Planet Earth will do an electronic skin in the not-too-distance future. It will use the internet as a scaffold to transmit its sensations. This skin is being stitched together. It consists of millions of electronic measuring devices, such as thermostats, pollution detectors, cameras, EKGs. These will probe and monitor cities and endangered species, the atmosphere, and our ships, highway vehicles, and our bodies. For a decade or longer there will be no central nervous system to manage this vast signaling network. And there will be no central intelligence. But we believe that some qualities of self-awareness will emerge once the Net is sensually enhanced and emulated the complexity of the human brain.

Sensuality is only one force pushing the Net toward intelligence. An eerie symbiosis of human and machine effort is also starting to evolve. The Internet creates a channel for thousands of programmers around the world to collaborate on software development and debugging. Through collaboration, this community can push past the technical barriers to machine intelligence.

And though silicon networks today look nothing like the brain, nodes of the Net have begun to function as neuron. Researchers have already tackled complex computing problems, such as interpreting interstellar radio signals with about a million PCs working in concert. Before long, discrete microprocessors will probably be knitted together into ad hoc distributed computers. Don’t think of these as PC networks. The terminals would just as likely be cell phones of palm-like devices, each one far smarter than today’s heftiest desktops. We may think of this as a whole ecology, an information environment that’s massively connected.

Humanity is now preparing to cast its net across the solar system. At a NASA laboratory in California, scientists are devising a version of the Internet called Inter Planet that will weave the moon, Mars, and some asteroids and comets into the earth’s expanding nervous system.

Today’s communications between earth and unmanned probes are expensive, proprietary, and complex. With Inter Planet, we can simplify everything, cut costs, and engage the public more effectively. Then, the earth’s telemetric body will span the reaches of the solar system. The Net may not experience all the human thrills of exploration, but it will feel some tingles up and down its spine.

譯文

在不太遙遠(yuǎn)的將來，地球?qū)⒈簧弦粚与娮悠つw。地球?qū)⒗�用因特網(wǎng)作為框架來傳輸它的感覺。這張電子皮膚正在縫合。它由數(shù)以百萬計的電子測量儀組成，例如恒溫計、污染檢測器、攝像機、心電圖儀等。這些測量儀將對城市、瀕臨滅絕的物種、大氣層、輪船、高速公路上行駛的車輛和人體進行探測和監(jiān)視。在10年或更長的時間里，不會有中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)來管理這一龐大的新號網(wǎng)絡(luò)，不會出現(xiàn)中樞智能。但我們相信，一旦這張網(wǎng)絡(luò)的感覺能力得到提高并能模擬人腦的復(fù)雜功能，某些自我意識的性能就會隨之而來。

官能性只是驅(qū)動網(wǎng)絡(luò)智能化的一種力量。一種怪誕可怕的人機共生現(xiàn)象已開始出現(xiàn)。因特網(wǎng)為世界各地成千上萬的編程人員在軟件的開發(fā)與測試方面進行合作提供了一個渠道這種協(xié)作可以使軟件編程界越過技術(shù)障礙，向機器智能的方向邁進。

雖然今天的硅片網(wǎng)絡(luò)看上去和大腦并沒有任何相似之處，但是網(wǎng)絡(luò)節(jié)點已開始發(fā)揮類似神經(jīng)元的作用。研究人員早已解決了復(fù)雜的計算問題，例如通過約100萬臺個人電腦協(xié)同計算，來解譯星際無線電信號用不了多久，分散的微處理器可能被編織在一起，組成一臺臺執(zhí)行特定任務(wù)的計算機。不要把這類系統(tǒng)認(rèn)作是個人電腦網(wǎng)絡(luò)，它們的終端機很可能是一些手掌般的手機，其智能程度遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過如今最先進的臺式計算機。我們可以把這種系統(tǒng)看作為一個完整的生態(tài)圈系統(tǒng)，一種大規(guī)模連結(jié)的信息環(huán)境。

人類正準(zhǔn)備把自己的網(wǎng)絡(luò)撒向整個太陽系。美國國家航空宇航局設(shè)在加利福尼亞州的一家實驗室的科學(xué)家們正在設(shè)計一種“星際網(wǎng)”的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)，該網(wǎng)將把月球、火星、一些小行星和彗星編入日益擴展的地球神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)。

目前地球與無人駕駛之間的通信不僅費用昂貴，而且信息專有、操作復(fù)雜。有了星際網(wǎng)后，我們可以簡化所有程序，降低成本，能更有效地使公眾入網(wǎng)。到了那個時侯，地球的遙測體將遍布整個太陽系。網(wǎng)絡(luò)可能體會不到人類所有的激情，但其脊椎的上下會感覺到某些激動的震顫。

