黑洞炸彈與黑洞文明：英語精讀講義

Black holes are the largest collections of pure violent energy in the universe.

黑洞是宇宙中純粹狂暴能量的最大集合體。

If you come too close,

如果你靠得太近，

they'll devour you and add your energy to their collection.

它們就會吞噬你，並把你的能量加入到它們的收藏中。

And so,

於是，

the energy is lost to us forever.

這種能量我們就永遠失去了。

Or is it?

真的是這樣嗎？

It turns out there's a universe cheat code, 表達脈絡

事實證明，宇宙中存在一個作弊碼，

a way of powering civilizations until the very death of everything 文法

這是一種能為文明提供能量直到萬物終結的方法，

or of constructing the largest bomb in the universe.

或者可以用來製造宇宙中最大的炸彈。

But how?

但怎麼做呢？

Didn't we learn that all energy is trapped forever in black holes,

我們不是學過所有的能量都會永遠被困在黑洞裡嗎，

even light?

甚至光也不例外？

This is true.

這是事實。

Everything you think you know about the weirdest thing in the universe

你以為你對宇宙中最詭異事物的所有了解，

is about to get weirder 文法

都即將變得更加詭異，

for one simple reason.

原因很簡單。

Black holes are spinning.

黑洞在旋轉。

Why black holes spin?

為什麼黑洞會旋轉？

When really really massive stars die,

當極大質量的恆星死亡時，

their cores collapse under their own gravity into black holes. 片語搭配

它們的核心會在自身重力作用下坍縮成黑洞。

This means something very big becomes very very tiny,

這意味著非常巨大的東西變得非常非常微小，

like the tiniest anything can be in this universe.

就像宇宙中可能存在的最微小的東西。

But stars are rotating

但是恆星在旋轉，

and a fundamental property of our universe

而我們宇宙的一個基本屬性

is that things that are spinning don't want to stop spinning.

就是正在旋轉的物體不想停止旋轉。

We call this angular momentum. 用詞

我們稱之為角動量。

And this angular momentum can't go away.

而這種角動量無法消失。

A big thing that spins and becomes smaller

一個正在旋轉且變得越來越小的巨大物體

spins faster.

會轉得更快。

So, as the core of a star collapses,

所以，當恆星核心坍縮時，

its momentum makes it spin faster and faster and faster

它的動量使其旋轉得越來越快，

until it collapses into a black hole.

直到坍縮成一個黑洞。

And the black hole keeps on spinning inconceivably fast. 片語搭配

並且黑洞以令人難以置信的速度繼續旋轉。

Some of them spin millions of times a second.

它們中的一些每秒旋轉數百萬次。

Why spinning black holes are special?

為什麼旋轉的黑洞很特別？

Just like non-spinning black holes, 表達脈絡

就像不旋轉的黑洞一樣，

spinning black holes have an event horizon and a singularity at their core 用詞

旋轉黑洞的核心也有事件視界和奇點，

where all of their mass is concentrated.

其所有的質量都集中在那裡。

The singularity is usually described as a single infinitely small point

奇點通常被描述為一個無限小的單點，

with no surface area.

沒有表面積。

But points can't rotate, 表達脈絡

但點不能旋轉，

so a rotating singularity can't be a point.

所以旋轉的奇點不能是一個點。

Instead,

相反地，

it's a ringularity. 慣用語

它是一個環奇點。

A ringularity is a ring with a thickness of zero and no surface

環奇點是一個厚度為零、沒有表面的環，

spinning extremely fast

它極速旋轉，

containing all the mass of the black hole.

包含了黑洞的所有質量。

The black hole is spinning so fast 文法

黑洞旋轉得如此之快，

that it morphs space and time itself.

以至於它使空間和時間本身發生了變形。

It literally drags space with it, 用詞

它簡直是帶著空間一起拖拽，

such is its power. 文法

它的力量就是如此之大。

This creates a new and super weird region of space time,

這在時空中創造了一個全新的、極其詭異的區域，

the ergosphere, 用詞

即能層，

which envelops the black hole.

它包裹著黑洞。

If space and time are completely broken inside the event horizon,

如果時間和空間在事件視界內徹底破碎，

then they're only half broken inside the ergosphere.

那麼在能層裡它們只碎了一半。

Inside the ergosphere,

在能層內部，

nothing makes sense.

沒有任何常理可言。

It's possible to enter it and then leave it again,

進去後再出來是可能的，

but it's probably not a great experience. 語氣意圖

但這可能不是一次很棒的體驗。

You can imagine it like this.

