8.
阅读理解
Brian Greene, a professor of physics and
mathematics at Columbia University, has created an online science education
platform. He tries to "build a bridge" with things you know about,
and then "bring you across that bridge to the strange place of modern
physics".
Recently I had a chance to ask Greene about
wormholes (a hole which some scientists think might exist, connecting parts of
space and time that are not usually connected), time travel and other mysteries
of the universe. I asked him a million-dollar question: What if I went through
a worm-hole and prevented my parents from meeting? "Most of us believe
that the universe makes sense," Greene said. Although there are several
interesting theories about time travel, he added, the laws of physics would
probably prevent something so illogical from taking place. The good news is
that the time paradox (悖论) is open for future physicists
to solve.
When asked how physics could become more
exciting for kids, Greene said that books by Stephen Weinberg, Leonard
Susskind, and other physicists," make it a great time for people who want
to learn about big ideas but aren't yet ready, perhaps, to learn maths".
When I pointed out that some students still
might find physics boring, Greene said that the key is to teach them about
things that are strange." The basic stuff is important," Greene
said." But I think it's really important to also describe the more modern
ideas, things like black holes and the Big Bang. If kids have those ideas in
mind, then at least some of them will be excited to learn all the
details."
Greene has followed Albert Einstein's lead
in trying to solve the mysteries of the universe. Now he wants kids to do the
same. As Greene said, physics is "not just a matter of solving problems in
an exam". It's about experimenting, showing an interest in strange
phenomena (现象)—and having fun!