TED2019
Erika Hamden: What it takes to launch a telescope
艾瑞卡·汉登: 如何建造望远镜
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TED成员及天文学家艾瑞卡·汉登带领着队伍建造了一台悬挂在巨大气球的望远镜“火球”，它飞往太空边缘，寻找恒星诞生的线索。她带我们踏上一场惊险刺激而又长达数十年的旅程，感受从望远镜从灵感到诞生的过程——并且向我们展示，当你想要突破先有知识的极限时，失败是不可避免的。
Erika Hamden - Astrophysicist
TED Fellow Erika Hamden builds telescopes, with a focus on the ultraviolet, and develops sensor technology to make telescopes more efficient. Full bio
TED Fellow Erika Hamden builds telescopes, with a focus on the ultraviolet, and develops sensor technology to make telescopes more efficient. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
I'm an astronomer who builds telescopes.
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我是一名专攻望远镜的天文学家。
00:16
I build telescopes because,
number one, they are awesome.
number one, they are awesome.
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我之所以建造望远镜，
原因之一是因为它们很棒。
原因之一是因为它们很棒。
00:21
But number two,
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但原因之二，
00:23
I believe if you want to discover
a new thing about the universe,
a new thing about the universe,
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我相信如果你想探索宇宙的新奥秘，
你必须从一个新的角度
00:27
you have to look at the universe
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00:28
in a new way.
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观察宇宙。
00:30
New technologies in astronomy --
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在天文界新的科技——
00:32
things like lenses, photographic plates,
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例如镜头、照相底板，
00:35
all the way up to space telescopes --
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所有这些组成的天文望远镜——
每一个都让我们能够从
新的角度来观察宇宙，
新的角度来观察宇宙，
00:38
each gave us new ways to see the universe
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00:41
and directly led to a new understanding
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并且让我们重新思考
我们在宇宙中的位置。
00:44
of our place in it.
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00:46
But those discoveries come with a cost.
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但这些发现需要代价。
00:49
It took thousands of people and 44 years
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数千人努力了44年
才真正建造出了哈勃望远镜。
00:53
to get the Hubble Space Telescope
from an idea into orbit.
from an idea into orbit.
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00:57
It takes time,
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这需要时间，
需要经历失败，
00:58
it takes a tolerance for failure,
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需要每个人每天
01:00
it takes individual people
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01:02
choosing every day not to give up.
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都坚持不放弃。
01:06
I know how hard that choice is
because I live it.
because I live it.
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我知道这样的坚持有多难，
因为我经历过。
因为我经历过。
我工作的现实是，我几乎每次
都失败，但依然坚持尝试，
都失败，但依然坚持尝试，
01:09
The reality of my job is that I fail
almost all the time and still keep going,
almost all the time and still keep going,
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01:15
because that's how telescopes get built.
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因为这就是望远镜的诞生之路。
01:18
The telescope I helped build is called
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我努力建造的望远镜叫作
小型星系际红移排放气球，
01:20
the faint intergalactic-medium
red-shifted emission balloon,
red-shifted emission balloon,
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01:25
which is a mouthful,
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这很拗口，
01:27
so we call it "FIREBall."
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所以我们叫它“火球”。
01:28
And don't worry, it is not going
to explode at the end of this story.
to explode at the end of this story.
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不要担心，它最后不会爆炸。
01:34
I've been working on FIREBall
for more than 10 years
for more than 10 years
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我从事火球的开发
研究已经有10多年了，
研究已经有10多年了，
现在手下有一支出色的建造团队。
01:36
and now lead the team
of incredible people who built it.
of incredible people who built it.
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01:40
FIREBall is designed to observe
some of the faintest structures known:
some of the faintest structures known:
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火球的任务是观测一些
非常模糊的结构：
非常模糊的结构：
01:44
huge clouds of hydrogen gas.
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巨型氢气云层。
01:48
These clouds are giant.
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这些云的体积之庞大，
01:49
They are even bigger than
whatever you're thinking of.
whatever you're thinking of.
