与摩根·弗里曼一起穿越虫洞（2010）

只是披了随机的外套而已
only have the appearance of randomness.
他把这些叫做伪随机
They are what he calls pseudorandom.
所以如果宇宙可以被一个短小精炼的程序所计算
So if this universe can be computed by a short program,
那麽从根本上来讲，它就不能是随机的
than by definition it cannot be random.
而一定是伪随机，就像圆周率一样
It must be pseudorandom, just like pi,
因为真正的随机是不能被压缩的
because truly random data is not compressible.
如果尤尔根是对的，那麽世上就没有运气一说
If Juergen is right, then there is no luck,
也没有机会，没有自♥由♥意志
no chance, no free will.
我们所做的、将要做的所有事情
Everything we've ever done and will do
都已经由程序设定好了
has already been programmed.
所以也许宇宙的各个方面
So maybe all aspects of our universe
都可以分解为简单的子程序
can be broken down into simple subprograms.
但是一个简短的主程序是如何控制全部子程序的呢？
But how could a short master program control all of them?
尤尔根相信这只需要一个终极的
Juergen believes it only takes one final act
数据压缩
of data compression.
我们只须写一个非常短的程序
We just write a very short program
其中列出了所有可能的程序
which lists all our possible programs,
从最短的开始
starting with the shortest.
整个程序列表都很容易生成
And the entire list of programs is very easy to generate.
然后，这个主程序为它们每一个
And then, this massive program allocates
分配运行时间
run time to each of these
这样，它们全都享有总运行时间的一部分
such that all of them get a share of the total run time.
如果我们都只是计算机代码的比特位
It's hard not to feel insignificant
很难感到自命不凡
if we're all just bits of computer code,
但尤尔根相信这实际上
but Juergen believes it actually
使我们每个人都比以往更加重要了
makes each of us more important than ever.
如果我们能改变这个程序的一个比特位
If you change a bit of this program,
说不定这会彻底消失
maybe all of this would completely disappear.
整个宇宙都会面目全非
And the whole universe will be very different.
在这种意义上，你可以把你自己视作
In that sense, you can view yourself
整个宇宙必不可少的组成部分
as an essential ingredient of the entire universe.
想要删掉你将会非常困难
It will be very difficult to edit you out of it
因为能摆脱你的唯一方法
because the only way of getting rid of you
就是让整件事情变得更加复杂
is to make the whole thing more complex.
如果宇宙中的一切都是计算机代码造出来的
If everything in our universe is made from computer code,
那麽我们存在的基础部件
then the fundamental building blocks of our existence
就是信息，而不是物质
are information instead of matter.
如果这样的话，我们能发现现实的比特位和字节吗？
If so, can we find those bits and bytes of reality?
一名物理学家声称，已经完成了这件事
One physicist claims to have done just that.
是什么形成了我们现实的基础？
What forms the foundation of our reality?
如果你深入观察每个原子的内部
If you could look deep inside every atom
以及阳光的每一道光线
and every ray of sunshine,
你会发现基础的粒子
you'd find fundamental particles,
物质和能量的“积木”
the building blocks of matter and energy.
但它们又是由什么做成的呢？
But what are they made of?
现实的积木可不可以是
Could the building blocks of reality
信息的比特位呢？
be simply bits of information?
马里兰大学的理论物理学家吉姆·盖茨
Theoretical physicist Jim Gates at the University of Maryland
研究的是关于宇宙基本粒子
investigates the physics and mathematics
的物理和数学
of the fundamental particles in our universe.
我们物理学家呐
Well, you see, we physicists,
你可以把我们叫做“方程反斗城”公♥司♥
you could call us a company called equations "r" us
因为我们所做的事
because what we really do
就是写下描绘自然的方程
is write equations that describe nature,
然后用它们去预测那些
and then use those to make predictions about things
以前从来没人发现、
that no one has ever found
看到过、甚至梦想过的事情
or seen or even dreamed of before.
吉姆研究这些宇宙基本粒子
Jim investigates how the fundamental particles
是如何发生相互作用的
of the universe interact with each other.
因为他是一个备受争议的概念——弦理论
Because he is a proponent of the controversial concept
的支持者
called string theory,
吉姆经常向那些怀疑者灌输他的观点
Jim often finds himself selling his ideas to skeptics.
弦理论包含了至少10个空间维度
String theory includes at least 10 dimensions of space
以及许多尚未揭开神秘面纱的粒子
and many particles that have not yet been discovered.
