How humans could evolve to survive in space | Lisa Nip

譯者: 易帆 余 審譯者: Tim Lan

So there are lands few and far between on Earth itself

地球本身， 無論以甚麼標準來衡量，

that are hospitable to humans by any measure,

適宜人類居住的土地並不多，

but survive we have.

那些土地僅僅是 可以讓我們生存而已。

Our primitive ancestors, when they found their homes and livelihood endangered,

我們遠古的祖先，當他們發現他們的 家園或居住的地方有危險時，

they dared to make their way into unfamiliar territories

他們就會勇敢地前往未知的領土，

in search of better opportunities.

去尋找更好的機會。

And as the descendants of these explorers,

做為他們的後代，

we have their nomadic blood coursing through our own veins.

我們的血液中也淌流著 他們游牧民族的血統。

But at the same time,

但與此同時，

distracted by our bread and circuses

當我們被食物與娛樂，

and embroiled in the wars that we have waged on each other,

以及人類之間 糾纏不清的戰爭沖昏頭時，

it seems that we have forgotten this desire to explore.

似乎也讓我們忘掉了 對探險的渴望。

We, as a species, we're evolved uniquely

身為人類物種的我們， 我們獨特的演化，

for Earth, on Earth, and by Earth,

讓我們可以生活在地球、 居住在地球，

and so content are we with our living conditions

但良好的居住條件， 讓我們越來越自滿，

that we have grown complacent and just too busy

然後忙到沒察覺到我們 地球的資源是有限的，

to notice that its resources are finite,

and that our Sun's life is also finite.

我們太陽的生命 也是有限的。

While Mars and all the movies made in its name

而當火星和所有以它為命名 的電影開始蓬勃發展後，

have reinvigorated the ethos for space travel,

重振了太空旅行的精神，

few of us seem to truly realize that our species' fragile constitution

少數人似乎也開始真正地了解到 我們人類的脆弱體質，

is woefully unprepared for long duration journeys into space.

根本還沒準備好要適應 曠日持久的太空旅途。

Let us take a trek to your local national forest

讓我們回到各位 當地的國家森林，

for a quick reality check.

來做一個真實的小測驗。

So just a quick show of hands here:

請各位快速地舉一下手：

how many of you think you would be able to survive in this lush wilderness

你們當中有多少人，認為自己 可以在這樣蔥翠的野外

for a few days?

生存上幾天？

Well, that's a lot of you.

好的，有很多人。

How about a few weeks?

那幾個禮拜呢？

That's a decent amount.

還蠻多的。

How about a few months?

那幾個月呢？

That's pretty good too.

也還不錯。

Now, let us imagine that this local national forest

現在讓我們想像一下， 這個國家森林

experiences an eternal winter.

正經歷著一個嚴厲的寒冬。

Same questions: how many of you think you would be able to survive for a few days?

同樣問題：你們當中有多少人， 認為自己可以生存個幾天？

That's quite a lot.

還蠻多人的。

How about a few weeks?

幾個禮拜呢？

So for a fun twist, let us imagine that the only source of water available

換一個有趣的角度， 讓我們想像一下，

唯一可用的水資源 被冰凍在好幾英哩的地底下。

is trapped as frozen blocks miles below the surface.

Soil nutrients are so minimal that no vegetation can be found,

土壤的養分相當有限， 根本找不到植物，

and of course hardly any atmosphere exists to speak of.

當然，更不用說， 幾乎沒有大氣存在。

Such examples are only a few of the many challenges we would face

這些例子，只是我們來到 像火星這樣的星球上後，

所要面臨的幾個挑戰。

on a planet like Mars.

So how do we steel ourselves for voyages whose destinations are so far removed

所以，我們要如何自我鍛鍊，

以適應目的地 不是去亞熱帶度假的旅程？

from a tropical vacation?

Will we continuously ship supplies from Planet Earth?

