"Queerer than we can suppose" comes from J.B.S. Haldane, the famous biologist,

我的講題:「比我們所能想像的更離奇: 科學的不可思議」

who said, "Now, my own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer

「比我們所能想像的更離奇」 引自著名生物學家霍爾登 (J. B. S. Haldane)

than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.

他說道: 「我的個人猜想是,

I suspect that there are more things in heaven and earth

宇宙不僅比我們想的離奇,

than are dreamed of, or can be dreamed of, in any philosophy."

而是比我們"能想"的更離奇。

Richard Feynman compared the accuracy of quantum theories --

我估計天地間的事物

experimental predictions --

比任何學說曾設想/能設想的還要多。」

to specifying the width of North America to within one hair's breadth of accuracy.

費曼 形容量子理論之精確性 -

This means that quantum theory has got to be, in some sense, true.

實驗測準 - 相當於釐定北美洲之跨度時

Yet the assumptions that quantum theory needs to make

誤差不逾一絲毫髮.

in order to deliver those predictions are so mysterious

意思是量子理論應該於某種意義上屬實

that even Feynman himself was moved to remark,

然而, 量子理論在得出該推論前

"If you think you understand quantum theory,

所需之假設卻又是如許深奧

you don't understand quantum theory."

以致於費曼亦不禁指出:

It's so queer that physicists resort to one or another

「若您以為自己懂量子理論,

paradoxical interpretation of it.

您其實並不懂量子理論。」

David Deutsch, who's talking here, in "The Fabric of Reality,"

真奇怪，物理學家作闡述的時候,

embraces the many-worlds interpretation of quantum theory,

竟都訴諸於這樣那樣的之悖論。

because the worst that you can say about it

於此演說「現實結構」之 David Deutsch,

is that it's preposterously wasteful.

擁護籍以闡釋量子理論的「多宇宙論」,

It postulates a vast and rapidly growing number of universes existing in parallel,

因為, 對此您充其量

mutually undetectable,

只能數落其為浪費無度

except through the narrow porthole of quantum mechanical experiments.

它假設有極多數目激增之宇宙

And that's Richard Feynman.

它們同時並存 - 並且除了通過一個量子機動實驗之窄小孔道外

The biologist Lewis Wolpert believes

互不察覺。

that the queerness of modern physics

那是 Richard Feynman 之見解.

is just an extreme example.

生物學家 Lewis Wolpert

Science, as opposed to technology,

相信現代物理之奇怪

does violence to common sense.

只是一個極端例子。 科學, 有異於(純)技術,

Every time you drink a glass of water, he points out,

確實有違常理。

the odds are that you will imbibe at least one molecule

他指出, 每當您喝一杯水,

that passed through the bladder of Oliver Cromwell.

您同時亦可能飲下

(Laughter)

一個曾流過 Oliver Cromwell 膀胱之水分子。

It's just elementary probability theory.

這純粹是基本可能性.

(Laughter)

每杯水的水分子量, 數目遠遠大於

The number of molecules per glassful is hugely greater

世上杯量與膀胱量之數

than the number of glassfuls, or bladdersful, in the world.

再說，Crornwell 和 (他的) 膀胱當然都沒啥特別。

And of course, there's nothing special about Cromwell or bladders --

您剛剛吸入的一個氮原子

you have just breathed in a nitrogen atom

曾從第三頭禽龍的右肺

that passed through the right lung of the third iguanodon

轉到蘇鐵高樹上那頭的左肺去。

to the left of the tall cycad tree.

「比我們所能想像的更離奇」

"Queerer than we can suppose."

是什麼讓我們能作「猜想」呢?

What is it that makes us capable of supposing anything,

這說明了我們 [能猜想出甚麼] 來嗎?

and does this tell us anything about what we can suppose?

宇宙中可有什麼事物

Are there things about the universe that will be forever beyond our grasp,

是永遠在我們掌握之外, 卻不在某些更高智能

but not beyond the grasp of some superior intelligence?