你可以這樣想像。

Falling into a static black hole is like sliding down a hole. 表達脈絡

掉入一個靜態黑洞就像滑入一個洞裡。

Being inside the ergosphere of a spinning black hole

而處在一個旋轉黑洞的能層內，

is like spiraling down a deadly drain.

就像是螺旋式掉入一個致命的下水道。

The black hole transfers its own kinetic energy in the form of rotation 片語搭配

黑洞以旋轉的形式將其自身的動能，

to everything that enters the ergosphere.

轉移給進入能層的任何東西。

The ringularity makes you dance

無論你願不願意，

whether you want to or not. 文法

環奇點都會讓你跳舞。

You need to move faster than the speed of light just to stand still here,

只要想站在這裡不動，你就需要移動得比光速還快，

which is impossible.

這是不可能的。

But here's our cheat code. 慣用語

但這就是我們的作弊碼。

We can steal this energy.

我們可以竊取這種能量。

And there's a lot of energy to steal.

並且有很多能量可以竊取。

How to steal energy from a monster.

如何從怪物身上竊取能量。

Take the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. 表達脈絡

以銀河系中心的超大質量黑洞為例。

We could steal as much energy from it 文法

我們可以從它那裡竊取的能量，

as every single star in the Milky Way emits in a billion years combined.

相當於銀河系中每一顆恆星在十億年內釋放能量的總和。

The easiest way to steal this energy is,

竊取這種能量最簡單的方法，

oddly enough, 片語搭配

奇怪的是，

to drop something into the black hole.

竟然是向黑洞裡扔東西。

We've seen that the ringularity forces energy on us when we enter the ergosphere, 片語搭配

我們已經看到，當我們進入能層時，環奇點會將能量強加給我們，

which is a lot like being in a whirlpool with space-time rushing around and around.

這很像處於一個時空不斷盤旋的漩渦中。

If you're clever,

如果你夠聰明，

you can use the water to your advantage 片語搭配

你可以利用水流為你帶來優勢，

and swim faster than before.

游得比以前更快。

In practice, 表達脈絡

在實踐中，

this means sending a rocket into the ergosphere

這意味著向能層發射火箭，

and making a trade with the black hole.

並與黑洞進行交易。

We give it some mass energy

我們給它一些質能，

and it gives us some of its rotational energy.

它給我們一些它的旋轉能量。

But it's not a fair trade.

但這不是公平交易。

We get the better deal.

我們佔了便宜。

Normally,

通常情況下，

if you fire a rocket,

如果你發射火箭，

you exchange chemical energy for kinetic energy. 片語搭配

你是用化學能交換動能。

This is like pushing yourself forward in a swimming pool.

這就像是在游泳池裡把自己向前推。

But if you fire a rocket inside the ergosphere,

但如果你在能層內發射火箭，

it's like pushing yourself forward in a wave pool.

就像是在造浪池裡把自己向前推。

The rotational energy of the waves

波浪的旋轉能量

gives you a much stronger boost than you could get just by pushing yourself.

給你帶來了比僅靠自己推獲得的強得多的推力。

The boost from the rotation of the black hole

來自黑洞旋轉的推力

is so big

是如此之大，

that you leave the ergosphere with much more energy than you entered it.

以至於你離開能層時，擁有的能量比你進去時多得多。

The black hole gives a tiny amount of its rotational energy to you

黑洞將一小部分旋轉能量給了你，

and slows down a little.

並且自己減慢了一點。

Obviously,

顯然，

this requires a lot of food.

這需要很多食物。

Fortunately,

幸運的是，

black holes aren't picky eaters. 慣用語

黑洞不挑食。

An advanced future civilization would probably harvest asteroids

未來的高級文明可能會開採小行星，

to drop them into the black hole when they needed an energy boost.

在需要能量補充時將它們扔進黑洞。

But there's an even better way to get energy from a black hole,

但有一種從黑洞獲取能量的更好方法，

and oddly enough,

而且奇怪的是，

it builds the biggest bomb

它能用來製造最大的炸彈，

any living thing could ever hope to build.

任何生物所能奢望建造的最大炸彈。

The black hole bomb.

黑洞炸彈。

We only need two things to build a black hole bomb,

製造黑洞炸彈只需要兩樣東西：

a fast-spinning black hole,

一個快速旋轉的黑洞，

and a big mirror.