我們要不斷從地球 運輸補給品嗎？

Build space elevators, or impossible miles of transport belts

建立太空電梯嗎？

或是要建立一條長到不行的 連結地球和目的星球的輸送帶？

that tether your planet of choice to our home planet?

And how do we grow things like food that grew up on Earth like us?

以及，我們要如何在那個星球上 培養我們在地球上種植的食物？

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

但我這些想法目前都還不夠周延。

In our species' journey to find a new home under a new sun,

在我們尋找下一個 太陽系新家園時，

we are more likely than not going to be spending much time

我們不太可能把太多時間花在

in the journey itself,

旅途上、

in space,

（把時間花在）太空中、

on a ship, a hermetic flying can,

在一艘像密封罐頭的太空船中，

因為這可能會要好幾個 世代的演化才行。

possibly for many generations.

The longest continuous amount of time that any human has spent in space

人類在太空中度過的最長時間

is in the vicinity of 12 to 14 months.

差不多是 12 到 14 個月。

From astronauts' experiences in space,

從太空人的外太空經驗中，

we know that spending time in a microgravity environment

我們了解到，長時間 待在微重力的環境中，

means bone loss, muscle atrophy, cardiovascular problems,

會造成骨質流失、 肌肉萎縮、心血管疾病，

among many other complications

等各種其它生理上、 心理上的綜合症狀。

that range for the physiological to the psychological.

And what about macrogravity,

如果我們找到的星球上面

or any other variation in gravitational pull

有著超重力或各種其它引力，

of the planet that we find ourselves on?

我們的情況又會怎樣呢？

In short, our cosmic voyages will be fraught with dangers

簡單地說，我們的 宇宙旅行將充滿著

both known and unknown.

已知及未知的危險。

So far we've been looking to this new piece of mechanical technology

目前我們已經著手 運用這些新的機械技術，

or that great next generation robot

或下一代的新型機械人

as part of a lineup to ensure our species safe passage in space.

來作為確保人類的 太空旅程安全計畫的一部分。

Wonderful as they are, I believe the time has come

同樣令人讚嘆的事情就是， 我相信有一個時機已經來臨，

for us to complement these bulky electronic giants

能讓我們彌補這些 笨重電子設備的不足，

with what nature has already invented:

那就是大自然的發明：

the microbe,

微生物，

a single-celled organism that is itself a self-generating, self-replenishing,

一個單細胞有機體

可自給自足的生物機器。

living machine.

It requires fairly little to maintain,

它只要一點點的資源 就可以維持生命，

offers much flexibility in design

在設計上也相當有靈活性，

and only asks to be carried in a single plastic tube.

而且它只需要我們用一個 塑膠管運輸它就可以了。

The field of study that has enabled us to utilize the capabilities of the microbe

「合成生物學」這個領域的研究，

is known as synthetic biology.

已經使我們獲得運用微生物的能力。

It comes from molecular biology, which has given us antibiotics, vaccines

它源自於分子生物學， 這門學科已經提供我們抗生素、疫苗

and better ways to observe the physiological nuances

以及讓我們用更好的方式來觀察

of the human body.

人類生理上的細微差別。

Using the tools of synthetic biology,

利用合成生物學的工具，

we can now edit the genes of nearly any organism,

我們幾乎可以編輯各種有機體、

microscopic or not,

微生物或非微生物的基因，

with incredible speed and fidelity.

而且是以一種難以想像的 速度與準確度來編輯。

Given the limitations of our man-made machines,

鑑於人造機械有著許多局限性，

synthetic biology will be a means for us to engineer not only our food,

合成生物技術不僅 提供我們設計食物、

our fuel and our environment,

燃料和環境的方法，

but also ourselves

也能設計我們自己，

to compensate for our physical inadequacies

來彌補我們身體上的不足，

and to ensure our survival in space.

並確保我們能在太空中生存。

To give you an example

我舉一個例子，

of how we can use synthetic biology for space exploration,

我們如何應用合成生物技術 到太空探險的例子，

let us return to the Mars environment.

