Let's scan the whole planet with LiDAR | Chris Fisher

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

翻译人员: Tina Cheng 校对人员: psjmz mz

The most astounding place I've ever been is the Mosquitia Rain Forest in Honduras.

我去过的最震撼的地方。 是洪都拉斯的莫斯基蒂亚雨林。

I've done archaeological fieldwork all over the world,

我在世界各地都做过考古调查，

so I thought I knew what to expect venturing into the jungle,

所以我以为我知道 丛林冒险会发生什么，

but I was wrong.

但是我错了。

For the first time in my life, I might add.

我以前从没错过，真的。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

First of all, it's freezing.

首先，太冷了。

It's 90 degrees, but you're soaking wet from the humidity,

气温虽然是32摄氏度， 但湿度很大，我浑身湿透，

and the canopy of trees is so thick that sunlight never reaches the surface.

因为树冠浓密 阳光永远不会到达地面。

You can't get dry.

我一直就湿漉漉的。

Immediately, I knew that I hadn't brought enough clothing.

我马上意识到衣服没带够。

That first night, I kept feeling things moving underneath my hammock,

第一个晚上，我老觉得 吊床下面有东西，

unknown creatures brushing and poking against the thin nylon fabric.

在薄薄的尼龙布下面 蹭来蹭去。

And I could barely sleep through all the noise.

而我根本无法睡着，因为噪音很大。

The jungle is loud. It's shockingly loud.

丛林里很吵，令人震惊的吵。

It's like being downtown in a bustling city.

就像在繁华都市的市中心。

As the night wore on,

随着夜晚过去，

I became increasingly frustrated with my sleeplessness,

失眠使我越来越沮丧，

knowing I had a full day ahead.

因为知道明天有很多事儿要干。

When I finally got up at dawn,

当我终于在黎明时分起床。

my sense of unseen things was all too real.

发现我对那些看不见的东西 的感知都十分真实。

There were hoofprints, paw prints,

有蹄印、爪印，

linear snake tracks everywhere.

还有蛇爬过的痕迹。

And what's even more shocking,

最令人震惊的是，

we saw those same animals in the daylight,

在白天我们看到了那些留下印记的动物，

and they were completely unafraid of us.

它们一点都不怕我们。

They had no experience with people.

它们没有和人相处的经验。

They had no reason to be afraid.

没有理由害怕。

As I walked toward the undocumented city, my reason for being there,

当我走向这个未被记录的城市， 也就是我此行的目的地，

I realized that this was the only place that I had ever been

我发现这是我去过的地方里

where I didn't see a single shred of plastic.

唯一一个看不到一点塑料的地方。

That's how remote it was.

这地方就是这么偏远。

Perhaps it's surprising to learn

知道我们的星球上

that there are still places on our planet that are so untouched by people,

仍有一些地方没被人类踏足， 也许会让人感到惊讶，

but it's true.

但这是事实。

There are still hundreds of places where people haven't stepped for centuries

仍有数百个地点，上千年来没有人去过，

or maybe forever.

甚至从来没有人去过。

It's an awesome time to be an archaeologist.

现在是当考古学家的绝好时代。

We have the tools and the technology

我们有工具和技术

to understand our planet like never before.

去前所未有地了解我们的地球。

And yet, we're running out of time.

但是，我们快没时间了。

The climate crisis threatens to destroy our ecological and cultural patrimony.

气候危机有可能摧毁 我们的生态和文化遗产。

I feel an urgency to my work

我觉得我的工作很紧迫，

that I didn't feel 20 years ago.

而这种紧迫感在20年前是没有的。

How can we document everything before it's too late?

我们要如何记录下这一切，趁还来得及？

I was trained as a traditional archaeologist

我受训成为一名传统的考古学家，

using methodologies that have been around since the '50s.

用的是上世纪50年代以来的方法。

That all changed in July of 2009

这一切都在2009年7月

in Michoacán, Mexico.

的墨西哥米切肯州发生了变化。

I was studying the ancient Purépecha Empire,

我正在研究古代的普雷佩查帝国，

which is a lesser known but equally important contemporary

它与阿兹特克王朝同一时期，同样重要，

of the Aztec.

却不那么出名。

Two weeks earlier, my team had documented an unknown settlement,

两个星期前，我的团队 记录了一个未知的定居点，

so we were painstakingly mapping, building foundations by hand --

我们精心还原建筑物的地基，徒手操作，

hundreds of them.

有好几百个之多。

Basic archaeological protocol is to find the edge of a settlement

考古的基本规则是 找到定居点的边缘，

so you know what you're dealing with,

这样你就对这个定居点心里有数，

and my graduate students convinced me to do just that.

