Sara Lewis: The loves and lies of fireflies

Prevoditelj: Mirjana Šarčević Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

As a scientist, and also as a human being,

Kao znanstvenica, ali i kao ljudsko biće

I've been trying to make myself

pokušavam se podložiti

susceptible to wonder.

divljenju.

I think Jason Webley last night called it

Mislim da je Jason Webley to sinoć nazvao

"conspiring to be part of the magic."

"zavjerom bivanja dijelom čarolije".

So it's fortunate that my career as a biologist

Stoga, sva sreća da mi karijera biologa

lets me dive deeply into the lives

dozvoljava dublje uronjavanje u živote

of some truly wondrous creatures

nekih zbilja divnih stvorenja

that share our planet:

na našoj planeti:

fireflies.

krijesnica.

Now, for many of you, I know that fireflies

Sada, znam da za mnoge od vas krijesnice

might conjure up some really great memories:

mogu pobuditi neka zbilja lijepa sjećanja:

childhood, summertime,

djetinjstvo, ljeto,

even other TED Talks.

čak i druge TED govore.

Maybe something like this.

Možda nešto ovakvo.

My seduction into the world of fireflies

Moje zavođenje u svijet krijesnica

began when I was back in graduate school.

započelo je kada sam bila u srednjoj školi.

One evening, I was sitting out in my backyard

Jedne večeri, sjedila sam u dvorištu

in North Carolina,

u Sjevernoj Karolini

and suddenly, these silent sparks

i, odjednom, ove tihe iskre

rose up all around me,

uzdigle su se oko mene

and I began to wonder:

i počela sam se zapitkivati:

How do these creatures make light,

Kako ova stvorenja stvaraju svjetlost

and what's with all this flashing?

i što ovo svo treperenje predstavlja?

Are they talking to one another?

Razgovaraju li međusobno?

And what happens after the lights go out?

I što se događa nakon što se svjetla ugase?

I've been lucky enough to answer

Imala sam sreće da pronađem odgovore

some of these questions

na neka od ovih pitanja

as I've explored this nocturnal world.

dok sam otkrivala taj noćni svijet.

Now if you've ever seen

Sada, ako ste ikad vidjeli

or even heard about fireflies,

ili ikad čuli za krijesnice,

then you'll know how magically they can transform

onda znate kako magično mogu preobraziti

our everyday landscape into something

naš svakodnevni krajolik u nešto

ethereal and otherworldly,

eterično i nadzemaljsko.

and this happens around the globe,

I ovo se događa diljem zemlje,

like this hillside in the Smoky Mountains

poput padina Smoky Mountainsa

that I saw transformed into a living cascade of light

koje sam vidjela kako se preobražavaju u živući slap svjetlosti

by the eerie glows of these blue ghost fireflies,

jezivim sjajem ovih plavih duhova - krijesnica.

or a roadside river that I visited in Japan

Ili poput rijeke uz cestu koju sam posjetila u Japanu

as it was giving birth to the slow, floating flashes

dok je rađala usporene, plutajuće bljeskalice

of these Genji fireflies,

ovih Genji krijesnica.

or in Malaysia, the mangrove trees

Ili poput stabala mangrova u Maleziji

that I watched blossom nightly

koje sam noću promatrala kako cvatu,

not with flowers

ali ne cvijećem,

but with the lights of a thousand — (Bleep! Bleep!) — fireflies,

već svjetlošću tisuću - (Bip!Bip!) - krijesnica,

all blinking together

treperući zajedno

in stunning synchrony.

zapanjujućom sinkronijom.

These luminous landscapes

Ovi me svjetlosni krajolici

still fill me with wonder,

i dalje ispunjavaju divljenjem

and they keep me connected to the magic

i vežu me uz čaroliju

of the natural world.

svijeta prirode.

And I find it amazing that they're created

I, za mene je čudesno da su stvorene

by these tiny insects.

od ovih malenih insekata.

In person, fireflies are charming.

Osobno, krijesnice su šarmantne.

They're charismatic.

Karizmatične su.

They've been celebrated in art

Slavljene su u umjetnosti

and in poetry for centuries.

i poeziji stoljećima.

As I've traveled around the world,

Kako sam putovala svijetom,

I've met many thoughtful people

upoznala sam puno promišljenih ljudi

who have told me that God put fireflies on Earth

koji bi mi rekli da je Bog smjestio krijesnice na Zemlju

for humans to enjoy.

kako bi ljudi uživali.