讓我們回到火星的環境。

The Martian soil composition is similar to that of Hawaiian volcanic ash,

火星的土壤與夏威夷 火山灰的成分類似，

with trace amounts of organic material.

上面都有微量的有機物質。

Let's say, hypothetically,

讓我們假設一下，

what if martian soil could actually support plant growth

如果火星的土壤不需要 使用從地球取得的養份

without using Earth-derived nutrients?

就能提供植物生長，那會怎樣？

The first question we should probably ask is,

我們應該問的第一個問題是：

how would we make our plants cold-tolerant?

要如何讓我們的 植物具有抗寒能力？

Because, on average, the temperature on Mars

因為，火星上的平均溫度

is a very uninviting negative 60 degrees centigrade.

是難以忍受的 攝氏零下60度。

The next question we should ask is,

下一個問題， 我們應該這樣問，

how do we make our plants drought-tolerant?

要如何讓我們的植物 具有抗旱能力？

Considering that most of the water that forms as frost

大多數的水源 是以霜的形式存在，

evaporates more quickly than I can say the word "evaporate."

蒸發的速度甚至快過 我說出「蒸發」這個詞。

Well, it turns out we've already done things like this.

其實，我們已經都能做的到了。

By borrowing genes for anti-freeze protein from fish

我們向魚借用了抗凍基因，

and genes for drought tolerance from other plants like rice

向水稻借用了抗旱的基因，

and then stitching them into the plants that need them,

並把這些基因片段 編輯到我們需要的植物上，

we now have plants that can tolerate most droughts and freezes.

讓我們現在有了 抗旱抗凍的植物。

They're known on Earth as GMOs,

它們就是大家所熟知的 基因改造食物

or genetically modified organisms,

或基因改造生物，

and we rely on them to feed all the mouths of human civilization.

我們仰賴它們來餵飽人類的口腹。

Nature does stuff like this already,

大自然已經在沒有我們的幫助下，

without our help.

做出了這樣的東西。

We have simply found more precise ways to do it.

我們只是找到了 更精確的方法來做這件事情。

So why would we want to change the genetic makeup of plants for space?

那麼，為什麼我們要為了探索太空 而去改變植物的基因呢？

Well, to not do so would mean needing to engineer

因為，如果不這樣做，我們就需要

endless acres of land on an entirely new planet

在一個全新的星球上 建造出好幾英畝的農田，

by releasing trillions of gallons of atmospheric gasses

這得釋放出上億加侖的 大氣層氣體，

and then constructing a giant glass dome to contain it all.

然後再造一個巨大的玻璃圓頂 來容納所有的空氣。

It's an unrealistic engineering enterprise

這是一個不實際的工程計畫，

that quickly becomes a high-cost cargo transport mission.

因為這會很容易演變成一個 高成本的運輸任務。

One of the best ways to ensure

其中一個能確保我們擁有足夠的 食物和空氣供給的最佳方式

that we will have the food supplies and the air that we need

is to bring with us organisms that have been engineered

就是把這些已經能適應艱困新環境的 基改生物一起帶到新的星球。

to adapt to new and harsh environments.

In essence, using engineered organisms to help us terraform a planet

本質上，

短期或長期而言，利用改造微生物， 可以幫助我們把一個星球給地球化。

both in the short and long term.

These organisms can then also be engineered to make medicine or fuel.

這些有機體之後也可以 被改造成藥物或燃料。

So we can use synthetic biology to bring highly engineered plants with us,

所以我們利用合成生物學， 可以做出高度改造的植物，

but what else can we do?

但我們還能做甚麼呢？

Well, I mentioned earlier that we, as a species,

我稍早有提到，我們人類

were evolved uniquely for planet Earth.

為了適應地球，演化出一種 獨特的適應能力。

That fact has not changed much in the last five minutes

這個事實在這五分鐘內 並沒有很大的改變，

that you were sitting here and I was standing there.

