Name: 【TED】愛德華多-薩恩斯-德-卡貝松：數學是永遠的（數學是永遠的（英文字幕）｜愛德華多-薩恩斯-德-卡貝松）。 (【TED】Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón: Math is forever (Math is forever (with English subtitles) | Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón))
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T07:29:29.000Z
Duration: 10 min 19 s

Translator: Tomás Guarna Reviewer: Sebastian Betti

譯者: xueling Sun 審譯者: Karen SONG

想像一下，你在酒吧或俱樂部，

and you start talking, and after a while, the question comes up,

過了一會，這個問題來了， 「那麼，你是做什麼工作的？」

And since you think your job is interesting,

因為你覺得你的工作很有趣，你說：

you say, "I'm a mathematician." (Laughter)

「我是一個數學家。」 （笑聲）

幾乎沒有例外，在那個談話中，

A) "I was terrible at math, but it wasn't my fault.

A) 「我的數學很差，但那不是我的錯。」

It's because the teacher was awful." (Laughter)

或者 B) 「數學到底有什麼用？」

When someone asks you what math is for, they're not asking you

當有人問你數學是什麼， 他們不是問你

about applications of mathematical science.

why did I have to study that bullshit I never used in my life again? (Laughter)

為什麼我要學習一生 都不會用到的廢物科目？ (笑聲）

So when mathematicians are asked what math is for,

所以，當數學家被問到數學是做什麼的，

54.51 percent of mathematicians will assume an attacking position,

54.51%的數學家將採取進攻的姿態，

and 44.77 percent of mathematicians will take a defensive position.

而44.77％的數學家將採防禦的姿態。

There's a strange 0.8 percent, among which I include myself.

還有奇怪的0.8％，其中包括我自己。

The attacking ones are mathematicians who would tell you

採取攻擊姿態的數學家會告訴你

because mathematics have a meaning all their own --

a beautiful edifice with its own logic --

像是一個美麗的大廈有它自己的邏輯 -

in constantly searching for all possible applications.

所有可能的應用是沒有意義的。

What's the use of poetry? What's the use of love?

What's the use of life itself?  What kind of question is that?

生活本身有什麼用？這是什麼樣的問題呢？

Hardy, for instance, was a model of this type of attack.

例如，哈迪，就是一個遭受這種攻擊的典型。

"Even if you don't realize it, friend, math is behind everything."

“即使你沒有意識到這一點， 朋友，數學是所有東西背後的一切。”

they always bring up bridges and computers.

"If you don't know math, your bridge will collapse."

“如果你不知道數學，您的大橋將會倒塌。”

這是真的，電腦跟數學密切相關。

And now these guys have also started saying

that behind information security and credit cards are prime numbers.

在電腦資訊安全和信用卡背後就是質數。

These are the answers your math teacher would give you if you asked him.

這也就是你的數學老師會給你的答案。

他也是採防禦姿態的成員之一。

Those who say that math doesn't need to have a purpose,

是那些說數學並不需要有一個目的，

or those who say that math is behind everything we do?

還是那些說數學在我們所做的一切中？

I belong to that strange 0.8 percent claiming something else?

我屬於那奇怪自稱別的0.8％嗎？

因此，再問我一次數學是做什麼的。

Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón: Okay, 76.34 percent of you asked the question,

好吧，你們中76.34％的人問了這個問題，

好吧，我那親愛的76.31％的觀眾，

it's true that math doesn't need to serve a purpose,

it's true that it's a beautiful structure, a logical one,

它真的是有一個美麗且有邏輯的結構，

probably one of the greatest collective efforts

where scientists and technicians are looking for mathematical theories

they're within the structure of math, which permeates everything.

他們是在無處不在的數學結構中工作。

It's true that we have to go somewhat deeper,

這是真的，我們必須去深入了解，

Science operates on intuition, creativity.

Math controls intuition and tames creativity.

而數學控制直覺及馴服創造力。

Almost everyone who hasn't heard this before

is surprised when they hear that if you take

這個之前會覺得驚訝。當他們聽到如果你拿個

a 0.1 millimeter thick sheet of paper, the size we normally use,

我們通常使用的0.1毫米厚紙片，

and, if it were big enough, fold it 50 times,

而且，如果它夠大，把它折疊50次，

its thickness would extend almost the distance from the Earth to the sun.

它的厚度幾乎可以從地球延伸到太陽。

Your intuition tells you it's impossible.

你的直覺告訴你這是不可能的。

It's true that science, all types of science, only makes sense

這是真的，科學，各類科學的意義在於

because it makes us better understand this beautiful world we live in.

因為它使我們更好地理解 我們生活的這個美麗的世界。

it helps us avoid the pitfalls of this painful world we live in.

它可以幫助我們在我們居住的 這個痛苦的世界裡避免重蹈覆轍。

There are sciences that help us in this way quite directly.

And there are others we look at from afar, with envy sometimes,

而且還有其他我們有時 帶著羨慕眼光從遠方觀看的科學，

but knowing that we are what supports them.

但我們知道，我們是支持它們的。

All that makes science, science is the rigor of math.

所有這一切創造科學，而數學是科學的嚴謹性。

And that rigor factors in because its results are eternal.

嚴謹是最重要的因素因為它的結果是永恆的。

You probably said or were told at some point

你可能在某些時候說過，或被告知，

That depends on your definition of forever!

even though Pythagoras is dead, I assure you it's true. (Laughter)

畢氏定理仍然是正確的，我保證。（笑聲）

【TED】愛德華多-薩恩斯-德-卡貝松：數學是永遠的（數學是永遠的（英文字幕）｜愛德華多-薩恩斯-德-卡貝松）。 (【TED】Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón: Math is forever (Math is forever (with English subtitles) | Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón))

字幕列表影片播放

【TED】愛德華多-薩恩斯-德-卡貝松：數學是永遠的（數學是永遠的（英文字幕）｜愛德華多-薩恩斯-德-卡貝松）。 (【TED】Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón: Math is forever (Math is forever (with English subtitles) | Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón))

assume

structure

applause

intuition