Heather Barnett: What humans can learn from semi-intelligent slime

翻译人员: Gena Volz 校对人员: Yuanqing Edberg

I'd like to introduce you to an organism:

今天我想向大家介绍一种生物体：

a slime mold, Physarum polycephalum.

（slime mould）黏液霉菌，一种多头绒泡菌。

It's a mold with an identity crisis, because it's not a mold,

是否把它命名为一种霉菌尚存争议，因为事实上它不是霉菌。

so let's get that straight to start with.

在进入正题前我们需要知道这一点。

It is one of 700 known slime molds

在已知的七百种黏液霉菌中，

belonging to the kingdom of the amoeba.

它属于阿米巴变形虫的国度。

It is a single-celled organism, a cell,

它是一种单细胞生物，许多个单一的细胞

that joins together with other cells

相互连接到一起

to form a mass super-cell

而组成一团超级细胞，

to maximize its resources.

目的是要做到最大化地利用资源。

So within a slime mold you might find thousands

所以在一个（slime mould）黏菌中你能看到几千个

or millions of nuclei,

或者几百万个细胞核，

all sharing a cell wall,

它们共享同一个细胞壁，

all operating as one entity.

作为一个整体

In its natural habitat,

在它的自然栖息地运作

you might find the slime mold foraging in woodlands,

你会在森林里发现这些黏液霉菌，

eating rotting vegetation,

它以腐烂的植被为食。

but you might equally find it

不过黏菌也同样频繁出现在

in research laboratories,

研究实验室，

classrooms, and even artists' studios.

课堂，甚至是艺术家的工作室里。

I first came across the slime mold about five years ago.

我与黏液霉菌的初次接触是在五年前。

A microbiologist friend of mine

我的一个微生物学家朋友

gave me a petri dish with a little yellow blob in it

给了我一个有着黄色小斑点的培养皿

and told me to go home and play with it.

说让我带回家玩玩。

The only instructions I was given,

我得到的唯一说明是

that it likes it dark and damp

这个东西它喜欢阴暗潮湿，

and its favorite food is porridge oats.

最喜欢的食物是燕麦片。

I'm an artist who's worked for many years

我是一个艺术家，我做了不少年的

with biology, with scientific processes,

将生物及科学的一些手法融入艺术

so living material is not uncommon for me.

所以使用活的素材于我来说不算陌生。

I've worked with plants, bacteria,

我用到过植物，细菌，

cuttlefish, fruit flies.

墨鱼，以及果蝇。

So I was keen to get my new collaborator home

所以我颇有些急迫想把这个新的小拍档带回家

to see what it could do.

看看它能做啥。

So I took it home and I watched.

然后我就把它带回了家开始观察。

I fed it a varied diet.

我试着用各种东西来喂它。

I observed as it networked.

我观察到，随着它的联网形成

It formed a connection between food sources.

它在食物资源之间建立了某种联系。

I watched it leave a trail behind it,

我看到它在经过处留下了痕迹，

indicating where it had been.

那显示出它曾经到过的区域。

And I noticed that when it was fed up with one petri dish,

我也注意到每当它厌倦了一个培养皿的时候，

it would escape and find a better home.

它就会爬出去，去找个更好的家。

I captured my observations

我通过延时摄影

through time-lapse photography.

拍下了我所观察到的。

Slime mold grows at about one centimeter an hour,

黏液霉菌的生长速度大概是每小时一厘米，

so it's not really ideal for live viewing

所想要看实时变化可不容易，因为这个速度实在是有点慢，

unless there's some form of really extreme meditation,

除非观察者能做到某种极度的静心入定。

but through the time lapse,

不过凭借延时拍摄，

I could observe some really interesting behaviors.

我能够观察到一些非常有趣的行为。

For instance, having fed on a nice pile of oats,

比如，喂给它一小堆燕麦片，

the slime mold goes off to explore new territories

黏液霉菌就迅速开始繁殖，

in different directions simultaneously.

