Sara Lewis: The loves and lies of fireflies

Prevodilac: Ivana Krivokuća Lektor: Mile Živković

As a scientist, and also as a human being,

Kao naučnik, a takođe i kao ljudsko biće,

I've been trying to make myself

nastojala sam da učinim sebe

susceptible to wonder.

prijemčivom za čuda.

I think Jason Webley last night called it

Mislim da je Džejson Vebli sinoć to nazvao

"conspiring to be part of the magic."

"potajno planirati da postaneš deo magije".

So it's fortunate that my career as a biologist

Zato je sreća da mi moja karijera biologa

lets me dive deeply into the lives

dozvoljava da zaronim duboko u živote

of some truly wondrous creatures

nekih zaista čudesnih stvorenja

that share our planet:

koja dele našu planetu:

fireflies.

svitaca.

Now, for many of you, I know that fireflies

Sad, za mnoge od vas, znam da svici

might conjure up some really great memories:

mogu prizvati neke zaista sjajne uspomene:

childhood, summertime,

iz detinjstva, letnjeg doba,

even other TED Talks.

čak i drugih TED govora.

Maybe something like this.

Možda nečeg kao što je ovo.

My seduction into the world of fireflies

Moja očaranost svetom svitaca

began when I was back in graduate school.

je započela kada sam bila na postdiplomskim studijama.

One evening, I was sitting out in my backyard

Jedne večeri, sedela sam u svom dvorištvu iza kuće

in North Carolina,

u Severnoj Karolini,

and suddenly, these silent sparks

i iznenada, te neme iskre

rose up all around me,

se pojaviše svuda oko mene,

and I began to wonder:

i počeh da se pitam:

How do these creatures make light,

kako ova stvorenja proizvode svetlo,

and what's with all this flashing?

i šta je sa svim ovim blještanjem?

Are they talking to one another?

Da li oni razgovaraju međusobno?

And what happens after the lights go out?

I šta se događa nakon što se svetla ugase?

I've been lucky enough to answer

Imala sam dovoljno sreće da odgovorim

some of these questions

na neka od ovih pitanja

as I've explored this nocturnal world.

dok sam istraživala ovaj noćni svet.

Now if you've ever seen

Ako ste ikada videli

or even heard about fireflies,

ili čuli za svice,

then you'll know how magically they can transform

znaćete onda kako mogu magično transformisati

our everyday landscape into something

naš svakodnevni pejzaž u nešto

ethereal and otherworldly,

eterično i van ovog sveta,

and this happens around the globe,

i ovo se dešava širom zemljine kugle,

like this hillside in the Smoky Mountains

kao na ovoj padini planina Smoki

that I saw transformed into a living cascade of light

koju sam gledala kako se pretvara u žive slapove svetla

by the eerie glows of these blue ghost fireflies,

jezivim sjajem ovih plavih svitaca duhova,

or a roadside river that I visited in Japan

ili na reci pokraj ulice koju sam posetila u Japanu

as it was giving birth to the slow, floating flashes

dok je rađala spore, lebdeće bljeske

of these Genji fireflies,

ovih Gendži svitaca,

or in Malaysia, the mangrove trees

ili u Maleziji, mangrov drveće

that I watched blossom nightly

koje sam posmatrala kako cveta noćima,

not with flowers

ne cvetovima,

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

već svetlima hiljada - (Blip! Blip!) - svitaca,

all blinking together

koji svi trepću zajedno

in stunning synchrony.

u zadivljujućoj sinhroniji.

These luminous landscapes

Ovi svetlosni pejzaži

still fill me with wonder,

me još uvek ispunjavaju čuđenjem,

and they keep me connected to the magic

i održavaju me povezanom sa magijom

of the natural world.

prirodnog sveta.

And I find it amazing that they're created

Smatram naverovatnim da su ih stvorili

by these tiny insects.

ovi sićušni insekti.

In person, fireflies are charming.

Sami po sebi, svici su šarmantni.

They're charismatic.

Oni su harizmatični.

They've been celebrated in art

Veličani su u umetnosti

and in poetry for centuries.

i poeziji vekovima.

