What is a thing?

「東西」是什麼？

Why do things happen?

「事情」為什麼會發生？

And why DO they happen the way they do?

又為什麼會「這麼」發生？

Let's try to approach this step by step.

讓我們一步步嘗試看這個問題吧。

What are you made of?

你是什麼做的？

You are matter, which is made of molecules, which are made of atoms, and those are made of elementary particles.

你是物質做的，物質是分子做的，分子是原子做的， 原子是「基本粒子」做的。

But, if elementary particles are the smallest things that exist, What are THEY made of?

如果說「基本粒子」是最小的存在，它們又是什麼做的呢？

To answer a simple question, let's start simply.

要回答這個簡單的問題，就要簡單來看。

Let's wipe the universe clean.

把整個宇宙清空，

Away with matter, antimatter, radiation, particles, anything.

趕走所有物質、反物質、輻射、粒子，等等。

Now let's take a closer look at absolutely nothing.

看看「什麼都沒有」是什麼吧。

What is empty space?

「什麼都沒有」是什麼？

Is it what we call a vacuum?

是所謂的「真空」嗎？

There are no atoms, no matter, nothing!

原子、物質什麼的都沒有！

Is it really all that empty?

真的是空的嗎？

Nothing gives us the building blocks for everything.

不過，「什麼都沒有」是萬物存在的基礎。

In a sense, empty space is a lot like a vast, calm ocean.

在某種意義上，「什麼都沒有」就像是一片浩瀚平靜的海洋：

While the water is very still when nothing is happening, a stiff breeze can create some serious waves.

雖然在「什麼都沒有」的時候，水是靜止的，但一點波動就能引發壯觀的波浪。

Our universe works a lot like this.

我們的宇宙就像這樣。

There are these oceans everywhere.

「水面」到處都是，

Physicists call them fields.

被物理學家們稱為「場」。

This might be strange and new, but think about radiation for example.

「場」可能令人感覺稀奇古怪，但想想輻射。

By exciting what's known as the electromagnetic field, a little kink is created which is the particle we call the photon.

當所謂的「電磁場」被激發，就會產生一個小小的「波動」，就是我們所說的「光子」。

The particle that carries radiation, we perceive it as light.

這種粒子帶有輻射，讓我們看到「光」。

This isn't unique to light; every particle in the universe is made this way.

不僅光，宇宙中的所有粒子都是這樣的。

There are fields for every particle of matter all with their own rules.

每一種粒子都有自己的「場」，按自己的規則運作。

For example, along with the electromagnetic field, there is an electron field everywhere in the universe and little kinks in that field are electrons.

比如說，除了「電磁場」以外，宇宙中還充滿著「電子場」，其中的「波瀾」就是電子。

All together, the fields of our universe can produce 17 particles which can be divided into 3 categories.

宇宙中總共有十七種不同的粒子，主要分為三類：

The leptons, and the quarks, and the bosons.

輕子，夸克和波色子。

Leptons consist of the electron as well as its cousins: muon and tau particles.

輕子包含電子及其近親：μ介子和τ介子，

Each has an associated neutrino.

各有一種相關的中微子。

Then, there are quarks.

然後就是夸克。

The quarks are the nuclear family of particles.

夸克組成原子核，

They're always found bound together in groups and pairs and make up protons and neutrons, which make up the nuclei of atoms.

它們成對或組地綁在一起，形成中子和質子，也就是原子核。

Together, the leptons and quarks are the matter particles.

一起來說，輕子和夸克就是「物質」的粒子，

They make up all the things you see.

它們組成你看得見的萬物，

The air you breathe, the sun that warms you, the computer you're using right now to distract yourself from the stuff you should be doing.

呼吸的空氣，溫暖的太陽，和令人分心的電腦。

But things don't just exist, they also do stuff.

不過「東西」不僅僅是「存在」；它們也會「做事」。

In some philosophical sense, the properties of a thing are just as much a part of it as existence itself.

從某種哲學意義上來說，「東西」的「性質」與「東西」的「存在」一樣重要。

This is where the bosons and the fields that makes them come in to play.

這就需要提到波色子了。

While the quarks and leptons are made by the matter fields, the bosons are made by force fields.

夸克和輕子都由「物質場」組成，但波色子由「力場」組成。

We call a rule of the universe a force.