并同时往不同方向伸展以探索新领域。

When it meets itself,

当它碰到自己另一部分的时候，

it knows it's already there,

它知道同伴已经在那里，

it recognizes it's there,

它能识别得到。

and instead retreats back

于是停止那个方向的继续生长，而是掉头

and grows in other directions.

从另一端生长。

I was quite impressed by this feat,

黏液霉菌的这个本事很让我叹为观止。

at how what was essentially just a bag of cellular slime

这不过是一袋黏液霉菌细胞，

could somehow map its territory,

可它居然有本事开疆扩土，

know itself, and move with seeming intention.

能够识别自我，而且似乎是带有目的性地在行动。

I found countless scientific studies,

我发觉有无数的科学研究，

research papers, journal articles,

研究论文啦，期刊文章啦，

all citing incredible work with this one organism,

都提到用这种微生物所进行过的令人难以置信的研究，

and I'm going to share a few of those with you.

这里我要分享一些给大家。

For example, a team in Hokkaido University in Japan

比如，日本北海道大学（Hokkaido University）的一个团队

filled a maze with slime mold.

用黏液霉菌填塞了一个迷宫。

It joined together and formed a mass cell.

它们互相融合组成了一个细胞团。

They introduced food at two points,

研究人员将食物放在两个点上，

oats of course,

当然，食物依旧是燕麦片，

and it formed a connection

黏液霉菌在两点食物之间

between the food.

组建起了关联。

It retracted from empty areas and dead ends.

当它遇到空区或是死角的时候会自动缩回。

There are four possible routes through this maze,

这个迷宫有四个可行通道，

yet time and time again,

而随着一次次的尝试，

the slime mold established the shortest

最终黏液霉菌建立了最短

and the most efficient route.

并且最有效率的一条路径。

Quite clever.

真机灵。

The conclusion from their experiment

由这个实验所得出的结论是

was that the slime mold had a primitive form of intelligence.

黏液霉菌有种初始形态的智能。

Another study exposed cold air at regular intervals to the slime mold.

另一项研究是：按固定的间隔时间，定期将黏液霉菌暴露在冷空气里。

It didn't like it. It doesn't like it cold.

结果它不喜欢。它怕冷。

It doesn't like it dry.

它不喜欢被吹干。

They did this at repeat intervals,

研究人员按照之前的间隔时间规律重复做了这个实验，

and each time, the slime mold

每一次，黏液霉菌都会

slowed down its growth in response.

减慢生长速度作为响应。

However, at the next interval,

然而，在下一个间隔来到时，

the researchers didn't put the cold air on,

研究人员没有开启冷风，

yet the slime mold slowed down in anticipation

可黏液霉菌仍旧减慢了速度，似乎

of it happening.

是预期此时冷风会来。

It somehow knew that it was about the time

不知它怎样办到的，它知道时间到了，

for the cold air that it didn't like.

它讨厌的冷空气会来到。

The conclusion from their experiment

刚讲到的这个实验最后所得到得结论是：

was that the slime mold was able to learn.

黏液霉菌具有学习能力。

A third experiment:

第三个实验：

the slime mold was invited

黏液霉菌被邀请

to explore a territory covered in oats.

去探索一片被燕麦片覆盖的区域。

It fans out in a branching pattern.

它以分枝结构扇形展开。

As it goes, each food node it finds,

每当它在经过的地方发现食物点时，

it forms a network, a connection to,

它就会建立一个网络,一个连接点，

and keeps foraging.

然后继续觅食。

After 26 hours, it established

经过26个小时，它建立起

quite a firm network

一个比较稳定的网络架构

between the different oats.

链接各处的燕麦片。

Now there's nothing remarkable in this

这看起来没什么了不起的，

until you learn that the center oat that it started from

但如果你知道作为中心起点的燕麦片

represents the city of Tokyo,

其实是代表了东京市，

and the surrounding oats are suburban railway stations.