Other creatures can enjoy them too.

I druga stvorenja u njima mogu uživati.

I think these graceful insects are truly miraculous

Mislim da su ovi ljupki insekti uistinu čudesni

because they so beautifully illuminate

jer tako predivno isijavaju

the creative improvisation of evolution.

kreativnu improvizaciju evolucije.

They've been shaped by two powerful

Oblikovani su dvjema snažnima

evolutionary forces:

silama evolucije:

natural selection, the struggle for survival,

prirodna selekcija, borbom za opstanak

and sexual selection,

i spolna selekcija,

the struggle for reproductive opportunity.

borbom za priliku reproduciranja.

As a firefly junkie, the past 20 years

Kao ovisnica o krijesnicama, prethodnih 20 godina

have been quite an exciting ride.

su za mene bile poprilično uzbudljiva vožnja.

Together with my students at Tufts University

Sa svojim studentima na Sveučilištu Tufts

and other colleagues,

i nekim drugim kolegama

we've made lots of new discoveries about fireflies:

otkrila sam puno novih činjenica o krijesnicama:

their courtship and sex lives,

udvaraju se jedne drugima i imaju spolne odnose,

their treachery and murder.

izdaju i ubijaju.

So today I'd like to share with you

Stoga bih danas s vama htjela podijeliti

just a couple of tales that we've brought back

samo nekoliko pripovijetki koje smo donijeli

from our collective adventures

s naših zbirnih avantura

into this hidden world.

u ovom skrivenom svijetu.

Fireflies belong to a very beautiful

Krijesnice pripadaju predivnoj

and diverse group of insects, the beetles.

i raznolikoj grupi insekata - tvrdokrilcima.

Worldwide, there are more than 2,000 firefly species,

Širom svijeta postoji više od 2 000 vrsta krijesnica

and these have evolved remarkably diverse

koje su se evoluirale značajno raznolike

courtship signals,

znakove udvaranja,

that is, different ways to find and attract mates.

tj. različite načine pronalaska i privlačenja partnera.

Around 150 million years ago,

Prije otprilike 150 milijuna godina,

the very first fireflies probably looked like this.

prve krijesnice su vjerojatno izgledale ovako.

They flew during the daytime

Letjele su danju

and they didn't light up.

i nisu sjale.

Instead, males used their fantastic antennae

Umjesto toga, mužjaci su koristili svoja fantastična ticala

to sniff out perfumes given off by their females.

kako bi nanjušili mirise svojih ženki.

In other fireflies, it's only the females who light up.

Kod nekih drugih krijesnica, samo ženke svijetle.

They are attractively plump and wingless,

Privlačno su splasnute i bez krila,

so every night, they climb up onto perches

stoga se svake večeri popnu na grane

and they glow brightly for hours

i vedro sjaje satima

to attract their flying but unlit males.

kako bi privukle svoje leteće, ali neosvijetljenje mužjake.

In still other fireflies, both sexes

Kod nekih drugih krijesnica, oba spola

use quick, bright flashes to find their mates.

koriste brze, vedre bljeskalice kako bi pronašli svog partnera.

Here in North America,

Ovdje, u Sjevernoj Americi,

we have more than 100 different kinds of firefly

imamo više od 100 različitih vrsta krijesnica

that have the remarkable ability to shine energy

koje imaju izvanrednu sposobnost isijavanja energije

out from their bodies

iz svojeg tijela

in the form of light.

u obliku svijetla.

How do they do that?

Kako to rade?

It seems totally magical,

Čini se potpuno magično,

but these bioluminescent signals

ali ovi se bioluminiscentni signali

arise from carefully orchestrated chemical reactions

izdižu iz pažljivo orkestriranih kemijskih reakcija

that happen inside the firefly lantern.

koje se zbivaju u unutrašnjosti fenjera krijesnice.

The main star is an enzyme called luciferase,

Glavna zvijezda je enzim koji se zove luciferaza

which in the course of evolution

koji je na tečaju evolucije

has figured out a way to wrap its tiny arms

dokučio način kako omotati svoje sitne ruke

around an even smaller molecule called luciferin,

oko još sitnije molekule zvane luciferin

in the process getting it so excited

čineći proces toliko uzbudljivim

that it actually gives off light.

da, u krajnosti, stvara svjetlost.

