The wonderful world of life in a drop of water | Tom Zimmerman and Simone Bianco

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Melody Tang

Tom Zimmerman: We'd like to take you on a fantastic journey

湯姆·齊墨曼：我們想要 帶領各位踏上一段極棒的旅程，

to visit the creatures we call the Elders.

去造訪我們稱為「前輩」的生物，

We call them the Elders because a half a billion years ago

我們稱它們為前輩， 是因為在五十萬年前，

they tripled the amount of oxygen in the air,

它們讓空氣中的氧氣量增加為三倍，

which led to an explosion of life,

造成了生命劇增，

which led to all of us.

才會有我們所有人。

We call them the Elders, but you probably know them as plankton.

我們稱它們為前輩，但你們 可能聽過的名字是浮游生物。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, Simone is a physicist, and I'm an inventor.

西蒙尼是物理學家，我是發明家。

A couple of years ago,

幾年前，

I was giving a talk about an invention I made --

我為我的一項發明講了一場演說──

it was a 3D microscope.

那發明是 3D 顯微鏡。

And Simone was in the audience.

西蒙尼是觀眾之一。

He realized that my microscope could solve a big problem he was having.

他發現我的顯微鏡 能解決他的一個大問題：

Which was, how to measure the movement of plankton in 3D fast enough

要如何測量浮游生物的 3D 移動，而且要夠快，

so he could mathematically model their sensing and behavior.

讓他能對它們的 感覺及行為建立數學模型。

And I frankly needed an application for my microscope, so ...

坦白說，我的顯微鏡 也需要找地方應用，所以……

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It was like peanut butter meets chocolate.

就像是花生醬遇到了巧克力。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So we started working together, studying these amazing creatures.

我們開始合作， 研究這些不可思議的生物。

And then we were alarmed to discover something.

而我們的發現讓我們震驚。

And that's why we're here today.

那就是為什麼今天我們會在這裡。

And I just want to do something with you.

我想和各位一起做一件事。

Now, please, just hold your breath for a second.

麻煩各位，摒息一下子。

Yes, literally hold your breath.

是的，真的摒住呼吸。

This is the world without plankton.

這就是沒有浮游生物的世界。

You see, plankton generate two-thirds of our oxygen using the sun.

我們的氧氣有三分之二是由 浮游生物用太陽所產生的。

OK, now you can breathe, because they're still here.

好，可以呼吸了， 因為它們仍然在這裡。

For now.

目前還在。

Simone Bianco: As many of you know,

西蒙尼·畢昂柯：很多人都知道，

since 1950, the average surface temperature of the earth

1950 年之後，地球表面的平均溫度

has increased by one degree Centigrade

已經升高了攝氏一度，

due to all the carbon dioxide we are pumping into the air.

原因是我們排放到 空氣中的所有二氧化碳。

Now, while this temperature increase may not seem like a big deal to us,

雖然我們可能覺得這種 溫度上升沒什麼大不了的，

it is to plankton.

對浮游生物卻不同。

Indirect measurements have shown that the global phytoplankton population

間接測量顯示，全球的浮游生物數量

may have decreased by as much as 40 percent between 1950 and 2010

在 1950 到 2010 年間， 可能減少了 40% 之多，

because of climate change.

原因是氣候變遷。

And you see, this is a problem

這是個問題，

also because it's starving the fish that eat them.

因為要吃浮游生物的魚類會挨餓。

And about a billion people around the world

全世界大約有十億人

depend on fish as their primary source of protein from animals.

主要的動物蛋白質來源就是魚類。

So you see, this isn't just about breathing.

所以，這不只和呼吸有關。

No plankton means no fish.

沒有浮游生物就表示沒有魚類。

And that is a lot of food we will need to replace.

我們就需要找許多的食物來代替。

There's something else that is interesting.

還有一點也很有意思。

The bodies of plankton's ancestors

浮游生物的祖先的身體

actually make up a for lot of the carbon we burn today.

