毀滅宇宙最高效的方法 —— 假真空：英語精讀講義

What if our universe comes with a self-destruct button 講解

如果我們的宇宙自帶一個自毀按鈕會怎樣？

to eliminate itself so cleanly and efficiently 文法

能夠如此乾淨俐落地自我毀滅，

that every single physical thing would just stop existing

以至於每一個實體物質都會直接不復存在，

and life would be impossible forever?

並且生命將永遠無法存在？

The ultimate ecological catastrophe,

這將是終極的生態災難：

vacuum decay.

真空衰變。

To explain how our universe could destroy itself,

要解釋我們的宇宙如何能摧毀自己，

we need to understand two principles.

我們需要了解兩個原理。

One, energy levels.

第一，能階。

A core idea in physics is that everything has an energy level.

物理學中的一個核心理念是，萬物皆有能階。

The higher the level,

能階越高，

the more energy is in the system.

系統中的能量就越多。

Wood, for example, has a high level.

例如，木頭的能階很高。

It can be burned,

它可以被燃燒，

a process that releases the chemical energy stored in its molecular bonds

這個過程會釋放儲存在其化學鍵中的化學能，

and turns it into heat. 片語動詞

並將其轉化為熱能。

The ash left over is at a lower energy level than the wood before. 講解

剩下的灰燼的能階就比燃燒前的木頭要低。

Two, stability.

第二，穩定性。

Everything in our universe tries to move towards its ground state,

我們宇宙中的萬物都試圖向其基態演化，

in which it's completely stable

在基態下，它是完全穩定的，

and has as little energy as possible. 文法

並且擁有盡可能少的能量。

For example, a ball on a hill is unstable

例如，山丘上的球是不穩定的，

and has a lot of potential energy.

它擁有大量的位能。

When disturbed, 文法

當受到擾動時，

it will roll down into the valley

它就會滾入山谷，

and lose its potential energy in the process. 片語搭配

並在過程中失去它的位能。

The ball is now in its ground state and stable.

現在，這個球處於基態並很穩定。

It will remain like that.

它將保持這種狀態。

Everything in our universe follows these two principles.

我們宇宙中的萬物都遵循這兩個原理。

If something has a lot of energy,

如果某個東西擁有大量能量，

it's unstable and wants to get rid of it 片語動詞

它就是不穩定的，並想要擺脫這些能量，

to become stable and reach its ground state.

以變得穩定並達到它的基態。

This is true for every system,

這適用於每一個系統，

even in the weird world of quantum mechanics.

即使在詭異的量子力學世界裡也是如此。

If our current understanding of physics is correct, 文法

如果我們目前對物理學的理解是正確的，

then the universe gets its properties from quantum fields.

那麼宇宙的屬性就來源於量子場。

We explained them in detail in another video.

我們在另一部影片中詳細解釋過它們。

For this video,

在這部影片中，

imagine them as the rules of the universe. 表達脈絡

你可以把它們想像成宇宙的規則。

They tell particles how to behave and interact.

它們告訴粒子如何表現和相互作用。

Like everything in the universe,

就像宇宙中的萬物一樣，

they want to be in the lowest energy level possible,

它們想要處於可能的最低能階，

which is called a vacuum state.

這被稱為真空態。

This has nothing to do with vacuum in space. 片語搭配

這與太空中的真空毫無關係。

It's just called this way

它只是被這麼稱呼，

because scientists are bad at naming things.

因為科學家們不太擅長取名字。

We think all the fields reached their vacuum state,

我們認為所有的場都已經達到了它們的真空態，

except maybe one.

也許只有一個例外。

It's possible that the Higgs field is not stable,

希格斯場可能並不穩定，

but metastable, 用詞

而是亞穩態的，

which is a fancy way of saying 片語搭配

這是一種高級的說法，

that it pretends to be stable,

意思是它假裝很穩定，

but really is not.

但實際上並非如此。

It would be a false vacuum. 文化背景

也就是所謂的假真空。

The Higgs field is responsible for giving particles their mass, 片語搭配

希格斯場負責賦予粒子質量，

which rules how almost everything in the universe interacts.

這決定了宇宙中幾乎所有事物相互作用的方式。

What would happen if the Higgs field is in a false vacuum?

如果希格斯場處於假真空狀態會發生什麼？

Think of our ball in the valley.

想像一下我們山谷裡的那個球。

The ball is the Higgs field.

這個球就是希格斯場。

The valley might not be the lowest energy state for the Higgs field.

這個山谷可能並不是希格斯場的最低能量狀態。

There might be an even deeper valley

可能還有一個更深的山谷

that it wants to get to.

是它想要到達的地方。

This would mean that the Higgs field has a lot of potential energy

這意味著希格斯場有大量的位能

waiting to be released. 文法

正等待被釋放。

The Higgs field could be like a piece of wood,

希格斯場可能就像一塊木頭，

but drenched in gasoline, 片語搭配

但被汽油浸透了，

waiting to set the universe on fire. 慣用語

正等待著點燃宇宙。

A random spark like quantum tunneling

像量子穿隧效應這樣的一點隨機火花，

could release the potential energy of the Higgs field.