Incredible.

Nevjerojatno.

But how could these bright lights

Ali kako su ova bistra svjetla mogla

have benefited some proto-firefly?

koristiti neku proto - krijesnicu?

To answer this question, we need to flip back

Kako bismo odgovorili na ovo pitanje, trebamo pogledati

in the family album to some baby pictures.

u obiteljski album kako bismo vidjeli neke slike beba.

Fireflies completely reinvent their bodies as they grow.

Krijesnice potpuno preobražavaju svoja tijela dok odrastaju.

They spend the vast majority of their lifetime,

Provode veliku većinu svog životnog vijeka,

up to two years,

i do dvije godine,

in this larval form.

u ovoj formi ličinke.

Their main goal here, like my teenagers,

Njihov glavni cilj je, kao i mojim tinejdžerima,

is to eat and grow.

hraniti se i rasti.

And firefly light first originated

Svjetlo krijesnice nastalo je

in these juveniles.

u mladosti.

Every single firefly larva can light up,

Svaka ličinka krijesnice može sjati,

even when their adults can't.

čak i kad to odrasli ne mogu.

But what's the point

Ali koja je poanta

to being so conspicuous?

biti tako primjetan?

Well, we know that these juveniles

Pa, znamo da ovi maloljetnici

make nasty-tasting chemicals

proizvode neukusne kemikalije

that help them survive their extended childhood,

koje im pomažu da prežive svoje dugo djetinjstvo,

so we think these lights first evolved as a warning,

stoga mislimo da su se ova svjetla prvenstveno razvila kao upozorenje,

a neon sign that says, "Toxic! Stay away!"

neonski znak koji govori: "Otrovno! Ne prilazi!"

to any would-be predators.

svakom potencijalnom predatoru.

It took many millions of years

Bilo je potrebno nekoliko milijuna godina

before these bright lights

da se ova vedra svjetla

evolved into a smart communication tool

razviju u pametni komunikacijski alat

that could be used not just to ward off potential predators

koji se može koristiti ne samo za odbijanje potencijalnih predatora,

but to bring in potential mates.

nego i za privlačenje potencijalnih partnera.

Driven now by sexual selection,

Izbačene spolnom selekcijom,

some adult fireflies

neke krijesnice sada,

like this proud male

poput ovog ponosnog mužjka,

evolved a shiny new glow-in-the-dark lantern

razvijaju sjajni, novi fenjer koji svijetli u mraku

that would let them take courtship

i koji im omogućuje da svoje udvaranje

to a whole new level.

dovedu na potpuno novu razinu.

These adults only live a few weeks,

Ove odrasle krijesnice žive samo nekoliko tjedana

and now they're single-mindedly focused on sex,

i tada su mislima fokusirane samo na seks,

that is, on propelling their genes

tj. na pokretanje svojih gena

into the next firefly generation.

u novu generaciju krijesnica.

So we can follow this male out into the field

Sada možemo pratiti ovog mužjaka u polje

as he joins hundreds of other males

u kojem se pridružuje stotinama drugih mužjaka

who are all showing off their new courtship signals.

koji također pokazuju svoje znakove udvaranja.

It's amazing to think that the luminous displays

Nevjerojatna je pomisao da su ti svjetlosni zasloni,

we admire

kojima se mi ovdje,

here and in fact everywhere around the world

ali i diljem svijeta divimo,

are actually the silent love songs

zapravo tihe ljubavne pjesme

of male fireflies.

mužjaka krijesnica.

They're flying and flashing their hearts out.

Oni lete i isijavaju svoja srca.

I still find it very romantic.

Meni je to jako romantično.

But meanwhile, where are all the females?

Međutim, u međuvremenu, što je sa ženkama?

Well, they're lounging down below

Pa, one ljenčare tamo dolje

surveying their options.

važući svoje opcije.

They have plenty of males to choose from,

Biraju između gomile mužjaka,

and these females turn out to be very picky.

stoga su vrlo izbirljive.

When a female sees a flash

Kada ženka vidi svjetlo

from an especially attractive male,

posebno privlačnog mužjaka,

she'll aim her lantern in his direction,

ona će svoj fenjer usmjeriti u njegovom pravcu

and give him a flash back.

i dati mu "povratni bljesak".