製造了許多我們現今燃燒用的碳。

Which is kind of ironic, if you ask me.

問我的話，我會說這還蠻諷刺的。

Because the plankton that are here today clean that carbon out of the air.

因為現今浮游生物在這裡 把空氣中的碳給清理掉。

But you see, they don't really hold a grudge.

但，它們並沒有懷恨在心。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The problem is they cannot keep up

問題是，它們趕不上

with the tremendous amount of carbon we are dumping into the air.

我們排放到空氣中的大量二氧化碳。

So what does all of this mean?

這一切意味著什麼？

Well, it means that our big carbon footprint

這意味著，我們大量的碳足跡

is crushing the very creatures that sustain us.

正在摧毀我們賴以維生的生物。

And yes, like Tom said,

而且，如同湯姆說的，

killing almost half of the creatures that allow us to breathe

讓我們能夠呼吸的生物， 有近半都因此死亡了，

is a really big deal.

這就很嚴重了。

So you're probably asking yourself:

你可能會自問：

Why aren't we doing something about it?

我們為什麼還未採取行動？

Our theory is that plankton are tiny,

我們的理論是，浮游生物很小，

and it's really, really hard to care about something you cannot see.

真的很難去關心我們看不見的東西。

You see, there's a quote I really like in "The Little Prince" that goes,

在《小王子》裡 有一句話我真的很喜歡：

"What is essential is invisible to the eye."

「真正重要的東西， 用眼睛是看不見的。」

We really believe that if more people could come

我們真的相信，如果有更多人能夠

face to ... cilia with plankton,

和浮游生物面對面…面對纖毛？ （註：浮游生物沒有「面」）

there is a greater chance we could all rally together

就很有可能我們能團結起來，

and save these creatures

拯救這些生物，

that are so important to life on our planet.

這對地球上的生命是非常重要的。

TZ: Exactly, Simone.

湯姆：沒錯，西蒙尼。

So to do this,

所以，為了這麼做，

we're going to bring you scuba diving with plankton.

我們要帶各位和浮游生物一起浮潛。

But I just need to shrink you by a factor of 1000,

但我需要把各位縮小一千倍，

to a scale where the diameter of a human hair is as big as my hand.

縮到這樣的比例時，我的手 就會和一根人類頭髮一樣大。

And I happen to have invented a machine to do just that.

而我剛好有發明了 一台機器，可以做到。

SB: Anyone here remember "Fantastic Voyage"

西蒙尼：在座有人 記得《聯合縮小軍》

or "Innerspace?"

或《驚異大奇航》嗎？

Yeah, yeah.

是的。

Martin Short is one of my all-time favorite actors.

馬丁·肖特是我最喜歡的演員之一。

And now this -- this is just like that.

而這個──這個就像那些電影一樣。

TZ: Indeed, yes.

湯姆：的確如此。

When I was a boy, I saw "Fantastic Voyage,"

我小時候看了《聯合縮小軍》，

and I really loved how I could travel through the bloodstream

我真的很喜歡這個點子， 能夠在血液中旅行，

and see biology work on a cellular level.

從細胞的層級去看生物學如何運作。

I've always been inspired by science fiction.

我的靈感常常來自科幻作品。

As an inventor, I try and turn fantasy into reality.

身為發明家，我試著 將幻想變成現實。

And I once invented this glove

我有次發明出了一種手套，

which let me travel and help people like you explore the virtual world.

讓能我在虛擬世界中旅行， 並協助你們探索這個世界。

So now I've invented this machine

現在，我已經發明了這個機器，

to let us explore the microscopic world.

咱們就來探索顯微鏡的世界吧。

It's not virtual, it's real.

它不是虛擬的，是真實的。

Just really, really tiny.

只是非常非常小。

它是根據那台吸引了西蒙尼 注意力的顯微鏡所打造的。

It's based on the microscope that got Simone's attention.

So, here's how it works.

它是這麼運作的。

I have an image sensor

我有一個影像感測器，

like the kind in your cell phone, behind the lens.

