天才的共性.docVIP

天才的共性：穆斯克和乔布斯的创意基因 The shared genius of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs When future historians report human progress during the 21st century, they may conclude that one of the key moments took place a year ago in Elon Musks bedroom. His eureka! moments happen every few months. Sometimes during his morning shower, sometimes late at night before sleep, sometimes, as on this occasion, waking at 2 a.m. 当回顾人类在21世纪取得的进步时，未来的历史学家可能会下这样的结论：其中的一个重要时刻是一年前在埃隆·穆斯克的卧室内发生的。他的创造灵感每几个月就会喷发一次，有时是在早晨淋浴，有时是在夜晚睡前，有时——比如这次——发生在凌晨2点醒来时。 This is how he described that moment to me: I realized that a methane-oxygen rocket engine could achieve a specific impulse greater than 380. 他是这样对我描述那一时刻的：“我意识到使用甲烷-氧气型火箭发动机可以获得380秒以上的比冲。”（比冲指火箭发动机单位重量推进剂产生的冲量，工程中习惯以“秒”为单位——译注） Okay, it doesnt sound particularly historic. Until you realize that a rocket of that spec has adequate range to escape Earths upper atmosphere and travel to Mars. And that it so happens that Mars has plenty of carbon dioxide (CO2) and permafrost (H2O), which could be neatly converted into the aforementioned methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (O2). Which means you could create the fuel for the journey home right there on Mars itself. And that transforms the long-term economics of space travel between Earth and Mars because it means that you could send manned spacecraft to Mars without having to carry rocket fuel with you. 好吧，这听起来没有特别的历史意义。但如果你知道如此高比冲的火箭足以突破地球大气层，前往火星，是不是感觉就不一样了？而碰巧火星有着大量二氧化碳（CO2）和厚厚的永冻层（H2O），它们可以被巧妙地转化为上文提到的甲烷（CH4）和液态氧（O2）。这意味着你可以在火星就地制造返回地球的燃料。这会改变地球和火星之间太空旅行时需要考虑的长期经济问题，因为你可以向火星发射载人飞船而不需要随船携带火箭燃料。 Thats right. Elon Musk genuinely believes that within the next couple of decades, humans will be colonizing Mars. And thanks to his early morning aha! moment, we will even be able to make the return trip. That would certainly be a useful line in the recruiting ads, unless, like him, youre comfortable with the prospect of dying on Mars after helping build humanitys second home. 就是这样。埃隆·穆斯克坚信在接下来的二十年内，人类就可以移居火星。得益于他这次凌晨的灵光一闪，我们甚至还能