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Some years ago, I was visiting Paris and walking along the Seine River during a beautiful summer afternoon.
几年前，我造访了巴黎，在一个美好的夏天午后，我沿着塞纳河散步。
I saw giant bubbles floating on the riverbank, like this one.
我在河岸上看到巨大的泡泡在飘浮，就像这种。
The next moment, it popped and was gone.
下一刻，它破掉了，消失了。
Making them were two street performers surrounded by a crowd.
两位街头艺人在制造这些泡泡，旁边围着一群观众。
They visibly make a living by asking for donations and by selling pairs of sticks tied with two strings.
很明显，他们靠大家赏钱来过活，他们也贩卖一组两根棍子，绑着两条绳子。
When I was there, a man bought a pair of sticks for 10 euros, which surprised me.
我在那里的时候，有一名男子用十欧元买了一组，这让我很吃惊。
I am a scientist who is passionate about bubbles.
我是个对泡泡充满热忱的科学家。
I know the right trick to make the giant bubbles is the right soapy water mixture itself
我知道若要制造出巨大的泡泡，密诀在于要把肥皂水的混合做对，
not the sticks, which may be needed, but you can easily make them at home.
不在于棍子，的确需要棍子，但你很容易就可以在家自制出来。
Focusing on the sticks makes us not see that the real tool is the bubble itself.
把焦点放在棍子上，让我们无法发现，真正的工具是泡泡本身。
Bubbles might seem like something just children make while playing, but sometimes it can be really stunning.
泡泡似乎是给小朋友玩的，但有时，泡泡也可以很惊人。
However, there are more fascinating science to bubbles, such as problem-solving tools.
然而，泡泡背后还有更多迷人的科学，比如，解决问题的工具。
So I would like to share with you a few stories about the science of creating bubbles
所以，我想要和各位分享几个故事，都是关于制造泡泡的科学，
and the science of eliminating the microscopic ones.
以及消除微小泡泡的科学。
Since it's up on the screen, let's start with the soap bubble.
既然已经展示在屏幕上了，咱们就从肥皂泡泡开始吧。
It is made from very common substances: air, water, soap, in the right mixture.
它是用非常常见的物质制成的：空气、水、肥皂，再把它们做正确的混合。
You can see soap bubbles constantly changing their colors.
你们可以看见，肥皂泡泡常常会改变颜色。
This is due to the interaction with light at various directions and the changes of their thickness.
原因是因为和不同方向的光进行交互作用，以及厚度的改变。
One of the common substances, water molecules, are formed by two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen -- H2O.
其中一项常见物质，水分子，是用两个氢原子和一个氧原子形成的--H2O。
On most surfaces, water droplets tend to curve inwards, forming a semihemisphere shape.
通常水滴的大部分表面向内弯曲，形成半球形。
This is because the water droplet's surface is like an elastic sheet.
这是因为水滴的表面就像是一张弹性床单一样。
The water molecule on the surface is constantly being pulled inwards by the molecule at the center.
表面的水分子经常会被中心的分子向内拉。
And the quality of the elasticity is what we call "surface tension."
而弹性的质量就是我们所谓的“表面张力”。
Now by adding soap, what happens is the soap molecule reduces the surface tension of water,
加上肥皂，肥皂的分子就会减低水的表面张力，
making it more elastic and easier to form bubbles.
让它更有弹性，更容易形成泡泡。
You can think of a bubble as a mathematical problem-solver.
可以把泡泡想象成是数学的问题解决者。
You see it relentlessly trying to achieve geometry perfection.
你会看到它持续不断尝试要达成几何上的完美。
For instance, a sphere is the shape with the least surface area for a given volume.
比如，若体积不变，表面积最小的形状就是球形。
That's why a single bubble is always in the shape of a sphere. Let me show you. Check it out.
这就是为什么单一的泡泡总是球形的。让我示范给各位看。
This is a single bubble. When two bubbles touch each other, they can save materials by sharing a common wall.
这是单一的泡泡。当两个泡泡碰在一起时，它们可以共享一座墙，来节省材料。
When more and more bubbles are added together, their geometry changes.
当越来越多泡泡结合在一起，它们的几何学会改变。
These four bubbles are added together. They meet at one point at the center.
这四个泡泡被结合在一起。在中间，它们有一个交会点。
When six bubbles are added together, a magical cube appears at the center.
当六个泡泡结合在一起时，中间会出现一个魔法般的立方体。
That is surface tension at work, trying to find the most effective geometry arrangement.
这就是表面张力在发挥作用，尝试找到最有效的几何安排方式。
Now, let me give you another example. This is a very simple prop.