而周围的这些燕麦片对应着东京市郊的火车站，你一定会觉得它了不起。

The slime mold had replicated

因为黏液霉菌居然复制出了

the Tokyo transport network

东京的交通网络。

— (Laughter) —

（观众笑声）

a complex system developed over time

建立一个复杂的系统需要长时间的努力，

by community dwellings, civil engineering, urban planning.

包括社区住宅，土木工程，城市规划。

What had taken us well over 100 years

人类用超过100年才能完成的事情，

took the slime mold just over a day.

黏液霉菌只不过花了一天多一点就完成了。

The conclusion from their experiment

这项实验得到的结论是

was that the slime mold can form efficient networks

黏液霉菌能够建立起高效路网，

and solve the traveling salesman problem.

解决那些在路上的业务员们的苦恼问题。

It is a biological computer.

它是部生物计算机。

As such, it has been mathematically modeled,

如我们所看到的，由数学模型建立起来

algorithmically analyzed.

进行的算法分析。

It's been sonified, replicated, simulated.

人们对黏液霉菌的活动进行超声波观测，复制，和模拟。

World over, teams of researchers

全世界的研究团队们

are decoding its biological principles

都在试图解析它的生物学准则，

to understand its computational rules

以理解它的计算运行规则

and applying that learning to the fields of electronics,

并将之运用到电子，

programming and robotics.

编程和机器人领域中。

So the question is,

所以问题是

how does this thing work?

这个东西它是怎么工作的？

It doesn't have a central nervous system.

黏液霉菌没有中枢神经系统，

It doesn't have a brain,

没有大脑，

yet it can perform behaviors

却能完成

that we associate with brain function.

我们需要大脑功能的协助才能完成的行动

It can learn, it can remember,

它能学习，能记忆，

it can solve problems, it can make decisions.

可以解决问题，也可以做决策。

So where does that intelligence lie?

它负责智能的部分藏在哪里呢？

So this is a microscopy, a video I shot,

这是显微镜下我拍到的一组影像。。。

and it's about 100 times magnification,

放大了约100倍，

sped up about 20 times,

快进了约20倍。

and inside the slime mold,

在黏液霉菌体内，

there is a rhythmic pulsing flow,

存在有节奏的脉冲流，

a vein-like structure carrying

一个脉管状结构把

cellular material, nutrients and chemical information

细胞内含物，营养物质和化学信息

through the cell,

传输到细胞各处，

streaming first in one direction and then back in another.

先朝一个方向流动，然后再向相反方向回流。

And it is this continuous, synchronous oscillation

而正是细胞内的这种连续，同步振荡

within the cell that allows it to form

让它得以建立起

quite a complex understanding of its environment,

对所处环境的一个相当复杂的认知理解，

but without any large-scale control center.

而不依赖任何大规模的控制中心。

This is where its intelligence lies.

这就是它的智能所在。

So it's not just academic researchers

并不只有大学里的学术研究者们

in universities that are interested in this organism.

对这个生物感兴趣。

A few years ago, I set up SliMoCo,

几年前，我设立了一个 SlimoCo项目，

the Slime Mould Collective.

---Slime Mould黏液霉菌团队。

It's an online, open, democratic network

这是一个在线的，开放的，民主的网络，

for slime mold researchers and enthusiasts

给黏液霉菌研究者和爱好者们用以

to share knowledge and experimentation

分享

across disciplinary divides

跨学科范畴

and across academic divides.

和跨学术领域的知识和实验。

The Slime Mould Collective membership is self-selecting.

黏液霉菌团队的队员都是自行选择加入的。

People have found the collective

来到团队的人们就像

as the slime mold finds the oats.

找到燕麦片的黏液霉菌。

And it comprises of scientists

它包括有科学家，

and computer scientists and researchers

计算机科学家和研究人员，

but also artists like me,

也有像我这样的艺术家，

architects, designers, writers, activists, you name it.