我的研究生们就让我去做这件事。

So I grabbed a couple of CLIF Bars, some water, a walkie,

于是我拿了几个巧克力棒， 一些水，一个对讲机，

and I set out alone on foot,

就一个人步行出发了，

expecting to encounter "the edge" in just a few minutes.

我觉得走到“边缘”，也就几分钟的事吧。

A few minutes passed.

几分钟过去了。

And then an hour.

然后一个小时过去了。

Finally, I reached the other side of the malpais.

终于，我到达了熔岩区的另一头。

Oh, there were ancient building foundations all the way across.

而这一路上都是古建筑地基。

It's a city?

这是个城市吗？

Oh, shit.

我的天啊。

(Laughter)

真的是个城市。

It's a city.

（笑声）

Turns out that this seemingly small settlement

原来这个看似很小的定居点，

was actually an ancient urban megalopolis,

其实是一个古老的巨大城市，

26 square kilometers in size,

面积26平方公里，

with as many building foundations as modern-day Manhattan,

拥有和现代曼哈顿一样多的建筑地基，

an archaeological settlement so large

这个定居点如此之大，

that it would take me decades to survey fully,

我需要几十年的时间才能完全调查清楚，

the entire rest of my career,

这几乎要贯穿我剩下的职业生涯，

which was exactly how I didn't want to spend the entire rest of my career --

然而，我并不想在这干到退休啊，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

sweating, exhausted,

汗流浃背，精疲力尽，

placating stressed-out graduate students --

安抚压力过大的研究生们，

(Laughter)

（笑声）

tossing scraps of PB and J sandwiches

把吃剩的花生果酱三明治

to feral dogs,

扔给野狗，

which is pointless, by the way,

扔了也白扔，

because Mexican dogs really don't like peanut butter.

因为墨西哥狗真的不喜欢花生酱。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Just the thought of it bored me to tears.

光想想都无聊得可怕。

So I returned home to Colorado,

所以当我回到科罗拉多州，

and I poked my head through a colleague's door.

跟我的同事说，

"Dude, there's gotta be a better way."

“伙计，我们得想想更好的办法。”

He asked if I had heard of this new technology called LiDAR --

他问我有没有听过一种新科技 叫LiDAR（激光雷达）——

是“光探测和测距”的缩写。

Light Detection And Ranging.

I looked it up.

我查了查。

LiDAR involves shooting a dense grid of laser pulses

激光雷达从飞机上向地面

from an airplane to the ground's surface.

发射密集的激光脉冲。

What you end up with is a high-resolution scan

你会得到一张高清扫描图，

of the earth's surface and everything on it.

包含了地形和地表上所有的一切。

It's not an image,

它不是一张图片，

but instead it's a dense, three-dimensional plot of points.

而是高密度的三维点阵图。

We had enough money in the scan,

我们有钱做扫描，

so we did just that.

于是我们就做了。

The company went to Mexico,

公司去了墨西哥，

they flew the LiDAR

飞了激光雷达，

and they sent back the data.

把数据发了回来。

Over the next several months, I learned to practice digital deforestation,

在之后的几个月， 我学会了数字砍伐森林，

filtering away trees, brush and other vegetation

滤除树木、灌木和其他植被，

to reveal the ancient cultural landscape below.

让底下的古文化景观显露出来。

When I looked at my first visualization,

当我看着第一幅成品图，

I began to cry,

我哭了起来，

which I know comes as quite a shock to you,

我知道你们非常震惊，

given how manly I must seem.

因为我看起来是个硬汉。

（笑声）

(Laughter)

In just 45 minutes of flying,

在短短45分钟的飞行中，

the LiDAR had collected the same amount of data

激光雷达收集的数据量，

as what would have taken decades by hand:

如果靠人力来做，需要花数十年时间，

every house foundation,

每一间房子的地基，

building, road and pyramid,

建筑物，道路和金字塔，

incredible detail,

难以置信的细节，

representing the lives of thousands of people

反映了成千上万人的生活，

who lived and loved and died in these spaces.

他们在这里经历生老病死、人间百态。

And what's more, the quality of the data

更重要的是，数据的质量

wasn't comparable to traditional archaeological research.

是传统的考古研究没法比的。

It was much, much better.

它要好的太多。

I knew that this technology would change the entire field of archaeology

我认为这项技术会改变整个考古学，

in the coming years,

这一天很快就会到来，

and it did.

事实也的确如此。

Our work came to the attention of a group of filmmakers

我们的工作引起了一群电影制作人的注意，

who were searching for a legendary lost city in Honduras.