让我再举一个例子。这是个非常简易的道具。
This is made from two layers of plastic with four pins connected to each other.
它的构造是两层塑料，上面有四个钉栓将它们连结起来。
Imagine these four pins represent four cities that are equally apart,
想象这四个钉栓是四个城市，它们之间的距离相同，
and we would like to make roads to connect these four cities.
我们想要建造道路来连结这四个城市。
My question is: What is the shortest length to connect these four cities?
我的问题是：连接这四个城市，最短的路径是什么？
Let's find out the answer by dipping it into the soapy water.
咱们把它浸入肥皂水中来找出答案。
Remember, the soap bubble forms will always try to minimize their surface area with a perfect geometry arrangement.
切记，肥皂泡泡的形式，永远都会尝试去将它们的表面面积给最小化，用最完美的几何安排来做到这一点。
So the solution might not be something you expected.
所以，解决方案可能不是你所预期的。
The shortest length to connect these four cities is 2.73 times the distance between these two cities.
连接这四个城市最短的路径长度是2.73乘以两个城市之间的距离。
Now you've got the idea.
现在你们有概念了。
The soap bubble forms will always try to minimize their surface area with a perfect geometry arrangement.
肥皂泡泡的形式，永远都会尝试将它们的表面面积最小化，用最完美的几何安排来做到这一点。
Now, let us look at bubbles in another perspective. My daughter, Zoe, loves visiting zoos.
现在，让我们用另一个视角来看泡泡。我的女儿柔伊很喜欢去动物园。
Her favorite spot is Penguin Cove at Marwell Zoo in Southern England,
她最爱的地方是南英格兰玛尔维动物园里的企鹅小湾，
where she could see penguins swim at speed under the water.
在那里，她能看见企鹅在水中快速游泳。
One day, she noticed that the body of penguins leaves a trail of bubbles when they swim and asked why.
有一天，她注意到企鹅在游泳时，身体后面会留下泡泡痕迹，她问为什么。
Animals and birds like penguins that spend a lot of their time under the water
像企鹅这种动物和鸟类，很多时间待在水中，
have evolved an ingenious way of utilizing the capability of bubbles to reduce the density of water.
它们已经演化出一种巧妙的方式，可以利用泡泡的能力来减少水的密度。
Emperor penguins are thought to be able to dive a few hundred meters below the sea surface.
一般认为，帝企鹅可以潜入海面下几百公尺深。
They are thought to store the air under their feathers before they dive and then progressively release it as a cloud of bubbles.
在下潜之前，它们会把空气储存在它们的羽毛下，再渐渐以泡泡云的形式将空气释出。
This reduces the density of water surrounding them,
这样做会减少它们身边的水密度，
making it easier to swim through and speed up their swimming speed at least 40 percent.
就更容易游过去，且能将游速增加至少四成。
This feature has been noticed by the ship manufacturers.
船只制造商已经注意到这项特征。
I am talking about the big ships here, the ones that are used to transport thousands of containers across the ocean.
我指的是大船，用来运送数千个货柜渡海的大船。
Recently, they developed a system called "air lubricating system," inspired by the penguins.
近期，它们开发了一个系统，叫做“空气润滑系统”，灵感就来自企鹅。
In this system, they produce a lot of air bubbles and redistribute them across the whole of the ship,
这个系统会产生很多的空气泡泡，将它们重新分配到整艘船各处，
like an air carpet that reduces the water resistance when a ship is moving.
就像一张空气地毯，当船在移动时能减少水的阻力。
This feature cuts off the energy consumption for the ship up to 15 percent.
这项特点能让船的能源消耗减少达到15%。
Bubbles can also be used for medicines.
泡泡也能用在医学上。
It can also play a role in medicines, for instance,
它在医学中也有能扮演的角色，比如，
as a method for noninvasive delivery systems for drugs and genes to a specific part of the body.
它能做为一种非侵入性的药物和基因传递系统，递送到身体的特定部位。
Imagine a microbubble filled with a mixture of drugs and magnetic agents being injected into our bloodstream.
想象一个微小的泡泡，里面满是药物和磁剂的混合物，被注射到我们的血液当中。
The bubbles will move to the target areas.
泡泡会前往目标区域。
But how do they know where to go? Because we placed a magnet there.
但它们怎么知道要去哪里？因为我们在那里放了磁铁。
For instance, this part of my hand. When the microbubbles move to this part of my hand,
比如，我手的这个部分。当微小的泡泡移动到我手的这个部分，
we can pop it via ultrasound and release the drug exactly where it's needed.
我们能用超音波将它弄破，将药物在需要用药的正确位置释出。
Now, I mentioned about the science of creating bubbles. But sometimes we also need to remove them.
