費米悖論（下）—— 猜想與解法：外星人到底在哪裡？：英語精讀講義

There are probably 10,000 stars for every grain of sand on Earth in the observable universe. 文法

在可觀測宇宙中，地球上的每一粒沙子大概對應著一萬顆恆星。

We know that there might be trillions of planets,

我們知道可能存在數以萬億計的行星，

so where are all the aliens?

所以外星人都在哪裡呢？

This is the Fermi paradox. 文化背景

這就是費米悖論。

If you want to know more about it,

如果你想了解更多關於它的資訊，

watch part one.

請觀看第一部分。

Here,

在這裡，

we look at possible solutions to the Fermi paradox.

我們將探討費米悖論的可能解決方案。

So,

那麼，

will we be destroyed or does a glorious future await us? 用詞

我們是會被毀滅，還是有著光輝的未來在等待著我們？

Space travel is hard.

太空旅行很艱難。

Although possible, 文法

儘管有可能，

it's an enormous challenge to travel to other stars.

但前往其他恆星是一項巨大的挑戰。

Massive amounts of materials have to be put into orbit and assembled. 片語搭配

必須將大量的材料送入軌道並進行組裝。

A journey of maybe thousands of years

可能需要數千年的旅程，

needs to be survived by a population

需要足夠多的人口存活下來，

big enough to start from scratch. 慣用語

以便能從零開始。

And the planet might not be as hospitable as it seemed from afar. 片語搭配

而且這顆行星可能並不像從遠處看起來那麼宜居。

It was already extremely hard to set up a spaceship that could survive the trip, 片語動詞

建立一艘能在旅途中倖存下來的太空船已經極度困難，

an interstellar invasion might be impossible to pull off. 片語動詞

星際入侵可能根本無法實現。

Also, consider time.

另外，考慮一下時間。

The universe is very old.

宇宙非常古老。

On Earth,

在地球上，

there's been life for at least 3.6 billion years.

生命至少存在了36億年。

Intelligent human life for about 250,000 years,

智慧人類生命大約存在了25萬年，

but only for about a century 文法

但只有在過去的一個世紀裡，

have we had the technology to communicate over great distances.

我們才擁有了遠距離通訊的技術。

There might have been grand alien empires that stretched across thousands of systems

可能曾經存在過橫跨數千個星系的宏大外星帝國，

and existed for millions of years,

並且存在了數百萬年，

and we might just have missed them. 文法

而我們可能正好錯過了他們。

There might be grandiose ruins rotting away on distant worlds.

在遙遠的世界裡，可能正有著宏偉的廢墟在腐爛。

99% of all species on Earth have died out. 片語動詞

地球上99%的物種都已經滅絕了。

It's easy to argue that this will be our fate sooner or later. 片語搭配

很容易論證這遲早也是我們的命運。

Intelligent life may develop,

智慧生命可能會發展，

spread over a few systems,

擴散到幾個星系，

and die off over and over again. 講解

然後一次又一次地滅絕。

But galactic civilizations might never meet.

但銀河系文明可能永遠不會相遇。

So, maybe it's a unifying experience for life in the universe

所以，也許這是宇宙中生命的一種共同經歷，

to look at the stars and wonder,

仰望星空並好奇：

where is everyone?

大家都去哪兒了？

But there is no reason to assume aliens are like us 片語搭配

但沒有理由假設外星人和我們一樣，

or that our logic applies to them. 片語搭配

或者我們的邏輯對他們適用。

It might just be that our means of communication 文法

可能僅僅是我們的通訊方式

are extremely primitive and outdated.

極其原始且過時。

Imagine sitting in a house with a Morse code transmitter. 文化背景

想像一下，坐在一個房間裡，拿著一台摩斯密碼發射器。

You'd keep sending messages, 文法

你不斷地發送訊息，

but nobody would answer,

但沒有人會回答，

and you'd feel pretty lonely.

你會感到非常孤獨。

Maybe we're still undetectable for intelligent species,

也許我們在智慧物種眼中仍然是無法被探測到的，

and we'll remain so until we learn to communicate properly. 文法

直到我們學會正確交流之前，我們都會如此。

And even if we met aliens, 文法

而且即使我們遇到了外星人，

we might be too different 文法

我們可能差異太大，

to be able to communicate with them in a meaningful way.

以至於無法以有意義的方式進行交流。

Imagine the smartest squirrel you can.

想像一隻你所能想到最聰明的松鼠。

No matter how hard you try, 文法

無論你怎麼努力，

you won't be able to explain our society to it.

你都無法向牠解釋我們的社會。

After all, from the squirrel's perspective, 片語搭配

畢竟，在松鼠看來，

a tree is all that a sophisticated intelligence like itself

一棵樹就是像牠自身一樣複雜的智慧生物

needs to survive.

賴以生存的全部。

So, humans cutting down whole forests is madness. 片語動詞

因此，人類砍伐整片森林是瘋狂的。

But we don't destroy forests because we hate squirrels,

但我們破壞森林並不是因為我們討厭松鼠，

we just want the resources.

我們只是想要資源。

The squirrel's wishes and the squirrel's survival are of no concern to us. 片語搭配

松鼠的願望和松鼠的生存，我們毫不關心。

A type three civilization in need of resources 片語搭配

一個需要資源的三型文明

may treat us in a similar way.

可能會以類似的方式對待我們。

They might just evaporate our oceans

他們可能只是蒸乾我們的海洋，

to make collecting whatever they need easier. 文法

以使收集他們所需的任何東西變得更容易。

One of the aliens might think for a second,

其中的一個外星人可能會想一下，

"Oh, tiny little apes.

"喔，微小的猿類。

They built really cute concrete structures.

