Sheila Patek: Measuring the fastest animal on earth

譯者: Meg Lee 審譯者: Joan Liu

If you'd like to learn how to play the lobster, we have some here.

如果你想要學習如何扮演龍蝦，我們這裡準備了一些。

And that's not a joke, we really do.

這不是在開玩笑的，我們真的準備了。

So come up afterwards and I'll show you how to play a lobster.

所以演講結束之後各位可以到台前來，我會示範如何扮演龍蝦。

So, actually, I started working on what's called the mantis shrimp

好的，實際上，我大約從幾年前

a few years ago because they make sound.

開始研究所謂的螳螂蝦，因為他們會製造聲音。

This is a recording I made of a mantis shrimp

這是我曾經錄製的螳螂蝦的聲音，

that's found off the coast of California.

就在加州沿海。

And while that's an absolutely fascinating sound,

雖然這絕對是一種令人徹底驚嘆的聲音，

it actually turns out to be a very difficult project.

實際要去研究卻非常困難。

And while I was struggling to figure out how and why mantis shrimp,

而當我掙扎著想要弄清楚螳螂蝦，或稱蝦蛄，

or stomatopods, make sound, I started to think about their appendages.

到底怎麼發出聲音，我開始注意到牠們的附屬枝

And mantis shrimp are called "mantis shrimp" after the praying mantises,

螳螂蝦這名字是由螳螂而來

which also have a fast feeding appendage. And I started to think,

螳螂也有類似這樣可以快速移動捕食的前附屬枝。所以我開始想

well, maybe it will be interesting, while listening to their sounds,

邊聽著牠們的聲音，我想著，這可能會非常有趣

to figure out how these animals generate very fast feeding strikes.

要是我可以弄清楚這些動物怎麼產生這樣非常快速的出擊行動。

And so today I'll talk about the extreme stomatopod strike,

所以今天我要談論的，就是關於螳螂蝦這樣急速的出擊捕食行為。

work that I've done in collaboration with Wyatt Korff and Roy Caldwell.

這是我和Wyatt Korff和Roy Caldwell一起進行的研究。

So, mantis shrimp come in two varieties:

好的，螳螂蝦可以分成兩種類型。

there are spearers and smashers.

穿刺型和粉碎型。

And this is a spearing mantis shrimp, or stomatopod.

這個是穿刺型的螳螂蝦，或蝦蛄

And he lives in the sand, and he catches things that go by overhead.

牠住在沙地裡，捕捉那些從牠頭上經過的動物。

So, a quick strike like that. And if we slow it down a bit,

就像是這樣快速的出擊，所以如果我們把這個速度放慢

this is the mantis shrimp -- the same species --

這是螳螂蝦，同樣的物種

recorded at 1,000 frames a second,

用每秒一千幅的速度錄製

played back at 15 frames per second.

用每秒15幅的慢速播放

And you can see it's just a really spectacular extension of the limbs,

你們可以看到，那只是個非常令人嘆為觀止的上臂延伸

exploding upward to actually just catch

爆炸性地向上，然後真的就接住

a dead piece of shrimp that I had offered it.

我為牠準備的蝦子碎片

Now, the other type of mantis shrimp is the smasher stomatopod,

現在，另外一種螳螂蝦則是粉碎型蝦蛄

and these guys open up snails for a living.

這些傢伙靠著拆開螺維生。

And so this guy gets the snail all set up and gives it a good whack.

所以這個傢伙，把螺擺好，接著給了牠一個重擊。

(Laughter)

(聽眾大笑)

So, I'll play it one more time.

我現在把這段影片再播一次

He wiggles it in place, tugs it with his nose, and smash.

牠把螺扭動到定點，用鼻子推，然後將之粉碎。

And a few smashes later, the snail is broken open, and he's got a good dinner.

幾次重擊之後，螺的殼被打開，他於是享用豐盛晚餐。

So, the smasher raptorial appendage can stab with a point at the end,

所以粉碎型蝦蛄可靠前枝末端穿刺。

or it can smash with the heel.

或著利用後跟粉碎。

And today I'll talk about the smashing type of strike.

今天我要談論的，主要是關於像這樣粉碎性的攻擊。

And so the first question that came to mind was,

所以我當時第一個想到的問題是，

well, how fast does this limb move?