就可能釋放出希格斯場的位能。

This could happen at any time and without warning. 片語搭配

這可能在任何時候毫無徵兆地發生。

If at any point in space this so-called vacuum decay starts, 用詞

如果在空間的任何一點上開始了這種所謂的真空衰變，

there is no turning back. 慣用語

那就無法回頭了。

As the Higgs field crashes into the lower energy state,

當希格斯場墜入更低的能量狀態時，

it releases a massive amount of potential energy.

它會釋放出大量的位能。

This energy pushes the space around it over the barrier,

這股能量將周圍的空間推過位能障壁，

which releases more potential energy.

從而釋放出更多的位能。

A sphere of the new stable Higgs field or true vacuum

一個由新的穩定的希格斯場或真真空構成的球體，

grows at the speed of light in all directions. 片語搭配

將以光速向四面八方膨脹。

Imagine it like setting a sea of gasoline

想像一下，這就像點燃了一片

the size of the universe on fire.

和宇宙一樣大的汽油海洋。

The sphere is surrounded by a shell of energy

這個球體被一層能量外殼所包圍，

that devours everything it comes into contact with. 片語搭配

吞噬掉它所接觸到的一切。

Whatever it touches is eliminated from existence. 文法

它觸碰到的一切都會從存在中被抹去。

The bubble will continue to grow forever,

這個氣泡將永遠繼續膨脹，

deleting the universe on its way.

一路抹除整個宇宙。

There is no way to be warned since it's so fast, 文法

因為它發生得太快了，所以沒有任何辦法能提前預警，

but there's nothing we could do anyway.

反正我們也無能為力。

Our destruction would be instant.

我們的毀滅將是瞬間的。

In a fraction of a second, 片語搭配

在幾分之一秒內，

Earth would be gone.

地球就會消失。

But it actually gets worse.

但實際上情況還要更糟。

If the energy level of the Higgs field changes,

如果希格斯場的能階發生了改變，

it changes all of physics.

它將改變所有的物理學定律。

In the true vacuum of the sphere,

在這個球體的真真空中，

the standard model will be overthrown,

標準模型將被推翻，

superseded by different physics that we don't know.

取而代之的是我們一無所知的不同物理學。

How fundamental particles behave,

基本粒子如何表現，

how atoms hold together,

原子如何結合在一起，

how chemicals react.

化學物質如何反應。

Vacuum decay won't just destroy life, 表達脈絡

真空衰變不僅會毀滅生命，

it will destroy chemistry itself,

它還將毀滅化學本身，

making life as we know it impossible. 片語搭配

讓我們所知的生命根本不可能存在。

We simply have no idea what it would be like inside. 文法

我們完全不知道裡面會是什麼樣子。

It might be a shadow of what it is now,

它可能是現在這個宇宙的一個影子，

or not.

也可能不是。

We don't know.

我們無從知曉。

If vacuum decay happens,

如果真空衰變真的發生，

the outlook is indeed grim.

前景確實很悽慘。

If you feel slightly worried now,

如果你現在感到有些擔憂，

don't be.

沒必要。

At this point,

就目前而言，

false vacuum is speculation based on our current understanding of particle physics,

假真空只是基於我們目前對粒子物理的理解所作的推測，

which might be wrong.

這種理解可能是錯的。

It's kind of like using a ruler to measure a continent. 片語搭配

這有點像用一把尺去測量一個大陸。

Sure, you can do it,

當然，你可以這麼做，

but you might be off by quite a bit at the end. 片語搭配

但最終的結果可能會偏差很大。

Right now, no one can say if vacuum decay is a thing that's real

現在沒有人能斷言真空衰變究竟是真實的，

or just a scary idea.

還只是一個可怕的想法。

But even if one or multiple spheres of death have already started expanding, 文法

但是，即使一個或多個死亡球體已經開始膨脹，

the universe is so big

宇宙是如此之大，

that they might not reach us for billions of years.

以至於它們可能在數十億年內都無法到達我們這裡。

If they're far enough away, 文法

如果它們離得夠遠，

they might not ever be able to reach us 文法

它們可能永遠也無法到達我們這裡，

because of the expansion of the universe.

因為宇宙正在膨脹。

The speed of light is not that fast on the scale of the universe. 片語搭配

在宇宙的尺度上，光速並沒有那麼快。

So while vacuum decay is fascinatingly scary, 表達脈絡

所以，雖然真空衰變可怕得令人著迷，

right now there are other things we should be more afraid of.

但現在還有其他事情更值得我們害怕。

In contrast to vacuum decay, 片語搭配

與真空衰變不同的是，

we have the power to prepare for most of them. 片語搭配

我們有能力為其中的大多數做準備。

Videos like this one take hundreds of hours to make,

像這樣的影片需要花費數百個小時來製作，

so support us on Patreon

所以請在 Patreon 上支持我們，

if you'd like to learn more about the destruction of everything.

如果你想了解更多關於毀滅一切的知識的話。

It really helps us out.

這真的對我們幫助很大。

We tried to destroy the universe at least once every few months,

我們試圖每幾個月至少毀滅一次宇宙，

so let us know in the comments

所以請在留言區告訴我們，

if you have doomsday scenarios you would like us to cover.

你是否還有希望我們探討的世界末日情境。