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超出你们的想象。
01:52
They are huge,
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它们是由氢气组成的巨型云层，
01:53
huge clouds of hydrogen that we think
flow into and out of galaxies.
flow into and out of galaxies.
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我们认为它们会在星系间浮动进出。
01:57
I work on FIREBall
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我研发火球，
因为我非常希望我们对宇宙的认识
01:59
because what I really want
is to take our view of the universe
is to take our view of the universe
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从几颗星星上的亮光
02:02
from one with just light from stars
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02:05
to one where we can see and measure
every atom that exists.
every atom that exists.
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进化到可以测量每一个存在的原子。
02:11
That's all that I want to do.
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这就是所有我想做的事。
（笑声）
02:13
(Laughter)
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02:15
But observing at least some of those atoms
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但测量一部分原子
02:17
is crucial to our understanding
of why galaxies look the way they do.
of why galaxies look the way they do.
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能对我们理解星系样貌
有至关重要的作用。
有至关重要的作用。
02:21
I want to know
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我想知道
02:22
how that hydrogen gas
gets into a galaxy and creates a star.
gets into a galaxy and creates a star.
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氢气是如何进入星系
进而创造一个恒星的。
进而创造一个恒星的。
02:27
My work on FIREBall started in 2008,
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我对于火球的研究始于2008年，
02:30
working not on the telescope
but on the light sensor,
but on the light sensor,
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研究的并非是望远镜，
还有而是光敏元件，
还有而是光敏元件，
这是所有望远镜的核心。
02:33
which is the heart of any telescope.
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02:36
This new sensor was being developed
by a team that I joined
by a team that I joined
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这个新元件的发明者
是我在美国国家航空航天局
喷气式飞机推进实验室加入的小组。
喷气式飞机推进实验室加入的小组。
02:38
at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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02:41
And our goal was to prove
that this sensor would work really well
that this sensor would work really well
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我们的目标是证明这个元件
能够完美完成任务，检测到氢气。
02:45
to detect that hydrogen gas.
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02:48
In my work on this,
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在我工作的时候，
我弄坏了几件非常非常昂贵的元件，
02:50
I destroyed several very,
very, very expensive sensors
very, very expensive sensors
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02:57
before realizing that
the machine I was using
the machine I was using
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然后才意识到我使用的机器
02:59
created a plasma that shorted out
anything electrical that we put in it.
anything electrical that we put in it.
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会产生一种等离子体，这会破坏
我们放进去的所有电子设备。
我们放进去的所有电子设备。
03:03
We used a different machine,
there were other challenges,
there were other challenges,
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我们换了一台机器，还有其他挑战，
花了好几年才走上正轨。
03:06
and it took years to get it right.
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但当第一个元件起作用的时候，
03:08
But when that first sensor worked,
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03:10
it was glorious.
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我非常有荣誉感。
03:13
And our sensors are now 10 times better
than the previous state of the art
than the previous state of the art
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我们的元件比之前的
最新科技好上10倍，
最新科技好上10倍，
03:17
and are getting put into
all kinds of new telescopes.
all kinds of new telescopes.
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现在被用于所有新款望远镜中。
我们的元件可以让我们从新的角度
认识宇宙和我们的位置。
认识宇宙和我们的位置。
03:20
Our sensors will give us a new way
to see the universe and our place in it.
to see the universe and our place in it.
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03:26
So, sensors done,
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解决了元件之后，
是时候造望远镜了。
03:28
time to build a telescope.
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03:29
And FIREBall is weird
as far as telescopes go,
as far as telescopes go,
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作为一个望远镜，火球显得很奇怪，
因为它既不在太空，也不在地面上。
03:33
because it's not in space,
and it's not on the ground.
and it's not on the ground.