他们在洪都拉斯 寻找一座传说中的失落城市。

They failed in their quest,

他们的探索失败了，

but they instead documented an unknown culture,

但因为使用激光雷达，

now buried under a pristine wilderness rain forest,

他们证实了一个被埋在原始荒野雨林下，

using LiDAR.

从未有人踏足的文化。

I agreed to help interpret their data,

我答应帮助解析他们的数据，

which is how I found myself deep in that Mosquitia jungle,

这也是为什么我会身处莫斯基蒂亚雨林深处，

plastic-free and filled with curious animals.

这里人迹罕至，充满好奇的动物。

Our goal was to verify that the archaeological features

我们的目标是验证那些通过激光雷达

we identified in our LiDAR

发现的考古特征

were actually there on the ground,

真的存在于地面上，

and they were.

它们真的存在。

Eleven months later, I returned with a crack team of archaeologists

11个月后，我带领 一支精锐的考古队回来了，

sponsored by the National Geographic Society

由国家地理学会和洪都拉斯政府

and the Honduran government.

提供赞助。

In a month, we excavated over 400 objects

一个月内，我们从现在被称为 “美洲豹之城“的地方

from what we now call the City of the Jaguar.

挖掘出超过400件文物。

We felt a moral and ethical responsibility to protect this site as it was,

我们觉得，保护这个地方不受破坏， 是我们的道德责任，

but in the short time that we were there,

但就在我们在那停留的短时间内，

things inevitably changed.

很多事情不可避免地改变了。

The tiny gravel bar where we first landed our helicopter was gone.

我们第一次降落直升机的 那片小河滩已经不见了。

The brush had been cleared away and the trees removed

我们清理灌木丛，砍掉树木，

to create a large landing zone for several helicopters at once.

为的是修建一片大点的降落场， 能让几架直升机同时降落。

Without it,

没有这些植被，

after just one rainy season,

仅仅过了一个雨季，

the ancient canals that we had seen in our LiDAR scan

我们在激光雷达扫描中 见到的古代运河，

were damaged or destroyed.

已经被损害甚至被摧毁了。

And the Eden I described soon had a large clearing,

而我所说的伊甸园 很快就有了一大片空地，

central camp,

中心营地，

lights

灯光

and an outdoor chapel.

和一个户外小教堂。

In other words, despite our best efforts to protect the site as it was,

换句话说，尽管我们尽了最大努力 来保护遗址的原貌，

things changed.

还是有很多事情改变了。

Our initial LiDAR scan of this City of the Jaguar

我们对“美洲豹之城” 最初的激光雷达扫描，

is the only record of this place as it existed just a few years ago.

是唯一能还原它几年前样子的记录。

And broadly speaking,

总体上说，

this is a problem for archaeologists.

这对考古学家来说是一个问题。

We can't study an area without changing it somehow,

我们研究一片区域， 就不可避免地会改变它，

and regardless, the earth is changing.

不管怎样，地球都在改变。

Archaeological sites are destroyed.

考古遗址被破坏。

History is lost.

历史被丢失。

Just this year, we watched in horror

就在今年，我们惊恐地看着

as the Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames.

巴黎圣母院被烧毁。

The iconic spire collapsed,

标志性的尖塔倒塌了，

and the roof was all but destroyed.

屋顶全部被摧毁。

Miraculously, the art historian Andrew Tallon and colleagues

神奇的是，艺术史学家 安德鲁·塔伦和他的同事，

scanned the cathedral in 2010 using LiDAR.

在2010年用激光雷达 扫描了这座大教堂。

At the time, their goal was to understand how the building was constructed.

当时的目标是了解 这座建筑物是如何建造的。

Now, their LiDAR scan is the most comprehensive record of the cathedral,

现在，他们的激光雷达扫描是 对大教堂最全面的记录，

and it'll prove invaluable in the reconstruction.

这对重建十分宝贵。

They couldn't have anticipated the fire

他们不可能预料到这场大火，

or how their scan would be used,

也不知道扫描图会派上什么用场，

but we're lucky to have it.

但我们何其幸运能拥有它。

We take for granted that our cultural and ecological patrimony

我们理所当然地认为， 我们的文化和生态遗产

will be around forever.

将永远存在。

It won't.

它们不会的。

Organizations like SCI-Arc and Virtual Wonders

南加利福尼亚州建筑学院和 虚拟奇迹这样的组织

are doing incredible work

正在做很棒的工作，

to record the world's historic monuments,

他们记录世界历史古迹，

but nothing similar exists for the earth's landscapes.

但还没有人去记录地球景观。

We've lost 50 percent of our rain forests.

