smooth and round and peaceful.

圓滑且和平

Except when it suddenly vomits radiation and plasma in random directions.

除非它突然在隨機方向上釋放出輻射和電漿體。

These solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs,

這些太陽的耀斑和日冕物質拋射出CME

can hit Earth and have serious consequences for humanity.

會撞擊地球並對人類造成嚴重後果。

How exactly do they work?

它們如何影響的？

How bad could they be?

他們會造成多糟的後果？

And can we prepare for them?

而我們能為此做準備嗎？

[Intro music]

開場音樂

While the Sun seems pretty solid, it's actually like a very hot ocean.

雖然太陽看上去很堅實， 但實際上就像是一個非常炎熱的海洋。

So hot that it rips atoms into electrons and nuclei, all flowing around each other in a plasma.

熱到以至於把原子撕成電子和原子核， 而它們在電漿體中相互圍繞流動。

This plasma is pushed around and shaped by the Sun's magnetic field.

這些電漿體被太陽的磁場推動並成形。

Similar to how the Sun's gravitational field reaches out to the planets and shapes their orbits.

類似於太陽的引力場牽制行星並塑造其軌道的方式。

But magnetism is very different from gravity.

但是磁力與重力有很大的不同。

Magnetism is one part of a dual force: Electromagnetism.

磁性是雙重力的一部分：電磁。

Electricity creates magnetic fields, and magnetic fields create electricity.

電產生磁場，而磁場又產生電。

On the Sun, the plasma—made of electrically charged protons and electrons—

太陽是由帶電的質子和電子組成的電漿體。

creates a magnetic field as they move,

它們移動時會產生磁場，

and this magnetic field then shapes the flow of particles.

然後該磁場會影響粒子的流動。

They're stuck in a dynamic feedback loop called a dynamo,

它們被困在稱為發電機的動態回饋迴路中，

which keeps the sun's magnetic field alive.

該迴路使太陽的磁場保持活躍。

This magnetic field stores enormous amounts of energy

該磁場儲存大量能量，

and leaks out over the Solar System.

並通過太陽系洩漏出去。

It carries with it a constant trickle of solar plasma, like a light rain, known as the solar wind,

它伴隨著不止息的太陽電漿流， 像是雨一樣，被稱為太陽風，

creating a sort of space weather.

產生了某種太空天氣。

But it isn't always calm and smooth.

但它並不總是那麼平靜且和平。

As the sun's plasma churns and flows around itself,

當太陽的電漿體在其周圍擺動並流動時，

its magnetic field gets all kinked and twisted.

其磁場將會全部扭結並扭曲。

This creates magnetic knots that build up enormous amounts of energy.

這會產生積聚巨大能量的磁結。

When the magnetic knots break—like a tangle of springs exploding outwards—

當磁結破裂時（如一團彈簧向外爆炸），

the Sun can vomit plasma and other awful things into the Solar System.

太陽將把電漿和其他可怕的物質釋放進太陽系。

These solar storms come in many types,

這些太陽風暴有多種類型，

like solar flares; a tidal wave of high-energy radiation.

例如太陽耀斑；高能輻射的潮汐波。

They race through the solar system at the speed of light, sweeping up protons in the solar wind,

它們以光速在太陽系中蔓延， 在太陽風的帶領下掃起質子，

accelerating them into a high-speed solar-proton storm.

從而加速了質子風暴。

Then, there are coronal mass ejections,

然後，有大量的物質噴出，

which rip millions or billions of tons of plasma from the Sun's atmosphere,

從太陽的大氣中逸出數百萬或數十億噸的電漿體，

catapulting it through the solar system at speeds of up to 9 million km/h.

以高達900萬公里/小時的速度將其催化通過太陽系。

When these monsters hit us, nothing happens on Earth.