恩，那麼牠的枝節可以移動的多快?

Because it's moving pretty darn fast on that video.

因為在那個影片中，它們移動得可還真快。

And I immediately came upon a problem.

接著我立刻遇到一個難題，

Every single high-speed video system in the biology department

柏克萊大學生物系裡頭每一台高速錄影機

at Berkeley wasn't fast enough to catch this movement.

都沒有快到可以捕捉這個動作

We simply couldn't capture it on video.

我們基本上沒辦法錄到這個行為。

And so this had me stymied for quite a long period of time.

這個問題，阻礙了我的研究很長一段時間。

And then a BBC crew came cruising through the biology department,

接著某天，有個英國廣播公司的工作人員來訪我們生物系，

looking for a story to do about new technologies in biology.

找尋適合拍攝「高科技在生物學的應用」這樣主題的故事。

And so we struck up a deal.

所以我們談了一個合作案，

I said, "Well, if you guys rent the high-speed video system

我說:「如果你們把可以捕捉到這些行為的

that could capture these movements,

高速錄影系統租給我們，

you guys can film us collecting the data."

你們可以側錄我們收集資料的過程。」

And believe it or not, they went for it. (Laughter)

相不相信?!他們竟然同意了。

So we got this incredible video system. It's very new technology --

所以我們得到了這個非常了不起的錄影系統。是非常新的技術，

it just came out about a year ago --

大約一年前才上市。

that allows you to film at extremely high speeds in low light.

它可以讓你在非常微弱的光線中，以極高的速度來錄影。

And low light is a critical issue with filming animals,

微弱的光線經常是錄製動物行為的關鍵問題，

because if it's too high, you fry them. (Laughter)

因為如果溫度太高，你會炸了這些動物。

So this is a mantis shrimp. There are the eyes up here,

這是螳螂蝦，牠們的眼睛在上面，

and there's that raptorial appendage, and there's the heel.

這就是掠食的副肢，這是足跟

And that thing's going to swing around and smash the snail.

那就是會來回擺動粉碎螺著東西

And the snail's wired to a stick,

這是一個附著在一個棒子上的螺

so he's a little bit easier to set up the shot. And -- yeah.

所以他比較容易架設錄影機，接著，對。

(Laughter)

(聽眾笑聲)

I hope there aren't any snail rights activists around here.

我希望這裡沒有推廣「螺權」的激進份子，

(Laughter)

(聽眾笑聲)

So this was filmed at 5,000 frames per second,

這是以每秒五千畫幅拍攝的短片

and I'm playing it back at 15. And so this is slowed down 333 times.

而我是用每秒十五畫幅的速度在播放。所以這大概是333倍慢速。

And as you'll notice, it's still pretty gosh darn fast

你們會注意到，牠的動作其實還是驚人的快速。

slowed down 333 times. It's an incredibly powerful movement.

即使放慢了333倍速。這一就是個非常強而有力的動作。

The whole limb extends out. The body flexes backwards --

整個肢體往外延伸；身體向後彎曲，

just a spectacular movement.

相當引人入勝的一個動作。

And so what we did is, we took a look at these videos,

所以我們當時就是研究這些影片，

and we measured how fast the limb was moving

測量這枝節移動的速度有多快

to get back to that original question.

以回答我們最開始問的問題。

And we were in for our first surprise.

而我們面對了我們的第一個驚喜。

So what we calculated was that the limbs were moving

當時我們計算的結果，這些枝節是以

at the peak speed ranging from 10 meters per second

可高達每秒十公尺

all the way up to 23 meters per second.

至每秒二十三公尺的速度在運動

And for those of you who prefer miles per hour,

而對現場那些比較熟悉以時速為單位的聽眾

that's over 45 miles per hour in water. And this is really darn fast.

那換算起來便是以超過每小時七十公里的速度在移動。這是非常非常快的速度。

In fact, it's so fast we were able to add a new point

事實上，這速度快到我們得新增加一個點

on the extreme animal movement spectrum.

在動物急速運動的座標上。

And mantis shrimp are officially the fastest measured feeding strike

螳螂蝦，正式成為，擁有最快掠食攻擊速度的物種

of any animal system. So our first surprise.

在任何被量測過的動物系統中。所以，這是我們的第一個驚喜。

(Applause)

(聽眾鼓掌)

So that was really cool and very unexpected.