我们已经损失了50%的雨林。

We lose 18 million acres of forest every year.

我们每年损失73000平方公里森林。

And rising sea levels will make cities, countries and continents

上升的海平面将使城市、国家和大陆

completely unrecognizable.

变得无法辨认。

Unless we have a record of these places,

除非我们有这些地方的记录，

no one in the future will know they existed.

否则未来不会有人知道它们的存在。

If the earth is the Titanic,

如果地球是泰坦尼克号，

we've struck the iceberg,

我们已经撞上冰山，

everyone's on deck

所有人都在甲板上，

and the orchestra is playing.

然后乐团在演奏。

The climate crisis threatens to destroy our cultural and ecological patrimony

气候危机有可能在几十年内

within decades.

摧毁我们的文化和生态遗产。

But sitting on our hands and doing nothing

我们不能无动于衷地坐着，

is not an option.

什么也不做。

Shouldn't we save everything we can on the lifeboats?

我们难道不应该尽全力救下每一个人吗？

(Applause)

（掌声）

Looking at my scans from Honduras and Mexico,

看着我在洪都拉斯和墨西哥做的扫描，

it's clear that we need to scan, scan, scan

很明显我们需要扫描，扫描，扫描

now as much as possible,

现在就做，越多越好，

while we still can.

趁我们还来得及。

That's what inspired the Earth Archive,

这就是地球档案的灵感来源，

an unprecedented scientific effort

这是一次前所未有的科学努力，

to LiDAR-scan the entire planet,

用激光雷达扫描整个地球，

starting with areas that are most threatened.

从最受威胁的地区开始。

Its purpose is threefold.

它的使命有三种。

Number one: create a baseline record of the earth as it exists today

第一：创建一个地球现状的基本档案

to more effectively mitigate the climate crisis.

来更有效地缓和气候危机。

To measure change, you need two sets of data:

要测量变化，你需要两组数据：

a before and an after.

之前和之后。

Right now, we don't have a high-resolution before data set

现在，我们没有高分辨率的“之前”的数据，

for much of the planet,

地球大部分地区的都没有，

so we can't measure change,

所以我们无法衡量变化，

and we can't evaluate which of our current efforts

我们也无法测量 目前为了对抗环境破坏

to combat the climate crisis

所做的努力，

are making a positive impact.

哪些是有实质效果的。

Number two: create a virtual planet

第二：创造一个虚拟地球，

so that any number of scientists can study our earth today.

这样任何科学家都可以 研究我们今天的地球。

Archaeologists like me can look for undocumented settlements.

像我一样的考古学家可以 寻找没有被发现过的遗址。

Ecologists can study tree size,

生态学家可以研究树木的大小，

forest composition and age.

森林成分和年龄。

Geologists can study hydrology,

地质学家可以研究水文、

faults, disturbance.

断层、扰动。

The possibilities are endless.

有无数种可能性。

Number three: preserve a record of the planet

第三：为我们的子孙后代

for our grandchildren's grandchildren,

保存地球的记录，

so they can reconstruct and study lost cultural patrimony in the future.

让他们可以在未来 重组和研究那些遗失的文化遗产。

As science and technology advance,

随着科学和技术的发展，

they'll apply new tools, algorithms,

他们会使用新的工具和算法，

even AI to LiDAR scans done today,

甚至人工智能来做激光雷达扫描，

and ask questions that we can't currently conceive of.

并提出我们目前无法想到的问题。

Like Notre Dame,

和圣母院一样，

we can't imagine how these records will be used.

我们无法想象这些记录会被如何使用。

But we know that they'll be critically important.

但是我们知道他们会变得非常重要。

The Earth Archive is the ultimate gift to future generations,

地球档案是一份给子孙后代的终极礼物，

because the truth be told,

因为实话实说，

I won't live long enough to see its full impact,

我有生之年无法看到它的全部影响，

and neither will you.

你们也不能。

That's exactly why it's worth doing.

这正是值得我们去做的原因。

The Earth Archive is a bet on the future of humanity.

地球档案是一个人类对未来的赌注。

It's a bet that together,

这是一个共同的赌注，

collectively,

所有人，

as people and as scientists,

无论是普通人还是科学家，

that we'll face the climate crisis

我们都将面临气候危机，

and that we'll choose to do the right thing,

我们选择做正确的事情，

not just for us today

不仅仅为今天的自己

but to honor those who came before us

也为了向前辈致敬，

and to pay it forward to future generations

并将这份遗产传承下去，

who will carry on our legacy.

交给我们的后代。

Thank you.

谢谢大家。

(Applause)

（掌声）