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CHAPTER 12 CONCLUSION
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We find ourselves in a bewildering world. We want to makesense of what we see around us and to ask: What is thenature of the universe? What is our place in it and where didit and we come from? Why is it the way it is?
To try to answer these questions we adopt some “worldpicture.” Just as an infinite tower of tortoises supporting the fiatearth is such a picture, so is the theory of superstrings. Bothare theories of the universe, though the latter is much moremathematical and precise than the former. Both theories lackobservational evidence: no one has ever seen a giant tortoisewith the earth on its back, but then, no one has seen asuperstring either. However, the tortoise theory fails to be agood scientific theory because it predicts that people should beable to fall off the edge of the world. This has not been foundto agree with experience, unless that turns out to be theexplanation for the people who are supposed to havedisappeared in the Bermuda Triangle!
The earliest theoretical attempts to describe and explain theuniverse involved the idea that events and natural phenomenawere controlled by spirits with human emotions who acted in avery humanlike and unpredictable manner. These spiritsinhabited natural objects, like rivers and mountains, includingcelestial bodies, like the sun and moon. They had to beplacated and their favor sought in order to ensure the fertilityof the soil and the rotation2 of the seasons. Gradually, however,it must have been noticed that there were certain regularities3:
the sun always rose in the east and set in the west, whetheror not a sacrifice had been made to the sun god. Further, thesun, the moon, and the planets followed precise paths acrossthe sky that could be predicted in advance with considerableaccuracy. The sun and the moon might still be gods, but theywere gods who obeyed strict laws, apparently4 without anyexceptions, if one discounts stories like that of the sun stoppingfor Joshua.
At first, these regularities and laws were obvious only inastronomy and a few other situations. However, as civilizationdeveloped, and particularly in the last 300 years, more andmore regularities and laws were discovered. The success ofthese laws led Laplace at the beginning of the nineteenthcentury to postulate5 scientific determinism; that is, he suggestedthat there would be a set of laws that would determine theevolution of the universe precisely6, given its configuration7 at onetime.
Laplace’s determinism was incomplete in two ways. It did notsay how the laws should be chosen and it did not specify8 theinitial configuration of the universe. These were left to God.
God would choose how the universe began and what laws itobeyed, but he would not intervene in the universe once it hadstarted. In effect, God was confined to the areas thatnineteenth-century science did not under-stand.
We now know that Laplace’s hopes of determinism cannotbe realized, at least in the terms he had in mind. Theuncertainty principle of quantum mechanics implies that certainpairs of quantities, such as the position and velocity10 of aparticle, cannot both be predicted with complete accuracy.
Quantum mechanics deals with this situation via a class ofquantum theories in which particles don’t have well-definedpositions and velocities11 but are represented by a wave. Thesequantum theories are deterministic in the sense that they givelaws for the evolution of the wave with time. Thus if oneknows the wave at one time, one can calculate it at any othertime. The unpredictable, random12 element comes in only whenwe try to interpret the wave in terms of the positions andvelocities of particles. But maybe that is our mistake: maybethere are no particle positions and velocities, but only waves. Itis just that we try to fit the waves to our preconceived ideasof positions and velocities. The resulting mismatch is the causeof the apparent unpredictability.
In effect, we have redefined the task of science to be thediscovery of laws that will enable us to predict events up to thelimits set by the uncertainty9 principle. The question remains,however: how or why were the laws and the initial state of theuniverse chosen?
In this book I have given special prominence13 to the lawsthat govern gravity, because it is gravity that shapes thelarge-scale structure of the universe, even though it is theweakest of the four categories of forces. The laws of gravitywere incompatible14 with the view held until quite recently thatthe universe is unchanging in time: the fact that gravity isalways attractive implies that the universe must be eitherexpanding or contracting. According to the general theory ofrelativity, there must have been a state of infinite density15 in thepast, the big bang, which would have been an effectivebeginning of time. Similarly, if the whole universe recollapsed,there must be another state of infinite density in the future, thebig crunch18, which would be an end of time. Even if the wholeuniverse did not recollapse, there would be singularities in anylocalized regions that collapsed17 to form black holes. Thesesingularities would be an end of time for anyone who fell intothe black hole. At the big bang and other singularities, all thelaws would have broken down, so God would still have hadcomplete freedom to choose what happened and how theuniverse began.
When we combine quantum mechanics with general relativity,there seems to be a new possibility that did not arise before:
that space and time together might form a finite,four-dimensional space without singularities or boundaries, likethe surface of the earth but with more dimensions. It seemsthat this idea could explain many of the observed features ofthe universe, such as its large-scale uniformity and also thesmaller-scale departures from homogeneity, like galaxies19, stars,and even human beings. It could even account for the arrowof time that we observe. But if the universe is completelyself-contained, with no singularities or boundaries, andcompletely described by a unified20 theory, that has profoundimplications for the role of God as Creator.
