你無法真正觸摸任何東西：英語精讀講義

Hey Vsauce, Michael here

嗨，Vsauce，我是 Michael。

and today we're going to get close,

今天我們要靠得很近，

like really close.

非常、非常近。

In fact, I want to answer the question,

其實，我想回答一個問題：

what's the closest we can get to other objects and other people? 文法

我們究竟能離其他物體和其他人多近？

Now, it might sound like a kind of simple easy question,

這個問題聽起來或許很簡單，

but when you get down to the atoms of it, 慣用語

但如果深入到原子層級，

it's quite complex and might leave you feeling a little bit alone. 文法

它就相當複雜，甚至可能讓你覺得有點孤單。

When I go like this,

當我像這樣做時，

my fingers for all intents and purposes are touching, 慣用語

無論怎麼看，我的手指都算是碰在一起了，

but at an atomic level they're not. 片語搭配

但在原子層級，它們並沒有接觸。

That's right.

沒錯。

In fact, if you're sitting in a chair right now,

事實上，如果你現在正坐在椅子上，

your body is technically not touching the chair at all.

嚴格來說，你的身體根本沒有碰到椅子。

Instead, you are hovering above the chair

相反地，你其實懸浮在椅子上方，

by some tiny tiny atomically sized gap,

中間隔著一道極其微小、只有原子尺度的縫隙，

something too small for us to even see, 文法

小到我們根本看不見，

but it's there.

但它確實存在。

And it's caused by the fact that your butt and the chair are made out of atoms. 文法

這是因為你的屁股和椅子都是由原子構成的。

Now, as we all know, 語氣意圖

大家都知道，

the matter that we deal with every day is made out of atoms.

我們每天接觸的物質都是由原子構成的。

And an atom is a nucleus surrounded by an outer shell of orbiting electrons. 文法

原子由原子核和環繞在外層軌道上的電子構成。

Now, when two atoms get close to each other

當兩個原子彼此靠近時，

that aren't going to bond or chemically react,

如果它們不會形成化學鍵或發生化學反應，

they have trouble touching each other. 文法

就很難真正碰到彼此。

Why?

為什麼？

Because electrons repel one another because they have the same charge. 用詞

因為電子帶有相同的電荷，會互相排斥。

And because of a fancy thing called the Pauli Exclusion Principle, 文化背景

而且，由於一個叫做「包立不相容原理」的高深理論，

we also know that all of an atom's electrons

我們還知道，一個原子裡的所有電子

cannot be all pushed down to the same energy level

不可能全被壓到同一個能階，

all together on the same shell. 用詞

一起擠在同一個電子層上。

So, what this means is that if I touch something, 表達脈絡

所以，這表示當我觸摸某樣東西時，

I'm technically not really touching it.

嚴格來說，我並沒有真的碰到它。

The atoms are getting quite close together,

原子之間確實靠得很近，

but the electromagnetic repulsion between electrons is saying, 表達脈絡

但電子之間的電磁斥力會說：

"No, no, no, no closer."

「不、不、不，不能再近了。」

Now, of course,

當然，

the nerves in my skin can feel that repulsive force,

我皮膚裡的神經能感受到這種斥力，

and that's what I call the texture or the feeling of the object.

我把這種感覺稱為物體的質地或觸感。

If I push hard enough, of course,

當然，如果我用足夠大的力氣，

I can break or poke into or cut something,

就能弄破、戳穿或剪開某樣東西，

but I'm not touching any of its matter.

但我仍然沒有碰到它的任何物質。

I'm just pushing it out of the way 片語搭配

我只是在把它推開，

using the electron-electron repulsion forces.

靠的是電子之間的斥力。

Even though, so you can cut things really easily like this,

即使如此，你還是可以像這樣輕鬆地剪開東西，

the scissors never touch the card.

但剪刀從來沒有真正碰到這張卡片。

This is where it gets depressing. 表達脈絡

接下來就讓人沮喪了。

What all of this means is that when you kiss your girlfriend or pet your dog or hug your grandmother,

這表示，當你親吻女朋友、撫摸小狗或擁抱祖母時，

you're not actually making contact with their matter. 片語搭配

你其實並沒有接觸到構成對方的物質。

You're not technically touching them.

嚴格來說，你並沒有碰到對方。

You're just feeling the repulsive force of their electrons.

你感受到的，只是對方電子產生的斥力。

But maybe there's hope. 表達脈絡

不過，也許還有希望。

Let's just avoid electrons altogether and ask ourselves, 用詞

我們不妨完全避開電子，問問自己：

what can we do to affect the nucleus of someone else's atoms?

我們能做些什麼來影響別人原子的原子核？

Maybe we can do that?

