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We know this because in 1982
我們知道這些，是因?yàn)樵?982年
a group of scientists including myself
包括我在內(nèi)的一群科學(xué)家
spent three solid weeks working it out.
花了整整三周的時(shí)間才將此一探究竟
Although the calculations were hard,
盡管計(jì)算過程繁復(fù)
demonstrating what we discovered is easy.
但證明我們的發(fā)現(xiàn)卻很簡單
First, I need a nice flat floor like this one, for example.
首先，我需要一塊像這樣的水平地板
This is the dining room in my college.
這里是我所在大學(xué)的餐廳
I'm going to fill the place with lots and lots of ball bearings.
我將用無以計(jì)數(shù)的鋼珠覆蓋地面
These balls represent the matter of the early universe,
這些鋼珠代表著早期宇宙中的物質(zhì)
a thin gas spread out evenly across the vast cosmos.
即均勻擴(kuò)散到廣袤宇宙之中的稀薄氣體
Here's where luck comes in.
這時(shí)，好運(yùn)來了
If they are all the same distance apart,
如果他們彼此間距離相同
gravity pulls each ball
每個(gè)鋼珠在所有方向上
the same amount in all directions.
受到的萬有引力大小是相同的
They stay perfectly aligned
它們會(huì)相當(dāng)均衡地排列開來
and precisely nothing happens.
什么都不會(huì)發(fā)生
Fortunately, one of the basic rules of the universe
幸運(yùn)的是，宇宙基本規(guī)則之一便是
is that nothing's perfect.
萬物皆不完美
Perfection simply doesn't exist.
世間不存在十全十美
The early universe had a tiny unevenness
早期宇宙存在著微小的不平衡
that can be simulated by removing just five ball bearings.
僅移走五顆鋼珠就能再現(xiàn)情景
It may not look like much has changed,
變化看似不足為奇
but to gravity,
但對(duì)于萬有引力來說
those missing balls create a giant opportunity.
這些缺失的鋼珠卻創(chuàng)造出了巨大的機(jī)會(huì)
Gravity now pulls more strongly on one side of some of the bearings.
引力在某一方向上作用更強(qiáng)
The tiny irregularities in the sea of ball bearings
無數(shù)鋼珠中微小的不規(guī)則
have given gravity something to sink its teeth into.
給了萬有引力發(fā)揮作用的機(jī)會(huì)
And this is exactly what happened back where we left the young universe.
這正是剛才講到的年輕的宇宙所發(fā)生的事
Parts of the sea of early gas were ever so slightly thinner than others.
部分早期的霧氣要比其他部分略微稀薄一些
The less dense areas were like the gaps between the ball bearings.
較為稀疏的區(qū)域就像是鋼珠之間的空隙
The denser parts of the sea of gas
較為密集的霧氣部分
where gravity was having its way clumped together.
則在萬有引力作用下凝聚在一起
And it was in these areas
也正是在這些區(qū)域里
that all the stars and galaxies would fall.
才匯聚成所有的恒星和星系