和一面巨大的鏡子。

The mirror has to completely envelop the black hole,

鏡子必須完全包裹住黑洞，

which is similar to a Dyson sphere, 文化背景

這類似於戴森球，

a megastructure that harvests the energy of an entire star.

一種能夠收集整個恆星能量的巨型結構。

Although our mirror would be easier to build.

不過我們的鏡子更容易建造。

Mirrors are simpler

鏡子更簡單，

and black holes are much much more compact than stars.

且黑洞比恆星緊湊得多。

If we made the mirror 10 cm thick, 文法

如果我們讓鏡子有 10 公分厚，

the metal of a big asteroid

一顆大小行星的金屬

would probably be enough material for a black hole with the mass of our sun.

可能就足以作為包裹一個具有太陽質量黑洞的鏡子材料。

Once our mirror is in place, 片語搭配

一旦我們的鏡子就位，

we only need to open a window

我們只需要打開一扇窗戶，

and shoot electromagnetic waves at the black hole.

然後向黑洞發射電磁波。

You can imagine what happens next

你可以想像一下接下來會發生什麼：

by imagining tossing a ball at a wall

想像對著牆壁扔球，

and it coming back faster than a bullet.

結果它以比子彈還快的速度彈回來。

The waves hit the black hole at light speed.

波以光速撞擊黑洞。

A small proportion of the waves falls past the event horizon 文法

一小部分波越過事件視界

to disappear forever.

永遠消失了。

But a much larger amount sloshes through the ergosphere 用詞

但更多的波在能層中激盪，

where the black hole forces some of its rotational energy on them

在那裡黑洞將其部分旋轉能量強加在波上，

and amplifies them.

並將它們放大。

They now begin superradiant scattering, 用詞

它們現在開始超輻射散射，

which are fancy science words meaning 表達脈絡

這是一個花俏的科學詞彙，意思是

bouncing around between mirror and black hole

在鏡子和黑洞之間來回彈跳

and getting stronger.

並變得越來越強。

Every time they go around,

它們每繞一圈，

they are getting exponentially stronger. 用詞

都會成倍增強。

By opening some windows in the mirror, 文法

通過在鏡子上打開一些窗戶，

we can extract the energy from the waves as fast as they grow,

我們可以提取隨著波增長而產生的能量，

which we could use in theory

理論上可以利用這些能量

to create what would be,

創造出一個

for all practical purposes, 片語搭配

可以滿足所有實際用途的、

an endless source of energy

無盡的能源，

for trillions of years.

並持續數萬億年。

Or we could blow it up. 片語動詞

或者我們可以引爆它。

If the waves are not released,

如果不釋放波，

they will continue to get stronger and stronger 表達脈絡

它們將不斷變得越來越強，

and take more and more energy from the black hole

從黑洞中帶走越來越多的能量，

until the mirror shatters.

直到鏡子破碎。

A supermassive black hole would release as much energy as a supernova,

一個超大質量黑洞釋放的能量將相當於超新星爆發，

making the bomb 文法

使得這個炸彈成為

the largest explosion any living being could ever create.

任何生物所能創造的最大的爆炸。

The last home

最後的家園

in a dying universe.

在一個瀕死的宇宙中。

The beauty of the black hole bomb,

黑洞炸彈的美妙之處、

the Penrose process, 文化背景

彭羅斯過程、

and the superradiant scattering

以及超輻射散射，

is that they are not science fiction.

在於它們都不是科幻小說。

In the far far future,

在遙遠的未來，

this might be the only way to survive

這可能是生存下去的唯一方式

in our dying universe.

在我們垂死的宇宙中。

After all the red dwarfs have cooled down 用詞

在所有的紅矮星冷卻之後，

and all the white dwarfs transformed into black dwarfs,

並且所有的白矮星都變成黑矮星之後，

the universe will turn dark forever.

宇宙將永遠陷入黑暗。

Rotating black holes

旋轉的黑洞

might be the only sources of energy

可能將成為整個宇宙中

in the entire universe

僅存的能源

that life could harvest.

可供生命收集。

If so, 表達脈絡

如果是這樣，

the last living being in existence

存在的最後一種生命

might one day end its life

可能有一天會結束它的生命

around a black hole,

在一個黑洞周圍，

which is equally chilling and uplifting. 表達脈絡

這既讓人不寒而慄，又振奮人心。

It turns out

事實證明，

that even without any light, 慣用語

即使沒有任何光芒，

there are places we can go.

我們依然還有容身之處。