与摩根·弗里曼一起穿越虫洞（2010）

想象成在拳击场的较量中
as being like a fighter trying to stay strong and stable
试图保持强壮、稳定的拳击手
during a round in the ring.
我们可以想象
We can imagine that,
如果拳击手没有纠错码
if our fighter doesn't have error-correcting codes,
首先发生的就是他的胳膊停止工作
the first thing that happens is one of his arms stops working.
接下来，腿也停止工作
Next, his legs stop working.
然后眼睛也不好使了
Then his eyes fail.
没有了纠错码
Without error-correcting codes,
他的情况迅速地恶化，挣扎着生存下去
he is quickly deteriorating, struggling to survive.
毫无稳定性可言
There is no stability,
他随时都可能会崩溃
and he could collapse at any moment.
现在，一个装备了纠错码的拳击手
Now, a fighter equipped with error-correcting codes
虽然最终也会恶化
will eventually also deteriorate.
然而，纠错码能在长得多的时间里
However, the error-correcting codes act to sustain vigor
维持活力
for a much longer time.
当基因发生了错误的复♥制♥时
When bad copies of genes get made,
结果可能是细胞的死亡或者故障，比如癌症
the results can be cell death or malfunctions like cancer.
基因纠错把复♥制♥失败率
Genetic error correction reduces the copy-failure rate
减少到了十亿分之一
to less than one in a billion.
这是纠错码在
And this is an analogy for the role
宇宙这样的结构中所扮演的角色
that error-correcting codes could play in the structure
的一个类比
of something like our universe.
我们的宇宙已经平稳运行了
Our universe has been running smoothly
将近140亿年
for almost 14 billion years.
也许，它能持续这麽久
Maybe it has lasted that long
多亏了纠错码
thanks to error-correcting codes,
保证了宇宙中的基本粒子
codes that make sure the fundamental particles
没有失控
in our cosmos don't go haywire.
但是没有什么能够永恒
But nothing lasts forever.
最终，我们的宇宙也会老去
Eventually, our universe will begin to age.
错误乘虚而入，宇宙走向死亡
Errors will creep in, and it will die.
如果吉姆发现的代码
Or what if the codes Jim discovered
真的是计算机生成的，又会怎么样呢？
really are computer-generated?
无论是谁编写了宇宙的程序
Whoever programmed the cosmos
都可以随时决定终止这个程序
could decide to pull the plug at any moment.
也许是时候创造我们自己的宇宙了
Maybe it's time to create our own universe.
我们的宇宙是自然的还是人工的？
Is our universe a natural one or artificial?
不管是哪一种，它都不能永远持续
Either way, it can't last forever.
为了拯救自己，我们能做些什么呢？
So, is there anything we can do to save ourselves?
也许我们需要设计自己新的宇宙
Perhaps we need to design our own new universe
然后移♥民♥过去
and move there.
布鲁塞尔自♥由♥大学的哲学家克莱门特·比达尔
Philosopher Clement Vidal of the Free University in Brussels
相信我们需要主宰我们宇宙的命运
believes we need to take control of our cosmic destiny.
几乎可以肯定，宇宙会终结
It's almost certain that our universe will end.
所以，我们就应该接受这个不争的事实吗
So, should we accept this as a blunt fact?
我不这麽认为
I don't believe so.
我认为我们应该做点什么
I think we should do something about it.
生物可以繁殖，如果我们从中
And if we take inspiration from biology,
得到灵感
which is to reproduce,
也许我们也可以繁殖宇宙
so maybe we should reproduce the universe.
我们都想要更好的生活
We all want a better life,
想给我们的孩子更好的家庭
a better home for our kids.
克莱门特相信有朝一日
And Clement believes we may one day
我们也能够给我们的后代一个更好的宇宙
be able to give our descendants a better universe as well.
这是一项浩大的工程，至少可以这麽说
It's a big project, to say the least.
根据克莱门特，我们可以建一个
According to Clement, we'll have to practice first
虚拟的、计算机模拟的宇宙来练练手
by building virtual, computer-simulated universes.
在任何的工程项目中
In any engineering project,
你想要造什么东西，都得先从做一个模拟开始
you start by making a simulation of what you want to build.
所以我猜
So I imagine that,
在遥远的未来，一个更先进的文明
in the far future, an advanced civilization
会想要探索可能的宇宙们的空间
would want to explore the space of possible universes
然后选择一个它们想要建造的宇宙
and then select the universe they want to build.
我们需要学到的重要事情之一是
One of the most important things we need to learn
我们的宇宙是如何为生命调整得这麽好的
is how our universe came to be fine-tuned for life,
而模拟，可以帮助我们学习
and simulations can help us to learn that.