剛剛那個發現是出乎意料之外且非常厲害的。

So, you might be wondering, well, how do they do it?

那麼你接著可能會想，恩，那牠們是怎麼辦到的呢?

And actually, this work was done in the 1960s

事實上，這個問題在1960年就被研究過了

by a famous biologist named Malcolm Burrows.

是一位非常有名的生物學家Malcolm Burrows

And what he showed in mantis shrimp is that they use

他當時在螳螂蝦上面發現

what's called a "catch mechanism," or "click mechanism."

牠們是使用一種叫做捕捉或點擊的機制。

And what this basically consists of is a large muscle

這基本上包含了使用一塊大肌

that takes a good long time to contract,

花相當長的時間收縮

and a latch that prevents anything from moving.

還要一個插銷防止任何部位移動

So the muscle contracts, and nothing happens.

所以只有那塊肌肉收縮，除此之外沒有其他事情發生。

And once the muscle's contracted completely, everything's stored up --

當這塊肌肉完全收縮，所有的能量都儲存好

the latch flies upward, and you've got the movement.

直到這個銷往上飛，這個快速的動作就出現了。

And that's basically what's called a "power amplification system."

這個基本上稱作能量加成系統。

It takes a long time for the muscle to contract,

肌肉花很長的時間收縮，

and a very short time for the limb to fly out.

而枝節花了很短的時間飛出

And so I thought that this was sort of the end of the story.

所以當時我想這大概就是故事的結局。

This was how mantis shrimps make these very fast strikes.

這就是螳螂蝦如何快速的出擊。

But then I took a trip to the National Museum of Natural History.

可是，我接著去造訪國家自然史博物館。

And if any of you ever have a chance,

如果你們任何一位有機會，

backstage of the National Museum of Natural History

去看看國家自然史博物館的後台

is one of the world's best collections of preserved mantis shrimp. And what --

那是全世界保存螳螂蝦標本最完整個地方，然後

(Laughter)

(聽眾笑聲)

this is serious business for me.

這對我來說是非常嚴肅的事情。

(Laughter)

(聽眾笑聲)

So, this -- what I saw, on every single mantis shrimp limb,

所以，這個就是，我注意到螳螂蝦的每個枝節上

whether it's a spearer or a smasher,

不論是穿刺型或粉碎型，

is a beautiful saddle-shaped structure

牠們都有這個非常美麗的馬鞍型構造

right on the top surface of the limb. And you can see it right here.

在這些枝節最頂端表面上。而你在這裡可以看到。

It just looks like a saddle you'd put on a horse.

他看起來就像是那些你會放在馬匹上的馬鞍。

It's a very beautiful structure.

是非常美麗的結構。

And it's surrounded by membranous areas. And those membranous areas

這些馬鞍構造，被膜狀區域包圍。這些膜狀區域

suggested to me that maybe this is some kind of dynamically flexible structure.

讓我推測這可能是一種動力彈性的構造。

And this really sort of had me scratching my head for a while.

這的確讓我搔頭苦思了好一段時間。

And then we did a series of calculations, and what we were able to show

然後我們做了一些計算，我們得到的結論是

is that these mantis shrimp have to have a spring.

這些螳螂蝦一定都有彈簧。

There needs to be some kind of spring-loaded mechanism

牠們一定要有某種類似彈簧構造的機制

in order to generate the amount of force that we observe,

以累積我們觀察到那樣強大的能量、

and the speed that we observe, and the output of the system.

那樣的速度、還有那樣的系統。

So we thought, OK, this must be a spring --

所以我們想，好吧，那這個一定就是那個彈簧:

the saddle could very well be a spring.

這個馬鞍狀的東西很有可能就是彈簧。

And we went back to those high-speed videos again,

所以我們又把那些高速的影帶找出來，

and we could actually visualize the saddle compressing and extending.

我們可以確實看到那些鞍部構造收縮延伸。

And I'll just do that one more time.

我把這個片段再放一次。

And then if you take a look at the video --

你們仔細看這個片段:

it's a little bit hard to see -- it's outlined in yellow.

那有一點難以觀察，我用黃色標起來的區域。

The saddle is outlined in yellow. You can actually see it

我用黃色把鞍部標記起來。你們確實可以看到

extending over the course of the strike, and actually hyperextending.