Einstein once asked the question: “How much choice didGod have in constructing the universe?” If the no boundaryproposal is correct, he had no freedom at all to choose initialconditions. He would, of course, still have had the freedom tochoose the laws that the universe obeyed. This, however, maynot really have been all that much of a choice; there may wellbe only one, or a small number, of complete unified theories,such as the heterotic string theory, that are self-consistent andallow the existence of structures as complicated as humanbeings who can investigate the laws of the universe and askabout the nature of God.
Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just aset of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into theequations and makes a universe for them to describe? Theusual approach of science of constructing a mathematical modelcannot answer the questions of why there should be a universefor the model to describe. Why does the universe go to all thebother of existing? Is the unified theory so compelling that itbrings about its own existence? Or does it need a creator, and,if so, does he have any other effect on the universe? And whocreated him?
Up to now, most scientists have been too occupied with thedevelopment of new theories that describe what the universe isto ask the question why. On the other hand, the people whosebusiness it is to ask why, the philosophers, have not been ableto keep up with the advance of scientific theories. In theeighteenth century, philosophers considered the whole of humanknowledge, including science, to be their field and discussedquestions such as: did the universe have a beginning?
However, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, sciencebecame too technical and mathematical for the philosophers, oranyone else except a few specialists. Philosophers reduced thescope of their inquiries21 so much that Wittgenstein, the mostfamous philosopher of this century, said, “The sole remainingtask for philosophy is the analysis of language.” What acomedown from the great tradition of philosophy from Aristotleto Kant!
However, if we do discover a complete theory, it should intime be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not justa few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, andjust ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion ofthe question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If wefind the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph ofhuman reason - for then we would know the mind of God.
ALBERT EINSTEINEinstein’s connection with the politics of the nuclear bomb iswell known: he signed the famous letter to President FranklinRoosevelt that persuaded the United States to take the ideaseriously, and he engaged in postwar efforts to prevent nuclearwar. But these were not just the isolated22 actions of a scientistdragged into the world of politics. Einstein’s life was, in fact, touse his own words, “divided between politics and equations.”
Einstein’s earliest political activity came during the First WorldWar, when he was a professor in Berlin. Sickened by what hesaw as the waste of human lives, he became involved inantiwar demonstrations23. His advocacy of civil disobedience andpublic encouragement of people to refuse conscription did littleto endear him to his colleagues. Then, following the war, hedirected his efforts toward reconciliation24 and improvinginternational relations. This too did not make him popular, andsoon his politics were making it difficult for him to visit theUnited States, even to give lectures.
Einstein’s second great cause was Zionism. Although he wasJewish by descent, Einstein rejected the biblical idea of God.
However, a growing awareness25 of anti-Semitism, both beforeand during the First World War, led him gradually to identifywith the Jewish community, and later to become an outspokensupporter of Zionism. Once more unpopularity did not stop himfrom speaking his mind. His theories came under attack; ananti-Einstein organization was even set up. One man wasconvicted of inciting26 others to murder Einstein (and fined amere six dollars). But Einstein was phlegmatic27. When a bookwas published entitled 100 Authors Against Einstein, heretorted, “If I were wrong, then one would have been enough!”
In 1933, Hitler came to power. Einstein was in America, anddeclared he would not return to Germany. Then, while Nazimilitia raided his house and confiscated28 his bank account, aBerlin newspaper displayed the headline “Good News fromEinstein - He’s Not Coming Back.” In the face of the Nazithreat, Einstein renounced29 pacifism, and eventually, fearing thatGerman scientists would build a nuclear bomb, proposed thatthe United States should develop its own. But even before thefirst atomic bomb had been detonated, he was publicly warningof the dangers of nuclear war and proposing internationalcontrol of nuclear weaponry.
Throughout his life, Einstein’s efforts toward peace probablyachieved little that would last - and certainly won him fewfriends. His vocal31 support of the Zionist cause, however, wasduly recognized in 1952, when he was offered the presidency32 ofIsrael. He declined, saying he thought he was too naive33 inpolitics. But perhaps his real reason was different: to quote himagain, “Equations are more important to me, because politics isfor the present, but an equation is something for eternity34.”
GALILEO GALILEIGalileo, perhaps more than any other single person, wasresponsible for the birth of modern science. His renownedconflict with the Catholic Church was central to his philosophy,for Galileo was one of the first to argue that man could hopeto understand how the world works, and, moreover, that wecould do this by observing the real world.
Galileo had believed Copernican theory (that the planetsorbited the sun) since early on, but it was only when he foundthe evidence needed to support the idea that he started topublicly support it. He wrote about Copernicus’s theory inItalian (not the usual academic Latin), and soon his viewsbecame widely supported outside the universities. This annoyedthe Aristotelian professors, who united against him seeking topersuade the Catholic Church to ban Copernicanism.
Galileo, worried by this, traveled to Rome to speak to theecclesiastical authorities. He argued that the Bible was notintended to tell us anything about scientific theories, and that itwas usual to assume that, where the Bible conflicted withcommon sense, it was being allegorical. But the Church wasafraid of a scandal that might undermine its fight againstProtestantism, and so took repressive measures. It declaredCopernicanism “false and erroneous” in 1616, and commandedGalileo never again to “defend or hold” the doctrine35. Galileoacquiesced.