我之前有提到创造泡泡的科学。但有时候，我们也需要除去泡泡。
That's actually part of my job. My exact job title is "ink formulation scientist."
我的工作有一部分就是在做这件事。我的职称是“墨水配方科学家”。
But I don't work on the ink that you use for your writing pens.
但我处理的墨水不是写字笔中用的墨水。
I'm working on some cool applications such as organic photovoltaics, OPVs, and organic light-emitting diodes, OLEDs.
我要处理一些很酷的应用，比如有机光电以及有机发光二极管。
Part of my job is to figure out how and why we want to remove the bubbles from the ink that my company produces.
我的工作有一部分是要找出如何及为什么要将泡泡从我的公司所制造的墨水中除去。
During the formulation-mixing process, or preparation process,
在配方混合的过程中，或是准备的过程中，
we mix active ingredients, solvents and additives
我们会混合活性药物成分、溶剂和添加物，
in order to achieve the formulations with the properties we want when the ink is being used.
确保产生出来的配方能够让墨水在被使用时具有我们想要的特性。
But just like you would make drinks or bake cakes,
但就像你在做饮料或烘焙蛋糕一样，
it is unavoidable that some air bubbles will be trapped inside that ink.
无可避免，总会有一些空气泡泡被困在墨水当中。
Here, we are talking about a different space from the bubbles I'd seen in Paris.
在这里，我们谈的泡泡和我在巴黎看到的泡泡是不同的大小。
The bubbles that are trapped inside those inks vary between a few millimeters, a few microns or even a few nanometers in size.
困在墨水当中的泡泡尺寸大约是从几毫米到几微米不等，甚至会到几奈米。
And what we are concerned about is the oxygen and the moisture that is trapped inside.
我们担心的是泡泡里面的氧气和湿气。
At this size scale, removing them is not easy.
要除去尺寸这么小的泡泡并不容易。
But it matters, for instance, for organic light-emitting diodes inks that we can use to produce display for your smartphone, for example.
但它很重要，比如，就有机发光二极管墨水来说，其中一个应用的例子就是智能手机的显示。
It's supposed to last for many years,
它应该可以用很多年，
but if the ink that we use has been absorbed with oxygen and moisture are not being removed,
但如果氧气和湿气没有被除去，就会吸收我们用的墨水，
then we can quickly see dark spots appear in the pixels.
我们很快就会在像素中看到黑点。
Now, one challenge we face in removing the microbubbles is that they are not very cooperative.
在除去微小泡泡时，我们遇到的其中一个难题就是它们不太乐意合作。
They like to sit there, bathing in the ink without moving much. But how do we kick them out?
它们喜欢坐在那里，在墨水中沐浴，不太移动。但我们要如何把它们踢出去？
One technology we use is to force the ink going through a thin, long and tiny tube with a porous wall,
我们用的一项技术就是强迫让墨水通过一根细长的小管子，管壁上有孔，
and we place the tubes inside the vacuum chamber, so that the bubbles can be squeezed out from the ink and be removed.
我们把管子放在真空室当中，将泡泡从墨水中挤出来，将它们除去。
Once we manage to remove the bubbles from the ink that we produce, it is time for celebration.
一旦我们能够把泡泡从我们所制造的墨水中除去，就该大肆庆祝了。
Let's open a bubbling champagne. Ooh, this is going to be fun!
咱们来开一瓶气泡香槟吧。喔，这一定会很好玩！
You could see a lot of bubbles rushing out from the champagne bottle.
你们可以看到，有很多泡泡从香槟瓶中涌出。
These are the bubbles filled with carbon dioxide, a gas that's been produced during the fermentation process of the wine.
这些泡泡充满了二氧化碳，二氧化碳是在葡萄酒发酵过程中产生的气体。
Let me pour some out. I can't miss the chance. I guess it's enough.
让我倒一些出来。我不能错失这个机会。我想应该够了。
Here, I can see a lot of microbubbles moving from the bottom of the glass to the top of the champagne.
我可以看到这里有许多微小的泡泡，从玻璃杯的底部向上移动到香槟的最上方。
Before it pops, it will jet tiny droplets of aroma molecules and intensify the flavor of champagne,
在它爆裂之前，它会喷出小滴的香气分子，强化香槟的香味，
making us enjoy much more the flavor of champagne.
让我们更享受香槟的味道。
As a scientist who is passionate about bubbles, I love to see them, I love to play with them, and I love to study them.
身为对泡泡充满热情的科学家，我很爱看泡泡，我很爱玩泡泡，我很爱研究泡泡。
And also, I love to drink them. Thank you.
此外，我也很爱喝泡泡。谢谢。