建筑师，设计师，作家，社会活动家，什么样的人都有。

It's a very interesting, eclectic membership.

我们的成员构成不拘一格，非常有趣。

Just a few examples:

我举几个例子吧：

an artist who paints with fluorescent Physarum;

有用染了荧光的绒泡菌属作画的艺术家，

a collaborative team

有将生物学

who are combining biological and electronic design

和电子设计

with 3D printing technologies in a workshop;

与3D打印技术相结合的协作团队，

another artist who is using the slime mold

还有位艺术家用黏液霉菌

as a way of engaging a community

绘制社区地图，

to map their area.

作为参与社区的一种方式。

Here, the slime mold is being used directly

这里，黏液霉菌被直接用作

as a biological tool, but metaphorically

一种生物学工具，但是也象征性地

as a symbol for ways of talking

成为在

about social cohesion, communication

社会凝聚力，沟通

and cooperation.

和合作上的一种交流方式的标志。

Other public engagement activities,

至于其他的公众参与活动---

I run lots of slime mold workshops,

我办了很多黏液霉菌研讨会，

a creative way of engaging with the organism.

用这种创新方式研究这种有机体。

So people are invited to come and learn

人们受邀请来到研讨会，了解

about what amazing things it can do,

它的神奇之能，

and they design their own petri dish experiment,

他们设计自己的培养皿实验，

an environment for the slime mold to navigate

安排一个新环境让黏液霉菌去探索

so they can test its properties.

以测试它的各项属性。

Everybody takes home a new pet

他们每个人都带了黏菌这个新宠物回家，

and is invited to post their results

我们邀请他们将各自的实验结果

on the Slime Mould Collective.

发布在黏菌团队的网页上。

And the collective has enabled me

这样一个集体让我能够

to form collaborations

和一大票有趣的人们一起

with a whole array of interesting people.

协同工作。

I've been working with filmmakers

我已经和一些电影工作者合作，

on a feature-length slime mold documentary,

共同制作一个关于黏液霉菌的长篇纪录片，

and I stress feature-length,

我要强调是长篇，

which is in the final stages of edit

现在已经在后期制作过程，

and will be hitting your cinema screens very soon.

应该很快就能在院线上映了。

(Laughter)

（观众笑声）

It's also enabled me to conduct what I think is

我想这也使得我能进行，

the world's first human slime mold experiment.

大概是世界第一例人类模拟黏液霉菌的实验。

This is part of an exhibition in Rotterdam last year.

这是去年鹿特丹展览的一部分，

We invited people to become slime mold for half an hour.

我们邀请人们来扮演黏液霉菌大概半小时。

So we essentially tied people together

我们就是需要把大家绑在一起，

so they were a giant cell,

这样大家就变成了一个巨细胞。

and invited them to follow slime mold rules.

我们也要求大家要遵守黏菌的生存法则，

You have to communicate through oscillations,

只能用震荡来沟通，

no speaking.

不准说话和交谈。

You have to operate as one entity, one mass cell,

必须作为一个整体，作为一个细胞团来行动，

no egos,

没有自我。

and the motivation for moving

进行移动

and then exploring the environment

并摸索周边环境情况的动机，

is in search of food.

就是寻找食物。

So a chaotic shuffle ensued as this bunch of strangers

随之而来的是一片混乱，一群陌生人

tied together with yellow ropes wearing "Being Slime Mold" t-shirts

穿着“黏液霉菌”的黄T恤，被黄绳子绑在一起，

wandered through the museum park.

在博物馆的园子里游荡。

When they met trees, they had to reshape

当他们碰到树的时候，就不得不改变队形，

their connections and reform as a mass cell

象个团细胞一样

through not speaking.

悄然无声的的完成变形。

This is a ludicrous experiment in many, many ways.

这是一个非常好笑的实验，从各种方面看都是。

This isn't hypothesis-driven.