它在出擊的過程中延展，實際上是過度伸展。

So, we've had very solid evidence showing

所以我們有非常強而有力的證據可以證明

that that saddle-shaped structure actually compresses and extends,

這些馬鞍形狀的構造確實會收縮延伸，

and does, in fact, function as a spring.

而實際上，正是像彈簧一般作用。

The saddle-shaped structure is also known as a "hyperbolic paraboloid surface,"

這個鞍型結構也被稱為一個雙曲拋物面，

or an "anticlastic surface."

或是一個鞍型面。

And this is very well known to engineers and architects,

這在工程或建築界裡是非常著名的，

because it's a very strong surface in compression.

因為這在壓縮的過程中是非常強壯的介面。

It has curves in two directions,

它有兩個方向不同的曲線，

one curve upward and opposite transverse curve down the other,

一面彎曲向上，相反的那面彎曲向下，

so any kind of perturbation spreads the forces

所以不管用那一搖晃

over the surface of this type of shape.

它都能讓能量區暈分散在兩面。

So it's very well known to engineers, not as well known to biologists.

所以在工程師界這是非常著名的，對生物學家來說卻不是。

It's also known to quite a few people who make jewelry,

這個構造對那些製作珠寶的人來說，也是相當熟悉，

because it requires very little material

因為製造這樣的表面，

to build this type of surface, and it's very strong.

只需要用到非常少的原料，但他卻非常強壯。

So if you're going to build a thin gold structure,

所以你如果要製作一個薄的黃金結構，

it's very nice to have it in a shape that's strong.

能用有一個夠強壯的形狀是好的。

Now, it's also known to architects. One of the most famous architects

這對建築師們來說也是非常熟悉的。非常著名的建築師之一

is Eduardo Catalano, who popularized this structure.

Eduardo Catalano就是以使用這個架構聞名。

And what's shown here is a saddle-shaped roof that he built

這裡顯示的，是他所建築的一個鞍型天花板

that's 87 and a half feet spanwise.

單曲面長約26.62公尺

It's two and a half inches thick, and supported at two points.

厚度只有6.35公分，就靠那兩點支撐。

And one of the reasons why he designed roofs this way is because it's --

他選擇用這樣的結構來設計屋頂的其中一個原因，

he found it fascinating that you could build such a strong structure

便是他驚訝的發現，你竟然可以用這樣少的材料

that's made of so few materials and can be supported by so few points.

建造這樣強壯的結構，而且只需要靠幾個點來支撐。

And all of these are the same principles that apply

而這些，全部都是利用同樣的原理

to the saddle-shaped spring in stomatopods.

像螳螂蝦的鞍型彈簧那樣。

In biological systems it's important not to have a whole lot

在生物系統裡，如果能不用多餘的原料

of extra material requirements for building it.

去產生一個結構是非常重要的。

So, very interesting parallels between the biological

所以，這是一個非常有趣的平行對照，

and the engineering worlds. And interestingly, this turns out --

在生物界與工程界之間。而有趣的是，

the stomatopod saddle turns out to be the first

結果螳螂蝦的鞍部，竟成為

described biological hyperbolic paraboloid spring.

第一個被發現的生物雙曲面彈簧結構

That's a bit long, but it is sort of interesting.

這故事有點長，但有些有趣。

So the next and final question was, well, how much force

所以下一個和最後一個問題是，那麼螳螂蝦

does a mantis shrimp produce if they're able to break open snails?

需要多少的力量才能打開一個螺？

And so I wired up what's called a load cell.

我因此設立的一個承種傳感器。

A load cell measures forces, and this is actually

承重傳感器，可以用來量測各種承重壓力，而這個實際上

a piezoelectronic load cell that has a little crystal in it.

壓電的承重傳感器，裡頭有一個小小的水晶。

And when this crystal is squeezed, the electrical properties change

當這顆水晶受到擠壓，按照不同推擠壓力的大小，

and it -- which -- in proportion to the forces that go in.

電器性能便會改變。

So these animals are wonderfully aggressive,

所以這些動物都具有非常美好的攻擊性，

and are really hungry all the time. And so all I had to do

而牠們總是處於飢餓狀態。所以我要做的

was actually put a little shrimp paste on the front of the load cell,

就只是放一點飼料在這個傳感器的前方，

and they'd smash away at it.

