Why you should love gross science | Anna Rothschild

Did you know that one of the first fertility drugs

翻译人员: Tianji Li 校对人员: Yinchun Rui

你知道世界上第一例催孕药

was made from the pee of Catholic nuns,

是用天主教修女的尿合成的，

and that even the Pope got involved?

甚至与大主教也有关系？

So, this is totally true.

这是真实的事件。

Back in the 1950s, scientists knew that when women enter menopause,

20世纪50年代，科学家们 发现当女人进入更年期时，

they start releasing high levels of fertility hormones in their urine.

她们的尿液中便开始 出现含量极高的生殖激素。

But there was this doctor named Bruno Lunenfeld,

但有位布鲁诺 · 卢内费尔德医生

who wondered if he could actually isolate those hormones from the urine

想知道，他是否能 将那些激素从尿液中分离，

and use it to help women who are having trouble getting pregnant.

并用其帮助不孕不育的妇女们。

Obviously, the problem with this was that in order to test this idea,

问题很明显：为试验 这一想法，他需要搜集

he needed a lot of pee from older women.

许多年长妇女的尿液。

And that is not an easy thing to find.

然而那绝非易事。

So he and his colleagues got special permission from the Pope

他和他的同行获得了大主教的许可，

to collect gallons and gallons of urine

从几百名年长的天主教修女那里

from hundreds of older Catholic nuns.

收集了若干加仑的尿液。

And in doing so,

这样一来，

he actually isolated hormones

他就将那些仍利于今天的妇女

that are still used to help women get pregnant today,

怀孕的激素分离了出来。

though now, they can be synthesized in a lab,

虽然现在，这种生殖激素 可以在实验室合成，

并且也不再需要大量的尿液。

and gallons of pee aren't necessary.

So why am I standing up here,

那么，为什么我要站在这里，

telling this wonderfully intellectual audience about nun pee?

向在座的各位精英讲述修女的尿液呢？

Well, I'm a science journalist and multimedia producer,

事实上，我是一名总是 痴迷于研究恶心事物的

who has always been fascinated by gross stuff.

科学记者兼多媒体制作人。

So fascinated, in fact, that I started a weekly YouTube series

这种痴迷驱使我在一周前 创立了一个名为“恶心科学”的

called "Gross Science,"

每周Youtube视频系列，

all about the slimy, smelly, creepy underbelly

展示了自然，医药和科技中 所有黏滑的，难闻的，

of nature, medicine and technology.

令人毛骨悚然的部分。

Now, I think most of us would agree

我认为大多数人会承认

that there's something a little gross about pee.

尿液有点恶心。

You know, it's something that we don't really like to talk about,

尿液属于一些我们不喜欢谈论的事物，

而我们会将其控制得极其私密。

and we keep the act of doing it very private.

But when Lunenfeld peered into the world of pee,

但当卢内费尔德仔细观察了尿液的世界，

he discovered something deeply helpful to humanity.

他发现了使人类受益匪浅的东西。

And after a year and a half of making my show,

从我制作节目以来的一年半中，

I can tell you that very often when we explore the gross side of life,

我可以告诉各位，当我们 探索生命中恶心的部分时，

we find insights that we never would have thought we'd find,

我们经常会获得意料之外的洞察，

and we even often reveal beauty that we didn't think was there.

甚至经常揭示一些出乎意料的美。

I think it's important for us to talk about gross things for a few reasons.

我认为谈论恶心的事物 对我们来说很重要，有这么几个原因。

So, first of all, talking about gross stuff

首先，谈论恶心的事物

is a great tool for education,

堪称教育的利器，

and it's an excellent way to preserve curiosity.

也是保持好奇心的绝妙方法。

To explain what I mean,

为了解释我的意思，

why don't I tell you a little bit about what I was like as a child?

倒不如分享一点我小时候的经历。

So, I was what you might call a gross kid.