As I've traveled around the world,

Dok sam putovala svetom,

I've met many thoughtful people

sretala sam mnoge pažljive ljude

who have told me that God put fireflies on Earth

koji su mi rekli da je bog postavio svice na Zemlju

for humans to enjoy.

da bi ljudi uživali.

Other creatures can enjoy them too.

Druga stvorenja mogu takođe uživati u njima.

I think these graceful insects are truly miraculous

Smatram da su ovi ljupki insekti zaista čudesni

because they so beautifully illuminate

jer tako prelepo obasjavaju

the creative improvisation of evolution.

kreativnu improvizaciju evolucije.

They've been shaped by two powerful

Oblikovale su ih dve moćne

evolutionary forces:

evolucione sile:

natural selection, the struggle for survival,

prirodna selekcija, borba za opstanak,

and sexual selection,

i seksualna selekcija,

the struggle for reproductive opportunity.

borba za mogućnost razmnožavanja.

As a firefly junkie, the past 20 years

Kao zavisniku od svitaca, poslednjih 20 godina

have been quite an exciting ride.

je bilo prilično uzbudjiva vožnja.

Together with my students at Tufts University

Zajedno sa svojim studentima na Univerzitetu Tafts

and other colleagues,

i drugim kolegama,

we've made lots of new discoveries about fireflies:

došli smo do mnogih novih otkrića o svicima:

their courtship and sex lives,

njihovom udvaranju i seksualnim životima,

their treachery and murder.

njihovoj izdaji i ubistvu.

So today I'd like to share with you

Danas bih želela da podelim sa vama

just a couple of tales that we've brought back

samo par priča o onome što smo doneli sa sobom

from our collective adventures

sa naših zajedničkih avantura

into this hidden world.

iz ovog skrivenog sveta.

Fireflies belong to a very beautiful

Svici pripadaju veoma lepoj

and diverse group of insects, the beetles.

i raznolikoj grupi insekata, tvrdokrilcima.

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

Širom sveta, postoji više od 2000 vrsta svitaca,

and these have evolved remarkably diverse

i one su razvile znatno različite

courtship signals,

signale udvaranja,

that is, different ways to find and attract mates.

odnosno, različite načine za pronalaženje i privlačenje partnera.

Around 150 million years ago,

Pre oko 150 miliona godina,

the very first fireflies probably looked like this.

prvi svici su verovatno izgledali ovako.

They flew during the daytime

Oni su leteli za vreme dana

and they didn't light up.

i nisu svetleli.

Instead, males used their fantastic antennae

Umesto toga, mužjaci su koristili svoje fantastične antene

to sniff out perfumes given off by their females.

kako bi nanjušili mirise koje su odavale njihove ženke.

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

Kod drugih svitaca, samo ženke su te koje svetle.

They are attractively plump and wingless,

One su privlačno krupnije i bez krila,

so every night, they climb up onto perches

pa se svake noći penju na uzvišenja

and they glow brightly for hours

i blistavo sijaju satima

to attract their flying but unlit males.

kako bi privukle svoje leteće ali nesvetleće mužjake.

In still other fireflies, both sexes

Kod nekih drugih svitaca, oba pola

use quick, bright flashes to find their mates.

koriste brze, sjajne bleske da bi pronašle svoje partnere.

Here in North America,

Ovde u Severnoj Americi,

we have more than 100 different kinds of firefly

imamo više od 100 različitih vrsta svitaca

that have the remarkable ability to shine energy

koji imaju izuzetnu sposobnost da zrače energiju

out from their bodies

iz svojih tela

in the form of light.

u obliku svetla.

How do they do that?

Kako oni to čine?

It seems totally magical,

To deluje sasvim čarobno,

but these bioluminescent signals

ali ovi bioluminescentni signali

arise from carefully orchestrated chemical reactions

proističu iz pažljivo orkestriranih hemijskih reakcija

that happen inside the firefly lantern.

koje se dešavaju unutar svetiljke svica.

The main star is an enzyme called luciferase,

Glavna zvezda je enzim koji se zove luciferaza,

which in the course of evolution

koji je tokom evolucije

has figured out a way to wrap its tiny arms

shvatio kako da obavije svoje malene grane

around an even smaller molecule called luciferin,

oko još manjeg molekula zvanog luciferin,

in the process getting it so excited

toliko se uzbuđujući u tom procesu

that it actually gives off light.

da čak odaje svetlo.