它不是因假说驱动的。

We're not trying to prove, demonstrate anything.

我们做这个实验不是为了要证明或是证实任何事情。

But what it did provide us was a way

但是这个实验确实提供给我们了一种途径，

of engaging a broad section of the public

去引发广泛的公众思考：

with ideas of intelligence, agency, autonomy,

关于智能，关于机构，关于自治。

and provide a playful platform

它也给我们提供了一个好玩的平台

for discussions about

去进行

the things that ensued.

后续的讨论。

One of the most exciting things

关于这项实验，

about this experiment

其中一个最令人激动的事情是

was the conversation that happened afterwards.

实验结束之后所发生的讨论。

An entirely spontaneous symposium happened in the park.

人们完全自发地在公园里开始了研讨。

People talked about the human psychology,

大家谈到人类心理学，

of how difficult it was to let go

发现大家很难

of their individual personalities and egos.

放下各体的自我和个性。

Other people talked about bacterial communication.

其他的一些人们谈到了细菌的沟通。

Each person brought in their own

每个人对这次实验

individual interpretation,

都有他们各自的个性解读。

and our conclusion from this experiment was that

而我们由这次实验所得到的结论是，

the people of Rotterdam were highly cooperative,

鹿特丹的人们具有高度的合作精神

especially when given beer.

特别是当供应给他们啤酒的时候。

We didn't just give them oats.

我们不止给了他们燕麦片，

We gave them beer as well.

我们也提供了啤酒。

But they weren't as efficient as the slime mold,

不过他们没能做到象黏液霉菌那样高效率。

and the slime mold, for me,

黏液霉菌， 于我而言

is a fascinating subject matter.

是种令人着迷的研究物质。

It's biologically fascinating,

生物属性上它让人着迷，

it's computationally interesting,

它的运算特性也让人感兴趣，

but it's also a symbol,

但同时它也是一种标识，

a way of engaging with ideas of community,

关乎社区意见，

collective behavior, cooperation.

集体行为，和协同合作。

A lot of my work draws on the scientific research,

我的很多作品都借鉴了科学研究，

so this pays homage to the maze experiment

所以这个实验是在以另外一种方式

but in a different way.

向之前谈到的迷宫实验的致敬。

And the slime mold is also my working material.

黏液霉菌也是我的工作素材。

It's a coproducer of photographs, prints, animations,

它是摄影，印刷品，动画片，

participatory events.

及互动活动的合伙制作人。

Whilst the slime mold doesn't choose

黏液霉菌并没有选择

to work with me, exactly,

要和我合作，而确切地说，

it is a collaboration of sorts.

这是某种合作。

I can predict certain behaviors

我可以预测到某些行为，

by understanding how it operates,

因为我理解了它是怎么操作的，

but I can't control it.

但是我控制不了它。

The slime mold has the final say

黏液霉菌在创作过程中

in the creative process.

有最终的表达。

And after all, it has its own internal aesthetics.

毕竟，它有自己的内在审美观。

These branching patterns that we see

我们看到的分叉图案

we see across all forms, scales of nature,

我们所看见的所有形态，天然的性状，

from river deltas to lightning strikes,

从河三角洲到闪电弧，

from our own blood vessels to neural networks.

从我们的血管网络到神经网络。

There's clearly significant rules at play

这个简单而又复杂的生物

in this simple yet complex organism,

有着非常清楚的规则可循。

and no matter what our disciplinary perspective or our mode of inquiry,

不管我们从什么学科角度出发或者是用什么方式研究

there's a great deal that we can learn

我们都受教无穷，我们

from observing and engaging

从观察和运用

with this beautiful, brainless blob.

这些漂亮的，没脑子的斑点身上可以学到很多很多。

I give you Physarum polycephalum.

这就是 （Physarum polycephalum）多头绒泡菌。

Thank you.

谢谢大家！

(Applause)

（观众掌声）