In 1623, a longtime friend of Galileo’s became the Pope.
Immediately Galileo tried to get the 1616 decree revoked38. Hefailed, but he did manage to get permission to write a bookdiscussing both Aristotelian and Copernican theories, on twoconditions: he would not take sides and would come to theconclusion that man could in any case not determine how theworld worked because God could bring about the same effectsin ways unimagined by man, who could not place restrictionson God’s omnipotence39.
The book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief WorldSystems, was completed and published in 1632, with the fullbacking of the censors40 - and was immediately greetedthroughout Europe as a literary and philosophical41 masterpiece.
Soon the Pope, realizing that people were seeing the book as aconvincing argument in favor of Copernicanism, regretted havingallowed its publication. The Pope argued that although the bookhad the official blessing42 of the censors, Galileo had neverthelesscontravened the 1616 decree. He brought Galileo before theInquisition, who sentenced him to house arrest for life andcommanded him to publicly renounce30 Copernicanism. For asecond time, Galileo acquiesced36.
Galileo remained a faithful Catholic, but his belief in theindependence of science had not been crushed. Four yearsbefore his death in 1642, while he was still under house arrest,the manuscript of his second major book was smuggled43 to apublisher in Holland. It was this work, referred to as Two NewSciences, even more than his support for Copernicus, that wasto be the genesis of modern physics.
ISAAC NEWTONIsaac Newton was not a pleasant man. His relations withother academics were notorious, with most of his later life spentembroiled in heated disputes. Following publication of PrincipiaMathematica - surely the most influential44 book ever written inphysics - Newton had risen rapidly into public prominence. Hewas appointed president of the Royal Society and became thefirst scientist ever to be knighted.
Newton soon clashed with the Astronomer45 Royal, JohnFlamsteed, who had earlier provided Newton with much-neededdata for Principia, but was now withholding46 information thatNewton wanted. New-ton would not take no for an answer: hehad himself appointed to the governing body of the RoyalObservatory and then tried to force immediate37 publication ofthe data. Eventually he arranged for Flamsteed’s work to beseized and prepared for publication by Flamsteed’s mortalenemy, Edmond Halley. But Flamsteed took the case to courtand, in the nick of time, won a court order preventingdistribution of the stolen work. Newton was incensed47 andsought his revenge by systematically48 deleting all references toFlamsteed in later editions of Principia.
A more serious dispute arose with the German philosopherGottfried Leibniz. Both Leibniz and Newton had independentlydeveloped a branch of mathematics called calculus49, whichunderlies most of modern physics. Although we now know thatNewton discovered calculus years before Leibniz, he publishedhis work much later. A major row ensued over who had beenfirst, with scientists vigorously defending both contenders. It isremarkable, however, that most of the articles appearing indefense of Newton were originally written by his own hand -and only published in the name of friends! As the row grew,Leibniz made the mistake of appealing to the Royal Society toresolve the dispute. Newton, as president, appointed an“impartial” committee to investigate, coincidentally consistingentirely of Newton’s friends! But that was not all: Newton thenwrote the committee’s report himself and had the Royal Societypublish it, officially accusing Leibniz of plagiarism50. Still unsatisfied,he then wrote an anonymous51 review of the report in the RoyalSociety’s own periodical. Following the death of Leibniz, Newtonis reported to have declared that he had taken greatsatisfaction in “breaking Leibniz’s heart.”
During the period of these two disputes, Newton had alreadyleft Cambridge and academe. He had been active inanti-Catholic politics at Cambridge, and later in Parliament, andwas rewarded eventually with the lucrative52 post of Warden53 ofthe Royal Mint. Here he used his talents for deviousness54 andvitriol in a more socially acceptable way, successfully conductinga major campaign against counterfeiting55, even sending severalmen to their death on the gallows56.
GLOSSARYAbsolute zero: The lowest possible temperature, at whichsubstances contain no heat energy.
Acceleration57: The rate at which the speed of an object ischanging.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it isbecause if it were different we would not be here to observe it.
Antiparticle: Each type of matter particle has a correspondingantiparticle. When a particle collides with its antiparticle, theyannihilate, leaving only energy.
Atom: The basic unit of ordinary matter, made up of a tinynucleus (consisting of protons and neutrons59) surrounded byorbiting electrons.
Big bang: The singularity at the beginning of the universe.
Big crunch: The singularity at the end of the universe.
Black hole: A region of space-time from which nothing, noteven light, can escape, because gravity is so strong.
Casimir effect: The attractive pressure between two flat,parallel metal plates placed very near to each other in avacuum. The pressure is due to a reduction in the usualnumber of virtual particles in the space between the plates.
Chandrasekhar limit: The maximum possible mass of a stablecold star, above which it must collapse16 into a black hole.