的掌握之外? 宇宙中可有什麼事物

Are there things about the universe

是, 原則上, 無論多高明的智慧

that are, in principle, ungraspable by any mind,

亦無從掌握的呢?

however superior?

科學歷史是一系列悠長的

The history of science has been one long series of violent brainstorms,

劇烈腦震盪 (集思廣益), 後繼的新生代

as successive generations have come to terms with

已逐漸接受宇宙中

increasing levels of queerness in the universe.

確有愈來愈多的離奇不解。

We're now so used to the idea that the Earth spins,

現在我們都已太清楚是地球繞著太陽在轉

rather than the Sun moves across the sky,

並非太陽於天空中劃過 - 對此,我們實在難於理解

it's hard for us to realize

(當時) 會是一種多震撼的思想革命啊.

what a shattering mental revolution that must have been.

畢竟, 表面上明明是地球大喇喇地待著

After all, it seems obvious that the Earth is large and motionless,

而小小的太陽在移動。 值得玩味的是

the Sun, small and mobile.

Wittgenstein 論及此題目時所說過的話:

But it's worth recalling Wittgenstein's remark on the subject:

「告訴我, 」他問一個朋友, 「為何人們總說,

"Tell me," he asked a friend, "why do people always say

日繞地轉是人的自然構想

it was natural for man to assume that the Sun went 'round the Earth,

而非地繞日轉呢?

rather than that the Earth was rotating?"

他的朋友答說:「這個嗎, 看來明明就是

And his friend replied, "Well, obviously,

太陽繞著地球在轉喔。」

because it just looks as though the Sun is going round the Earth."

Wittgenstein 答道: 「呃，若『看來像是地球在轉』

Wittgenstein replied, "Well, what would it have looked like

會是如何呢? (眾笑)♫

if it had looked as though the Earth was rotating?"

科學讓我們曉得, 雖則與直覺相悖,

(Laughter)

但那些表面上堅實的的物體, 比如水晶和石頭

Science has taught us, against all intuition,

確是幾乎全由空間所構成。

that apparently solid things, like crystals and rocks,

最熟悉的一種解說是: 一個原子的核

are really almost entirely composed of empty space.

就好比大球場中間的一隻小蒼蠅

And the familiar illustration is the nucleus of an atom

而次一枚原子, 已遠在另一個大球場.

is a fly in the middle of a sports stadium,

故此, 看來堅實緊密之石塊

and the next atom is in the next sports stadium.

原來幾乎完全是由細小微粒所分隔之空間,

So it would seem the hardest, solidest, densest rock

其間距是如此疏遠, 以至都可忽略不計.

is really almost entirely empty space,

這樣說來, 為何石塊看著摸著又是那麼堅硬不透呢?

broken only by tiny particles so widely spaced they shouldn't count.

作為一個演化生物學家, 我會這麼說: 我們的腦袋是按如何

Why, then, do rocks look and feel solid and hard and impenetrable?

有助於我們於某個大小及速度的範圍內

As an evolutionary biologist, I'd say this: our brains have evolved

活動而演化。我們並未變成

to help us survive within the orders of magnitude, of size and speed

可於原子世界中漫游♫

which our bodies operate at.

若有的話, 我們的腦袋可能會將石頭理解為

We never evolved to navigate in the world of atoms.

空空洞洞。石頭在我們的手裡感覺堅實不透

If we had, our brains probably would perceive rocks

正正由於像石頭和手等物體

as full of empty space.

互不穿透。才能讓

Rocks feel hard and impenetrable

我們的腦袋構想出「堅實」和「不透」之觀念.

to our hands, precisely because objects like rocks and hands

因為這些觀念讓我們的身體能夠

cannot penetrate each other.

於身處的「中世度」裡活動。

It's therefore useful

移向於尺度的另一端, 則我們的祖先根本無須

for our brains to construct notions like "solidity" and "impenetrability,"

以近光高速作宇航,

because such notions help us to navigate our bodies

若他們有必要的話, 我們的頭腦就

through the middle-sized world in which we have to navigate.

