And for retrofitting older buildings to be more energy effcient, wood is a good insulator.

为使旧建筑更节能，木材是很好的绝缘体。

Since these are not connected to each other, the result is an insulator.

它们间互不连接，因成为了绝缘体。

And in an insulator, like rubber, electrons can't really flow at all.

而橡胶一类的绝缘体中，电子实际上根本无法流动。

It also turned out that gutta percha was a great insulator for undersea cables.

事实证明，杜仲胶是海底电缆的绝佳绝缘体。

And since asphalt is an insulator, it traps that heat over the course of the day.

因为沥青绝缘，昼捕热。

All right, let's begin. Show of hands, who here is familiar with the concept of topological insulators?

好吧 开始上课 请举手告诉我 座的哪位对拓扑绝缘体的念比较熟悉？

The Earth's crust is an incredible insulator, and it keeps this massive, inexhaustible heat source beneath us invisible.

地壳的隔热效果很棒，能让这个巨大、用不竭的地底热能来源不被注意到。

Someone douses the fire, and she lowers the pot into an insulator they made out of clay and straw.

有人把火弄熄，她把锅子放到他们自己做的保温器里头，是用泥土和草做成的。

A topological insulator acts like both at the same time, which we used to think was impossible!

一个拓扑绝缘体就像两个同时起作用，而这被我们认为是不可能的。

Most of the material is an insulator, but its surface can carry an electric current.

大部分这种材料都是一个绝缘体，但其表面仍可带一支电流。

The effects of high pressure can also work in reverse, causing some metals to lose conductivity or become insulators.

高压也能产生相反的效果，可能会使一些金属失导电性或变成绝缘体。

The electrons in insulators, on the other hand, have a tough time getting enough energy to break free and flow.

另一方面，绝缘体的电子难以获得足够的能量摆脱束缚进行流动。

We do a fair amount in tiles and in insulators for electrica appliances. But kitchenware and tableware are our mainlines.

我们经营相当数量的瓷砖，以及电器用品的绝缘体。但是厨房用具和餐具是本公司主要系列产品。

One example is called a topological insulator.

一个典型的例子就是拓扑绝缘体。

So we’ve got insulators and conductors with free electrons moving around in them.

所以我们有绝缘体和导体， 其中有自由电子其中移动。

The  air is the insulator doing the job of keeping electricity constrained within the conductors.

空气是绝缘体，负责将电流限制导体内。

And in an insulator, like rubber, electrons can’t really flow at all.

而绝缘体，比如橡胶中，电子根本无法流动。

It is incredibly light, and is strangely enough an even better insulator than regular air.

它极其轻盈，而且奇怪的是，其隔热性能甚至比普通空气还要好。

And what scientists do is they take something that is an insulator, generally like wax.

科学家们会取一种绝缘体，通常是像蜡这样的材料。

The result is highly water resistant and an extremely good insulator.

其结果是具有极强的防水性和优异的隔热性能。