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万物简史 第239期:马斯特-马克的夸克(11)

时间：2017-04-25 07:54:58

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 　　String theory has further spawned1 something called "M theory," which incorporates surfaces known as membranes—or simply "branes" to the hipper2 souls of the world of physics. I'm afraid this is the stop on the knowledge highway where most of us must get off. Here is a sentence from the New York Times, explaining this as simply as possible to a general audience: "The ekpyrotic process begins far in the indefinite past with a pair of flat empty branes sitting parallel to each other in a warped3 five-dimensional space... The two branes, which form the walls of the fifth dimension, could have popped out of nothingness as a quantum fluctuation4 in the even more distant past and then drifted apart." No arguing with that. No understanding it either. Ekpyrotic, incidentally, comes from the Greek word for "conflagration5."

　　弦理论又进一步产生了所谓的M理论。该理论把所谓“膜”的面，纳入了物理学世界的灵魂。说到这里，我们恐怕到了知识公路的站点，大多数人该下车了。下面引了《纽约时报》上的一句话，它以尽可能简单的语言向普通读者解释了这种理论：在那遥远遥远的过去，火成过程以一对又平又空的膜开始；它们互相平行地处于一个卷曲的5维空间里……两张膜构成了第5维的壁，很可能在更遥远的过去作为一个量子涨落产生于无，然后又飘散了。无法与之争辩，也无法理解。顺便说一句，“火成”源自希腊文，意为“燃烧”。
　　夸克星球
　　Matters in physics have now reached such a pitch that, as Paul Davies noted6 in Nature, it is "almost impossible for the non-scientist to discriminate7 between the legitimately8 weird9 and the outright10 crackpot." The question came interestingly to a head in the fall of 2002 when two French physicists11, twin brothers Igor and Grickha Bogdanov, produced a theory of ambitious density12 involving such concepts as "imaginary time" and the "Kubo-Schwinger-Martin condition," and purporting13 to describe the nothingness that was the universe before the Big Bang—a period that was always assumed to be unknowable (since it predated the birth of physics and its properties).
　　现在，物理学的问题已经达到这样的一种高度，正如保罗·戴维斯在《自然》杂志里说的，“非物理学家几乎不可能区分你是合乎常情的怪人，还是彻头彻尾的疯子”。有意思的是，2002年秋，这个问题到了关键时刻。两位法国物理学家──孪生兄弟伊戈尔·波格丹诺夫和格里希卡·波格丹诺夫──提出了一种关于极高密度的理论，包括“想像的时间”和“库珀─施温格─马丁条件”这样的概念，旨在描述无，即大爆炸以前的宇宙──这段时间一直被认为是无法知道的（因为它发生在物理现象及其特性诞生之前）。

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1 spawned f3659a6561090f869f5f32f7da4b950e     
（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产
参考例句：
  • The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
  • The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。
2 hipper f1c1844844128c1e34ee95daf5c38e93     
hip（（衣服、音乐等方面）时髦的，赶时髦的）的比较级形式
参考例句：
  • So were the two pocket battleships and the big cruisers Admiral Hipper, Seydlitz and Derfflinger. 和这两艘袖珍战列舰一样的还有重巡洋舰希佩海军上将号，赛德利兹号以及德尔福林格号。 来自互联网
3 warped f1a38e3bf30c41ab80f0dce53b0da015     
adj.反常的；乖戾的；（变）弯曲的；变形的v.弄弯，变歪( warp的过去式和过去分词 )；使（行为等）不合情理，使乖戾，
参考例句：
  • a warped sense of humour 畸形的幽默感
  • The board has warped. 木板翘了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
4 fluctuation OjaxE     
n.(物价的)波动，涨落；周期性变动；脉动
参考例句：
  • The erratic fluctuation of market prices are in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。
  • Early and adequate drainage is essential if fluctuation occurs.有波动感时，应及早地充分引流。
5 conflagration CnZyK     
n.建筑物或森林大火
参考例句：
  • A conflagration in 1947 reduced 90 percent of the houses to ashes.1947年的一场大火，使90%的房屋化为灰烬。
  • The light of that conflagration will fade away.这熊熊烈火会渐渐熄灭。
6 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的，知名的
参考例句：
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
7 discriminate NuhxX     
v.区别，辨别，区分；有区别地对待
参考例句：
  • You must learn to discriminate between facts and opinions.你必须学会把事实和看法区分出来。
  • They can discriminate hundreds of colours.他们能分辨上百种颜色。
8 legitimately 7pmzHS     
ad.合法地；正当地，合理地
参考例句：
  • The radio is legitimately owned by the company. 该电台为这家公司所合法拥有。
  • She looked for nothing save what might come legitimately and without the appearance of special favour. 她要的并不是男人们的额外恩赐，而是合法正当地得到的工作。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
9 weird bghw8     
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
10 outright Qj7yY     
adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的
参考例句：
  • If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
  • You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
11 physicists 18316b43c980524885c1a898ed1528b1     
物理学家( physicist的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • For many particle physicists, however, it was a year of frustration. 对于许多粒子物理学家来说，这是受挫折的一年。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技
  • Physicists seek rules or patterns to provide a framework. 物理学家寻求用法则或图式来构成一个框架。
12 density rOdzZ     
n.密集，密度，浓度
参考例句：
  • The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
  • The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。
13 purporting 662e1eb2718c2773c723dc9acb669891     
v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • Cindy Adams (Columnist) : He's purporting to be Mother Teresa. 辛迪？亚当斯（专栏作家）：他无意成为德兰修女。 来自互联网
  • To prohibit certain practices purporting to be sales by auction. 本条例旨在对看来是以拍卖方式作出的售卖中某些行为予以禁止。 来自互联网

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