与摩根·弗里曼一起穿越虫洞（2010）

Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman S02E09

Part 4 April 19, 2021, 2:37 p.m.

an environment like this with boiling water and steam
会加害于几乎所有的生命
is inimicable to nearly all life.
但是我们正努力去想象一个外星世界
But we're trying to imagine an alien world
在那里这就是正常的环境
in which this is the normal environment,
我们现在就能够开始模拟一个星球
and we can now start to model a planet
它一片汪♥洋♥
that has a huge ocean covering it
然而却是热得要命
and nevertheless is incredibly hot.
那就让我们去思索
That makes us think about,
海洋里会有生命存在么？
"Could there be life in the ocean?
能有化学作用么？
"Can the chemistry work?
如果能，会是何种样子呢？
And if it can, what would it look like?"
DNA这样的分子不会存活在这样的环境中的
A molecule like DNA wouldn't survive these conditions,
但威廉认为
but William believes
更为耐热的遗传物质
more heat-tolerant genetic material
将有可能进化
would likely evolve.
他开始想象
And he's beginning to imagine
能量有可能填写
what entries might fill the pages of a book of life
GJ1214b的生命之书
for GJ1214B.
这颗行星的大气层主要是水
The atmosphere of this planet would be mostly water.
那就是水蒸气
It would be steam.
它会非常密集温度很高
It would be very dense and be very hot.
因此你一路往下
So, as you go down through it,
你会看到漂浮的植物会飞的植物生命
you'll find drifting plants, flying plant life,
有一系列生物食用那些植物生命
and a whole range of organisms that eats that plant life.
生物就像是飞鱼
Organisms would be sort of flying fish
或水鸟这取决于你怎么看待它了
or swimming birds, depending on how you look at it.
它们能够翱翔
So, they'll be able to actually fly through
或畅游在这个区域里这里仿佛一片大海
or swim through this zone almost as if it was ocean.
地球的海洋产生出了各种生物
Earth's oceans gave rise to creatures of all sizes,
然而深海之王是巨大的滤食动物
but the kings of the deep are the giant filter feeders --
鲸鱼
whales.
GJ1214b可能也有它们
1214B could have them, too.
因此我们在这里想象生物
So, the organism we're imagining here
以非常类似的方式活动
works in a very similar way.
它或许具有非常不同的形状
It might have a very different shape.
然而它活动在大海里
But it moves through the ocean
然后能够向上进入这个界面区
and then can move up into this interfacial zone.
它们能够长时间呆在界面区里
They can spend much longer in the interfacial zone
行动至很高的地方就是说鲸跃
and move much further up into it than, say, a whale breaching
因为密度较大
because the density is greater.
这个水世界是
This aquatic world is a vision
地球可能一直所喜欢的愿景
of what Earth might have been like
虽然它更大水更多
if it were larger and wetter.
人类无法生存在此地但生命能找到生路么？
Humans couldn't survive here, but could life find a way?
我们尚…不知道
We don't know...yet.
科学中有许多重要的东西
There are many important things in science,
其中最为重要的一个是想象力
and one of the most important ones is imagination.
因此至今让人着迷不已的是
So, what is so fascinating so far --
在日外行星上物理和化学规律中
in exoplanets, anything is possible
一切皆有可能
within the laws of physics and chemistry,
我们想象的任何东西都将存在于某处
and anything we imagine will exist somewhere.
出现了水于是你就能找到生命
Follow the water. There, you'll find life.
那就是天体生物学家想说的话
That's what the astrobiologists like to say.
然而若是没有水呢？
But what if there is no water?
若是行星笼罩在毒气里
What about planets enveloped in toxic air
生命的基本构件
where the building blocks of life
是不是完全不同于我们这里呢？
are completely different from our own?
它们也能够存活么？
Could they also be alive?
生命是顽强的
Life is tenacious.
地球上的角角落落
Everywhere on Earth,
从最冷的大海深处
from the coldest depths of the sea
到沸腾的火山裂隙
to the boiling fissures of volcanoes,
生命都能找到繁衍之道
living things find a way to thrive.
不过外行星的条件
But the conditions on alien planets
可能更极端
could be even more extreme.