Conservation of energy: The law of science that states thatenergy (or its equiva-lent in mass) can neither be created nordestroyed.
Coordinates61: Numbers that specify the position of a point inspace and time.
Cosmological constant: A mathematical device used byEinstein to give space-time an inbuilt tendency to expand.
Cosmology: The study of the universe as a whole.
Dark matter: Matter in galaxies, clusters, and possiblybetween clusters, that can not be observed directly but can bedetected by its gravitational effect. As much as 90 percent ofthe mass of the universe may be in the form of dark matter.
Duality: A correspondence between apparently differenttheories that lead to the same physical results.
Einstein-Rosen bridge: A thin tube of space-time linking twoblack holes. Also see Wormhole.
Electric charge: A property of a particle by which it mayrepel (or attract) other particles that have a charge of similar(or opposite) sign.
Electromagnetic force: The force that arises between particleswith electric charge; the second strongest of the fourfundamental forces.
Electron: A particle with negative electric charge that orbitsthe nucleus58 of an atom.
Electroweak unification energy: The energy (around 100GeV) above which the distinction between the electromagneticforce and the weak force disappears.
Elementary particle: A particle that, it is believed, cannot besubdivided.
Event: A point in space-time, specified62 by its time and place.
Event horizon: The boundary of a black hole.
Exclusion63 principle: The idea that two identical spin-1/2particles cannot have (within the limits set by the uncertaintyprinciple) both the same position and the same velocity.
Field: Something that exists throughout space and time, asopposed to a particle that exists at only one point at a time.
Frequency: For a wave, the number of complete cycles persecond.
Gamma rays: Electromagnetic rays of very short wavelength64,produced in radio-active decay or by collisions of elementaryparticles.
General relativity: Einstein’s theory based on the idea thatthe laws of science should be the same for all observers, nomatter how they are moving. It explains the force of gravity interms of the curvature of a four-dimensional space-time.
Geodesic: The shortest (or longest) path between two points.
Grand unification energy: The energy above which, it isbelieved, the electro-magnetic force, weak force, and strongforce become indistinguishable from each other.
Grand unified theory (GUT): A theory which unifies65 theelectromagnetic, strong, and weak forces.
Imaginary time: Time measured using imaginary numbers.
Light cone66: A surface in space-time that marks out thepossible directions for light rays passing through a given event.
Light-second (light-year): The distance traveled by light inone second (year).
Magnetic field: The field responsible for magnetic forces, nowincorporated along with the electric field, into theelectromagnetic field.
Mass: The quantity of matter in a body; its inertia67, orresistance to acceleration.
Microwave background radiation: The radiation from theglowing of the hot early universe, now so greatly red-shiftedthat it appears not as light but as microwaves (radio waveswith a wavelength of a few centimeters). Also see COBE, onpage 145.
Naked singularity: A space-time singularity not surrounded bya black hole.
Neutrino: An extremely light (possibly massless) particle thatis affected68 only by the weak force and gravity.
Neutron60: An uncharged particle, very similar to the proton,which accounts for roughly half the particles in an atomicnucleus.
Neutron star: A cold star, supported by the exclusionprinciple repulsion between neutrons.
No boundary condition: The idea that the universe is finitebut has no boundary (in imaginary time).
Nuclear fusion69: The process by which two nuclei70 collide andcoalesce to form a single, heavier nucleus.
Nucleus: The central part of an atom, consisting only ofprotons and neutrons, held together by the strong force.
Particle accelerator: A machine that, using electromagnets, canaccelerate moving charged particles, giving them more energy.
Phase: For a wave, the position in its cycle at a specifiedtime: a measure of whether it is at a crest71, a trough, orsomewhere in between.
Photon: A quantum of light.
Planck’s quantum principle: The idea that light (or any otherclassical waves) can be emitted or absorbed only in discretequanta, whose energy is proportional to their wavelength.
Positron: The (positively72 charged) antiparticle of the electron.
Primordial73 black hole: A black hole created in the very earlyuniverse.
Proportional: ‘X is proportional to Y’ means that when Y ismultiplied by any number, so is X. ‘X is inversely74 proportionalto Y’ means that when Y is multiplied by any number, X isdivided by that number.
Proton: A positively charged particle, very similar to theneutron, that accounts for roughly half the particles in thenucleus of most atoms.
Pulsar: A rotating neutron star that emits regular pulses ofradio waves.
Quantum: The indivisible unit in which waves may beemitted or absorbed.
Quantum chromodynamics (QCD): The theory that describesthe interactions of quarks and gluons.
Quantum mechanics: The theory developed from Planck’squantum principle and Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.
Quark: A (charged) elementary particle that feels the strongforce. Protons and neutrons are each composed of threequarks.
Radar75: A system using pulsed radio waves to detect theposition of objects by measuring the time it takes a single pulseto reach the object and be reflected back.
Radioactivity: The spontaneous breakdown76 of one type ofatomic nucleus into another.
Red shift: The reddening of light from a star that is movingaway from us, due to the Doppler effect.