詞匯

派生：atmospheric a. 大氣的，空氣的；有氣氛的，產(chǎn)生氣氛的

例句：The atmosphere was reminiscent of spy movies. 那氣氛使人聯(lián)想起間諜電影。

例句：They have overcome all the language barriers. 他們已經(jīng)克服了所有的語言障礙。

派生：consistent a. 堅持的，一貫的；一致的，符合的（with）

例句：The beehives consist of numerous cells. 蜂巢是由無數(shù)的小窩所組成的。

詞組：consist in 在于；consist of 包括；consist with 符合

派生：collaboration n. 合作，協(xié)作；勾結(jié)

例句：He collaborated with his brothers on the restaurant. 他和他的兄弟們合伙經(jīng)營這家飯店。

辨析：cooperate, collaborate

      cooperate 指為了共同的利益或目標(biāo)而合作，協(xié)作；collaborate 尤其指在智力方面的合作，有勾結(jié)敵人的意思。

派生：complex a. 復(fù)雜的；合成的，綜合的

例句：Can you solve the problem of great complexity? 你能解決這個極其復(fù)雜的問題嗎？

反義詞：simplicity

例句：We began to debug the equipment and dispose assembly room at once. 我們也事不宜遲，馬上開始調(diào)試設(shè)備，布置會場。

例句：This is a device for squaring the circle. 這是一個不可能實現(xiàn)的方案。

詞組：a device for opening cans 開罐頭的裝置

辨析：apparatus, device, appliance, instrument

      apparatus 指復(fù)雜精密的裝置及設(shè)備；device 指簡單的裝置；appliance 指家用電器設(shè)備；instrument 指精密，結(jié)構(gòu)復(fù)雜的工具，也指用來完成一項工作或?qū)崿F(xiàn)某一目標(biāo)的工具。

例句：A project's objectives are usually very clear cut and often divisible into discrete component parts. 項目的目標(biāo)通常十分明確，并且可以分解成若干個子項目。

例句：He started to study ecology and decided to devote his whole life to the science. 他開始研究生態(tài)學(xué)，并決心將他的一生獻身于這門科學(xué)。

派生：emulation n. 競爭；趕超

例句：She tries to emulate her elder sister at playing the piano. 她試圖在演奏鋼琴上趕超她的姐姐。

例句：This visit enhances mutual understanding between the countries. 這次訪問增進了兩國的相互了解。

辨析：elevate, enhance

      elevate 提高，將一物從低處移向高處，提高修養(yǎng)；enhance 提高，增進，通常指價值、美、聲望。

派生：intelligent a. 聰明的，明智的

例句：Hard work can often make up for a lack of intelligence. 勤奮工作往往可以彌補智力的不足。

例句：Clearly, this is virtually never the case in a microprocessor system. 顯然，這種情況在微處理器系統(tǒng)中實際上是永遠(yuǎn)不會出現(xiàn)的。

例句：The worker fell down from the scaffold. 那個工人從腳手架掉了下來。

派生：sense n. 感覺功能；辨別，理解；識別力，常識；道理 sensational a. 轟動的；極好的 senseless a. 無意義的；愚蠢的；失去知覺的

例句：Cold can cause a loss of sensation in the fingers and toes. 寒冷能使手指和腳趾失去知覺。

例句：The silicon chips are less than a millimeter thick. 這些硅片厚度不足一毫米。

派生：spineless a. 無脊椎的

例句：He fell off the horse and hurt his spine. 他從馬上掉下來，傷了脊椎。

例句：She is stitching the shirt for her son by the weak light. 她借著微弱的燈光給兒子縫襯衫。

例句：I am prepared to help you in a comprehensive scheme to tackle this. 我打算幫助你制定一個全盤計劃來處理此事。

詞組：tackle about/over sth. 提起尷尬之事

派生：terminate v. 中止，結(jié)束

例句：We are going to have our terminal examination next week. 下周我們要期末考試了。

詞組：terminate a contract 接觸合同

例句：She adjusted the thermostat. 她調(diào)整了一下空調(diào)器。

派生：transmission n. 播送，發(fā)射；傳動，傳送 transmitter n. 傳達(dá)者，發(fā)報機

例句：A telegram will be the quickest way to transmit the message. 打電報將是傳遞這個信息的最快途徑。

詞組：transmit sth. to 傳播，遺傳

例句：Police intercepted the traffic on the roads to examine vehicles under suspicion. 警察在路上截住交通，以搜查可疑的車輛。