It's her "come hither" sign.

To je njezin "Dođi ovamo!" znak.

So he flies closer and he flashes again.

Stoga on dolijeće bliže i zasvijetli joj ponovno.

If she still likes him,

Ako joj se i dalje sviđa,

they'll strike up a conversation.

brzo će započeti konverzaciju.

These creatures speak their love

Ova stvorenja pričaju svoju ljubav

in the language of light.

jezikom svjetlosti.

So what exactly do these females consider sexy?

No, što zapravo ove ženke smatraju privlačnim?

We decided to conduct some firefly opinion polls

Odlučili smo provesti neke ankete o mišljenjima krijesnica

to find out.

kako bismo to saznali.

When we tested females using blinking LED lights,

Kada smo ispitivali ženke koristeći trepćuća LED svjetla,

we discovered they prefer males

otkrili smo kako preferiraju mužjake

who give longer-lasting flashes.

koji daju dugotrajne bljeskalice.

(Laughter) (Applause)

(Smijeh) (Pljesak)

I know you're wondering,

Znam da se pitate

what gives these males their sex appeal?

što ovim mužjacima daje njihov seksipil.

Now we get to see what happens

Sada ćemo vidjeti što se događa

when the lights go out.

kada svjetlo nestane.

The first thing we discovered

Prva stvar koju otkrivamo je

is that once a male and female hook up like this,

da kada se mužjak i ženska ovako spoje,

they stay together all night long,

ostaju zajedno čitavu noć,

and when we looked inside

a kada smo zavirili unutra

to see what might be happening,

da vidimo što bi se moglo događati,

we discovered a surprising new twist

otkrili smo iznenađujuć obrat

to firefly sex.

u seksu krijesnica.

While they're mating,

Dok se pare,

the male is busy giving the female

mužjak je zauzet dajući ženki

not just his sperm

ne samo svoju spermu,

but also a nutrient-filled package

već i hranjivi paket

called a nuptial gift.

zvan "svadbeni dar".

We can zoom in to look more closely

Možemo zumirati kako bismo pogledali izbliza

inside this mating pair.

ovo parenje.

We can actually see the gift —

Zapravo možemo vidjeti dar -

it's shown here in red —

prikazan je ovdje crvenom bojom -

as it's being passed from the male to the female.

kako se proslijeđuje od mužjaka ženki.

What makes this gift so valuable

Ono što ovaj dar čini toliko vrijednim

is that it's packed with protein

jest to da je prepun proteina

that the female will use to provision her eggs.

koje će ženka koristiti kako bi opskrbljivala svoja jajašca.

So females are keeping their eyes on this prize

Dakle, ženke drže svoj pogled na nagradi

as they size up potential mates.

dok odmjeravaju svoje potencijalne partnere.

We discovered that females use male flash signals

Otkrili smo da ženke koriste male svjetlosne signale

to try to predict which males

kako bi predvidjele koji mužjak

have the biggest gifts to offer,

ima najveći dar za ponuditi

because this bling helps the female lay more eggs

jer će on pomoći ženki da izliježe više jaja

and ultimately launch more of her own offspring

i, u konačnici, lansira više svojih potomaka

into the next generation.

u sljedeću generaciju.

So it's not all sweetness and light.

Dakle, nije sve slatkoća i svjetlost.

Firefly romance is risky.

Romantika krijesnica je riskantna.

For the most part, these adult fireflies

Najvećim dijelom, ove odrasle krijesnice

don't get eaten because like their juveniles

ne budu pojedene jer, kao njihova mladunčad,

they can manufacture toxins that are repellent

mogu proizvesti toksine koji su odbojni

to birds and other insectivores,

pticama i ostalim insektivorima,

but somewhere along the line,

ali negdje na tom putu,

one particular group of fireflies

jedna posebna grupa krijesnica

somehow lost the metabolic machinery

je nekako izgubila metabolički stroj

needed to make their own protective toxins.

potreban za proizvodnju toksina kojima bi se obranila.

This evolutionary flaw,

Ova rupa u evoluciji,

which was discovered by my colleague Tom Eisner,

koju je otkrio moj kolega Tom Eisner,

has driven these fireflies

navela je ove krijesnice

to take their bright lights out into the night

na to da iznesu svoja svjetla u noć

with treacherous intent.

sa podmuklom namjerom.