當這些怪物襲擊我們時，地球上則會安然無事

While even smaller storms can damage satellites,

雖然減弱的風暴可能會損壞衛星，

affect radio communication,

影響無線電通信

or be dangerous to astronauts,

或對宇航員造成危險，但對於地面人員而言，太空天氣是無害的。

for people on the surface, space weather is harmless.

但對於地面人員而言，太空天氣是無害的。

Earth's atmosphere protects us from the worst effects of a solar flare

地球大氣保護我們免受太陽風最嚴重的影響，

by absorbing the blast of X-rays high up in the atmosphere,

藉由吸收來自太陽的太陽風和X射線，

well before it reaches the surface.

從而保護了我們。

The electrified plasma from a CME is deflected by the Earth's magnetic field,

來自CME的帶電電漿體被地球磁場偏轉，

diverting the energy storm to the North and South Poles,

將能量風暴轉移到南北兩極，

where energetic particles fall into the atmosphere,

在那裡充滿能量的粒子墜入大氣，

causing the atmosphere to glow and creating beautiful auroras.

使大氣層發光並形成美麗的極光。

As with any sort of weather— most of the time, things are fine.

與任何天氣一樣，大多數時候情況都很好。

Sometimes, there are hurricanes, though.

但有時候，那裡會有不尋常的風暴。

Or in the case of the Sun, solar superstorms.

或者在某些情況下，會有太陽風暴。

And we know that they happen once or twice every century.

據我們所知，它每世紀會發生一次或兩次。

If one were to happen today, we would first detect strong solar flares,

如果今天要發生的話， 我們將首先檢測到強烈的太陽耀斑，

a sort of flash before the much more dangerous thunder.

這是在更為危險的雷聲之前的一種閃光。

The thunder is a CME, consisting of billions of tons of hot magnetic plasma

這些雷是CME，由數十億噸的熱磁電漿體組成，

that crosses the 150 million kilometers between the Sun and Earth

它們穿過了太陽和地球之間的1.5億公里，

in less than a day.

在不到一天的時間內。

When it arrives, it causes a shockwave that violently compresses the Earth's magnetic field

當它到達時， 它會產生衝擊波，猛烈地壓縮地球的磁場，

and transfers energy into the magnetosphere.

並將能量轉移到磁層中。

But it can get worse.

但這可能會變得更糟。

If the magnetic field of the CME is aligned to Earth's in just the right way,

如果CME的磁場以正確的方式與地球對齊，

the two magnetic fields merge.

則這兩個磁場會合併。

As the magnetic cloud passes over Earth, it stretches the Earth's field into a long tail.

磁性雲層經過地球時，將地球磁場伸展成一條長長的尾巴。

Eventually, the energy stored in the tail becomes too much to contain.

最終，儲存在尾巴中的能量將變得無法容納。

It snaps and explosively releases its energy towards Earth.

它被扯斷並爆炸性地向地球釋放能量。

A geomagnetic storm has begun.

地磁風暴已經開始了。

A few hundred years ago, nobody would have cared.

幾百年前，沒有人會在意。

This storm gushing over the Earth is not relevant for machines made out of meat and bones.

這場席捲地球的風暴與由肉和骨頭製成的我們無關。

But it's very relevant for machines made out of metal and wire.

但這對於由金屬和金屬絲製成的機器非常重要。

Remember the dynamo?

還記得發電機嗎？(動態回饋迴路)

Magnetism creates electric currents.

磁場產生電流。

Earth in the 21st century is covered in millions of kilometers of wires, transporting electricity,

21世紀的地球覆蓋著數百萬公里的電線， 用於運輸電力，

and a complex grid of machines, like transformers, that make this transfer possible.

以及復雜的機器網格，例如變壓器，使這種傳輸成為可能。

A CME's energy can induce currents in our power grid that can either completely shut it down,

CME的能量可能會在我們的電網中感應出電流，這可能會完全關閉它，

or worse, destroy the transformer stations that keep our grid running.