当这些模拟完成的时候
When the simulations are done
我们就准备好为后代建立新的家园了
and we're ready to build a new home for our descendants,
我们还需要一个东西——巨大的能量源
we'll need one more thing -- A colossal source of energy.
建立新的宇宙
The making of a new universe
很像另一个大爆♥炸♥
will most likely resemble another big bang.
所以能量会非常高
So the energies would be very high,
为了建这个新宇宙
and to make this new universe,
我们将与现在的宇宙失去连接
we'd be disconnected from our own,
这意味着将会有新的空间、时间结构
which means that it will have a new space time structure.
制♥造♥大爆♥炸♥或许听起来是痴人说梦
Making the big bang may sound impossible,
但克莱门特相信一个特殊的双星系统
but Clement believes a special type of binary star system
可以提供所需的能量
could provide the needed energy.
超大质量恒星，比如白矮星
Supermassive stars, such as white dwarves
以及中子星，有着巨大的引力
and neutron stars, have enormous gravitational pull.
如果另一颗恒星足够近
If another star is close enough,
质量较大的那颗星就会从它的伴星中
the more massive star sucks in the energy
攫取能量
from the companion star.
克莱门特相信我们可以驾驭
Clement believes we could harness
这种巨大的能量浓缩
this enormous concentration of energy.
把这当作可再生能源发电厂
Think of it as an incredibly scaled-up version
强力升级版
of a renewable energy plant.
这些木屑颗粒在这座生物电厂中
These wood pellets are converted into electricity
被转化成为电力
at this biomass plant.
类似地，伴星的能量
In a similar way, the energy of a companion star
被转化成白矮星和中子星中
is converted into a denser form of energy,
浓缩形式的能量
into white dwarves and neutron stars.
想象一颗像这座电厂发电厂那麽大的中子星
Imagine this power plant is the size of a neutron star,
这些颗粒正在被
and these pellets are being harvested
附近的另一颗星所收割
from another nearby star.
它们的密度是如此之高
They are so dense
以至于一个小小的颗粒，都比珠穆朗玛峰还要重
that a single pellet would weigh more than mount Everest.
克莱门特认为如果我们能使用
Clement thinks if we can use
这种巨大的物质和能量的浓缩
that enormous concentration of matter and energy,
我们就有能源改变宇宙的结构
we'll have the power to change the fabric of the universe.
为了创造一个新的宇宙
Well, to create a new universe, presumably,
想必你需要操纵时空的结构
you would have to manipulate the structure of spacetime.
在一些理论中，这样的时空
And this spacetime becomes, in some theories,
是超高密度下可塑的
malleable at very high densities.
我们能否有朝一日驾驭超高密度星体的能源
Could we someday harness the energy of super dense stars
去操纵时空并创造新的大爆♥炸♥？
to manipulate spacetime and create our own big bang?
克莱门特的宇宙理论十分非主流
Clement's theory of universe creation is far from mainstream,
但他希望他的概念有一天会被检验
but he hopes that someday his concept will be tested.
我有信心可以设计出一个检测，因为我们有足够的
I'm confident that a test can be devised because we have plenty
关于那些双星系统的数据
of data about those interacting binary star systems.
我们只需要——创新地、
So we just need to -- To think creatively
科学地思考如何检验这种假设
and scientifically about how to test the hypothesis.
最早的测试
The first tests
无疑是通过计算机模拟来完成的
will no doubt be done through computer simulations.
也许某些其他的
Perhaps some other civilization,
更高级的文明
more advanced than ours,
正在拿我们做这样的测试
is already conducting these tests with us.
我们是否生活在其他人，或者其他什么东西
Are we living in a universe created by someone
创造出来的宇宙中？
or something else?
如果是这样，它是更先级的文明
If so, is it a beta version
正在摆弄的测试版
that an advanced entity is still tinkering with,
还是他们已经开♥发♥完成了的版本？
or is it a version they've programmed to last?
也许有一天
Maybe someday,
我们会找到证据证明，我们都是
we'll find proof that we're all players
史上最伟大的电子游戏中的人物
in the greatest video game ever made.
这会让我们觉得像小卒子一样被♥操♥纵吗？
Would that knowledge make us feel manipulated like pawns?
还是会让我们自♥由♥地冒险
Or would it free us to take risks
生活得更极致，因为一切皆是虚幻？
and live life to the fullest because none of this is real?
不管哪一种，是自然的还是人工的
Either way, whether it's natural or artificial,
生命都是一场光荣的游戏
life is a glorious game,