「力」就是我們所說的「宇宙法則」。

And so far, 4 fundamental forces have been discovered:

迄今為止，人們已經發現了四種「基本作用力」：

Electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces.

電磁力，萬有引力以及強、弱核力。

These forces are the rule book of a game where the pieces are the particles, and the game is the universe.

這些力就是「宇宙」遊戲的規則紙，

They tell particles what they can do and how they can do it.

告訴各種粒子「做」什麼事、怎麼去「做」。

Bishops move diagonally, massless particles move at the speed of light, knights can jump, gravity attracts.

就像象只能打斜行走，無質量粒子以光速前進； 正如馬可以跳躍棋格， 萬有引力吸引不同物體。

The forces are the rules for how particles interact which ultimately make them the rules for how particles assemble into all the big things we see in the universe.

這些基本作用力就是粒子「互動」的規則，指引著大量粒子凝結成我們看到的大千世界。

Gravity isn't just the rule for orbits around the sun or apples falling from trees.

萬有引力說的不是「地球繞著太陽轉」或者「蘋果從樹上掉下來」，

As a rule, it says matter attracts, which builds planets and stars.

而是「物質都互相吸引」，從而產生行星和恆星。

Electromagnetism isn't just the rule for magnets attracting or repelling, or electric currents in light bulbs.

電磁力造就的也不僅是「磁鐵相斥或相吸」或「電流讓燈泡亮」，

It governs all atomic bonds, building every molecule.

而是各種原子鍵，讓原子形成分子。

Together, forces and particles are sort of like the Tinkertoys of existence.

一起來說，粒子和力就像是「存在」的「小小建築師」玩具。

The bosons are like messengers. Passed between, you could say, connecting the matter particles.

波色子就像是信使，在物質粒子之間遊走，或者說，連結它們。

Which they use to tell each other how to move.

它們告訴物質粒子如何移動。

Each particle uses a certain set of the forces to interact with other particles.

每一個粒子都用不同的力來與其他粒子「互動」。

Quarks, for example, can interact with each other with electromagnetism and the strong nuclear force,

比如說，夸克就會使用強核力和電磁力；

but electrons don't use the strong force, just electromagnetism.

但電子就只會使用電磁力。

The quarks exchange strong force bosons, communicating the strong nuclear attraction to each other,

夸克利用強核力的波色子來吸引和綁定其他夸克，

while the protons they build exchange the particles of electromagnetism, photons with the electrons.

形成質子，質子又與電子交換光子（電磁力波色子）來互相綁定。

Thus, the quarks end up locked up in nuclei, while the electrons remain attached by their electric attraction, building atoms.

結果，夸克被鎖在原子核中，電子就在核外靠電磁力組成原子。

Even though the universe has lots of big, messy phenomena like life, supernovas, and computers, that seem complex on the surface.

即使宇宙有很多複雜的現象，比如生命，超新星和電腦，雖然令人眼花撩亂，

If you zoom in far enough on anything, you just get 17 particles emerging from underlying fields, playing a game with 4 rules.

但你只要儘管放大，就會發現它們不過是十七種源自場的粒子，進行著一場只有四條規則的遊戲。

To summarize, in the most basic form we know right now, this is what things are.

總的來說，以我們知識的限度，「東西」就是這樣。

This theory is what physicists call the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

這套理論就是物理學家們所說的「標準模型」。

You are basically nothing more than disturbances on an ocean that's excited by energy and guided by forces that make up the rules of the universe.

你不過是宇宙之洋的小小波瀾，由能量激發，以創造宇宙規則的力為嚮導。

But why? And what is a force?

不過為什麼？力又是什麼東西？

We'll have to explore a few more simple questions to get to the bottom of this.

探索這些之前，我們還需要釐清多幾個「簡單的問題」。

We made some wallpapers from some of the graphics in this video: You can get them on patreon.com

我們用這部影片的圖像又製作了幾張壁紙：去 patreon.com 領取吧；

If you want to help us make more videos, you can do so there.

在那裡你們也可以幫助我們製作更多影片。

We really appreciate your support.

真的很感謝大家的幫助。

While you decide, here are some more videos we made.

在你決定之前，多看幾部我們的影片吧。