Singularity: A point in space-time at which the space-timecurvature becomes infinite.
Singularity theorem: A theorem that shows that a singularitymust exist under certain circumstances - in particular, that theuniverse must have started with a singularity.
Space-time: The four-dimensional space whose points areevents.
Spatial77 dimension: Any of the three dimensions that arespacelike - that is, any except the time dimension.
Special relativity: Einstein’s theory based on the idea that thelaws of science should be the same for all observers, no matterhow they are moving, in the absence of gravitationalphenomena.
Spectrum78: The component79 frequencies that make up a wave.
The visible part of the sun’s spectrum can be seen in arainbow.
Spin: An internal property of elementary particles, related to,but not identical to, the everyday concept of spin.
Stationary80 state: One that is not changing with time: asphere spinning at a constant rate is stationary because it looksidentical at any given instant.
String theory: A theory of physics in which particles aredescribed as waves on strings1. Strings have length but no otherdimension.
Strong force: The strongest of the four fundamental forces,with the shortest range of all. It holds the quarks togetherwithin protons and neutrons, and holds the protons andneutrons together to form atoms.
Uncertainty principle: The principle, formulated81 by Heisenberg,that one can never be exactly sure of both the position andthe velocity of a particle; the more accurately82 one knows theone, the less accurately one can know the other.
Virtual particle: In quantum mechanics, a particle that cannever be directly detected, but whose existence does havemeasurable effects.
Wave/particle duality: The concept in quantum mechanicsthat there is no distinction between waves and particles;particles may sometimes behave like waves, and waves likeparticles.
Wavelength: For a wave, the distance between two adjacenttroughs or two adjacent crests83.
Weak force: The second weakest of the four fundamentalforces, with a very short range. It affects all matter particles,but not force-carrying particles.
Weight: The force exerted on a body by a gravitational field.
It is proportional to, but not the same as, its mass.
White dwarf84: A stable cold star, supported by the exclusionprinciple repulsion between electrons.
Wormhole: A thin tube of space-time connecting distantregions of the universe. Wormholes might also link to parallelor baby universes and could provide the possibility of timetravel.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSMany people have helped me in writing this book. Myscientific colleagues have without exception been inspiring. Overthe years my principal associates and collaborators were RogerPenrose, Robert Geroch, Brandon Carter, George Ellis, GaryGibbons, Don Page, and Jim Hartle. I owe a lot to them, andto my research students, who have always given me help whenneeded.
One of my students, Brian Whitt, gave me a lot of helpwriting the first edition of this book. My editor at BantamBooks, Peter Guzzardi, made innumerable comments whichimproved the book considerably85. In addition, for this edition, Iwould like to thank Andrew Dunn, who helped me revise thetext.
I could not have written this book without mycommunication system. The software, called Equalizer, wasdonated by Walt Waltosz of Words Plus Inc., in Lancaster,California. My speech synthesizer was donated by Speech Plus,of Sunnyvale, California. The synthesizer and laptop computerwere mounted on my wheelchair by David Mason, ofCambridge Adaptive Communication Ltd. With this system I cancommunicate better now than before I lost my voice.
I have had a number of secretaries and assistants over theyears in which I wrote and revised this book. On thesecretarial side, I’m very grateful to Judy Fella, Ann Ralph,Laura Gentry86, Cheryl Billington, and Sue Masey. My assistantshave been Colin Williams, David Thomas, and RaymondLaflamme, Nick Phillips, Andrew Dunn, Stuart Jamieson,Jonathan Brenchley, Tim Hunt, Simon Gill, Jon Rogers, andTom Kendall. They, my nurses, colleagues, friends, and familyhave enabled me to live a very full life and to pursue myresearch despite my disability.