或者更糟的是，破壞我們正在運行的電網和變電站。

This has happened already,

這已經發生過了，

like when the Quebec power grid failed after a strong solar storm in 1989.

例如當1989年強烈的太陽風暴襲擊時，魁北克的電網就因此發生故障時。

But in general, our engineers know how to deal with these storms,

但整體來說，我們的工程師知道如何應對這些風暴，

and so we usually don't even notice.

以至於我們通常不會注意到。

The last time a solar hurricane washed over Earth was in 1859:

上一次太陽颶風襲擊地球是在1859年：

The Carrington Event,

卡靈頓事件，

the largest geomagnetic storms ever observed on Earth.

這是地球上有史以來最大的地磁風暴。

Massive auroras occurred as far south as the Caribbean.

巨大的極光發生在南端的加勒比海。

In some places, they were so bright that people got up,

在某些地方，它們是如此明亮，以至於人們起床，

thinking the Sun was rising.

以為太陽升起了。

Luckily, we only had one sort of modern technology:

幸運的是，我們只有一種因此被淘汰技術：

telegraph systems.

電報系統。

They failed all over the world,

他們在世界各地都失敗，

shocking their operators and chucking out sparks.

這震驚了他們的運營商，並解決這個問題。

Today, we have a tad more technology,

今天，我們有了更多的技術，

and our luck may run out soon.

而我們的運氣可能很快就會耗盡。

Another bad solar storm is bound to happen eventually.

之後必然會發生另一場惡劣的太陽風暴。

A storm as strong as the Carrington Event missed earth only by a small margin in 2012.

在2012年，像卡林頓賽事一樣強烈的風暴僅使地球失之交臂。

Studies projected that it would've inflicted serious damage to electronic systems globally,

研究預計，它將對全球的電子系統造成嚴重損害，

costing up to $2.6 trillion to the US alone.

單美國一項就損失高達2.6萬億美元。

The time to replace all the damaged systems was estimated at between 4 and 10 years.

更換所有受損系統的時間估計為4至10年。

It's hard to say how bad it could have been.

很難說這會有多糟。

Experts disagreed.

因為有些專家意見不同

Some assumed there would just be temporary blackouts,

有些人認為只會造成臨時停電，

but others worried it could be much worse.

但其他人則擔心情況可能會更糟。

We won't know for sure until a big solar hurricane hits us.

在風暴襲擊我們之前，我們無法確定。

The probability of such an event is estimated to be 12% per decade.

此類事件的概率估計為每十年 12％

That's about a 50/50 chance of at least one in the next 50 years.

在接下來的50年中，至少有50%的機會。

And, there is more unsettling news.

然而有更多另人不安的消息

A 2019 paper found that even calm stars, like our Sun,

一篇2019年的論文發現，就算是太陽這樣平靜的星星

can create superflares every few thousand years.

在每幾千年就可以產生出一次超級閃焰

Eruptions orders of magnitude stronger than the strongest storms

噴發出比目前太陽風暴還要更強的風暴

we have observed in the Solar System.

我們已經在太陽系中觀查到了

If such a storm hits us unprepared, the consequences could be catastrophic.

如果這樣的風暴在我們搞不好備好的時候來襲

It's hard to overstate how much we depend on electricity.

後果是災難性的

It's not just the lights at home.

這不是誇大我們對電力的依賴

It means no computers,

那不只是在家裡的燈炮

no communication,

意味著失去電腦運作

no navigation.

通訊裝置失效

A sustained power outage might lead to a breakdown of the supply chain,

導航系統無法運作

water supply systems failing

持續性的停電可能打破我們的供應鍊

and hospital generators running dry,

供水系統失效

supermarkets not being refilled

醫院的發電機燃料會用完

while food rots in the fields.

超市無法補充貨物

The lack of power might make it extremely hard to reboot our broken power grid,

食物在農田裡腐爛

taking years or decades to restart our starving civilization.

