Why Curiosity Matters - presented by Science@NASA

為什麼好奇心很重要--由Science@NASA介紹

Adam Steltzner doesn't sound much like an ordinary engineer.

Adam Steltzner聽起來不太像一個普通的工程師。

For instance, when we asked him if he would talk about Curiosity-

例如，當我們問他是否會談論 "好奇心--"時，他說："我想知道，我的好奇心是什麼？"。

and explain why the Mars rover matters to ordinary people--

並解釋為什麼火星車對普通人很重要... ...

the former rock-n-roller responded

昔日的搖滾樂手迴應

'I'm totally down with that.'

'我'我完全不喜歡這樣。

He really is down with that.

他真的是下得了手。

Steltzner is the NASA engineer

Steltzner是NASA的工程師

who helped take the country's new Curiosity rover to the surface of Mars

幫忙把國家的新好奇號探測器帶到火星表面的人。

with moves - and flair -

有招有式

even Evel Knievel would envy.

連Evel Knievel都會羨慕。

Steltzner begins, 'I'm so thankful to Clara Ma for suggesting the name 'Curiosity.'

Steltzner開始說，'我'非常感謝Clara Ma提出的名字'好奇心.&#39。

It embodies a fundamental attribute that defines us as humans.'

它體現了定義我們人類的一個基本屬性.&#39。

'Why do we explore? It's our nature,' he says.

＆#39;我們為什麼要探索？這是我們的天性，'他說。

'Human curiosity is why you and I can talk across the country by phone.

＆#39;人的好奇心是你我可以通過電話進行跨國通話的原因。

It's why I'm sitting 60 feet above the ground in a building made of alloys

這就是為什麼我坐在離地面60英尺高的地方，坐在一棟由合金製成的大樓裡。

and other high-tech composite materials.

和其他高科技複合材料。

We dominate this planet because we wonder what's around the next corner.'

我們主宰這個星球，因為我們想知道下一個轉角有什麼'。

When people ask Steltzner

當人們問Steltzner

'Is the new rover worth 2 1/2 billion dollars?'

＆#39;新的漫遊車價值25億美金嗎＆#39。

he has a compelling answer:

他有一個令人信服的答案。

'It's not 2 1/2 billion dollars we stuffed in a trunk and blew into space.

＆#39;它'不是25億美元，我們塞在一個後備箱，並吹到太空。

It's thousands of high tech jobs spread over 37 states.

它'的數千個高科技工作崗位分佈在37個州。

It's honing and developing our skills in science, engineering, and math.

這是磨練和發展我們在科學、工程和數學方面的技能。

'He notes that the U.S. has slipped to 14th in science education

'他指出，美國的科學教育已經下滑到第14位。

and 18th in math -

和數學第18名 -

in a world where we're competing for economic prosperity

在一個我們爭奪經濟繁榮的世界裡。

with nations 1 through 13.

與第1至第13國。

'This mission is an investment in high tech jobs,

'這個任務是對高科技工作的投資。

in inspiring the youth of our country,

在激勵我國青年。

in stepping up rung by rung toward 1st place.

在步步高昇中向第1名邁進。

It's the best stimulus you could imagine!'

它'是你能想象的最好的刺激！&#39。

Okay, curiosity matters--

好吧，好奇心很重要

but does it matter more than rock-n-roll?

但它比搖滾樂更重要嗎？

Steltzner played guitar in a rock band for years,

Steltzner在一個搖滾樂隊裡彈了多年的吉他。

so he has the chops to answer this question, too.

所以他也有能力回答這個問題。

'In some sense, exploration and music are both art forms,' he says.

＆#39;在某種意義上，探索和音樂都是藝術形式，＆#39;他說。

'They're both expressions of our humanity.

'他們'都是我們人性的體現。

But exploration can surprise us more

但探索能給我們更多的驚喜

- or at least differently -

- 或至少是不同

than music can.

比音樂能。

Music can surprise us only about what we find in ourselves.

音樂只能給我們帶來驚喜，關於我們自己的發現。

Exploration surprises us with what we learn of ourselves and of the universe.'

探索讓我們對自己和宇宙的瞭解感到驚喜&#39。

Steltzner says music led him to exploration.

Steltzner說，音樂引導他去探索。

During high school he played in a rock band.

高中期間，他在一個搖滾樂隊裡演奏。

One night driving home from a gig

有一天晚上，我從演出現場開車回家

he noticed that the constellation Orion was in a different place than it had been before.

他注意到，獵戶座的位置與之前不同。

But why? 'I hadn't paid attention during high school classes at all.

但是為什麼呢'我在高中上課的時候根本就沒有注意過。

So I didn't know.'

所以我不知道'。

His curiosity made him decide to take an astronomy class.

他的好奇心讓他決定上天文學課。

First, though, astronomy had prerequisites

首先，雖然天文學是有先決條件的

such as elementary algebra and conceptual physics.

如初等代數和概念物理學。

He took them all.

他把他們都帶走了。

'I basically redid my high school education at the community college.'

＆#39;我基本上重新做了我的高中教育在社區大學.＆#39。

The rest--which includes a bachelor's degree from UC Davis,

其餘的--包括加州大學戴維斯分校的學士'學位。

a master's degree from Caltech, a job at JPL,

加州理工學院的碩士'學位，在JPL工作。

and a daredevil landing on Mars--is history.

冒失鬼登陸火星... ...已成為歷史。

After the glory of the Curiosity landing fades,

在 "好奇號 "登陸的榮耀褪去後。

what will this explorer do next?

這個探險家下一步會做什麼？

'Our solar system offers us grand challenges,' says Steltzner.

'我們的太陽系為我們提供了宏大的挑戰，'Steltzner說。

'I'd like to see a Mars sample return.

'我'希望看到火星樣本返回。

I'd like to land on the surface of Europa

我想在歐羅巴表面登陸

- the most likely place in the solar system for life.

- 太陽系中最有可能存在生命的地方。

And third, I'd like to float a boat on the methane lakes of Titan.'

第三，我'想在土衛六的甲烷湖上漂浮著一艘船.&#39。

'The solar system is calling out to us,' he says.

＆#39;太陽系正在向我們發出呼喚，＆#39;他說。

'The wind's at our back. It's time to explore!'

＆#39;風'在我們的背後。 是時候去探索了！'。

We're totally down with that.

我們'完全可以接受。

For more science news that matters, visit science.nasa.gov

更多重要的科學新聞，請訪問science.nasa.gov。