Incredible.

Neverovatno.

But how could these bright lights

Ali kako su ova sjajna svetla

have benefited some proto-firefly?

mogla koristiti nekom proto-svicu?

To answer this question, we need to flip back

Da bismo odgovorili na ovo pitanje,

in the family album to some baby pictures.

moramo da okrenemo unazad porodični album do bebinih slika.

Fireflies completely reinvent their bodies as they grow.

Svici potpuno preosmišljavaju svoja tela dok odrastaju.

They spend the vast majority of their lifetime,

Oni provode veliku većinu svog života,

up to two years,

do dve godine,

in this larval form.

u ovom obliku larve.

Their main goal here, like my teenagers,

Njihov glavni cilj ovde, kao mojim tinejdžerima,

is to eat and grow.

je da jedu i rastu.

And firefly light first originated

A svetlo svitaca je prvo nastalo

in these juveniles.

kod ovih mladih.

Every single firefly larva can light up,

Svaka larva svitaca može da zasvetli,

even when their adults can't.

čak i kada njihovi odrasli ne mogu.

But what's the point

Ali šta je svrha

to being so conspicuous?

tolike upadljivosti?

Well, we know that these juveniles

Pa, znamo da ovi mladi

make nasty-tasting chemicals

prave hemikalije gadnog ukusa

that help them survive their extended childhood,

koje im pomažu da prežive svoje produženo detinjstvo,

so we think these lights first evolved as a warning,

tako da mislimo da su se ova svetla najpre razvila kao upozorenje,

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

neonski znak koji kaže: "Otrovno! Drži se podalje!"

to any would-be predators.

bilo kojim nameračenim predatorima.

It took many millions of years

Bilo je potrebno mnogo miliona godina pre nego što su

before these bright lights

ova blistava svetla

evolved into a smart communication tool

evoluirala u sredstvo pametne komunikacije

that could be used not just to ward off potential predators

koje se može koristiti ne samo za odbijanje potencijalnih predatora

but to bring in potential mates.

već i za privlačenje potencijalnih partnera.

Driven now by sexual selection,

Sada vođeni seksualnom selekcijom,

some adult fireflies

neki odrasli svici

like this proud male

kao što je ovaj ponosni mužjak,

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

razvili su novu blistavu svetiljku koja svetli u mraku

that would let them take courtship

i koja će im omogućiti da dovedu udvaranje

to a whole new level.

na potpuno novi nivo.

These adults only live a few weeks,

Ovi odrasli žive svega nekoliko nedelja,

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

i jednoumno su fokusirani na seks,

that is, on propelling their genes

odnosno, na prenošenje svojih gena

into the next firefly generation.

na sledeću generaciju svitaca.

So we can follow this male out into the field

Možemo pratiti ovog mužjaka u polju

as he joins hundreds of other males

dok se priključuje stotinama drugih mužjaka

who are all showing off their new courtship signals.

koji pokazuju svoje nove signale za udvaranje.

It's amazing to think that the luminous displays

Neverovatno je kad razmislite da su svetlosni prikazi

we admire

kojima se divimo

here and in fact everywhere around the world

ovde i u stvari svuda širom sveta,

are actually the silent love songs

zapravo neme ljubavne pesme

of male fireflies.

mužjaka svitaca.

They're flying and flashing their hearts out.

Oni lete i blješte od sveg srca.

I still find it very romantic.

Još uvek to smatram veoma romantičnim.

But meanwhile, where are all the females?

Ali u međuvremenu, gde su sve ženke?

Well, they're lounging down below

Pa, one se izležavaju ispod

surveying their options.

preispitujući svoje opcije.

They have plenty of males to choose from,

One imaju mnoštvo mužjaka koje mogu odabrati,

and these females turn out to be very picky.

i za ove ženke se ispostavilo da su veoma probirljive.

When a female sees a flash

Kada ženka vidi bljesak

from an especially attractive male,

od naročito privlačnog mužjaka,

she'll aim her lantern in his direction,

uperiće svoju svetiljku u njegovom pravcu,

and give him a flash back.

i uzvratiti mu bljeskom.

