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Most of us hear the word 'evolution' and think of the process by which species change
我们大多数人听到“进化”这个词，会想到物种变化和适应
and adapt and maybe turn into other species or go extinct
以及变成其他物种或走向灭绝的过程，
but that's specifically the evolution of life forms by means of natural selection.
但具体来说，这是通过自然选择而进化出的生命形式。
The word 'evolution' in general just means 'change or development'
‘进化’这一词通常仅意味着‘改变或发展’
and there are plenty of other things that can evolve, or change, and in plenty of other ways.
并且还有很多其他事物可以进化或改变，并且方式也有很多。
For example, the universe can evolve, that is, change, according to the laws of physics
例如，宇宙可以进化，也就是说，根据物理定律改变——星系形成，
- galaxies form, planets and moons orbit, stars explode, etc.
行星和卫星轨道、恒星爆炸等等。
This doesn't mean there's any sort of cosmic 'survival of the fittest' going on -
这并不是说宇宙间存在某种“适者生存”的现象，
that would be natural selection, not evolution.
这是自然选择，而不是进化。
Similarly, the demographic makeup of the United States can evolve as children are born,
同样，美国的人口构成也会随着孩子的出生、
young people move to cities, immigrants arrive in the country, etc.
年轻人搬到城市、移民到美国等等而变化。
In this sense, evolution just means change,
从这个意义上说，进化仅意味着改变，
and no one can deny that these these changes are happening - the evidence is overwhelming!
并且没人可以否认这些改变正在发生-证据是压倒性的！
Similarly, around the time Charles Darwin was doing his research,
同样，大约在查尔斯·达尔文做他的研究的时候，
scientists (including Darwin himself) had begun amassing piles - literally - of evidence
科学家们（包括达尔文自己）已经开始积累了很多证据
that showed that the nature of life on earth had changed quite significantly over time:
表明随着时间的推移，地球上生命的性质发生了巨大的变化：
our oldest rocks show no signs of life, while newer and newer rocks reveal fossilized plankton,
我们最古老的岩石没有声明的迹象，而更新的岩石则显示出浮游生物
seaweed, snails, fish, trees, insects, dinosaurs, mammals, and so on.
海藻、蜗牛、鱼、树、昆虫、恐龙、哺乳动物的化石等等。
There absolutely was and is no denying the fact that life on earth changes - and change over time is what 'evolution' means.
地球上的生命是不断变化的，这是过去和现在都无法否认的事实。
What Darwin proposed with his theory of natural selection was an explanation for
达尔文在他的自然选择理论中所提出的，
HOW this change (which is stupidly well supported by evidence) could have occurred naturally.
是对这种变化如何自然发生的解释（这种变化得到了证据的有力支持）。
You can think of it like the Challenger disaster of 1986:
你可以把它想象成1986年挑战者灾难：
all the evidence showed that the collection of molecules named 'Challenger' had tragically changed/evolved from a space shuttle
所有证据表明挑战者分子群在发射后不久就发生了悲剧性的变化，
and its rocket boosters into a cloud of gas and debris shortly after launch
从航天飞机和其火箭助推器变成了一团气体和碎片
(though we normally call this kind of evolution 'exploding').
（虽然我们通常称这种进化为‘爆炸’）。
The question for scientists at the time was to understand
当时科学家面临的问题是，
and explain HOW the explosion had happened so they could prevent it in the future.
如何理解和解释爆炸的发生，以便在未来预防它的发生。
Ultimately, it was the Theory of Frozen O-rings in the Rocket Boosters, popularized by Richard Feynman,
最终，理查德·费曼推广的火箭助推器中冻结的O形环理论，
that provided a satisfactory explanation for the cause of the disaster.
为这场灾难的原因提供了一个令人满意的解释。
Now, you're welcome to disagree with Feynman's explanation for the explosion,
现在，你可以就爆炸和费曼的解释或达尔文关于地球上生命
or Darwin's explanation for how life on earth changes,
如何变化的解释进行争论，
but they're pretty darn good explanations for these incredibly well documented examples of change in the universe.
但是对于这些宇宙变化的例子，它们是相当好的解释。
In the end, the universe will go on evolving regardless of whether you and I believe in it or understand it,
最终，不管你我是否相信或理解它，宇宙都会继续进化，
and perhaps the best thing to do is to remember that it's ok for our beliefs and opinions and understandings to evolve, too.
也许最好的办法是记住，我们的信仰、观点和理解也可以进化。
That's part of life, and it's the way of science.
这是生活的一部分，也是科学的方法。