也許真的能做到？

You're going to have to be a little bit radioactive if you're going to want to do this. 文法

如果想這麼做，你就得帶一點放射性。

And luckily, people are a little bit radioactive.

幸運的是，人本身確實帶有一點放射性。

In fact, if you sleep in a bed with another person for an entire year,

事實上，如果你和另一個人同床睡整整一年，

your body is actually exposed to 1 millirem more radiation than someone who sleeps alone. 片語搭配

你的身體受到的輻射會比獨自睡覺的人多1毫雷姆。

Now, we are talking about tiny tiny amounts that really don't affect your body at all. 語氣意圖

當然，我們說的是極其微小的劑量，完全不會影響身體。

But still, they're there.

但它們仍然存在。

How did they get there?

它們是從哪裡來的？

Well, carbon 14 is in the air and potassium 40 is in bananas. 文化背景

空氣中有碳-14，香蕉裡則有鉀-40。

That's right.

沒錯。

Bananas have a really high potassium content. 片語搭配

香蕉的鉀含量非常高。

In fact, any food that has a lot of potassium in it like Brazil nuts

事實上，任何富含鉀的食物，例如巴西堅果，

is going to act the same way.

都會產生同樣的效果。

All that potassium's fine and dandy, 慣用語

這些鉀本身都沒什麼問題，

but about one out of every 8,000 or so potassium atoms 文法

但大約每8,000個鉀原子中，就有一個

is a radioactive isotope of potassium.

是鉀的放射性同位素。

In fact, if you were to eat 600 bananas, 文法

事實上，如果你吃下600根香蕉，

it would be the equivalent of getting a chest X-ray. 片語搭配

所受的輻射就相當於照一次胸部X光。

Okay, cool.

好吧，真酷。

So, I am a little bit radioactive.

所以，我確實帶有一點放射性。

Does that mean that if I hug someone really close that

那是不是表示，如果我緊緊抱住某個人，

some sort of radioactive ray might come out of my body

某種放射線就可能從我的身體裡射出，

and go into someone else's body

進入對方的身體，

and get absorbed into a nucleus of one of their atoms

再被對方某個原子的原子核吸收，

and then we can really finally say that we touched on a fundamental level? 片語搭配

這樣我們終於能說，彼此在最根本的層級真正接觸過了？

Maybe.

也許吧。

The radiation that comes out of us is very unlikely to hit someone else's atoms. 文法

我們發出的輻射極不可能擊中別人的原子。

And because people don't contain a lot of radioactive material in their bodies,

而且，由於人體內並沒有多少放射性物質，

that energy is just going to get absorbed.

那些能量只會被吸收掉。

You're not going to really know that it happens,

你根本不會察覺這件事發生了，

and the chance, like I said, is super unlikely. 講解

而且就像我說的，它發生的機率低得驚人。

So,

所以，

maybe we should go back a little bit and talk about chemical reactions. 表達脈絡

也許我們該稍微退一步，談談化學反應。

Back when I mentioned that atoms have trouble touching,

剛才我說過，原子很難互相接觸，

they are a little more friendly if they get together 片語動詞

但如果它們聚在一起，就會友善一些，

and, you know, share electrons.

還會，你懂的，共享電子。

Now, this kind of stuff is happening all the time.

這種事一直都在發生。

When I eat food,

當我吃東西時，

my body is chemically reacting with that food to take out the nutrients, 用詞

我的身體會和食物發生化學反應，從中取得營養，

get rid of the stuff I don't want. 片語動詞

再排出我不需要的東西。

But short of being a cannibal 片語搭配

但如果不去當食人族，

and eating someone's arm or being a zombie,

不吃掉別人的手臂，也不變成殭屍，

how can I get chemically reactionally close to a person? 用詞

那我要怎麼透過化學反應與另一個人親密接觸呢？

Well, luckily,

幸運的是，

there is a thing called birth.

世上還有一件事叫做出生。

When you're growing inside your mother,

當你在母親體內成長時，

your father and mother's DNA are all working together in chemical ways to create you.

父母的DNA會透過各種化學作用，共同創造出你。

Because they're sharing electrons,

因為它們會共享電子，

it seems at least more like a touch.

所以這至少更像是真正的接觸。

I guess what I'm trying to say is that in a way 表達脈絡

我想說的是，從某種意義上來看，

your parents and your children

你的父母和你的孩子

are the only people you can know for certain 片語搭配

是你唯一可以確定自己

you've come the closest to actually touching. 文法

曾經離真正觸碰最近的人。

And that's touching. 慣用語

這就是接觸。

And as always,

一如往常，

thanks for watching.

謝謝收看。