It's her "come hither" sign.

To je njen znak za "dođi ovamo".

So he flies closer and he flashes again.

Tako on leti bliže i ponovo zasvetli.

If she still likes him,

Ako joj se još uvek sviđa, započeće razgovor.

they'll strike up a conversation.

These creatures speak their love

Ova stvorenja saopštavaju svoju ljubav

in the language of light.

jezikom svetla.

So what exactly do these females consider sexy?

Dakle šta tačno ove ženke smatraju da je seksi?

We decided to conduct some firefly opinion polls

Odlučili smo da sprovedemo anketu svitaca

to find out.

kako bismo to saznali.

When we tested females using blinking LED lights,

Kada smo testirali ženke koristeći trepereća LED svetla,

we discovered they prefer males

otkrili smo da preferiraju mužjake

who give longer-lasting flashes.

koji im daju dugotrajnije bljeske.

(Laughter) (Applause)

(Smeh) (Aplauz)

I know you're wondering,

Znam da se pitate,

what gives these males their sex appeal?

šta daje mužjacima njihovu seksualnu privlačnost?

Now we get to see what happens

Sada možemo da vidimo

when the lights go out.

šta se dešava kada se svetla ugase.

The first thing we discovered

Prva stvar koju smo otkrili

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

je da kada se jedom mužjak i ženka spoje ovako,

they stay together all night long,

oni ostaju zajedno čitave noći,

and when we looked inside

i kada smo pogledali unutra

to see what might be happening,

da vidimo šta bi moglo da se dešava,

we discovered a surprising new twist

otkrili smo iznenađujuć novi preokret

to firefly sex.

u seksu svitaca.

While they're mating,

Dok se pare,

the male is busy giving the female

mužjak je okupiran dajući ženki

not just his sperm

ne samo svoju spermu

but also a nutrient-filled package

već takođe i paket pun hranljivih materija

called a nuptial gift.

zvani svadbeni poklon.

We can zoom in to look more closely

Možemo uveličati da pogledamo bliže

inside this mating pair.

ovaj par koji se pari.

We can actually see the gift —

Možemo zaista videti poklon -

it's shown here in red —

ovde je prikazan crvenom bojom -

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

dok se prenosi od mužjaka do ženke.

What makes this gift so valuable

Ono što čini ovaj poklon tako dragocenim

is that it's packed with protein

jeste to što je pun proteinima

that the female will use to provision her eggs.

koje će ženka koristiti da obezbedi svoja jaja.

So females are keeping their eyes on this prize

Zato ženke drže na oku ovu nagradu

as they size up potential mates.

dok odmeravaju potencijalne partnere.

We discovered that females use male flash signals

Otkrili smo da ženke koriste muške blještave signale

to try to predict which males

kako bi predvidele koji mužjaci

have the biggest gifts to offer,

imaju najveće poklone u ponudi,

because this bling helps the female lay more eggs

jer ovaj dragulj pomaže ženki da nosi više jaja

and ultimately launch more of her own offspring

i na kraju iznese više sopstvenih potomaka

into the next generation.

u narednu generaciju.

[Mračna strana svitaca]

So it's not all sweetness and light.

Tako da nije sve med i mleko.

Firefly romance is risky.

Romansa svitaca je rizična.

For the most part, these adult fireflies

Najvećim delom, ovi odrasli svici

don't get eaten because like their juveniles

ne budu pojedeni jer kao i njihovi mladi

they can manufacture toxins that are repellent

mogu da proizvode otrove koji su odbojni

to birds and other insectivores,

za ptice i druge insektojede,

but somewhere along the line,

ali u nekom trenutku,

one particular group of fireflies

jedna određena grupa svitaca

somehow lost the metabolic machinery

je nekako izgubila metabolički aparat

needed to make their own protective toxins.

koji je neophodan za proizvodnju sopstvenih zaštitnih otrova.

This evolutionary flaw,

Ova evoluciona greška,

which was discovered by my colleague Tom Eisner,

koju je otkrio moj kolega Tom Ajsner,

has driven these fireflies

je naterala ove svice

to take their bright lights out into the night

da odvedu svoja jarka svetla u noć

with treacherous intent.

sa podmuklim namerama.