The End

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 strings nh0zBe     
n.弦
参考例句:
  • He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上,随意地拨着吉他的弦。
  • She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。
2 rotation LXmxE     
n.旋转;循环,轮流
参考例句:
  • Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
  • The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。
3 regularities 91d74d4bc613e82577a408cf62b74e5f     
规则性( regularity的名词复数 ); 正规; 有规律的事物; 端正
参考例句:
  • They felt that all the regularities in nature have a purpose. 他们感到自然界一切有规律的事物均有目的性。
  • Our experience meanwhile is all shot through with regularities. 我们的经验同时也都具有规律性。 来自哲学部分
4 apparently tMmyQ     
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎
参考例句:
  • An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽,豁然开朗。
  • He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
5 postulate oiwy2     
n.假定,基本条件;vt.要求,假定
参考例句:
  • Let's postulate that she is a cook.我们假定她是一位厨师。
  • Freud postulated that we all have a death instinct as well as a life instinct.弗洛伊德曾假定我们所有人都有生存本能和死亡本能。
6 precisely zlWzUb     
adv.恰好,正好,精确地,细致地
参考例句:
  • It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
  • The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
7 configuration nYpyb     
n.结构,布局,形态,(计算机)配置
参考例句:
  • Geographers study the configuration of the mountains.地理学家研究山脉的地形轮廓。
  • Prices range from $119 to $199,depending on the particular configuration.价格因具体配置而异,从119美元至199美元不等。
8 specify evTwm     
vt.指定,详细说明
参考例句:
  • We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
  • Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。
9 uncertainty NlFwK     
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物
参考例句:
  • Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
  • After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后,压力开始产生影响了。
10 velocity rLYzx     
n.速度,速率
参考例句:
  • Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
  • The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。
11 velocities 64d80206fdcbbf917808c5b00e0a8ff5     
n.速度( velocity的名词复数 );高速,快速
参考例句:
  • In experimenting we find out that sound travels with different velocities through different substances. 在实验中,我们发现声音以不同的速度通过不同的物质而传播。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • A gas in thermal equilibrium has particles of all velocities. 处于热平衡的气体,其粒子有一切速度。 来自辞典例句
12 random HT9xd     
adj.随机的;任意的;n.偶然的(或随便的)行动
参考例句:
  • The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
  • On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查,发现肉变质了。
13 prominence a0Mzw     
n.突出;显著;杰出;重要
参考例句:
  • He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
  • This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。
14 incompatible y8oxu     
adj.不相容的,不协调的,不相配的
参考例句:
  • His plan is incompatible with my intent.他的计划与我的意图不相符。
  • Speed and safety are not necessarily incompatible.速度和安全未必不相容。
15 density rOdzZ     
n.密集,密度,浓度
参考例句:
  • The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
  • The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。
16 collapse aWvyE     
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷
参考例句:
  • The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
  • The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。
17 collapsed cwWzSG     
adj.倒塌的
参考例句:
  • Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
  • The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。
18 crunch uOgzM     
n.关键时刻;艰难局面;v.发出碎裂声
参考例句:
  • If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
  • People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。
19 galaxies fa8833b92b82bcb88ee3b3d7644caf77     
星系( galaxy的名词复数 ); 银河系; 一群(杰出或著名的人物)
参考例句:
  • Quasars are the highly energetic cores of distant galaxies. 类星体是遥远星系的极为活跃的核心体。
  • We still don't know how many galaxies there are in the universe. 我们还不知道宇宙中有多少个星系。
20 unified 40b03ccf3c2da88cc503272d1de3441c     
(unify 的过去式和过去分词); 统一的; 统一标准的; 一元化的
参考例句:
  • The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
  • The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。
21 inquiries 86a54c7f2b27c02acf9fcb16a31c4b57     
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听
参考例句:
  • He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释,等候进一步调查。
  • I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
22 isolated bqmzTd     
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句:
  • His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
  • Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。
23 demonstrations 0922be6a2a3be4bdbebd28c620ab8f2d     
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威
参考例句:
  • Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
  • The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。
24 reconciliation DUhxh     
n.和解,和谐,一致
参考例句:
  • He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
  • Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。
25 awareness 4yWzdW     
n.意识,觉悟,懂事,明智
参考例句:
  • There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
  • Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。
26 inciting 400c07a996057ecbd0e695a596404e52     
刺激的,煽动的
参考例句:
  • What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
  • He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。
27 phlegmatic UN9xg     
adj.冷静的,冷淡的,冷漠的,无活力的
参考例句:
  • Commuting in the rush-hour requires a phlegmatic temperament.在上下班交通高峰期间乘坐通勤车要有安之若素的心境。
  • The british character is often said to be phlegmatic.英国人的性格常说成是冷漠的。
28 confiscated b8af45cb6ba964fa52504a6126c35855     
没收,充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
  • The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。
29 renounced 795c0b0adbaedf23557e95abe647849c     
v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 );宣布放弃;宣布与…决裂;宣布摒弃