牠們便會對它發動攻擊。

And so this is just a regular video of the animal

這只是一個非常平常的短片

just smashing the heck out of this load cell.

只是這蝦子如何瘋狂試圖擊毀傳感器。

And we were able to get some force measurements out.

我們得以量測一些結果。

And again, we were in for a surprise.

然後再一次，又是個驚喜。

I purchased a 100-pound load cell, thinking,

我買了一個最高可測到一百磅(約45公斤)的傳感器，

no animal could produce more than 100 pounds at this size of an animal.

我心裡想，沒有任何這個尺寸的動物，可以製造出高於百磅的能量。

And what do you know? They immediately overloaded the load cell.

然而你怎麼會想到，牠們立刻就擊出超過傳感器負重的力量。

So these are actually some old data

這些實際上是一些舊的研究數據

where I had to find the smallest animals in the lab,

我找了一些實驗室裡最小的動物，

and we were able to measure forces of well over 100 pounds

卻量出了超越一百磅的能量，

generated by an animal about this big.

從這麼小的動物身上。

And actually, just last week I got a 300-pound load cell

而實際上，就在上個禮拜，我買了最多可以測到300磅(約135公斤)的傳感器

up and running, and I've clocked these animals generating

而我用此紀錄到這些蝦子

well over 200 pounds of force.

製造超過200磅的能量。

And again, I think this will be a world record.

又一次，我想這應該破了世界紀錄。

I have to do a little bit more background reading,

我得多讀一些背景研究的資料，

but I think this will be the largest amount of force produced

但是我想這應該會是這個尺寸的動物

by an animal of a given -- per body mass. So, really incredible forces.

所被記錄到製造出的最大能量。這是相當驚人的。

And again, that brings us back to the importance of that spring

所以這又把我們帶回到彈簧的重要性

in storing up and releasing so much energy in this system.

它在這個系統中儲存且釋放了這麼多能量。

But that was not the end of the story.

但這並不是故事的結局。

Now, things -- I'm making this sound very easy, this is actually a lot of work.

現在的進度是；喔，我把這講得好像很簡單，其實費了很大一段功夫。

And I got all these force measurements,

我把這些量測到的出擊力量，

and then I went and looked at the force output of the system.

和整個系統產出的能量相比。

And this is just very simple -- time is on the X-axis

這部分其實非常簡單，X軸是時間

and the force is on the Y-axis. And you can see two peaks.

能量在Y軸。你會看到有兩個高峰。

And that was what really got me puzzled.

這就是讓我非常困惑的部分。

The first peak, obviously, is the limb hitting the load cell.

第一個尖峰，顯然，是枝節點擊到傳感器的時候。

But there's a really large second peak half a millisecond later,

但是在不到百萬分之一秒間，有另外一個非常顯著的高峰，

and I didn't know what that was.

而我不知道那是什麼。

So now, you'd expect a second peak for other reasons,

所以現在，你會預期第二個高峰，基於其他因素，

but not half a millisecond later.

但是不是在不到百萬分之一秒之後。

Again, going back to those high-speed videos,

所以我們再次回去看高速影帶，

there's a pretty good hint of what might be going on.

那裡有個非常好的暗示，告訴我們可能發生了什麼事。

Here's that same orientation that we saw earlier.

這和我們稍早看到的是同一個方向

There's that raptorial appendage -- there's the heel,

這是攻擊用的附枝，這是後跟，

and it's going to swing around and hit the load cell.

牠正準備要揮拳擊打傳感器。

And what I'd like you to do in this shot is keep your eye on this,

而在這個鏡頭，我希望你們可以把注意力放在這裡，

on the surface of the load cell, as the limb comes flying through.

傳感器的表面，當蝦子把枝節揮舞過來的時候

And I hope what you are able to see is actually a flash of light.

我希望你們可以看到的，實際上是個閃光。

Audience: Wow.

聽眾：哇!!

Sheila Patek: And so if we just take that one frame, what you can actually see there

我們接著如果固定在這個畫面，你實際上可以看到

at the end of that yellow arrow is a vapor bubble.

在那個黃色的箭頭尾端有個水氣的泡泡。

And what that is, is cavitation.