Dubbed "femme fatales"

Nazvane "fatalnim ženama"

by Jim Lloyd, another colleague,

od strane Džima Lojda, drugog kolege,

these females have figured out how to target

ove ženke su otkrile kako da nišane

the males of other firefly species.

mužjake drugih vrsta svitaca.

So the hunt begins with the predator —

Lov počinje sa predatorom -

she's shown here in the lower left —

prikazana je ovde u donjem levom uglu -

where she's sitting quietly

gde sedi tiho

and eavesdropping on the courtship conversation

i prisluškuje razgovor udvaranja

of her intended prey,

plena na koji se ustremila,

and here's how it might go.

i evo kako to može da ide.

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

Prvo mužjak žrtva bljesne: "Da li me voliš?"

His own female responds, "Maybe."

Njegova ženka odgovara: "Možda."

So then he flashes again.

Zatim on bljesne ponovo.

But this time, the predator sneaks in a reply

Ali ovog puta, predator ušunja odgovor

that cleverly mimics exactly what the other female just said.

koji mudro oponaša tačno ono što je druga ženka upravo rekla.

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

Ona ne traži ljubav: ona traži otrove.

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

Ako je dobra, može da namami ovog mužjaka dovoljno blizu

to reach out and grab him,

da se pruži do njega i zgrabi ga,

and he's not just a light snack.

a on nije samo lagana užina.

Over the next hour, she slowly

Tokom narednog sata, ona polako

exsanguinates this male

izvlači krv iz ovog mužjaka

leaving behind just some gory remains.

ostavljajući za sobom samo nešto krvavih ostataka.

Unable to make their own toxins,

Nesposobne da prave sopstvene otrove,

these females resort to drinking the blood

ove ženke pribegavaju ispijanju krvi

of other fireflies to get these protective chemicals.

drugih svitaca da bi dobile ove zaštitne hemikalije.

So a firefly vampire,

Dakle, eto svica vampira,

brought to you by natural selection.

kojeg vam je omogućila prirodna selekcija.

[Svici koji nestaju]

We still have a lot to learn about fireflies,

Još uvek imamo dosta toga da naučimo o svicima,

but it looks like many stories will remain untold,

ali izgleda da će mnoge priče ostati neispričane,

because around the world, firefly populations

jer širom sveta, populacije svitaca

are blinking out.

se gase.

The main culprit: habitat loss.

Glavni krivac: gubitak staništa.

Pretty much everywhere, the fields and forests,

Gotovo svuda, polja i šume,

the mangroves and meadows that fireflies need to survive,

mangrovi i livade koje su svicima potrebne da bi preživeli,

are giving way to development and to sprawl.

povlače se pred razvojem i širenjem.

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

Evo drugog problema: pobedili smo tamu,

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

ali u tom procesu, rasipamo toliko dodatne svetlosti u noć

that it disrupts the lives of other creatures,

da to razara živote drugih stvorenja,

and fireflies are especially sensitive to light pollution

a svici su naročito osetljivi na svetlosno zagađenje

because it obscures the signals

jer čini nejasnim signale

that they use to find their mates.

koje oni koriste kako bi pronašli svoje partnere.

Do we really need fireflies?

Da li su nam zaista potrebni svici?

After all, they're just one tiny bit

Na kraju krajeva, oni su samo jedan delić

of Earth's biodiversity.

Zemljine bioraznolikosti.

Yet every time a species is lost,

Ipak, svaki put kada je vrsta izgubljena,

it's like extinguishing a room full of candles

to je kao gašenje sobe pune sveća

one by one.

jedne po jedne.

You might not notice

Možda ne primetite

when the first few flames flicker out,

kada prvih nekoliko plamenova istrepere,

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

ali na kraju, ostali ste da sedite u mraku.

As we work together to craft a planetary future,

Dok zajednički radimo da kreiramo budućnost planete,

I hope we can find a way

nadam se da možemo naći način

to keep these bright lights shining.

da održimo sijanje ovih blještavih svetala.

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)