也许你们会称曾经的我 为一名让人恶心的孩子。

In fact, my love of science itself

事实上，我对科学本身的热爱

began when my parents bought me a slime chemistry set

开始于我的父母带给我的 一套黏糊糊的化学实验工具，

and was then only enhanced

并通过我在六年级生物课上

by doing gross experiments in my sixth-grade biology class.

做的恶心的实验得到了进一步发展。

We did things like, we swabbed surfaces around our classroom

例如：我们在教室的 各个角落收集细菌，

and cultured the bacteria we'd collected,

并进行培育。

and we dissected owl pellets,

我们同样剖析了猫头鹰 呕吐出的唾馀，

which are these balls of material that are undigested that owls barf up,

包含着猫头鹰吞下去的 一团团不消化的食物，

and it's really kind of gross and awesome and cool.

那确实有些恶心，怪异，但也很酷。

Now, the fact that I was obsessed with gross stuff as a kid

实际上，我孩提时对恶心事物的痴迷，

is not so revolutionary.

也算不上具有革命性的意义。

You know, lots of kids are really into gross things,

许多孩子们的生活都 离不开恶心的事物，

like playing in dirt or collecting beetles or eating their boogers.

像玩泥巴，收集甲虫或吃鼻屎。

And why is that?

为什么呢？

I think really little kids are like little explorers.

我认为，小孩子就像小探险家一样。

They just want to experience as much as they can

他们只想尽他们所能地探索，

and don't have any idea about the relative acceptability

但对相对接受性毫无概念，

of touching a ladybug versus a stinkbug.

例如接触瓢虫或臭虫。

They just want to understand how everything works

他们只想知道万物如何存在，

and experience as much of life as they can.

并尽他们所能地一探究竟。

And that is pure curiosity.

那是纯粹的好奇心。

But then adults step in,

接着，成人逐渐涉足，

and we tell kids not to pick their noses and not to touch the slugs or toads

我们告诉孩子们不要挖鼻孔， 不要摸鼻涕虫或蟾蜍，

or whatever else they find in the backyard,

或者其它一切他们在后院找到的，

because those things are gross.

因为那些东西很恶心。

And we do that in part to keep kids safe, right?

我们那样做部分是为了保证 孩子们的安全，对吗？

Like, maybe picking your nose spreads germs

例如，挖鼻孔也许会传播细菌，

and maybe touching that toad will give you warts,

摸蟾蜍也可能会带来疣疾。

even though I don't actually think that's true.

虽然如此，我却不敢苟同。

You should feel free to touch as many toads as you want.

你们应该感到无拘无束， 想摸多少蟾蜍就摸多少。

So at a certain point, when kids get a little bit older,

到了某个阶段，当孩子们逐渐长大，

there's this way that engaging with gross stuff

这样对待恶心事物的方法，

isn't just about curiosity,

已不只与好奇心有关，

it's also about, sort of, finding out where the limits are,

某种程度上，也有可能与发现极限有关，

pushing the boundaries of what's OK.

在允许的情况下会试图超越那个极限。

So, lots of kids of a certain age will have burping competitions

因此，在特定年龄的许多孩子 会参加间歇性的比赛，

or competitions to see who can make the grossest face.

看谁的鬼脸最丑。

And they do that in part because it's a little bit transgressive, right?

某种意义上，正因为这样做 会有点出格，对吗？

But there's another layer to why we define stuff as gross.

不过，我们对恶心事物的定义， 还出于另一方面的考虑。

As humans, we've sort of extended the concept of disgust to morality.

作为人类，我们多多少少将 恶心的概念拓展到了道德的范畴。

So, the psychologist Paul Rozin would say

心理学家保罗 · 罗兹说过：

that many of the things we categorize as gross

“许多我们归为恶心的东西，

are things that reminds us that we're just animals.

其实提醒了我们，我们只是动物。

These are things like bodily fluids and sex

例如体液，性，

and physical abnormalities and death.