更好明白愛因斯坦了。 我想以「中世度」

Moving to the other end of the scale,

稱呼這中階環境 - 於其中我們已演化出生活能力。

our ancestors never had to navigate through the cosmos

這跟「中土大陸」無關.

at speeds close to the speed of light.

是 「中世度」. (哄笑)

If they had, our brains would be much better at understanding Einstein.

我們乃經演化入籍「中世度」的僑民, 這限制了

I want to give the name "Middle World" to the medium-scaled environment

我們想像所及, 直覺上您會覺得很容易

in which we've evolved the ability to take act --

掌握觀念如:

nothing to do with "Middle Earth" --

當兔子以 「一般免子和其他中世度物體運動之速度」 走動

Middle World.

然後跟中世度裡另一個物體如石頭碰上的話, 它將被撞倒昏掉。

(Laughter)

讓我介紹一下史達柏拜恩三世少將

We are evolved denizens of Middle World,

1983年之軍事情報指揮官

and that limits what we are capable of imagining.

他於維吉尼亞州的阿靈頓,盯著自己房牆,並決定要幹上了

We find it intuitively easy to grasp ideas like,

有多驚人, 可想而知 - 他要穿越至隔壁辦公室呢.

when a rabbit moves at the sort of medium velocity

他站起, 從檯後走出來

at which rabbits and other Middle World objects move,

「原子主要由啥構成?」 他在想,「是空間」.

and hits another Middle World object like a rock, it knocks itself out.

他開始行動,「我主要由啥構成?」,「是原子」

May I introduce Major General Albert Stubblebine III,

他加快腳步, 幾乎在小跑了.

commander of military intelligence in 1983.

「這牆主要由啥構成?」,「也不就是原子嘛」.

"...[He] stared at his wall in Arlington, Virginia, and decided to do it.

「我只需將所有空間融合。」

As frightening as the prospect was, he was going into the next office.

就這樣, 少將狠狠地讓鼻子扣上辦公室的牆去

He stood up and moved out from behind his desk.

史達柏拜恩, 一個萬六士兵之統帥,

'What is the atom mostly made of?' he thought, 'Space.'

為總是穿不過牆而困感不已

He started walking. 'What am I mostly made of? Atoms.'

他毫不懷疑有一天這將成為軍火庫裡一件普通武器

He quickened his pace, almost to a jog now.

誰敢跟會這個 (穿牆過壁) 的軍隊過不去?

'What is the wall mostly made of?'

這是《花花公子》一篇文章

(Laughter)

我前兩天看時讀到的。 (哄笑)®

'Atoms!'

我有充份理由相信此文之真確性; 我那天翻《花花公子》

All I have to do is merge the spaces.

因為裡頭登了我自己的一篇文。 (哄笑)

Then, General Stubblebine banged his nose hard on the wall of his office.

在「中世度」裡練就之人類直覺, 若無其他協助

Stubblebine, who commanded 16,000 soldiers,

難以相信伽理略所言:

was confounded by his continual failure to walk through the wall.

若撇除磨擦阻抗, 下墜物不論輕重

He has no doubt that this ability will one day be a common tool

都會同時觸地。

in the military arsenal.

那是因為於「中世度」裡, 空氣阻力經常存在.

Who would screw around with an army that could do that?"

倘若我們是乃於真空中演化過來, 就(自然)會預期

That's from an article in Playboy,

它們於同一刻觸地。 又假若我們是

which I was reading the other day.

不斷讓粒子熱動流撞擊的細菌

(Laughter)

情況就不一樣了,

I have every reason to think it's true;

但我們這些「中世度」住民太大了, 難以察見布朗(微粒子)運動。

I was reading Playboy because I, myself, had an article in it.

同樣地, 我們的生活受引力支配

(Laughter)

卻又幾乎對表面張力眊然不察。

Unaided human intuition, schooled in Middle World,

一隻小昆蟲卻會將這先後倒序。

finds it hard to believe Galileo when he tells us

Steve Grand - 左邊的那位

a heavy object and a light object, air friction aside,

右邊的那位是 Douglas Adams -- Steve Grand 在他的書

would hit the ground at the same instant.