你還是坐在那， 我仍然站在這。

And so, if we were to dump any of us on Mars right this minute,

如果我們現在 就把幾個人丟到火星，

even given ample food, water, air

即使有足夠的食物、 水、空氣和太空裝，

and a suit,

we are likely to experience very unpleasant health problems

我們還是得面臨 非常難受的健康問題，

from the amount of ionizing radiation that bombards the surface

例如，地表放射出來的離子射線，

of planets like Mars that have little or nonexistent atmosphere.

以及要適應一個像火星這樣 幾乎沒有大氣層的星球。

Unless we plan to stay holed up underground

除非，我們準備計畫 去到每個新星球時，都躲在地底下，

for the duration of our stay on every new planet,

we must find better ways of protecting ourselves

我們必須找到更好的 方式來保護我們自己，

without needing to resort to wearing a suit of armor

甚至不需要求助於

that weighs something equal to your own body weight,

穿著和我們體重一樣重的盔甲裝，

or needing to hide behind a wall of lead.

或者需要躲在一面鉛板牆後面。

So let us appeal to nature for inspiration.

所以，讓我們回到大自然裡找靈感。

Among the plethora of life here on Earth,

地球上這些豐富多彩的生物中，

there's a subset of organisms known as extremophiles,

有機體裡有一個子集， 被稱為極端微生物，

or lovers of extreme living conditions,

或叫極端生活條件的愛好者，

if you'll remember from high school biology.

如果你還記得 高中的生物課的話。

And among these organisms is a bacterium by the name of Deinococcus radiodurans.

在這些微生物當中有一個細菌 叫做「耐輻射奇球菌」。

It is known to be able to withstand cold, dehydration, vacuum, acid,

它是出了有名的可以耐寒、 耐旱、耐真空、耐酸

and, most notably, radiation.

還有最厲害的，耐輻射。

While its radiation tolerance mechanisms are known,

當它的抗輻射機制被發現後，

we have yet to adapt the relevant genes to mammals.

我們尚未採集相關的基因 運用到哺乳動物上。

To do so is not particularly easy.

要這樣做也不是特別容易。

There are many facets that go into its radiation tolerance,

要取得它的抗輻射能力 有很多方面需要考量，

and it's not as simple as transferring one gene.

也並不是轉移一個 基因就可以解決。

But given a little bit of human ingenuity

但只要投入一些人類的智慧，

and a little bit of time,

與一些時間，

I think to do so is not very hard either.

我想如果要做，也不會很困難。

Even if we borrow just a fraction of its ability to tolerate radiation,

即使如果我們只是要借用 它的一段抗輻射能力，

it would be infinitely better than what we already have,

也比我們現有皮膚上的 黑色素要好很多。

which is just the melanin in our skin.

Using the tools of synthetic biology,

運用合成生物技術的工具，

we can harness Deinococcus radiodurans' ability

我們可以利用 奇異球菌的抗輻射能力，

to thrive under otherwise very lethal doses of radiation.

在非常致命劑量的 輻射底下茁壯成長。

As difficult as it is to see,

我們難以想像，

homo sapiens, that is humans,

人類--智慧的現代人，

evolves every day,

每天都在演化，

and still continues to evolve.

而且還會持續演化。

Thousands of years of human evolution

人類這好幾千年的演化，

has not only given us humans like Tibetans,

不僅給了我們，

像是可以生存在 低濃度氧氣的藏族人，

who can thrive in low-oxygen conditions,

but also Argentinians, who can ingest and metabolize arsenic,

也給了我們可以攝取和 代謝砷的阿根廷人，

the chemical element that can kill the average human being.

而這種化學元素 對普通人而言確是致命的。

Every day, the human body evolves by accidental mutations

每天，人體藉由 意外的突變在進行演化，

that equally accidentally allow certain humans

意思就是意外地讓特定人種

to persevere in dismal situations.