以及身体畸形和死亡。

And the idea that we're just animals can be really unsettling,

确实，我们是动物的 概念使人不安。

because it can be this reminder of our own mortality.

因为它会提醒我们自己终有一死。

And that can leave many of us with this deep existential angst.

它还让我们中的许多人怀有存在性焦虑。

Rozin would say that there's this way

罗兹这样说过：

in which disgust and the avoidance of gross things

“厌恶和逃避恶心的事物

becomes not just a way to protect our bodies,

不仅成为保护我们身体的方式，

it becomes a way to protect our souls.

而且还保护了我们的精神。

I think at a certain point, kids really begin to internalize

我认为在某个阶段， 讨厌的事物和不道德之间的关系

this link between disgusting things and immorality.

会开始在孩子们的心底扎根。

And while I don't have any concrete data to back up this next idea,

虽然目前我没有具体的数据 来支持我的下一个想法，

I think that for a lot of us, it happens around the time we hit puberty.

但我认为对大多数人来说，当我们 迈入青春期时，这种情况便已司空见惯。

And you know -- yeah, I know.

就像这样——没错， 这就是那个时期的我。

So during puberty, our bodies are changing,

我们的身体在 青春期时开始改变，

and we're sweating more, and girls get their periods,

出更多的汗，女孩开始月经。

and we're thinking about sex in this way that we never did before.

我们从未这样思考过性。

And through the human capacity for abstraction,

受人类抽象思维能力的限制，

this shame can settle in.

这种羞愧便很容易立足。

So we don't necessarily just think,

我们不会只想到：

"Oh, my goodness, something really gross is happening to my body!"

“哦，天呐，我的身体 正经历着恶心的东西！“

We think, "Oh my God, maybe I'm gross.

我们会想：“哦，上帝，也许我很恶心。

And maybe that means that there's something bad or wrong about me."

也许那意味着我出了什么问题。”

The thing is, that if you de facto associate gross stuff with immorality,

问题是，如果你们将恶心的事物 与不道德联系在一起，

you lose a huge part of your curiosity,

就会失去绝大部分的好奇心。

because there is so much out there in the world

因为世界包罗万象，

that is a little bit gross.

总有一部分多少有点恶心。

Like, think about going for a walk in the woods.

举个例子，想象在丛林中漫步。

You could just pay attention to the birds and the trees and the flowers

你或许只会注意到鸟，树和花。

and that would be fine,

它们很漂亮。

but in my view, you'd be missing a bigger and more awesome picture

但我看来，你会错失 这个星球中生命更加广阔和

of life on this planet.

奇妙的一面。

There are cycles of decay that are driving forest growth,

衰变的循环正驾驭着森林的生长，

and there are networks of fungus beneath your feet

在你们脚下存在着网络般的菌类植物，

that are connecting literally all of the plants around you.

与你们身边的植物紧密相连。

That's really amazing.

那确实令人吃惊。

So I feel like we should be talking about gross stuff early and often

所以我认为我们应该 尽早并且频繁的与年轻人

with young people,

谈论恶心的东西，

so they feel like they're actually allowed to claim this bigger picture

让他们真切地感受到需要 体会我们星球上的生命中

of life on our planet.

广阔的一面。

The good news is that for many of us, the fascination with gross stuff

对大多数人来说好消息是： 恶心事物的乐趣

doesn't exactly go away,

并未消失殆尽，

we just kind of pretend like it's not there.

我们只是有意无意地忽视了它们的存在。

But truthfully, we all spend sort of a big part of our lives

但事实上，我们一生中 都花费了很长时间

just trying not to be gross.

试着摆脱恶心的感觉。

When you really think about it,

当你们认真思考它时，

we're sort of just like bags of fluids and some weird tissues

我们也不过是皮包着骨头的 生物罢了——薄薄的皮肤

surrounded by a thin layer of skin.