《創造: 生命和如何創生》中, 嚴厲抨擊

And that's because in Middle World, air friction is always there.

我們對事物本身總是先入為主.

If we'd evolved in a vacuum,

我們傾向只將硬梆梆的物質視為

we would expect them to hit the ground simultaneously.

僅有實體。 於真空中跌宕起伏的電磁波

If we were bacteria,

卻顯得不實在。

constantly buffeted by thermal movements of molecules,

維多利亞時期的人總認為波必須載存於某種物質介體裡 -

it would be different.

以太。 但我們對實物感到惬意是因為

But we Middle-Worlders are too big to notice Brownian motion.

我們是經過演化變成適合於「中間世界」存活,

In the same way, our lives are dominated by gravity,

(在裡面)「物體」是很管用之設想

but are almost oblivious to the force of surface tension.

對史提夫.格蘭特來說, 一股漩渦

A small insect would reverse these priorities.

有著跟

Steve Grand -- he's the one on the left,

坦尚尼亞沙漠平原上一塊石塊的同等實在。

Douglas Adams is on the right.

於倫蓋火山 (Ol Doinyo Lengai) 之陰影下有個火山灰形成之小丘

Steve Grand, in his book, "Creation: Life and How to Make It,"

優美的是它整體移動著

is positively scathing about our preoccupation with matter itself.

那正是正式稱作「新月丘」的, 整個山丘

We have this tendency to think that only solid, material things

向西方橫越沙漠

are really things at all.

速度是每年17公尺。

Waves of electromagnetic fluctuation in a vacuum seem unreal.

它維持著其弦月形態並向著(非洲之)角移動。

Victorians thought the waves had to be waves in some material medium:

事實是,風會將沙吹過

the ether.

沙丘另一端的淺坡, 接著

But we find real matter comforting

每顆到挺達山脊的沙粒,

only because we've evolved to survive in Middle World,

就會流瀉注入山丘之內

where matter is a useful fiction.

整號角形山丘就是這樣一直往前走。

A whirlpool, for Steve Grand, is a thing with just as much reality

史提夫指出, 你我本身

as a rock.

就更像一個浪, 而不是一個恒長不變的東西

In a desert plain in Tanzania,

他邀請我們, 讀者, 去回想

in the shadow of the volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai,

一段童年體驗, 某些您清晰記得,

there's a dune made of volcanic ash.

某些您能見得, 能觸及, 甚至可嗅到,

The beautiful thing is that it moves bodily.

好比您此刻正處身其中的情況。

It's what's technically known as a "barchan,"

說來, 您確曾身處其中嚒?

and the entire dune walks across the desert in a westerly direction

若不, 您是如何記起?

at a speed of about 17 meters per year.

我要向您投彈了: 您當時並不在場!

It retains its crescent shape and moves in the direction of the horns.

在事件發生時,

What happens is that the wind blows the sand up the shallow slope

您身上的所有原子不曾出現於當下。物質流徙

on the other side,

並暫時聚合形成「您」而已。

and then, as each sand grain hits the top of the ridge, it cascades down

故此, 無論您現在是什麽, 都不再是

on the inside of the crescent,

組成那之前的您的「餡料」了。

and so the whole horn-shaped dune moves.

若這還不讓您毛管直豎,

Steve Grand points out that you and I are, ourselves,

多讀一遍直至您看懂吧, 因為實在太重要了!

more like a wave than a permanent thing.

所以,且別隨便說出 「事實上」 這詞

He invites us, the reader,

假若一顆微中子有

to think of an experience from your childhood,

一個由微中子祖先演化而來之腦袋,

something you remember clearly,

它會說石頭 「事實上」由「空間」所構成

something you can see, feel, maybe even smell,

我們卻是有由「中形祖先」演化而來的腦袋,

as if you were really there.

無法從石頭穿過去

After all, you really were there at the time, weren't you?