他們建造了非常可愛的混凝土建築。

Oh, well. 語氣意圖

噢，好吧。

Now they're dead."

現在他們死光了。"

Before activating warp speed. 文化背景

然後啟動曲速引擎。

But if there is a civilization out there that wants to eliminate other species,

但是，如果存在一個想要消滅其他物種的文明，

it's far more likely that it will be motivated by culture 文法

它的動機更有可能是出於文化

rather than by economics.

而不是經濟。

And anyway,

而且不管怎樣，

it would be more effective to automate the process 片語搭配

將這個過程自動化的效率會更高，

by constructing the perfect weapon.

只需建造出完美的武器。

A self-replicating space probe made from nanomachines. 文化背景

一種由奈米機器構成的自我複製太空探測器。

They operate on a molecular level, 片語搭配

它們在分子層級上運作，

incredibly fast and deadly,

極其快速且致命，

with the power to attack and dismantle anything in an instant. 片語搭配

有能力在瞬間攻擊並拆除任何東西。

You only need to give them four instructions.

你只需要給它們四條指令。

One, find a planet with life.

一、尋找有生命的行星。

Two, disassemble everything on this planet

二、拆解這顆行星上的所有東西，

into its component parts. 片語搭配

分解成其組成部分。

Three, use the resources to build new space probes.

三、使用這些資源建造新的太空探測器。

Four, repeat.

四、重複。

A doomsday machine like this could render a galaxy sterile 文法

像這樣的末日機器可以使一個星系變得毫無生機，

in a few million years.

只需幾百萬年時間。

But why would you fly light-years to gather resources

但是，為什麼你要飛行幾光年去收集資源

or commit genocide? 用詞

或者進行種族滅絕呢？

The speed of light is actually not very fast.

光速其實並不算非常快。

If someone could travel at the speed of light, 文法

如果有人能以光速旅行，

it would still take 100,000 years to cross the Milky Way once,

橫跨一次銀河系仍然需要10萬年，

and you'll probably travel way slower. 用詞

而且你可能會走得慢得多。

There might be way more enjoyable things

可能會有許多遠遠更有趣的事情，

than destroying civilizations and building empires.

而不是去毀滅文明和建立帝國。

An interesting concept is the Matrioshka brain, 文化背景

一個有趣的概念是俄羅斯套娃腦，

a megastructure surrounding a star.

這是一個圍繞恆星的巨型結構。

A computer of such computing power 文法

一台具有如此強大計算能力的電腦，

that an entire species could upload their consciousness 文化背景

以至於整個物種都可以上傳他們的意識，

and exist in a simulated universe.

並存在於一個模擬宇宙中。

Potentially,

有可能，

one could experience an eternity of pure ecstasies

人們可以體驗純粹狂喜的永恆，

without ever being bored or sad, 文法

而永遠不會感到無聊或悲傷，

a perfect life.

一種完美的生活。

If built around a red dwarf, 文法

如果建在一顆紅矮星周圍，

this computer could be powered for up to 10 trillion years. 片語搭配

這台電腦可以供電長達10萬億年。

Who would want to conquer the galaxy

如果有這種選擇，誰還會想去征服銀河系，

or make contact with other life forms if this were an option? 文法

或者接觸其他生命形式呢？

All these solutions to the Fermi paradox

所有這些對費米悖論的解答，

have one problem.

都有一個問題。

We don't know where the borders of technology are. 慣用語

我們不知道技術的邊界在哪裡。

We could be close to the limit or nowhere near it, 慣用語

我們可能接近極限，也可能遠未達到，

and supertechnology awaits us,

超級技術在等待著我們，

granting us immortality, 文法

賜予我們永生，

transporting us to other galaxies,

將我們傳送到其他星系，

elevating us to the level of gods.

把我們提升到神的地位。

One thing we do have to acknowledge 文法

我們必須承認的一件事

is that we really don't know anything.

就是我們真的什麼都不知道。

Humans have spent more than 90% of their existence

人類在他們存在超過90%的時間裡

as hunter-gatherers. 文化背景

都是作為狩獵採集者。

500 years ago,

500年前，

we thought we were the center of the universe.

我們認為我們是宇宙的中心。

200 years ago,

200年前，

we stopped using human labor as the main source of energy. 文法

我們停止使用人力作為主要的能量來源。

30 years ago,

30年前，

we had apocalyptic weapons pointed at each other 片語搭配

我們用末日武器互相指著對方，

because of political disagreements.

只因為存在政治分歧。

In the galactic time scale,

在銀河系的時間尺度上，

we are embryos. 慣用語

我們只是胚胎。

We've come far, 慣用語

我們已經走得很遠，

but still have a long way to go.

但仍有很長的路要走。

The mindset that we really are the center of the universe

認為我們真的是宇宙中心的這種心態

is still strong in humans,

在人類中仍然很強烈，

so it's easy to make arrogant assumptions 片語搭配

所以很容易做出傲慢的假設

about life in the universe.

去推斷宇宙中的生命。

But in the end, 表達脈絡

但最終，

there's only one way to find out, 表達脈絡

只有一種方法能找到答案，

right? 語氣意圖

對吧？

Hey,

嘿，

everybody.

大家好。

We finally have our own subreddit.

我們終於有了自己的 subreddit。

Come by for surveys,

來看看調查，

discussions about future videos,

參與關於未來影片的討論，

FAQs,

閱讀常見問題解答，

and stuff like that.

以及類似的內容。

This video was made possible by your support on Patreon. 片語搭配

這部影片是在你們對 Patreon 的支持下完成的。

If you want us to make more videos

如果你想讓我們製作更多的影片，

and maybe get your own bird avatar in return, 片語搭配

並可能在作為回報獲得你自己的鳥類頭像，

check it out.

請去看看吧。