包裹着液体和奇怪的组织。

And to a certain extent,

在有些情况下，

multiple times a day, whether consciously or subconsciously,

有意或无意间，我需要 在一天中多次提醒自己

I need to remind myself not to fart publicly.

不要在公众场所放屁。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

You know, we're desperately trying to avoid being gross all the time,

很显然，我们总是不顾一切地 尝试躲避恶心的东西。

so I think many of us take this kind of voyeuristic delight

所以我认为大多数人会 将这种偷窥的愉悦

in learning about gross things.

运用到恶心的事物上。

This is certainly true of kids;

尤其是儿童。

the number of middle school teachers who show my videos

在科学课堂上展示我的视频的

in their science classes

中学老师的数量

is a testament to that.

就是很好的证明。

But I think it's totally true of adults, too.

但我认为这个观点也适用于成人。

You know, I think we all love hearing about gross stories,

我认为我们都 喜欢听闻恶心的故事，

because it's a socially acceptable way to explore the gross side of ourselves.

毕竟，探索我们自己恶心的一面， 在社会层面上是可以接受的。

But there's this other reason

但让我觉得

that I think talking about gross stuff is so important.

谈论恶心的东西很重要， 还有着另一层原因。

A while back, I made a video on tonsil stones -- sorry, everyone --

前不久，我制作了一个关于扁桃体结石的 视频——抱歉让大家觉得不舒服——

which are these balls of mucus and bacteria and food

这些镶嵌在你们扁桃体的 粘液球，细菌和食物

that get lodged in your tonsils and they smell really terrible,

味道非常难闻，

sometimes you cough them up and it's like -- it's awful.

有时候会随着咳嗽喷出来， 让人感到很恶心。

And many, many people have experienced this.

不少人都有过这样的经历。

But many of the people who have experienced this

但经历过这一过程的很多人，

haven't really had a forum to talk about it.

并未真正公开讨论过这个问题。

And today, this video that I made is my most popular video.

时至今日，我制作的这个视频 仍然是所有视频中最流行的一个。

It has millions of views.

有几百万的点击率。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

And the comment section for that video became sort of like a self-help section,

并且那个视频的评论区变得 有点像一个励志互助区，

where people could talk about their tonsil stone experiences

人们可以谈论他们 扁桃体结石的经历，

and, like, tips and tricks for getting rid of them.

比如摆脱它们的方法和策略。

And I think it became this great way for people to talk about something

这已经成了人们敞开心扉

直面问题的绝佳途径。

that they'd never felt comfortable taking about publicly.

And that is wonderful when it's about something as goofy as tonsil stones,

能讨论诸如扁桃体结石一类 恶心的东西，确实大快人心，

but it's a little sad when a video can have an effect like that

然而对于一个有相同影响力的视频，

when it's about something as common as periods.

例如月经一类的平常事物， 情况就不那么乐观了。

Last February, I released a video on menstruation,

去年二月，我发布了 一个有关月经的视频，

and to this day, I am still getting messages

一直到今天，我仍会收到

from people around the globe who are asking me about their periods.

来自全世界人们 关于自己月经问题的留言。

There are a lot of young people -- and some not-so-young people -- out there,

许多年轻人——还包括 年纪稍大一些的人——

who are worried that what's happening to their bodies

担心她们身体

is somehow not normal.

出现了一些异常。

And, of course, I always tell them that I am not a medical professional,

当然，我总告诉她们我不是医学专家，

and that, if possible, they should talk to a doctor.

如果可能的话，她们应该去咨询医生。

But the truth of the matter is that everyone should feel comfortable

但事实上：所有人应该很自然地

talking to a doctor about their own bodies.

与医生谈论她们自己的身体。

And that's why I think it's really important for us

这也是为什么我觉得

从年轻时开始直面恶心事物 对我们来说很重要，

to start this dialogue about gross stuff from a pretty early age,

so we can let our kids know

这样就可以让我们的孩子们懂得：

that it's alright to have agency over your own body

应该有人关心你们的身体，

and over your own health.

