Could a baseball transform into something like a radio wave,

棒球可以先轉變成電磁波之類的東西，

travel through buildings,

穿越建築物，

bounce around corners,

碰撞後反彈，

and change back into a baseball?

再變回棒球嗎？

Oddly enough, thanks to quantum mechanics, the answer might actually be yes.

很神奇地，根據量子力學，或許真的可行

Sort of.

大概啦

Here's the trick.

秘密是這樣的

The baseball itself couldn't be sent by radio,

棒球本身無法由電磁波傳送，

but all the information about it could.

但有關它的所有資訊可以

In quantum physics, atoms and electrons

量子物理中，原子和電子

are interpreted as a collection of distinct properties,

被視作是各種不同性質的集合體，

for example, position,

例如：位置、

momentum,

動量、

and intrinsic spin.

還有自旋

The values of these properties configure the particle,

這些性質的值共同決定粒子，

giving it a quantum state identity.

給予它一個專屬量子態

If two electrons have the same quantum state,

如果兩個電子有相同的量子態，

they're identical.

他們就是相同的

In a literal sense, our baseball is defined by a collective quantum state

口語一點來說，我們的棒球是由眾多原子的量子態

resulting from its many atoms.

的集合所決定而成

If this quantum state information could be read in Boston

如果這條量子態訊息可以在波士頓讀取

and sent around the world,

再傳輸到全世界，

atoms for the same chemical elements could have this information

訊息可以在邦加羅爾

imprinted on them in Bangalore

標記在相同化學元素的原子上

and be carefully directed to assemble,

再依照指示小心地組合，

becoming the exact same baseball.

成為一模一樣的棒球

There's a wrinkle though.

但有個困難點

Quantum states aren't so easy to measure.

測量量子態可不簡單

The uncertainty principle in quantum physics

量子物理中的測不準原理

implies the position and momentum of a particle

指出一個粒子的位置和動量

can't be measured at the same time.

無法同時測得

The simplest way to measure the exact position of an electron

測量電子精確位置最簡單的方法

requires scattering a particle of light, a photon, from it,

需要光粒子（光子）的散射，

and collecting the light in a microscope.

並將光會聚在顯微鏡中

But that scattering changes the momentum of the electron in an unpredictable way.

但是散射會隨機改變電子的動量

We lose all previous information about momentum.

我們便失去之前所得知的、關於動量的所有資訊

In a sense, quantum information is fragile.

也就是說，量子的資訊很脆弱

Measuring the information changes it.

測量資訊的同時就改變了

So how can we transmit something

那麼我們要如何傳送一個

we're not permitted to fully read without destroying it?

我們無法完整讀取的東西而不破壞它？

The answer can be found in the strange phenomena of quantum entanglement.

答案可以用量子糾纏的奇怪現象來解釋

Entanglement is an old mystery from the early days of quantum physics

量子糾纏是量子物理早期的謎團

and it's still not entirely understood.

且至今仍未被清楚地解釋

Entangling the spin of two electrons results in an influence

兩電子自旋的糾纏會造成

that transcends distance.

跨越距離的影響

Measuring the spin of the first electron

測量第一個電子的自旋方向

determines what spin will measure for the second,

便能得知第二個電子的自旋是什麼方向

whether the two particles are a mile or a light year apart.

無論這兩個粒子距離多遠

Somehow, information about the first electron's quantum state,

透過某種方法，第一個電子的量子態資訊，

called a qubit of data,

又稱一量子位元的資訊，

influences its partner without transmission across the intervening space.

能夠在不經過中間空間的情況下影響它的對應電子

Einstein and his colleagues called this strange communcation

愛因斯坦和同事稱這種奇怪的傳訊方式為

spooky action at a distance.

遠距離的鬼魅效應

While it does seem that entanglement between two particles

雖然兩粒子間的糾纏現象看似

helps transfer a qubit instantaneously across the space between them,

有助於橫越空間立即傳訊，

there's a catch.

卻有個條件：

This interaction must begin locally.

糾纏現象必須起於兩粒子在同一地點

The two electrons must be entangled in close proximity

其中一個電子被傳送到別處之前

before one of them is transported to a new site.

這兩個電子必須在極接近的距離糾纏

By itself, quantum entanglement isn't teleportation.

若只有一個電子，量子糾纏便無法導致瞬間移動發生

To complete the teleport,

要完成瞬間移動，

we need a digital message to help interpret the qubit at the receiving end.

我們需要在接收端將量子位元轉換為數位訊息

Two bits of data created by measuring the first particle.

測量第一個粒子會產生兩筆資訊

These digital bits must be transmitted by a classical channel

這些數位資訊經由

that's limited by the speed of light, radio, microwaves, or perhaps fiberoptics.

受光速限制的傳統途徑、無線電波、微波，又或許是光纖所傳送

When we measure a particle for this digital message,

當我們測量到粒子的數位訊息，

we destroy its quantum information,

我們也破壞了它的量子資訊

which means the baseball must disappear from Boston

這表示棒球必須從波士頓消失

for it to teleport to Bangalore.

才能瞬間移動到邦加羅爾

Thanks to the uncertainty principle,

基於測不準原理，

teleportation transfers the information about the baseball

瞬間移動將棒球的資訊在兩城市間傳輸

between the two cities and never duplicates it.

而不會複製出另一顆球

So in principle, we could teleport objects, even people,

所以理論上，我們可以瞬間移動物品，甚至人，

but at present, it seems unlikely we can measure the quantum states

但是目前我們似乎不太可能測量出巨大物體之中

of the trillion trillion or more atoms in large objects

上兆或更多原子的量子態

and then recreate them elsewhere.

然後在別的地方重組它們

The complexity of this task and the energy needed is astronomical.

這項任務的複雜度和所需能量大到無法想像

For now, we can reliably teleport single electrons and atoms,

現在，我們可以確實地傳送各個電子和原子，

which may lead to super-secured data encryption

這可能會使未來的量子電腦

for future quantum computers.

有超安全資訊加密功能

The philosophical implications of quantum teleportation are subtle.

將量子瞬間移動的哲學思考是很微妙的

A teleported object doesn't exactly transport across space

瞬間移動的物體並非真的被運輸到別處

like tangible matter,

像實體物質那樣，

nor does it exactly transmit across space, like intangible information.

它也不算是像無形的資訊那樣傳輸

It seems to do a little of both.

似乎兩種模式都有一點

Quantum physics gives us a strange new vision

量子物理給我們一個奇特的新視角

for all the matter in our universe as collections of fragile information.

將宇宙中所有物質視為脆弱資訊的集合

And quantum teleportation reveals new ways to influence this fragility.

量子的瞬間移動揭示影響這種脆弱性質的新方法

And remember, never say never.

記住，永遠別放棄

In a little over a century,

在比一世紀長一點的時間內

mankind has advanced from an uncertain new understanding

人類已經從剛摸索到電子

of the behavior of electrons at the atomic scale

在原子層次的行為

to reliably teleporting them across a room.

進步到可以確實讓他們瞬間移動到另一個空間

What new technical mastery of such phenomena

這樣的現象

might we have in 1,000, or even 10,000 years?

會在 1000 或甚至 10000 年後帶來什麼新的科技發展呢？

Only time and space will tell.

只有時間和空間知道