在惡劣的條件下 生存保存下來。

But, and this is a big but,

但是，還有個很大的問題，

such evolution requires two things that we may not always have,

要有這樣的演化，必須有兩個條件， 而我們也不一定總是有，

or be able to afford,

或可以承受的起的，

and they are death and time.

它們就是--死亡與時間。

In our species' struggle to find our place in the universe,

在人類努力地在宇宙中 尋找適合地方的這段旅程，

we may not always have the time necessary

我們也許並沒有足夠的時間

for the natural evolution of extra functions

來自然演化出其它的能力

for survival on non-Earth planets.

來適應生存在非地球的星球上。

We're living in what E.O. Wilson has termed the age of gene circumvention,

我們現在生存在艾德華．威爾森先生 所稱的「基因風險規避的年代」

during which we remedy our genetic defects like cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy

這段期間，我們運用一些 臨時的外部補給品

規避了我們的基因缺陷， 像是囊性纖維化或肌肉萎縮症。

with temporary external supplements.

But with every passing day,

但隨著時間的遷移，

we approach the age of volitional evolution,

我們來到了「意願演化的年代」，

a time during which we as a species

一個身為人類的我們將有能力 決定我們自己基因命運的年代。

will have the capacity to decide for ourselves our own genetic destiny.

Augmenting the human body with new abilities

賦予人類身體新的能力

is no longer a question of how,

已經不再是「如何」的問題，

but of when.

而是「何時」的問題。

Using synthetic biology

利用合成生物技術

to change the genetic makeup of any living organisms,

來改變任何生物體的基因，

especially our own,

特別是我們自己，

is not without its moral and ethical quandaries.

這件事本身並沒有 道德和倫理上的矛盾。

Will engineering ourselves make us less human?

改變我們自己會讓我們 變得沒有人性嗎？

But then again, what is humanity

但話又說回來，甚麼是人性？

but star stuff that happens to be conscious?

是新科技產品產生了 意識狀況嗎？

Where should human genius direct itself?

還是人類的天賦 應該往哪個方向去？

Surely it is a bit of a waste to sit back and marvel at it.

可以肯定的是，坐在那邊 胡思亂想只是浪費時間。

How do we use our knowledge

我們要如何運用我們的知識

to protect ourselves from the external dangers

來保護我們自己， 避免外來的危險？

and then protect ourselves from ourselves?

還有保護我們自己， 避免彼此的傷害？

I pose these questions

我提出這些質疑，

not to engender the fear of science

並不是要製造對科學的恐懼，

but to bring to light the many possibilities

而是要把這件事點出來，讓大家討論 科學能提供給我們甚麼的各種可能性。

that science has afforded and continues to afford us.

We must coalesce as humans to discuss and embrace the solutions

我們人類必須一起討論 並擁抱這些解決方案，

not only with caution

不僅要謹慎，

but also with courage.

而且要勇敢。

Mars is a destination,

火星是一個目標，

but it will not be our last.

但不是我們最後的目的地。

Our true final frontier is the line we must cross

我們必須跨過最後那一道防線，

in deciding what we can and should make of our species' improbable intelligence.

來決定我們「可以且必須」為人類 貢獻出什麼樣不可思議的智慧。

Space is cold, brutal and unforgiving.

太空是寒冷、殘酷且無情的。

Our path to the stars will be rife with trials

我們通往星球的道路 將會充滿考驗，

that will bring us to question not only who we are

這不僅帶出了「我們是誰」的問題，

but where we will be going.

也帶出了「人類將往何處去」的問題。

The answers will lie in our choice to use or abandon the technology

答案取決於我們的選擇，

究竟我們從生命中慢慢累積來的技術， 是該利用它還是放棄它，

that we have gleaned from life itself,

and it will define us for the remainder of our term in this universe.

而這將為我們倖存下來的人 在宇宙中留下人類的定義。

Thank you.

謝謝各位。

(Applause)

（掌聲）