对你们的健康负责。

There's another reason that talking to your doctor

与医生谈论健康和

about your health and gross stuff

恶心的东西很重要的

另外一个原因是，

is really, really important.

Doctors and the scientific community can only address issues

医生和科研人员只有了解哪里出了问题，

when they know there's something to address.

才能有针对性地解决这些问题。

So one of the really interesting things I learned

当制作关于月经的视频时，我所了解的

一件非常有趣的事是：

while making the video on periods,

is that I was talking to this one scientist who told me

曾经有一名科学家告诉我，

there's actually still a lot we don't know about periods.

我们关于月经的认知实际上还很有限。

There's a lot of basic research that still hasn't been done.

许多基础研究尚未完成。

In part, that's just because there weren't a lot of scientists in the field

部分原因是，很多该领域的科学家，

who were women, to ask questions about it.

尤其是女性，并未对月经表达出任何疑问。

And it's also not a topic that women talk about publicly.

这也不是女性们会公开讨论的话题。

So there's this gap in what we know,

我们在认知上的缺陷，

just because no one was there to ask a question.

正是因为没人提出问题。

There's one final reason that I think talking about gross stuff is so important,

我认为谈论恶心的东西很重要， 还有最后一层原因：

and that's because you just never know what you're going to find

当剥开恶心的外皮时，

when you peel back all those layers of disgustingness.

你们并不知道会有什么样的发现。

So, take the California brown sea hare.

例如加州的棕色海兔。

This is a sea slug that squirts this lovely, bright purple ink

这是一种向捕食者喷射这种可爱， 明亮的紫色墨水的

at any creature that tries to eat it.

海蛞蝓。

But it also happens to be one of the kinkiest creatures

它同时也适用于动物界中

in the animal kingdom.

最扭曲的生物。

So these guys are hermaphrodites,

它们就是两性生物，

which means they have both male and female genitalia.

意味着它们兼具雌雄生殖器官。

And when it's time to mate,

当到了交配的时期，

up to 20 individuals will all get together in this kind of, like, conga line

像（古巴的）康加舞一样， 20多个个体会聚集一堂，

and they'll all mate together.

互相交配。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

A single sea hare will inseminate the partner in front of it

单只海兔会向正前方的配偶射精，

and receive sperm from the one behind,

并接受后方的精子。

which is sort of like an awesome time-saver,

这倒是个省时省力的好方法，

when you think about it.

不妨想象一下。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But if scientists had only seen this and they were like,

但当科学家看到这个景象时，会说：

"OK, we're just not going to touch that with a stick,"

“好吧，还是不要去碰它们，”

they would have missed the bigger thing about sea hares

但这样一来，他们就会错过 关于海兔更重要的

that makes them really remarkable.

着实夺人眼球的事情。

It turns out that these sea hares have a small number of very large neurons,

事实是：这些海兔仅有 少量的巨大神经元，

which makes them excellent to use in neuroscience research.

这使得它们非常适合 被用于神经科学研究。

And, in fact, the scientist Eric Kandel used them in his research

事实上，科学家艾瑞克 · 坎德尔 将它们运用在了他的实验中，

to understand how memories are stored.

以理解记忆是如何存储的。

And you know what?

大家知道吗？

He won a Nobel Prize for his work.

他还因此获得了诺贝尔奖。

So go out there and pick up beetles and play in dirt and ask questions.

所以走出家门，捡拾甲壳虫， 玩玩泥巴，并心怀好奇。

And own your fascination with gross stuff and don't be ashamed of it,

驾驭你们对恶心事物的兴趣，不要胆怯。

because you never know what you're going to find.

因为你们永远不知道你会发现什么。

And as I say at the end of all my videos,

就像我在所有视频的结尾说的：

"Ew."

“好恶心哦！”

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）