夢想成真 年實現的15個預言
As 2014 comes to a close, it's time to reflect on the most futuristic breakthroughs and developments of the past year. Here are 15 predictions that came true in 2014.
2014年已經過去，現在來總結過去一年中最具前瞻性和影響力的重大發現和成果正是時候。下面就一起來看看2014年裏那些已成爲現實的15個預言吧。
1. Technologically-assisted telepathy was successfully demonstrated in humans
1. 心靈感應
For the first time ever, two humans exchanged thoughts via mind-to-mind communication.
2014年人類第一次實現了通過心對心的交流來交換想法的夢想。
Remarkably, the system is completely non-invasive. By using internet-linked electroencephalogram (EEG) and robot-assisted image-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technologies, an international team of researchers were able to get two subjects —one in India and one in France — to mentally transmit the words "hola" and "ciao."
這套心靈感應系統完全是非侵入式的。通過使用聯網式腦電圖以及機器人輔助成像的經顱骨磁力刺激法技術，這個國際合作研究團隊實現了讓兩個分別在印度和法國的人在心裏交換了單詞“hola”和“ciao”。
And in a similar breakthrough, a different team developed a system that allowed a human subject to control the movements of another person. The University of Washington researchers showcased the technology by having participants collaborate on a computer game where a "sender" sent mental instructions to a "receiver" to control their hand movements.
另外一項與此類似的重大突破是另一個團隊開發的系統，這套系統可以讓一個人控制另一個人的動作。華盛頓大學的研究人員對該項新技術做了如下展示：在一款電腦遊戲中，指令發出者通過在心裏默唸指令來控制指令接受者的手部活動。
emailed a wrench to the space station
2. 傳送門
In what's being seen as a precursor to a Star Trek-like replicator, astronauts aboard the ISS used their 3D printer to manufacture a socket wrench. Remarkably, the 20-part wrench was designed on Earth and emailed to astronaut Barry Wilmore who ran it through the printer. It's a prime example of how 3D printing is poised to change space travel, allowing astronauts to produce equipment on demand and in emergency situations.
這可以被看作是《星際迷航》中複製器的原型，宇航員用3D打印機做了一個管鉗子。值得一提的是，這個由20個零部件構成的管鉗子，先是在地面上被設計出來，之後再通過電郵傳給宇航員巴里·威爾莫爾，然後他再用打印機做出這個管鉗子。這個過程不僅展示了3D打印技術在太空航行中的應用，也標誌着宇航員可以根據需要隨時製造新工具。
3. Surgeons began using suspended animation
3. 人體急凍術
It's still in the trial stage, but this a remarkable achievement nonetheless. Surgeons at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital are using suspended animation — or what they call emergency preservation and resuscitation — to dramatically cool down trauma victims to keep them alive during critical operations.
這項技術雖然目前還處於試驗階段，但仍然堪稱爲一項偉大的成就。匹茲堡醫療中心大學長老會醫院的外科醫生已經在使用這項假死技術--也叫緊急保存復甦術--來急速冷凍那些嚴重外傷的病人，使他們能挺過手術。
The technique, which is only being used on patients who would otherwise be expected to die, involves internal rather than external cooling. The patient's blood is replaced with a cold saline solution, which slows down the body's metabolic functions and need for oxygen. Image: Prometheus.
這項技術只會用在那些如果不這麼做就肯定會死的病人身上，而且對病人進行的是體內而不是外部冷卻。病人的血液全部被替換爲冷的生理鹽水溶液，以減慢病人體內的新陳代謝過程以及對氧氣的需求程度。
4. The U.S. Navy deployed a functional laser weapon
4. 激光武器
The device, called a High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon, was fitted to the USS Ponce, which is currently on exercises in the Persian Gulf.
這個名爲“高能激光束”的武器已經裝備在了美國海軍的“龐塞號”上，目前在波斯灣進行的打靶訓練中得到使用。
It's still at the prototype stage, but it's being fielded to evaluate its capabilities in a real-world environment where it has already shown its effectiveness in destroying two boats and a drone.
雖然這個武器還只是原型，但是它在實戰環節已經顯示出了它的威力：幹掉了兩艘小舢舨和一架無人機。
5. Scientists "uploaded" a worm's mind into a robot
5. 意識上傳
Researchers at the OpenWorm project are trying to create a digital version of an actual nemotode worm in a computer. They're not quite there yet, but that didn't stop team member Timothy Busbice from creating software that mimics the natural processes of the worm's neural networks — and then putting that knowledge in a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot.