而那其實，是個氣穴。

And cavitation is an extremely potent fluid dynamic phenomenon

氣穴是一個極端有力的流體動力現象

which occurs when you have areas of water

這個現象發生於一個水域中的水分子

moving at extremely different speeds.

以各種差異極大的速度移動。

And when this happens, it can cause areas of very low pressure,

當這個現象發生的時候，會讓這個區域產生非常低的壓力，

which results in the water literally vaporizing.

這個低壓，會讓水蒸發。

And when that vapor bubble collapses, it emits sound, light and heat,

當這些水氣的泡泡破掉的時候，它會發出聲音、光、和熱，

and it's a very destructive process.

這是一個非常具有破壞性的過程。

And so here it is in the stomatopod. And again, this is a situation

所以，這是那隻螳螂蝦。然後再一次，我們又回到同樣的情況

where engineers are very familiar with this phenomenon,

工程師們對於這個現象非常熟悉，

because it destroys boat propellers.

因為氣穴現象會破壞船隻的螺旋推進器。

People have been struggling for years to try and design

人們花了很多年努力嘗試和設計

a very fast rotating boat propeller that doesn't cavitate

一個可以快速轉動卻不會造成氣穴現象的螺旋槳

and literally wear away the metal and put holes in it,

一點都不誇張，氣穴會磨損金屬，在上面打出洞來，

just like these pictures show.

就像這些照片裡面顯示的。

So this is a potent force in fluid systems, and just to sort of take it one step further,

這是一個非常強而有力的流體系統，

I'm going to show you the mantis shrimp approaching the snail.

我將向你們展式螳螂蝦接近螺的片段。

This is taken at 20,000 frames per second, and I have to give

這是以每秒鐘兩萬片幅的速度拍攝，我得特別謝謝

full credit to the BBC cameraman, Tim Green, for setting this shot up,

英國皇家廣播公司的攝影師，Tim Green，架設拍攝這段影片，

because I could never have done this in a million years --

因為要是自己來，我一輩子都不可能完成這個影片的拍攝。

one of the benefits of working with professional cameramen.

這是其中一個和專業攝影師工作的好處。

You can see it coming in, and an incredible flash of light,

你可以看到有什麼正要發生，是一股令人驚嘆的閃光，

and all this cavitation spreading over the surface of the snail.

這些氣穴遍布螺殼的表面。

So really, just an amazing image,

所以，說真的，這純粹就是一個不可思議的畫面，

slowed down extremely, to extremely slow speeds.

我們把速度放慢，放得極慢。

And again, we can see it in slightly different form there,

然後，我們可以從這裡看到一些不一樣的東西，

with the bubble forming and collapsing between those two surfaces.

這些水氣怎樣在兩個表殼上生成和瓦解。

In fact, you might have even seen some cavitation going up the edge of the limb.

事實上，你可能已經看過這些氣穴從枝節的邊緣上升。

So to solve this quandary of the two force peaks:

所以，解答這個兩個出力高峰的問題:

what I think was going on is: that first impact is actually

我認為，第一個高峰，實際上

the limb hitting the load cell, and the second impact is actually

是枝節擊中傳感器上的時候，而第二個高峰，則是

the collapse of the cavitation bubble.

那些氣穴的水泡瓦解的時候。

And these animals may very well be making use of

而這些動物們，很有可能

not only the force and the energy stored with that specialized spring,

不單只是利用這個特製彈簧夾所儲存的能量，

but the extremes of the fluid dynamics. And they might actually be

而更進一步的利用了極端的流體動力。而牠們實際上

making use of fluid dynamics as a second force for breaking the snail.

有可能正是利用這些流體動力為牠們的第二進能量去擊毀螺殼。

So, really fascinating double whammy, so to speak, from these animals.

換句話說，是從這些動物們發出，非常令人驚嘆的雙重攻擊，

So, one question I often get after this talk --

有一個演講後，我經常被問到的問題，

so I figured I'd answer it now -- is, well, what happens to the animal?

我想不如現在一起回答，這個問題是，那螳螂蝦自己呢?

Because obviously, if it's breaking snails,

因為很明顯的，如果氣穴現象可以打破螺殼，

the poor limb must be disintegrating. And indeed it does.