我们发现了火与冰的世界
We're discovering worlds of fire and ice,
永久黑夜的世界
worlds of permanent night,
狂风大作经久不息的世界
worlds where hurricanes are constant and global.
何种外星人能够生活在这些地狱般的地方呢？
What kind of alien could live in these hellish places?
格利泽581d漂浮在距离地球20光年远的
Gliese 581D floats 20 light-years away from Earth
天秤座里
in the constellation Libra.
它是我们发现有可能有外星生命的
It's one of the small group of planets we have spotted
少量行星中的一颗
that might harbor alien life.
其红色母星发出的热量
Its red star burns
只有我们太阳的一半
with only half the heat of our Sun,
但因为该行星旋转得很慢
but because the planet spins very slowly,
其一侧要比另一侧热很多
one side is much hotter than the other.
其岩质地面狂风大作
And its rocky surface is blasted by constant wind --
是放风筝的好地方
a great place to fly a kite.
生物力学专家迈克尔·拉巴贝拉
Biomechanics expert Michael Labarbera
认为格利泽581d上的稠密大气层
believes the thick atmosphere on Gliese 581D
将其表面笼罩成一片漆黑
would shroud the surface in darkness,
所以生命得攀升寻找亮光
so life would have to climb up in search of light.
他猜想有风筝状的植物攀爬至乌云上方
He imagines kite-shaped plants that rise above the storm clouds
来得到日常所需的太阳能
to get their daily dose of solar energy.
这些风筝植物必须能够进入
These kite plants have to be able to get up
大气层的较高地方
into the higher regions of the atmosphere
以获得足够的采光
in order to get enough light,
它们这样做是为了
and the way they do that is
利用大气层中的切变
to utilize the shear in the atmosphere.
迈克尔的风筝需要两股力量
Michael's kite requires two forces
停留在高空并保持稳定
to stay aloft and stable --
有风升起风筝
wind to lift the kite,
有锚使其避免一直往上升
and an anchor to keep it from blowing ever upward.
外星风筝植物的动作差不多是同样的道理
The alien kite plant works much the same way.
所以我们假设这种特殊的植物
So, what we've posited for this particular plant is
上升的一面在绳索的一头
a lifting surface on one end of the string,
而在绳索的另一头
and at the other end of the string,
有东西具有降落伞的功能
something that functions like a parachute
来产生拽力
that produces a drag force.
因为风随着海拔发生变化
And because the wind changes with altitude,
它们的行动表现出不同的速度
they're moving at different speeds.
于是你有了升力来保持风筝的上升
You then get a lift force that keeps the kite up
它被拽拉在减速伞上
and it pulls on the drag chute,
但它保持着绳索的拉力
but that keeps the tension on the string
整个系统是稳定的
and the whole system is stable.
听起来不大可能？
Sounds unlikely?
迈克尔却并不如此认为
Michael doesn't think so.
多年来对地球生物的研究使他相信
Years of studying organisms on Earth has convinced him
生命会进化成适应各种环境
that life would evolve to suit any environment.
进化会通过很奇怪的途径
Evolution goes through very strange pathways
来达到目的地的
to get to an endpoint.
这个特殊的对象
This particular one,
我们在地球上并没有例子
we don't have an example here on Earth,
但是在假设在地球这里
but on the planet posited here
低于地平面的太阳辐射输入
with low solar input for the ground level
和高风切变的星球上
and a high wind shear,
那它就完全有可能起作用的
it's entirely possible that it could function.
靠近格利泽581d表面
Closer to the surface of Gliese 581D,
曾经明亮的阳光黯淡了下去
the once bright sunlight dims
此时这颗日外行星沉浸在了永恒的朦胧暮色之中
as this exoplanet enters a permanent, hazy twilight.
大气稠密昏暗
The atmosphere is thick and murky,
然而温度足以维持生命
but warm enough to sustain life.
事实上迈克尔·拉巴贝拉推测
In fact, Michael Labarbera speculates
它可能拥有一个欣欣向荣的生态系统
that it could host a thriving ecosystem
有猎手与猎物
of hunters and prey.
有何种猎食者会在此进化呢？
What kind of predator would evolve here?
空中猎手——薄薄的翅膀蝙蝠状
An aerial hunter -- thin-winged and bat-like,
却能够像信天翁那样翱翔数日
but able to soar and glide for days like an albatross.
蝙蝠-天翁
a...bat-atross?
这种动物