"開放蠕蟲項目"的研究團隊打算在電腦中創造一個數字版的線性蟲。他們目前還沒成功，不過其中一位隊員蒂莫西·巴斯比斯寫了一個軟件來模擬蠕蟲的神經網絡--然後把它上載到一個樂高機器人中。
"My research takes the way the worm's brain is wired and extends it to a robot for sensory input and motor output," Buspice told Gizmodo. "What we found is that rather than just random, crazy movements by the robot, it actually responded to its environment in the same manner as the biological worm."
“我的工作就是模擬蠕蟲的神經網絡，然後把它裝進機器人，通過傳感器輸入，通過馬達輸出。”巴斯比斯說，“我們發現這個機器人並不像普通機器人那樣亂走，而是會像一隻真蟲子那樣應對陌生環境。”
6. A computer solved a math problem that we can't check
6. 利用計算機解決數學難題
Mathematician Steven Strogatz once predicted that computer-assisted solutions to math problems will eventually extend beyond human comprehension. His prediction appears to have finally come true.
數學家斯蒂文·斯特羅加茨曾經預言，通過計算機的幫助解決數學問題，將來總有一天人類會看不懂計算機給出的結果。好吧，現在他的預言實現了。
Earlier this year, a computer solved the longstanding Erdős discrepancy problem. Unfortunately, human mathematicians aren't entirely sure about the solution because it's as long as all of Wikipedia's pages combined.
2014年年初，研究人員使用計算機解決了一道數學界的難題--埃爾德什差異問題。可不幸的是，數學家們還無法確定這個結果是否正確，因爲這個結果比維基百科所有網頁加在一起的長度還要長。
7. An artificial chromosome was built from scratch
7. 人造染色體
In what was the year's biggest artificial life breakthrough, researchers from New York University Langone Medical Center reconstructed a synthetic and fully functional yeast chromosome. Incredibly, they were also able to insert their own special additions to the chromosome, including a chemical switch that allows scientists to "scramble" it into thousands of different variations to make subsequent gene editing even easier. It's an important proof of concept that could lead to designer organisms and artificial chromosomes in humans.
2014年人造生命的最大突破應該來自於紐約大學朗貢醫學中心的研究者們，他們人工合成了一個功能完整的酵母菌染色體。令人難以置信的是，他們還在這個染色體內添加了自己設計的一種化學開關，使對染色體的觀察更容易更方便。這項技術預示着人工合成人類染色體的目標也即將實現。
8. A venture capitalist firm appointed an AI to the board
8. 人工智能
Some say it was a media stunt, but it might be the start of a larger trend: Hong Kong-based Deep Knowledge ventures appointed a machine learning program, called VITAL, to its board of directors. It's said to be an "equal member" that will uncover trends "not immediately obvious to humans" in order to make investment recommendations. The system will pour over massive data sets, apply machine learning, and then predict which life sciences companies are the best investments.
有人說這可能是媒體的一個噱頭，但無論如何它有可能成爲一種大趨勢。香港的一家風險投資公司任命一個名爲“VITAL”的計算機系統爲其董事會的一員。“VITAL”被認爲公正無私，用它來做投資建議時能避免“人爲主觀因素”。這一系統使用機器學習算法分析數據，以此來對生命科技公司進行評估以便進行正確投資。
9. A double amputee received two mind-controlled arms
9. 心靈控制義肢
Les Baugh became the first human to ever receive two shoulder-level thought-controlled prosthetic arms. It's not permanent, but the researchers at Johns Hopkins are hoping that the arms will eventually become a permanent add-on.
萊斯·鮑格成爲了世界上第一個雙臂全部截肢並接受心靈控制義肢的人。雖然這還不是永久性的義肢，但是約翰·霍普金斯大學的研究人員希望最終可以爲患者提供永久性的產品。
In other major cybernetic breakthroughs, researchers created an artificial hand that feels, and the first mind-controlled prosthetic hand with 10 degrees of freedom. Also, these wearable limbs took us a step closer to creating Doctor Octopus.
在神經控制的領域裏，研究人員們已經研製出了有知覺的人造手、靈活的10軸機械臂以及穿戴式假肢等。這樣看來，我們很快就能成爲章魚博士了。
10. A cloaking device that hides objects in the visible spectrum
10. 隱身衣
We've seen so-called invisibility cloaks before, but nothing quite like this one.