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03:36
Instead, it hangs on a cable
from a giant balloon
from a giant balloon
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相反，它悬挂在一个
巨型气球的电缆上，
巨型气球的电缆上，
在平流层13万英尺的高度上
03:39
and observes for one night only
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03:42
from 130,000 feet in the stratosphere,
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仅仅观察一个晚上，
03:45
at the very edge of space.
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在宇宙的边缘。
这么做的原因之一是
宇宙边缘比真正的宇宙便宜多了。
宇宙边缘比真正的宇宙便宜多了。
03:48
This is partly because the edge of space
is much cheaper than actual space.
is much cheaper than actual space.
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03:53
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
03:54
So building it, of course, more failures:
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那么建造，当然会有更多失败：
03:58
mirrors that failed,
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反射镜失效了，
镜面磨损了需要重做；
04:00
scratched mirrors that had to be remade;
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04:02
cooling system failures,
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冷却系统失效了，
04:03
an entire system that had to be remade;
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整个系统需要重做；
04:06
calibration failures, we ran tests
again and again and again and again;
again and again and again and again;
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校准失效了，我们一次
又一次地重新测试；
又一次地重新测试；
还有你最想不到的失败：
04:12
failures when you literally
least expect them:
least expect them:
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有一支可爱但非常暴躁的幼年鹰隼
降落在我们的光谱仪上，
降落在我们的光谱仪上，
04:15
we had an adorable but super angry
baby falcon that landed
baby falcon that landed
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占据了我们一天的时间。
04:19
on our spectrograph tank one day.
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04:21
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
尽管公平来讲，
这是这个项目历史上
这是这个项目历史上
04:22
Although to be fair,
this was the greatest day
this was the greatest day
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04:24
in the history of this project.
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最棒的一天。
（笑声）
04:26
(Laughter)
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04:27
I really loved that falcon.
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我真的很喜欢那只鹰隼。
04:30
But falcon damage fixed, we got it built
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在修复了它造成的破坏后，
在2017年8月我们尝试发射——
04:33
for an August 2017 launch attempt --
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然后失败了，
04:35
and then failed to launch,
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04:37
due to six weeks of continuous rain
in the New Mexico desert.
in the New Mexico desert.
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因为新墨西哥州沙漠
时长六周的连续降雨。
时长六周的连续降雨。
04:42
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
04:45
Our spirits dampened, we showed up again,
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我们心情沮丧，收拾心情再努力，
04:47
August 2018, year 10.
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2018年8月，
项目工作进入第10年，
项目工作进入第10年，
04:50
And on the morning of September 22nd,
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然后在9月22日的早晨，
04:56
we finally got the telescope launched.
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我们终于成功发射了望远镜。
04:59
(Applause)
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（掌声）
我为了这个项目付出了
许多——我整个生命，
许多——我整个生命，
05:04
I have put so much of myself --
my whole life -- into this project,
my whole life -- into this project,
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05:08
and I, like, still can't believe
that that happened.
that that happened.
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我现在依然不敢相信
接下来发生的事。
接下来发生的事。
05:12
And I have this picture that's taken
right around sunset on that day
right around sunset on that day
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我拍下了我们气球升空的照片，
正好是快要日落的时候，
05:16
of our balloon,
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05:19
FIREBall hanging from it,
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火球悬挂在气球上，
05:20
and the nearly full moon.
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旁边是一个满月。
05:22
And I love this picture.
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我爱这张照片。
05:23
God, I love it.
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天哪，我爱死它了。
05:27
But I look at it,
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但认真看这张照片，
它让我有一种想哭的冲动，
05:28
and it makes me want to cry,
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05:30
because when fully inflated,
these balloons are spherical,
these balloons are spherical,
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因为当完全充气膨胀时，
这些气球应该是球型的，
这些气球应该是球型的，
05:35
and this one isn't.
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但这个气球不是。
05:36
It's shaped like a teardrop.
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它看起来像一滴眼泪。
05:38
And that's because there is a hole in it.
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这是因为它上面有一个洞。
05:43
Sometimes balloons fail, too.
