时间:2018-12-24 作者:英语课 分类:2017年Scientific American(一)月


英语课

 


Of the many puzzles mathematicians 1 ponder, one is new ways to tie knots. "There are more than six billion different types of knots that have been tabulated 2 by mathematicians. Six billion." David Leigh, a chemist at the University of Manchester in the U.K.


The hard part, he says, is actually making them. "Just because I can see a knitted jumper doesn't mean I can actually make one." Because what Leigh and his colleagues are interested in, is tying molecular 3 knots—using strands 4 that are 10,000 times thinner than a human hair.


"With a molecule 5 you can't just grab hold of the ends and tie them like you would a shoelace. They're too small for that. Instead you've got to use chemistry to make the molecules 6 fold themselves round into the precise way you need to form the knot."


Continuing the shoelace analogy—remember when you were learning to tie your shoes, your mom or dad put a finger in the middle of the knot, to make it easier to tie? Leigh and his team did something similar, but used metal ions as the "fingers" to keep the knot tying organized. Then tiny molecular strands, just 192 atoms long, assembled themselves around the ions.


"And then mum pulls her finger out—we extract the metal ions out—and you're left with just the knot at the end." The most complex molecular knot ever synthesized. The study is in the journal Science. [Jonathan J. Danon et al., Braiding a molecular knot with eight crossings]


Knots were hugely useful to our ancestors in the stone age: "fishing nets, axes with blades tied to the handles, how to weave fabrics 7 to keep him warm." And Leigh says knots could be just as helpful in the molecular world—like for stronger braided polymers—maybe a better Kevlar.


After all, we do have six billion knots to choose from. "As every Boy Scout 8 knows, different types of knots have different characteristics that make them more or less suited to particular tasks." And yes, Leigh himself was once a Scout. "I found knots difficult to tie then, and it hasn't gotten easier as I've gotten older."


—Christopher Intagliata


[The above text is a transcript 9 of this podcast.]



1 mathematicians
数学家( mathematician的名词复数 )
  • Do you suppose our mathematicians are unequal to that? 你以为我们的数学家做不到这一点吗? 来自英汉文学
  • Mathematicians can solve problems with two variables. 数学家们可以用两个变数来解决问题。 来自哲学部分
2 tabulated
把(数字、事实)列成表( tabulate的过去式和过去分词 )
  • Results for the test program haven't been tabulated. 试验的结果还没有制成表格。
  • A large number of substances were investigated and the relevant properties tabulated. 已经研究了多种物质,并将有关性质列成了表。
3 molecular
adj.分子的;克分子的
  • The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。
  • For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时,分子的碰撞就停止了。
4 strands
n.(线、绳、金属线、毛发等的)股( strand的名词复数 );缕;海洋、湖或河的)岸;(观点、计划、故事等的)部份v.使滞留,使搁浅( strand的第三人称单数 )
  • Twist a length of rope from strands of hemp. 用几股麻搓成了一段绳子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • She laced strands into a braid. 她把几股线编织成一根穗带。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 molecule
n.分子,克分子
  • A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hygrogen and one atom of oxygen.一个水分子是由P妈̬f婘̬ 妈̬成的。
  • This gives us the structural formula of the molecule.这种方式给出了分子的结构式。
6 molecules
分子( molecule的名词复数 )
  • The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
  • Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里,大分子裂变为小分子。
7 fabrics
织物( fabric的名词复数 ); 布; 构造; (建筑物的)结构(如墙、地面、屋顶):质地
  • cotton fabrics and synthetics 棉织物与合成织物
  • The fabrics are merchandised through a network of dealers. 通过经销网点销售纺织品。
8 scout
n.童子军,侦察员;v.侦察,搜索
  • He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵,受了重伤。
  • The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。
9 transcript
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书
  • A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
  • They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。
学英语单词
a cracker
a crowning victory
acid dipping
active army
air sterilization
ammonium benzoate
arenimonas malthae
assisted place
assumed vertical datum
bakhtins
Bartletts Harb.
betrothing
bridle irons
Broad Haven
celadons
clean-
cobra lilies
code-sheet
column arm
commission sale
composite column diagram
cyrtonops punctipennis
deafblindness
decomposition coefficient
delayed alarm relay
demarket
derivative control ouput
disaster reduction
dower chest
drizzleable
Echovist
El Houbra
electrical goniometer
enterprise information
entripsis
epoching
freak me
gross ceiling
Help Files
henlike
i-hold
in the cold
journeyed
kedlestons
kolossis
Kouklia
La Ferté-Alais
Laennec's pearls
LAMPRIDIDA
lays down
Lombardia
loss of use insurance
lynde
macaco
mail box
main shut-down system
maintenance downtime
Malaya Pechora
masterboard
mechanomyograms
misbah
Mitomi
money's worth
mykiss
myrmecoclepty
nationalising
non-reactive phase
not a bed of rose
NSC-104801
nucleotidases
ocean color imaging
one tail table
onychoprion anaethetus anaethetus
operating systems
over-head travelling crane
plutonium burner
pressure vessels exempted from inspection
pungee
rectal actinomycosis
redecorator
residual pesticide
revolving beam station
roller-crushing mill
serum alkaline phosphatase
short-circuit characteristics
single-hung
solid-beam efficiency
spin-selection rule
Spiraea anomala
spot of bother
storm rack
T-reactive dye
teacher evaluation scale
to re-up
tressing
unexpired term
user mapping mode
war production
wood cell
yellowish eruptions on the gum of the newborn
zero configuration ip networking