電力不足使我們在重啟殘破的電力網路時格外困難

Okay, time to panic?

需要數年或數十年才重啟停滯很久的文明

As much as daily newspapers might like for solar storms to send us back to the Stone Age,

好的 該是驚慌了？

they probably won't.

許多新聞報紙表示太陽風暴會把我們送回石器時代

Fortunately, even though solar storms aren't preventable,

其實並不會

virtually all of their nasty side effects are.

幸運的是，即使無法預防太陽風暴

Scientists observing the Sun have a few hours up to a few days to see a CME coming.

但他的副作用是可以避免的

And the engineers working the systems that keep the world running

科學家們觀察到CME從太陽過來需要小時到數天的時間

are well aware of the risks posed by solar storms.

工程師保持系統工作讓世界繼續運作

Transformers and substations can be taken offline—

非常了解太陽風暴帶來的風險

short preventative blackouts—

變電器與變電所可以切換成切斷

or in other words, by unplugging stuff.

短暫的預防性停電

Engineers can open up extra lines to dissipate the extra power.

換句話說，就像是拔掉插頭

And with investment and upgrades cheap compared to those other natural disasters require,

工程師可以打開額外的線路使多餘的電力消散

we could protect the world's electric grid against even the nastiest of storms.

與其他自然災害相比，通過廉價的投資和升級，

But we do need to prepare.

我們可以保護全世界的電網，甚至抵禦最惡劣的風暴。

While the risk is manageable, it is real.

但我們需要準備

For while our Sun bathes us in warm and pleasant light,

僅管風險是可以控制的，但它是真實存在的

one day, it might send a monster our way

當我們沐浴在溫暖宜人的陽光下時

that we better be ready for.

也許有一天，它可能對著我們送出一頭怪物

This video was sponsored by...you!

我們最好有所準備

Kurzgesagt videos are only possible thanks to your direct support.

這部影片是贊助者是......

For example, if you want to stare at our smooth and round Sun for a little longer,

你！

we've made two minimal infographic posters:

特別感謝你的直接贊助讓這部Kurzgesagt影片成為可能

one about the scale of the Sun, and one about the age of the universe.

例如，如果你想盯著我們又滑又圓的太陽更久一點

Both should make you feel sufficiently tiny

我們制作了兩個小小的訊息海報

and help you appreciate your existence a bit more.

一個有關太陽的大小，另一個有關宇宙的年齡

But wait, there's more!

兩個都足夠讓你感覺到你的渺小

We have a bunch of new stuff,

幫助你更了解自已的存在

from the long-requested Bacteriophage infographic poster

但..等一下，還有更多！

to a new Optimistic Nihilsm poster that lets you enjoy some existential dread in style.

我們有很多新東西

Or, join us in our ant obsession and get the new Ant Explorer notebook,

從一直有人要的噬菌體訊息海到

with beautiful infographics and facts about ants and gold lettering on the cover.

一張新的樂觀虛無主義海報， 讓您享受一些存在的恐懼感。

If you'd rather update your wardrobe, have a look at our beanies or t-shirts.

或加入我們對螞蟻的痴迷來獲得新的螞蟻探索筆記本

Or, you know, all the other stuff.

有著美麗的訊息圖，一些螞蟻的小知識，還在封面印著金色的字體

We put a lot of love and care into developing our products

如果你更新衣櫃裡的衣服， 你可以看看我們有的beanies 或者是 t-shirts.

and only make stuff we want to have ourselves.

或是，你知道的 其他的東西

If you want to support Kurzgesagt, getting some merch is the best way to do it

我們在產品開發方面投入了大量的愛心和關懷

while receiving something beautiful in return.

我們制作我們想制作的商品

Thank you for your support!

如果你想要支持Kurzgesagt，最好的方式是買一些

And thank you for watching.

並且收到一些精美的回報

[Outro music]

感謝你的支持！