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有时候气球也会失败。
05:45
FIREBall crash-landed
in the New Mexico desert,
in the New Mexico desert,
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火球坠落在新墨西哥的沙漠，
我们甚至没能收集到想要的数据。
05:48
and we didn't get the data that we wanted.
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05:50
And at the end of that day,
I thought to myself,
I thought to myself,
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那一天结束的时候，我对自己说：
05:54
"Why am I doing this?"
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“我为什么要做这个？”
05:57
And I've thought a lot
about why since that day.
about why since that day.
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自那天起我思考了很多。
06:01
And I've realized that all of my work
has been full of things
has been full of things
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我意识到我所有的工作
都是破坏和失败，
06:05
that break and fail,
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06:07
that we don't understand and they fail,
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我们搞不懂，它们失败了，
我们可能第一次就弄错了，
06:09
that we just get wrong the first time,
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06:12
and so they fail.
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所以它们失败了。
我想到建造哈勃的数千人，
06:13
I think about the thousands
of people who built Hubble
of people who built Hubble
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以及他们所经历过的失败。
06:16
and how many failures they endured.
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06:18
There were countless failures,
heartbreaking failures,
heartbreaking failures,
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有数不尽的失败，心碎的失败，
06:21
even when it was in space.
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甚至在太空中都可能失败。
但任何一次失败都没能让他们放弃。
06:22
And none of those failures
were a reason for them to give up.
were a reason for them to give up.
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06:27
I think about why I love my job.
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我思考为什么我爱我的工作。
06:29
I want to know what
is happening in the universe.
is happening in the universe.
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我想知道宇宙中发生了什么。
06:31
You all want to know
what's happening in the universe, too.
what's happening in the universe, too.
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你们也都想知道宇宙中发生了什么。
06:34
I want to know what's going on
with that hydrogen.
with that hydrogen.
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我想知道氢气怎么样了。
06:37
And so I've realized
that discovery is mostly a process
that discovery is mostly a process
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这样，我意识到发现几乎是
一个寻求失败的过程，
06:41
of finding things that don't work,
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而当你想要突破先有知识的极限时，
失败是不可避免的。
失败是不可避免的。
06:43
and failure is inevitable when
you're pushing the limits of knowledge.
you're pushing the limits of knowledge.
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06:47
And that's what I want to do.
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这就是为什么我想这么做。
06:49
So I'm choosing to keep going.
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所以我选择了继续下去。
06:51
And our team is going to do
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我们的团队准备遵照
06:53
what everyone who has ever
built anything before us has done:
built anything before us has done:
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那些已经成功的前人的路：
我们要再尝试一次，
06:57
we're going to try again,
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06:59
in 2020.
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在2020年。
07:00
And it might feel like a failure today --
and it really does --
and it really does --
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尽管今天看起来像是一次失败——
的确是一次失败——
的确是一次失败——
07:05
but it's only going to stay a failure
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但如果我放弃了，
07:07
if I give up.
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这将永远保持失败。
非常感谢。
07:09
Thank you very much.
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（掌声）
07:10
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Erika Hamden - AstrophysicistTED Fellow Erika Hamden builds telescopes, with a focus on the ultraviolet, and develops sensor technology to make telescopes more efficient.
Why you should listen
Dr. Erika Hamden is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Arizona. Her observational focus is on measuring and mapping diffuse hydrogen around galaxies and within star forming regions in our own galaxy. Her current projects include FIREBall, a UV balloon-borne telescope; KCRM, a spectrograph for the Keck telescope; and Hyperion, a UV space telescope she is currently developing. Her work is driven by a desire to know and understand more about the universe around us.
Hamden received a bachelor's from Harvard in 2006 and a PhD from Columbia in 2014, both in astrophysics. She has held an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow and the R.A. and G.B. Millikan Prize Postdoctoral Fellow in Experimental Physics at the Caltech. She was awarded a Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship for her detector work in 2016. She worked as a chef for a year before beginning grad school and has a serious yoga practice.
Erika Hamden | Speaker | TED.com