
that George Smoot described
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乔治斯穆特所说的
12:30
as looking at the face of God.
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直视上帝的面孔
12:32
After about 400 million years, the first stars formed,
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大约4亿年后，第一颗星形成
12:35
and that hydrogen, that helium, then began to cook
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然后氢啊氦啊，开始结合
12:37
into the heavier elements.
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形成重元素
12:39
So the elements of life --
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于是生命元素——
12:41
carbon, and oxygen and iron,
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碳，氧和铁
12:43
all the elements that we need to make us up --
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所有我们生命所必须的元素——
12:45
were cooked in those first generations of stars,
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在第一代恒星中孕育而成
12:48
which then ran out of fuel, exploded,
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但此时恒星寿命已尽，它们爆炸
12:50
threw those elements back into the universe.
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将那些元素重新抛回宇宙
12:53
They then re-collapsed into another generation
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它们再次挤压，形成新一代的
12:55
of stars and planets.
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恒星和行星
12:58
And on some of those planets, the oxygen, which had been created
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在其中的一些行星上，那些在第一代恒星上
13:01
in that first generation of stars, could fuse with hydrogen
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形成的氧元素与氢元素结合
13:04
to form water, liquid water on the surface.
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形成了水。星球表面的液态水
13:07
On at least one, and maybe only one of those planets,
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在其中至少一个，或许是唯一一个行星上
13:10
primitive life evolved,
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初态生命诞生
13:13
which evolved over millions of years into
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它们经过几百万年的进化
13:15
things that walked upright and left footprints
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学会了直立行走并且于
13:17
about three and a half million years ago in the mud flats of Tanzania,
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350万年前在坦桑尼亚的泥原上留下了脚印
13:20
and eventually
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直到最终
13:22
left a footprint on another world.
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踏上了另一颗星球的表面
13:24
And built this civilization,
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他们建立了文明
13:26
this wonderful picture,
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这一光辉的图景
13:28
that turned the darkness into light,
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用电光照亮黑暗
13:31
and you can see the civilization from space.
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使这世界能够瞭然于宇宙
13:33
As one of my great heroes, Carl Sagan, said,
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就像我的一位偶像，卡尔撒甘所说
13:36
these are the things -- and actually, not only these,
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这些——事实上不止这些
13:38
but I was looking around -- these are the things,
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当我环视四周——这些东西
13:40
like Saturn V rockets, and Sputnik,
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神农五号运载火箭，伴侣号卫星
13:43
and DNA, and literature and science --
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DNA，文学，科学——这些就是
13:45
these are the things that hydrogen atoms do
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一粒被赋予了137亿年时间的氢原子
13:47
when given 13.7 billion years.
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所造就的世界
13:51
Absolutely remarkable.
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绝对的神奇
13:53
And, the laws of physics. Right?
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还有，就是物理定律，对吧？
13:55
So, the right laws of physics --
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所以，真正的物理定律
13:57
they're beautifully balanced.
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都精妙地平衡
13:59
If the weak force had been a little bit different,
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如果弱力有一点点偏差
14:01
then carbon and oxygen wouldn't be stable
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那么就不能形成星球内部
14:03
inside the hearts of stars,
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稳定的氧和碳
14:05
and there would be none of that in the universe.
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宇宙里就不会存在任何星球
14:08
And I think that's
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我认为这是一个
14:10
a wonderful and significant story.
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辉煌壮美的故事
14:12
50 years ago, I couldn't have told that story,
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50年前我是无法讲述这个故事的
14:14
because we didn't know it.
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因为那时我们不知道一切是怎么回事
14:16
It makes me really feel that
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这让我越来越笃定的认为
14:18
that civilization --
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文明的发展——
14:20
which, as I say, if you believe
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前提是，如果你相信
14:22
the scientific creation story,
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科学的创始学说——
14:24
has emerged purely as a result of the laws of physics,
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完全是物理定律和几个氢原子的
14:27
and a few hydrogen atoms --
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演化结果
14:29
then I think, to me anyway,
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于是我认为，至少对我自己来说
14:32
it makes me feel incredibly valuable.
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这文明无比珍贵
14:34
So that's the LHC.
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这就是LHC
14:36
The LHC is certainly, when it turns on in summer,
352
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当LHC在这个夏天被启动，
14:39
going to write the next chapter of that book.
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它必将会书写这文明发展的崭新篇章
14:42
And I'm certainly looking forward with
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而我也会怀着无比激动的心情
14:44
immense excitement to it being turned on.
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期待着这一天的到来
14:46
Thanks.
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谢谢
14:48
(Applause)
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（鼓掌）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Brian Cox - PhysicistPhysicist Brian Cox has two jobs: working with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and explaining big science to the general public. He's a professor at the University of Manchester.
Why you should listen
Based at the University of Manchester, Brian Cox works at CERN in Geneva on the ATLAS experiment, studying the forward proton detectors for the Large Hadron Collider there. He's a professor at the University of Manchester, working in the High Energy Physics group, and is a research fellow of the Royal Society.
He's also become a vital voice in the UK media for explaining physics to the public. With his rockstar hair and accessible charm, he's the go-to physicist for explaining heady concepts on British TV and radio. (If you're in the UK, watch him on The Big Bang Machine.) He was the science advisor for the 2007 film Sunshine. He answers science questions every Friday on BBC6 radio's Breakfast Show.
Brian Cox | Speaker | TED.com