那些可憐的枝節想必也被支解了。而沒錯，正是如此。

That's the smashing part of the heel on both these images,

這兩張照片中，都是後跟用來粉碎的部分，

and it gets worn away. In fact, I've seen them wear away

它們會被磨損。實際上，我就看過它們被磨損

their heel all the way to the flesh.

一路甚至可以看到肉。

But one of the convenient things about being an arthropod

但是身為螳螂蝦，有一件非常方便的事情就是

is that you have to molt. And every three months or so

牠們必須要蛻皮換殼。大概每三個月一次

these animals molt, and they build a new limb and it's no problem.

這些蝦蛄會開始蛻殼，長出新的枝節，所以沒有問題。

Very, very convenient solution to that particular problem.

對解決這個特定問題來說，是一個非常，非常方便的方案。

So, I'd like to end on sort of a wacky note.

所以，我想要為我的演講，下一個有點怪的結論。

(Laughter)

(聽眾笑聲)

Maybe this is all wacky to folks like you, I don't know.

或者整個演講對你們來說都很古怪，我不知道。

(Laughter)

(聽眾笑聲)

So, the saddles -- that saddle-shaped spring --

所以，鞍部，這些鞍狀的彈簧

has actually been well known to biologists for a long time,

實際上在生物學界已廣為人知，

not as a spring but as a visual signal.

不是以彈簧這個功用，而是視覺訊號。

And there's actually a spectacular colored dot

在很多不同種螳螂蝦的鞍部中央

in the center of the saddles of many species of stomatopods.

都有一個顏色引人入勝的彩色斑點。

And this is quite interesting, to find evolutionary origins

要找到這個班點，實際上是個彈簧，的演化源頭，

of visual signals on what's really, in all species, their spring.

是還滿有趣的一件事。

And I think one explanation for this could be

而我想其中一個解釋的可能

going back to the molting phenomenon.

我們得回到瞎子蛻皮的現象。

So these animals go into a molting period where they're

當這些蝦子經歷蛻皮的階段

unable to strike -- their bodies become very soft.

牠們沒有辦法發動攻擊，牠們的身體變得非常柔軟。

And they're literally unable to strike or they will self-destruct.

牠們真的沒辦法攻擊，不然牠們會傷害到自己。

This is for real. And what they do is, up until that time period

這是很嚴重的事。所以牠們解決的辦法，便是一直到

when they can't strike, they become really obnoxious and awful,

牠們沒辦法攻擊的期間，牠們會變得非常討厭和糟糕，

and they strike everything in sight; it doesn't matter who or what.

牠們會攻擊視野所見所有東西，不管是誰或是什麼東西。

And the second they get into that time point when they can't strike any more,

而當牠們進入沒辦法攻擊的瞬間，

they just signal. They wave their legs around.

牠們就發出訊號。牠們揮舞枝節。

And it's one of the classic examples in animal behavior of bluffing.

這是動物們吹牛的一個非常經典的行為。

It's a well-established fact of these animals

這在這個物種中已經是個建立的事實，

that they actually bluff. They can't actually strike, but they pretend to.

牠們真的會吹牛。牠們不能攻擊，可是牠們會假裝可以。

And so I'm very curious about whether those colored dots

所以我非常好奇那些鞍座中

in the center of the saddles are conveying some kind of information

的彩色斑點，是不是在傳遞某種訊息

about their ability to strike, or their strike force,

關於牠們發動突襲的能力，或強度，

and something about the time period in the molting cycle.

還有部份關於牠們在哪個蛻皮階段的資訊。

So sort of an interesting strange fact to find a visual structure

所以，在牠們彈簧鞍部的中間

right in the middle of their spring.

發現這樣一個視覺結構，還滿奇怪但有趣的。

So to conclude, I mostly want to acknowledge my two collaborators,

最後，我想要向我的兩個合作夥伴致謝，

Wyatt Korff and Roy Caldwell, who worked closely with me on this.

Wyatt Korff和Roy Caldwell兩位和我共同完成這個研究。

And also the Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science,

另外我也要感謝Miller Institute對基礎科學研究的資助，

which gave me three years of funding to just do science all the time,

它們贊助了我整整三年的研究基金，讓我專心做研究，

and for that I'm very grateful. Thank you very much.

為此，我心存感激。謝謝大家。

(Applause)

(聽眾鼓掌)