The experiment that started 144 years ago 持續144年的科學實驗

本集內容

文字稿

Every 20 years, a team of scientists at Michigan State University go out in the dead of night, follow an ancient treasure map, dig a hole, and pull out a bottle of seeds.

每隔二十年，美國密歇根州立大學的一組科學傢就會在夜深人靜時出門，沿著一張古老藏寶圖上指示的路線走到目的地，挖一個洞，並從洞中取出一瓶種子。

They were planted by a man called William Beal nearly 150 years ago.

這些種子是近150年前由一個叫威廉·比爾的人埋在地下的。

He wanted to know how long seeds could survive underground before they just wouldn’t germinate any more.

他想知道種子可以在地下存活多久後會停止發芽。

That’s the question behind one of the longest-running science experiments in human history.

而這個問題也正是使人們進行人類歷史上持續時間最長的科學實驗之一的原因。

So, he collected thousands of fresh seeds and packed them into 20 bottles.

為瞭回答這個問題，威廉·比爾收集瞭數千顆新鮮種子，裝進20個瓶子裡。

His plan was to dig up the bottles every few years, plant the seeds, and see if they grow.

他原本的計劃是每隔幾年從地下挖出瓶子，取出種子種下，看看它們會不會發芽。

And that’s what he did and the experiment is still running. It’s been going for 144 years.

他生前就是這樣做的，而這項實驗仍在進行中。至今已持續瞭144年。

So, how are the seeds doing? Well, it’s a mixed bag.

現在這些種子怎麼樣瞭？情況是好壞參半。

Some have never germinated. Some are germinating, but the numbers that are germinating are decreasing over time. And some are germinating as successfully now as they did at the start of the experiment – they don’t seem to be affected by the passage of time.

有一些種子從未發芽。有一些種子在發芽，但發芽種子的數量正在隨著時間的推移減少。還有一些種子到現在也能成功發芽，情況與實驗開始時一樣好，這些種子似乎不受時間的影響。

So, scientists still haven’t been able to answer Beal’s original question.

由此看來，科學傢們現在還無法回答威廉·比爾最初提出的那個問題。