jurassic.park-第18章
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Dodgson fretted。 〃You're sure you know how to work the…〃
〃I know；〃 the man said。 〃Believe me； I know。〃
〃Also；〃 Dodgson said； 〃we think the island maintains constant radio contact with InGen corporate headquarters in California； so…〃
〃Look； I've got it covered；〃 the man said。 〃Just relax； and get the money ready。 I want it all Sunday morning； in San José airport； in cash。〃
〃It'll be waiting for you；〃 Dodgson said。 〃Don't worry。〃
Malcolm
Shortly before midnight； be stepped on the plane at the Dallas airport； a tall； thin； balding man of thirty…five； dressed entirely in black： black shirt； black trousers； black socks； black sneakers。
〃Ah； Dr。 Malcolm；〃 Hammond said； smiling with forced graciousness。
Malcolm grinned。 〃Hello； John。 Yes； I am afraid your old nemesis is here。〃
Malcolm shook bands with everyone； saying quickly； 〃Ian Malcolm； how do you do？ I do maths。〃 He struck Grant as being more amused by the outing than anything else。
Certainly Grant recognized his name。 Ian Malcolm was one of the most famous of the new generation of mathematicians who were openly interested in 〃how the real world works。〃 These scholars broke with the cloistered tradition of mathematics in several important ways。 For one thing； they used puters constantly； a practice traditional mathematicians frowned on。 For another； they worked almost exclusively with nonlinear equations； in the emerging field called chaos theory。 For a third； they appeared to care that their mathematics described something that actually existed in the real world。 And finally； as if to emphasize their emergence from academia into the world； they dressed and spoke with what one senior mathematician called 〃a deplorable excess of personality。〃 In fact； they often behaved like rock stars。
Malcolm sat in one of the padded chairs。 The stewardess asked him if he wanted a drink。 He said； 〃Diet Coke； shaken not stirred。〃
Humid Dallas air drifted through the open door。 Ellie said； 〃Isn't it a little warm for black？〃
〃You're extremely pretty； Dr。 Sattler；〃 he said。 〃I could look at your legs all day。 But no； as a matter of fact； black is an excellent Color for heat。 If you remember your black…body radiation； black is actually best in heat。 Efficient radiation。 In any case； I wear only two colors； black and gray。〃
Ellie was staring at him； her mouth open。 〃These colors are appropriate for any occasion；〃 Malcolm continued； and they go well together； should I mistakenly put on a pair of gray socks with my black trousers。〃
〃But don't you find it boring to wear only two colors？〃
〃Not at all。 I find it liberating。 I believe my life has value； and I don't want to waste it thinking about clothing；〃 Malcolm said。 〃I don't want to think about what I will wear in the morning。 Truly； can you imagine anything more boring than fashion？ Professional sports； perhaps。 Grown men swatting little balls； while the rest of the world pays money to applaud。 But； on the whole； I find fashion even more tedious than sports。〃
〃Dr。 Malcolm；〃 Hammond explained； 〃is a man of strong opinions。〃
〃And mad as a hatter；〃 Malcolm said cheerfully。 〃But you must admit； these are nontrivial issues。 We live in a world of frightful givens。 It is given that you will behave like this； given that you will care about that。 No one thinks about the givens。 Isn't it amazing？ In the information society； nobody thinks。 We expected to banish paper； but we actually banished thought。〃
Hammond turned to Gennaro and raised his hands。 〃You invited him。〃
〃And a lucky thing； too；〃 Malcolm said。 〃Because it sounds as if you have a serious problem。〃
〃We have no problem；〃 Hammond said quickly。
〃I always maintained this island would be unworkable；〃 Malcolm said。 〃I predicted it from the beginning。〃 He reached into a soft leather briefcase。 〃And I trust by now we all know what the eventual oute is going to be。 You're going to have to shut the thing down。〃
〃Shut it down！〃 Hammond stood angrily。 〃This is ridiculous。〃
Malcolm shrugged； indifferent to Hammond's outburst。 〃I've brought copies of my original paper for you to took at；〃 he said。 〃The original consultancy paper I did for InGen。 The mathematics are a bit sticky； but I can walk you through it。 Are you leaving now？〃
〃I have some phone calls to make；〃 Hammond said； and went into the adjoining cabin。
〃Well； it's a long flight；〃 Malcolm said to the others。 〃At least my paper will give you something to do。〃
The plane flew through the night。
Grant knew that Ian Malcolm had his share of detractors； and he could understand why some found his style too abrasive； and his applications of chaos theory too glib。 Grant thumbed through the paper； glancing at the equations。
Gennaro said； 〃Your paper concludes that Hammond's island is bound to fail？〃
〃Correct。〃
〃Because of chaos theory？〃
〃Correct。 To be more precise； because of the behavior of the system in phase space。〃
Gennaro tossed the paper aside and said； 〃Can you explain this in English？〃
〃Surely；〃 Malcolm said。 〃Let's see where we have to start。You know what a nonlinear equation is？〃
〃No。〃
〃Strange attractors？〃
〃No。〃
〃All right；〃 Malcolm said。 〃Let's go back to the beginning。〃 He paused； staring at the ceiling。 〃Physics has had great success at describing certain kinds of behavior： planets in orbit； spacecraft going to the moon； pendulums and springs and rolling balls； that sort of thing。 The regular movement of objects。 These are described by what are called linear equations； and mathematicians can solve those equations easily。 We've been doing it for hundreds of years。〃
〃Okay；〃 Gennaro said。
〃But there is another kind of behavior； which physics handles badly。 For example； anything to do with turbulence。 Water ing out of a spout。 Air moving over an airplane wing。 Weather。 Blood flowing through the heart。 Turbulent events are described by nonlinear equations。 They're bard to solve…in fact； they're usually impossible to solve。 So physics has never understood this whole class of events。 Until about ten years ago。 The new theory that describes them is called chaos theory。
〃Chaos theory originally grew out of attempts to make puter models of weather in the 1960s。 Weather is a big plicated system； namely the earth's atmosphere as it interacts with the land and the sun。 The behavior of this big plicated system always defied understanding。 So naturally we couldn't predict weather。 But what the early researchers learned from puter models was that； even if you could understand it； you still couldn't predict it。 Weather prediction is absolutely impossible。 The reason is that the behavior of the system is sensitively dependent on initial conditions。〃
〃You lost me；〃 Gennaro said。
use a cannon to fire a shell of a certain weight； at a certain speed； and a certain angle of inclination…and if I then fire a second shell with almost the same weight； speed； and angle…what well happen？〃
〃The two shells will land at almost the same spot。〃
〃Right；〃 Malcolm said。 〃That's linear dynamics。〃
〃Okay。〃
〃But if I have a weather system that I start up with a certain temperature and a certain wind speed and a certain humidity…and if I then repeat it with almost the same temperature； wind； and humidity…the second system will not behave almost the same。 It'll wander off and rapidly will bee very different from the first。 Thunderstorms instead of sunshine。 That's nonlinear dynamics。 They are sensitive to initial conditions： tiny differences bee amplified。〃
〃I think I see；〃 Gennaro said。
〃The shorthand is the 'butterfly effect。' A butterfly flaps its wings in Peking； and weather in New York is different。〃
〃So chaos is all just random and unpredictable？〃 Gennaro said。 〃Is that it？〃
〃No；〃 Malcolm said。 〃We actually find bidden regularities within the plex variety of a system's behavior。 That's why chaos has now bee a very broad theory that's used to study everything from the stock market； to rioting crowds； to brain waves during epilepsy。 Any sort of plex system where there is confusion and unpredictability。 We can find an underlying order。 Okay？