Dubbed "femme fatales"

Takozvani "femme fatale"

by Jim Lloyd, another colleague,

Jim Lloyda, drugog kolege,

these females have figured out how to target

ove ženke su dokučile kako naciljati

the males of other firefly species.

mužjake drugih vrsta krijesnica.

So the hunt begins with the predator —

Stoga, lov započinje s predatorom -

she's shown here in the lower left —

ona je prikazana ovdje dolje lijevo -

where she's sitting quietly

gdje mirno sjedi

and eavesdropping on the courtship conversation

i prisluškuje udvaračke razgovore

of her intended prey,

namijenjenog plijena,

and here's how it might go.

a evo kako bi to moglo zvučati.

First the prey male flashes, "Do you love me?"

Prvo mužjak plijen zasvijetli: "Voliš li me?"

His own female responds, "Maybe."

Njegova ženka odgovara: "Možda.".

So then he flashes again.

Potom on opet zasvijetli.

But this time, the predator sneaks in a reply

Ali, ovog puta, predator se ušulja u odgovor

that cleverly mimics exactly what the other female just said.

koji pametno oponaša ono što je druga ženka rekla.

She's not looking for love: she's looking for toxins.

Ona ne traži ljubav: ona traži toksine.

If she's good, she can lure this male close enough

Ako je dobra, može namamiti ovog mužjaka dovoljno blizu

to reach out and grab him,

da ga dosegne i zgrabi,

and he's not just a light snack.

a on nije samo svjetlosna užina.

Over the next hour, she slowly

U narednih sat vremena, ona polako

exsanguinates this male

ispija krv iz ovog mužjaka

leaving behind just some gory remains.

ostavljajući samo neke krvave ostatke.

Unable to make their own toxins,

U nemogućnosti da proizvedu vlastite toksine,

these females resort to drinking the blood

ove ženke piju krv

of other fireflies to get these protective chemicals.

ostalih krijesnica i time dobile zaštitne kemikalije.

So a firefly vampire,

Dakle, predstavljam vam krijesnicu - vampira

brought to you by natural selection.

nastalu prirodnom selekcijom.

We still have a lot to learn about fireflies,

Još imamo puno za naučiti o krijesnicama,

but it looks like many stories will remain untold,

ali čini se kako će mnoge priče ostati neispričane

because around the world, firefly populations

jer, diljem svijeta, populacije krijesnica

are blinking out.

prestaju svijetliti.

The main culprit: habitat loss.

Glavni krivac: gubitak staništa.

Pretty much everywhere, the fields and forests,

Gotovo svugdje, polja i šume,

the mangroves and meadows that fireflies need to survive,

mangrove i livade koje krijesnice trebaju da prežive.

are giving way to development and to sprawl.

daju se za razvoj i širenje.

Here's another problem: we've conquered darkness,

Postoji još jedan problem: pobijedili smo tamu,

but in the process, we spill so much extra light out into the night

ali u procesu smo prolili toliko dodatnog svjetla

that it disrupts the lives of other creatures,

da to narušava živote ostalih stvorenja,

and fireflies are especially sensitive to light pollution

a krijesnice su posebno osjetljive na oskvrnjenje svjetlosti

because it obscures the signals

jer to zamagljuje signale

that they use to find their mates.

pomoću kojih one pronalaze svoje partnere.

Do we really need fireflies?

Trebamo li zaista krijesnice?

After all, they're just one tiny bit

Na kraju krajeva, one su samo jedna mala trunka

of Earth's biodiversity.

u zemaljskoj raznolikosti.

Yet every time a species is lost,

Ipak, svaki put kad je jedna vrsta izgubljena,

it's like extinguishing a room full of candles

to je poput gašenja sobe pune svijeća

one by one.

jednu po jednu.

You might not notice

Možda ne primjećujete

when the first few flames flicker out,

kada prvih nekoliko plamenja prestane treperiti,

but in the end, you're left sitting in darkness.

ali, na kraju ostanete sjediti u tami.

As we work together to craft a planetary future,

Kako zajedno radimo na budućnosti planete,

I hope we can find a way

nadam se da ćemo pronaći način

to keep these bright lights shining.

kako bismo osigurali da ova bistra svjetla nastave sjati.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Pljesak)