参考例句:
  • We have renounced the use of force to settle our disputes. 我们已再次宣布放弃使用武力来解决争端。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Andrew renounced his claim to the property. 安德鲁放弃了财产的所有权。 来自《简明英汉词典》
30 renounce 8BNzi     
v.放弃;拒绝承认,宣布与…断绝关系
参考例句:
  • She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
  • It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。
31 vocal vhOwA     
adj.直言不讳的;嗓音的;n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句:
  • The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
  • Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
32 presidency J1HzD     
n.总统(校长,总经理)的职位(任期)
参考例句:
  • Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
  • Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。
33 naive yFVxO     
adj.幼稚的,轻信的;天真的
参考例句:
  • It's naive of you to believe he'll do what he says.相信他会言行一致,你未免太单纯了。
  • Don't be naive.The matter is not so simple.你别傻乎乎的。事情没有那么简单。
34 eternity Aiwz7     
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷
参考例句:
  • The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
  • Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞,永世相随。
35 doctrine Pkszt     
n.教义;主义;学说
参考例句:
  • He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
  • The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。
36 acquiesced 03acb9bc789f7d2955424223e0a45f1b     
v.默认,默许( acquiesce的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • Senior government figures must have acquiesced in the cover-up. 政府高级官员必然已经默许掩盖真相。
  • After a lot of persuasion,he finally acquiesced. 经过多次劝说,他最终默许了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
37 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
38 revoked 80b785d265b6419ab99251d8f4340a1d     
adj.[法]取消的v.撤销,取消,废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付,结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
  • A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句
39 omnipotence 8e0cf7da278554c7383716ee1a228358     
n.全能,万能,无限威力
参考例句:
  • Central bankers have never had any illusions of their own omnipotence. 中行的银行家们已经不再对于他们自己的无所不能存有幻想了。 来自互联网
  • Introduce an omnipotence press automatism dividing device, explained it operation principle. 介绍了冲压万能自动分度装置,说明了其工作原理。 来自互联网
40 censors 0b6e14d26afecc4ac86c847a7c99de15     
删剪(书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容)( censor的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。
  • The censors let out not a word. 检察官一字也不发。
41 philosophical rN5xh     
adj.哲学家的,哲学上的,达观的
参考例句:
  • The teacher couldn't answer the philosophical problem.老师不能解答这个哲学问题。
  • She is very philosophical about her bad luck.她对自己的不幸看得很开。
42 blessing UxDztJ     
n.祈神赐福;祷告;祝福,祝愿
参考例句:
  • The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
  • A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。
43 smuggled 3cb7c6ce5d6ead3b1e56eeccdabf595b     
水货
参考例句:
  • The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网
44 influential l7oxK     
adj.有影响的,有权势的
参考例句:
  • He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
  • He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。
45 astronomer DOEyh     
n.天文学家
参考例句:
  • A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
  • He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。
46 withholding 7eXzD6     
扣缴税款
参考例句:
  • She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
  • The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。
47 incensed 0qizaV     
盛怒的
参考例句:
  • The decision incensed the workforce. 这个决定激怒了劳工大众。
  • They were incensed at the decision. 他们被这个决定激怒了。
48 systematically 7qhwn     
adv.有系统地
参考例句:
  • This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
  • The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。
49 calculus Is9zM     
n.微积分;结石
参考例句:
  • This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题,微积分一点也用不上。
  • After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后,你们就能够解这些数学题了。
50 plagiarism d2Pz4     
n.剽窃,抄袭
参考例句:
  • Teachers in America fight to control cheating and plagiarism.美国老师们努力对付欺骗和剽窃的问题。
  • Now he's in real trouble.He's accused of plagiarism.现在他是真遇到麻烦了。他被指控剽窃。
51 anonymous lM2yp     
adj.无名的;匿名的;无特色的
参考例句:
  • Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
  • The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。
52 lucrative dADxp     
adj.赚钱的,可获利的
参考例句:
  • He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
  • It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。
53 warden jMszo     
n.监察员,监狱长,看守人,监护人
参考例句:
  • He is the warden of an old people's home.他是一家养老院的管理员。
  • The warden of the prison signed the release.监狱长签发释放令。
54 deviousness 409a263d1bdb2ab21a977f768b51a786     
参考例句:
  • Besides, deviousness isn't your style. 此外,旁敲侧击也不是你的作风。
  • These adjectives mean disposed to or marked by indirection or deviousness in the gaining an end. 这些形容词都有通过或表明通过间接或迂回手段最终获得。
55 counterfeiting fvDzas     
n.伪造v.仿制,造假( counterfeit的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He was sent to prison for counterfeiting five-dollar bills. 他因伪造5美元的钞票被捕入狱。 来自辞典例句
  • National bureau released securities, certificates with security anti-counterfeiting paper technical standards. 国家质量技术监督局发布了证券、证件用安全性防伪纸张技术标准。 来自互联网
56 gallows UfLzE     
n.绞刑架,绞台
参考例句:
  • The murderer was sent to the gallows for his crimes.谋杀犯由于罪大恶极被处以绞刑。
  • Now I was to expiate all my offences at the gallows.现在我将在绞刑架上赎我一切的罪过。
57 acceleration ff8ya     
n.加速,加速度
参考例句:
  • All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
  • He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。
58 nucleus avSyg     
n.核,核心,原子核
参考例句:
  • These young people formed the nucleus of the club.这些年轻人成了俱乐部的核心。
  • These councils would form the nucleus of a future regime.这些委员会将成为一个未来政权的核心。