我們曾經見到過所謂的隱身衣，不過下面提到的這款卻完全不同於以往。
Researchers at the University of Rochester developed a cheap and surprisingly effective cloaking device that's being heralded as the first to perform 3D, continuously multidirectional cloaking in the visible spectrum of light. To do it, they combined four standard optical lenses that keeps an object hidden — even as the viewer moves side to side. The system could eventually be used to eliminate blind spots in vehicles or let surgeons see through their hands during surgery.
羅切斯特大學的研究人員研發出了一套便宜但高效的隱身裝置，第一次使用3D技術操控，能在可見光範圍內對多種方向達到隱身效果。這套裝置使用4個標準光學透鏡將一個物體隱藏，即使觀察者來回移動也看不到物體。這項技術可用於爲機動車掃除盲點，還可以讓醫生在做手術時能看到被自己的手擋住的部分。
11. Gender-neutral pronouns came to North America
11. 中性別人稱代詞
Vancouver's school board introduced the gender neutral pronouns "xe," "xem," and "xyr," in an effort to accommodate students for whom gender-specific pronouns doesn't fit or is considered inappropriate. The move is similar to measures enacted in Sweden and Germany.
溫哥華學校的師生們現在在需要用到人稱代詞的時候，已經開始用"xe","xem","xyr"這些能夠避免性別干擾或歧視的新詞了。德國和瑞典也在使用。
12. An orangutan became a legally recognized person
12. 猩猩的人權
In an important precedent that could influence law elsewhere, a 29-year-old Sumatran orangutan held at an Argentinian zoo was granted the right of habeas corpus, or bodily autonomy. As noted by AFADA lawyer Paul Buompadre, "This opens the way not only for other Great Apes, but also for other sentient beings which are unfairly and arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in zoos, circuses, water parks and scientific laboratories." Sandra will be released from the zoo and transfered to a sanctuary.
這可能是影響我們法律的一項重要案例：阿根廷動物園內一隻29歲的蘇門答臘猩猩在法律上被認定爲擁有人身保護權。律師保羅稱：“這開創了先例，不只是類人猿，其他所有有感情的生物，無論在動物園、棲息地或實驗室，只要被不平等對待或被任意剝奪自由，都可以參考這項案例。”這位名爲桑德拉的蘇門答臘猩猩目前已經從動物園中釋放並轉移至避難所。
13. Self-guiding sniper bullets became a reality
13. 子彈拐彎
The DARPA-funded system, called EXACTO, features a .50-caliber sniper round that can be optically guided to a target with a laser. Incredibly, the bullet can hit a target up to 1.2 miles (1.9 km) away.
這個名爲EXACTO的系統，由美國國防部高級研究計劃局資助，狙擊手可以使用激光引導來改變.50口徑的子彈方向，這顆子彈能夠命中1.2英里（1.9公里）之外的目標。
14. A proto-cyber war erupted between the U.S. and N. Korea
14. 網絡戰
It all started because of a very silly movie, but the consequences — and potential implications — are anything but. The Sony Hacks were directly linked to North Korea (an accusation that's still being contested), resulting in the temporary cancellation of The Interview's theatrical release. Shortly afterward, North Korea's entire Internet was taken down, allegedly by the United States. The world thus caught its first glimpse of what a cyber war might actually look like.
最近美國和朝鮮打了一場網絡戰。戰爭的起因是一部搞笑電影，但結果並不搞笑。索尼被黑，黑客源直接指向朝鮮（後者極力否認），而且索尼臨時取消了該電影的首映。之後朝鮮的網絡又集體癱瘓，據傳是美國所爲…這一系列事件似乎讓大家看到了未來網絡戰的樣子。
15. Humanity landed a robot on a comet
15. 機器人登陸彗星
We've sent robotic probes to planets, but we've never done anything quite like this before.
機器探測器登陸行星已不是什麼新鮮事，可登陸彗星這可還是頭一次。
Philae's harrowing landing on Comet 67P in early November wasn't perfect, but the mission is being hailed as a wild success. In addition to some incredible images, we're learning about organic compounds on the comet and weird water that's potentially upending our theories of where our oceans came from.
雖然菲萊11月份初登陸彗星67P的過程並不完美，但它所完成的任務證明了這一壯舉的成功。除了傳回一些人們從沒見過的圖像，菲萊還幫助人們瞭解到，彗星上存在有機成分以及一些很奇怪的水。這些發現很可能會終結目前的海洋起源說。