这全都基于一些很艰深的数学
It's all based on some very complicated math.
我发现了一些令人不解的迹象
I found some very puzzling signs that,
埋藏在我所研究的方程中
buried in the equations that I was studying,
还有另外一组方程
there was another set of equations.
我们和一些数学家讨论了这些
We discussed this with some mathematicians,
让我们大失所望的是，数学家们的反应是
and to our great disappointment, the reaction of mathematicians
“你们在胡说八道些什么啊？”
were, "what in the world are you talking about?"
为了让方程更容易懂
To make the equations easier to understand,
吉姆用几何把它们表示了出来
Jim turned them into geometry.
他把亚原子粒子之间的相互作用表示为
He represented the interactions between subatomic particles
特定的三维形状
as specific, three-dimensional shapes.
他把这种结构叫做阿丁克拉
He called the structures adinkras.
这个名字起源于
The name is derived
西非的一种用于表示抽象概念的符号♥
from a west African symbol used to represent abstract concepts.
我可以用我的方式
I could have my equations
去理解这些方程
that I understand in the way that I do,
但我把它放在一位数学家的面前问他
but I can put it in front of a mathematician and ask,
“你看到的是什么？”
"what is it that you see here?"
他们会讲一个不同的故事
They will begin to tell me a different story,
这就是合作的力量
and that's the power of collaboration.
这就是开始在我们之间发生的事
And that's what started happening with us.
吉姆和物理学家、数学家合作
Jim collaborated with physicists and mathematicians
去检查阿丁克拉结构的各部分之间
to examine how the parts of an adinkra structure
是怎样相关联的
relate to each other.
吉姆发现了一些熟悉的东西
Buried within the convoluted calculations,
埋藏在繁琐的计算中
Jim found something that looked familiar.
看起来很像计算机代码
It looked like computer code.
结果表明，使用0和1来表达他们的关系
It turns out that expressing the relationship between them
是最容易的
is easiest if you use ones and zeroes.
这在计算机科学中叫做比特位
These are called bits in computer science.
在各种各样描绘基础科学的方程中
I know of no other example in the kinds of equations
我都没有发现比特位出现
that describe fundamental science
的例子
where bits have occurred.
更加意想不到的是
And even more remarkably,
我们发现方程中的这些比特位
we have found that the bits in our equations
把自己编码成了纠错码
arranged themselves into error-correcting codes,
纠错码每天都工作在你的浏览器里
something that makes your browser work every day.
当你浏览网页
When you surf the web
或者使用任何形式的数字通讯的时候
or use any form of digital communication,
关键的1和0
crucial ones or zeroes
总难免在传输中丢失
are inevitably lost in the transmission.
纠错码填补了这些漏掉的比特位
Error-correcting codes fill in the dropped bits.
它们避免了数据的损坏
They protect data from corruption
妨止计算机程序崩溃
and prevent computer programs from crashing.
吉姆相信，他发现的纠错码
Jim believes the error-correcting codes
用同样的方式工作
he discovered work in the same way,
维持着亚原子相互作用的稳定
to maintain the stability of subatomic interactions.
没有了这种纠错
Without this error correction,
基本粒子的相互作用可能会损坏
the way fundamental particles interact could be corrupted,
好比计算机在宇宙尺度上崩溃
like a computer crash on a universal scale.
那你可能会问，“我的天”
Then you can ask, "well, gee.
“这不正意味着我们的宇宙”
Does that mean that somehow our universe
“就像是一个巨大的计算机模拟吗？”
is like a big computer simulation?"
大自然可能使用了纠错码
The idea that nature
这个想法起初在吉姆看来是错误的
might use error-correction codes at first seemed wrong to Jim,
但是他很快发现了另一个例子
but he soon found another example.
也就是自然科学中
It turns out there's one piece of natural science
被讨论了数十年的一个话题
in which this discussion has been going on for decades.
遗传学
It's genetics.
在人体之中
In the human body,
纠错码使我们保持健康和强壮
error-correcting codes allow us to stay healthy and strong.
代码稳定了基因组
The codes act to stabilize the genome.
基因纠错码
Genetic error-correcting codes
保证了在生物体的一生之中
ensure that cells copy themselves accurately
细胞精确地复♥制♥自己
throughout an organism's lifetime.
把细胞分♥裂♥时DNA的复♥制♥
Think of the DNA replicating itself while a cell divides