A perpetual struggle to discover how the universe works
1.perpetual adj.
1 happening so often that you become annoyed as a result:
eg: He soon grew tired of her perpetual demands for money.
2 LITERARY continuing all the time:
Many people live in perpetual fear of losing their jobs.
A perpetual mist hung over the valley.
╾ per·pet·u·al·ly adverb:
Her face wore a perpetually worried expression.
He's perpetually interfering in our affairs!
A good scientist must rely on empirical evidence.
2. empirical adj.
based on what is experienced or seen rather than on theory:
This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical data/evidence.
Empirical studies show that some forms of alternative medicine are extremely effective.
People working in the same or a similar field are invited to pick holes in the arguments.
3. pick holes in
=critisize 中文可译为：吹毛求疵，找茬儿
carry out experiment to see whether the theory works
Since astronomers are rarely able to perform experiments, evidence can come onnly from obseration.
4.搭配 carry out/perform experiment
The physicist watched his students fire alpha particles at gold leaf in a search for small deflections.
5.deflection
1. a sudden change in the direction that sth is moving in, usually after it has hit
sth;
The journalists were frustrated by her constant deflection of their questions.
2. the act of causing sth to change direction
An experiment is all the more compelling if the scientist, while proposing a new mechanism or theory, can make a prediction about the outcome.
6. all the more
even more than before:
Several publishers rejected her book, but that just made her all the more determined.
7.compelling adj.
1. If a reason, argument, etc. is compelling, it makes you believe it or accept it because it is so
strong:
eg: compelling evidence
It's a fairly compelling argument for going.
2. very exciting and interesting and making you want to watch or listen:
I found the whole film very compelling.
a compelling story
8. propose/ put forward a new theory
Some of the alpha particles bounced back off the paper-thin foil.
9. foil noun[U]
a very thin sheet of metal, especially used to wrap food in to keep it fresh:
tin/silver foil
Every advance depends in some measure on previous work and theories
10. in some measure = to some degree
One reason for building the large apparatus known as LHC, was to ……
11.apparatus / ,æpə`rætəs, ,æpə`reɪtəs / noun
1[count or uncount] the machines, tools, and equipment needed for doing something, especially something technical or scientific:
eg:They were setting up the apparatus for the experiment.
breathing apparatus
2[singular] the people and organizations involved in some aspect of government:
changes within the administrative apparatus of the ruling party
3[count or uncount] MEDICAL the organs responsible for the way a part of the body or mind works
12. cathode ray 阴极射线 +tube= 阴极管
predict an eclipse of the Sun
when the sun disappears from view, either completely or partly, while the moon is moving between it and the Earth, or when the moon darkens while the shadow(= darkness) of the Earth moves over it:
a solar/lunar eclipse
On Wednesday there will be a total/partial eclipse of the sun. 日全食/偏食
people tried to make sense of the movement of heavenly bodies
14. make sense of =understand
15. heavenly bodies 原来天体这么说
16.supernova
an exploding star that produces an extremely bright light 超新星
17.ingenious
ingenious /ɪnˈdʒiː.ni.əs/ adj.
1. (of a person) very clever andskilful
eg:Johnny is so ingenious - he can make the most remarkable sculptures from the most ordinarymaterials.
2. (of a thing) cleverly made or planned and involving new ideas and methods:
eg:an ingenious idea/method/solution
引申：ingenuity/ˌɪn.dʒəˈnjuː.ɪ.ti/ noun [U]
someone's ability to think of clever new ways of doing something:
eg：Drug smugglers constantly use their ingenuity to find new ways of getting drugs into a
country.
18. dissection noun=autopsy
dissect verb [T]
1. to cut open something, especially a dead body or a plant, and study its structure:
In biology classes at school we used to dissect rats.
2. to examine or consider something in detail:
He's the sort of person who watches a film and then dissects it for hours.
19.phlogiston noun
the hypothetical principle of fire regarded formerly as a material substance燃素说