59 neutrons 8247a394cf7f4566ae93232e91c291b9     
n.中子( neutron的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The neutrons and protons form the core of the atom. 中子和质子构成了原子核。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When an atom of U235 is split,several neutrons are set free. 一个铀235原子分裂时,释放出几个中子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
60 neutron neutron     
n.中子
参考例句:
  • Neutron is neutral and slightly heavier than the proton.中子是中性的,比质子略重。
  • Based on the neutron energy,the value of weighting factor was given.根据中子能量给出了相应的辐射权重因子的数值。
61 coordinates 8387d77faaaa65484f5631d9f9d20bfc     
n.相配之衣物;坐标( coordinate的名词复数 );(颜色协调的)配套服装;[复数]女套服;同等重要的人(或物)v.使协调,使调和( coordinate的第三人称单数 );协调;协同;成为同等
参考例句:
  • The town coordinates on this map are 695037. 该镇在这幅地图上的坐标是695037。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下,负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》
62 specified ZhezwZ     
adj.特定的
参考例句:
  • The architect specified oak for the wood trim. 那位建筑师指定用橡木做木饰条。
  • It is generated by some specified means. 这是由某些未加说明的方法产生的。
63 exclusion 1hCzz     
n.拒绝,排除,排斥,远足,远途旅行
参考例句:
  • Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
  • He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球,其他运动一概不参加。
64 wavelength 8gHwn     
n.波长
参考例句:
  • The authorities were unable to jam this wavelength.当局无法干扰这一波长。
  • Radio One has broadcast on this wavelength for years.广播1台已经用这个波长广播多年了。
65 unifies 54b1c179f10a082f533af0344f935f7a     
使联合( unify的第三人称单数 ); 使相同; 使一致; 统一
参考例句:
  • Team-Based Concurrent Engineering Unifies your design team and aids complex debug efforts. 以团队为基础的并行工程使你的设计团队融为一体并协助复杂的调试。
  • He saw God's complete moral excellence that unifies His attributes. 他看见上帝完美的道德贯穿着祂所有的属性。
66 cone lYJyi     
n.圆锥体,圆锥形东西,球果
参考例句:
  • Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
  • The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。
67 inertia sbGzg     
adj.惰性,惯性,懒惰,迟钝
参考例句:
  • We had a feeling of inertia in the afternoon.下午我们感觉很懒。
  • Inertia carried the plane onto the ground.飞机靠惯性着陆。
68 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
69 fusion HfDz5     
n.溶化;熔解;熔化状态,熔和;熔接
参考例句:
  • Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
  • This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。
70 nuclei tHCxF     
n.核
参考例句:
  • To free electrons, something has to make them whirl fast enough to break away from their nuclei. 为了释放电子,必须使电子高速旋转而足以摆脱原子核的束缚。
  • Energy is released by the fission of atomic nuclei. 能量是由原子核分裂释放出来的。
71 crest raqyA     
n.顶点;饰章;羽冠;vt.达到顶点;vi.形成浪尖
参考例句:
  • The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
  • He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。
72 positively vPTxw     
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实
参考例句:
  • She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
  • The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。
73 primordial 11PzK     
adj.原始的;最初的
参考例句:
  • It is the primordial force that propels us forward.它是推动我们前进的原始动力。
  • The Neanderthal Man is one of our primordial ancestors.的尼安德特人是我们的原始祖先之一.
74 inversely t4Sx6     
adj.相反的
参考例句:
  • Pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume. 压力随温度成正比例变化,与容积成反比例变化。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The amount of force needed is inversely proportional to the rigidity of the material. 需要的力度与材料的硬度成反比。 来自《简明英汉词典》
75 radar kTUxx     
n.雷达,无线电探测器
参考例句:
  • They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
  • Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。
76 breakdown cS0yx     
n.垮,衰竭;损坏,故障,倒塌
参考例句:
  • She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
  • The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障,但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。
77 spatial gvcww     
adj.空间的,占据空间的
参考例句:
  • This part of brain judges the spatial relationship between objects.大脑的这部分判断物体间的空间关系。
  • They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
78 spectrum Trhy6     
n.谱,光谱,频谱;范围,幅度,系列
参考例句:
  • This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
  • We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成,我们已了解不少。
79 component epSzv     
n.组成部分,成分,元件;adj.组成的,合成的
参考例句:
  • Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
  • Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
80 stationary CuAwc     
adj.固定的,静止不动的
参考例句:
  • A stationary object is easy to be aimed at.一个静止不动的物体是容易瞄准的。
  • Wait until the bus is stationary before you get off.你要等公共汽车停稳了再下车。
81 formulated cfc86c2c7185ae3f93c4d8a44e3cea3c     
v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 );规划;确切地阐述;用公式表示
参考例句:
  • He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
82 accurately oJHyf     
adv.准确地,精确地
参考例句:
  • It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
  • Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。
83 crests 9ef5f38e01ed60489f228ef56d77c5c8     
v.到达山顶(或浪峰)( crest的第三人称单数 );到达洪峰,达到顶点
参考例句:
  • The surfers were riding in towards the beach on the crests of the waves. 冲浪者们顺着浪头冲向岸边。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The correspondent aroused, heard the crash of the toppled crests. 记者醒了,他听见了浪头倒塌下来的轰隆轰隆声。 来自辞典例句
84 dwarf EkjzH     
n.矮子,侏儒,矮小的动植物;vt.使…矮小
参考例句:
  • The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
  • The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀,摇摇头。
85 considerably 0YWyQ     
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上
参考例句:
  • The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
  • The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。
86 gentry Ygqxe     
n.绅士阶级,上层阶级
参考例句:
  • Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。
  • Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首,不居贵族之末。


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