對於動物來說, 所謂「真實」 就是其按腦袋所要求,

How else would you remember it?

的維生指涉

But here is the bombshell: You weren't there.

由於不動物種生活於不同(大小領域)世界之中,

Not a single atom that is in your body today

確有某些「現實」並不讓我們感到愜意。

was there when that event took place.

我們所見之現實世界並非原型

Matter flows from place to place

而是一個透過調適感知數據而建構,

and momentarily comes together to be you.

並賴以有效處理現實之模式。

Whatever you are, therefore,

模式之性質取決於我們是那一種動物

you are not the stuff of which you are made.

飛翔的動物需要一種

If that doesn't make the hair stand up on the back of your neck,

有異於走動、爬動或游動物種的模式

read it again until it does, because it is important.

猿猴的腦必須有軟體

So "really" isn't a word that we should use with simple confidence.

模擬樹枝樹幹的三度空間

If a neutrino had a brain,

鼴鼠建構其世界的軟體

which it evolved in neutrino-sized ancestors,

當然是為「地底應用」而量身訂做的

it would say that rocks really do consist of empty space.

水黽的腦袋完全無需3D軟體,

We have brains that evolved in medium-sized ancestors

因為牠只於生活於

which couldn't walk through rocks.

Edwin Abbott 平原的湖面上

"Really," for an animal, is whatever its brain needs it to be

我曾推想蝙蝠或許能以聽覺分辨顏色

in order to assist its survival.

蝙蝠賴以活動往來,

And because different species live in different worlds,

捕食昆蟲的世界模式

there will be a discomforting variety of "reallys."

必然跟飛鳥的世界模式頗相近,

What we see of the real world is not the unvarnished world,

一隻於日間飛行的鳥如麻雀, 亦要

but a model of the world, regulated and adjusted by sense data,

做同樣的工夫

but constructed so it's useful for dealing with the real world.

蝙蝠於漆黑中利用回聲

The nature of the model depends on the kind of animal we are.

以輸入當下之變數

A flying animal needs a different kind of model

麻雀則用光, 兩者皆偶發

from a walking, climbing or swimming animal.

我甚至提出, 蝙蝠利用意識到的色彩, 像紅和藍

A monkey's brain must have software capable of simulating

作標記, 作部分回聲可用處的「內標」 -

a three-dimensional world of branches and trunks.

例如平面的「聲質」、 毛狀、平滑...等等。

A mole's software for constructing models of its world will be customized

麻雀, 以至我們亦確實以同樣方法

for underground use.

去感識顏色 - 紅彩, 藍彩...以此類推 -

A water strider's brain doesn't need 3D software at all,

為長短光波作標記。

since it lives on the surface of the pond,

紅色並無任何拜必須為長光波之本質

in an Edwin Abbott flatland.

要點是模式之性質取決於

I've speculated that bats may see color with their ears.

其被如何應用, 而非其感官形態.

The world model that a bat needs in order to navigate

霍爾登有些

through three dimensions catching insects

關於那些被嗅覺支配其世界之動物的見解:

must be pretty similar to the world model that any flying bird --

即使經過極端稀釋, 狗隻仍能分辨兩種極接近之脂肪酸:

a day-flying bird like a swallow -- needs to perform the same kind of tasks.

辛酸和已酸。

The fact that the bat uses echoes in pitch darkness

唯一分野, 是兩者其一。

to input the current variables to its model,

(分子)鍊上多出一對碳分子。

while the swallow uses light, is incidental.

霍爾登估計狗隻以嗅覺, 將兩種酸

Bats, I've even suggested, use perceived hues, such as red and blue,

按其分子重量依次排序,

as labels, internal labels, for some useful aspect of echoes --

正如一個人將一組琴弦

perhaps the acoustic texture of surfaces, furry or smooth and so on --

按其音高排好長短次序。

in the same way as swallows or indeed, we, use those perceived hues --

現在, 再有另一種叫癸酸

redness and blueness, etc. --

跟前兩種基本上一樣,

to label long and short wavelengths of light.

只是多出兩個碳分子。