评论
打印
So here's a great puzzle: in a universe ruled by the second law of thermodynamics,
所以，这就是个大谜团：在宇宙中，在被热力学第二定律规范下，
how is it possible to generate the sort of complexity I've described,
怎么样才有可能产生这种我刚才论述的那种复杂性
the sort of complexity represented by you and me and the convention center?
那种你，我和这个演讲厅所呈现的复杂性？
Well, the answer seems to be, the universe can create complexity, but with great difficulty.
这答案似乎是，宇宙本生能创造复杂性，但是有极大的困难。
In pockets, there appear what my colleague, Fred Spier, calls "Goldilocks conditions"
总的来说，这种情况会发生，用我同事弗雷德·施皮尔的说法，“黄金条件”
not too hot, not too cold, just right for the creation of complexity.
不太热，不太冷；就那么刚刚好能创造复杂性。
And slightly more complex things appear.
同时一些更加复杂的事情发生了。
And where you have slightly more complex things, you can get slightly more complex things.
就在那一点发生更加复杂的事，你可能发现更加复杂的东西。
And in this way, complexity builds stage by stage.
就这样，复杂性就这样一步一步的形成了。
Each stage is magical because it creates the impression of something utterly new appearing almost out of nowhere in the universe.
每个阶段都是奇迹，因为它创造出了完全新的东西，出现在几乎什么都没有的宇宙中。
We refer in big history to these moments as threshold moments.
这个瞬间我们将标记为宏观历史中的起始瞬间。
And at each threshold, the going gets tougher.
在这些起始点，条件将更加苛刻。
The complex things get more fragile, more vulnerable;
复杂的东西变得更弱小，更脆弱。
the Goldilocks conditions get more stringent, and it's more difficult to create complexity.
黄金条件变的更苛刻，而且条件会变的更难来创造复杂性。
Now, we, as extremely complex creatures, desperately need to know this story of how the universe creates complexity despite the second law,
现实中我们是极度复杂的个体，渴望了解这个关于宇宙怎么创造复杂性的故事，不管那个第二法则，
and why complexity means vulnerability and fragility. And that's the story that we tell in big history.
以及为什么复杂性意味着脆弱和弱小。我们讲的历史这件事就是这个故事。
But to do it, you have do something that may, at first sight, seem completely impossible.
但是开始前，你必须做一些事，那些可能第一眼看起来完全不可能的事。
You have to survey the whole history of the universe. So let's do it.
你必须纵观整个宇宙的历史。那让我们开始吧。