就像你手機鏡頭後面的一樣。

And then I have a little tray of plankton water

我還有一小盤的水，內有浮游生物，

like you might find from a river

就像你從河裡或是我的魚缸

or my fish tank, which I never change the water on.

取出來的水，我的魚缸都不換水的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Because I love plankton.

因為我愛浮游生物。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And underneath I have a light, an LED,

在下頭有燈光，一盞 LED 燈，

which is going to cast shadows of the plankton on the image sensor.

會讓浮游生物的影子 投射在影像感測器上。

And now this silver thing is an XY plotter,

這個銀色的東西是 XY 繪圖機，

so I can move the image sensor to follow the plankton as they swim.

當浮游生物游泳時，我就可以 讓影像感測器跟著它們走。

Now comes the fantasy part.

現在，最炫的部分來了。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I put a tilt sensor on this helmet

我在這個安全帽上 裝了一個傾斜感測器，

so I can control the microscope with my head.

這樣我就能用我的頭控制顯微鏡。

And now let's look at the video from this image sensor.

現在，咱們來看看來自 這影像感測器的影片。

These are all plankton.

這些都是浮游生物。

This is in that little tray,

在那一小盤水中，

and with my head, I can move the microscope.

我可以用我的頭來移動顯微鏡。

So now we're ready to go scuba diving with plankton.

現在，我們準備好可以 和浮游生物去浮潛了。

My head will be the navigator,

我的頭就是導航裝置，

and Simone will be our tour guide.

西蒙尼則是我們的導遊。

SB: Yes.

西蒙尼：是的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

歡迎來到一滴水中的奇妙生命世界。

So welcome all to the wonderful world of life in a drop of water.

Actually, as you can see,

你們可以看到，

with this instrument, we are not at all limited to a single drop.

有了這個工具，我們不會 被限制在一滴水裡面。

Alright, let's find something.

好，咱們來找看看吧。

The little creatures you see in the center of your screen,

在螢幕中間可以看到一些小生物，

they are called rotifer.

它們叫輪蟲。

They are the garbage collectors of our waters.

它們是我們水裡的收垃圾者。

They break down organic matter

它們會把有機物質給瓦解，

and allow it to be reclaimed by the environment.

就可以被環境回收利用。

Now, you know, nature is an amazing recycler.

要知道，大自然是 很了不起的回收者。

Structures are continuously built, they are decomposed and recycled,

結構不斷被建立起來， 它們被分解、被回收，

and all of that is powered by solar energy.

這一切都是靠太陽能運作。

But just think.

但，想想看，

Think about what will happen if, you know, our garbage collectors

如果我們的收垃圾者 不再來工作了，消失了，

didn't come anymore, if they disappeared.

會發生什麼樣的狀況？

Something else? Let's look for something else.

其他的東西？ 咱們來找找其他的東西。

Oh, look at that.

喔，看看那東西。

You see the big ice-cream-cone-shaped things?

有看到那像是大型冰淇淋 錐形蛋捲筒的東西嗎？

Those are called Stentor, those are amazing creatures.

它們叫喇叭蟲，很不可思議的生物。

You know, they are big, but they are a single cell.

它們雖然很大，卻是單細胞生物。

You remember the rotifer we just met?

還記得我們剛剛見過的輪蟲嗎？

That's about half a millimeter, it's about 1,000 cells --

它大概是半公釐， 有約一千個細胞──

it's typically 15 for the brain, 15 for the stomach

通常，大腦有十五個，胃有十五個，

and you know, about the same for reproduction,

還有，生殖也是差不多的，

which is kind of the right mix, if you ask me.

如果問我的話， 我會說這是正確的組合。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But ... right?

但……對嗎？

TZ: I agree.

湯姆：我同意。

SB: But a Stentor is only a single cell.

西蒙尼：但喇叭蟲只有一個細胞。

And it's able to sense and react to its environment.

它能夠感受環境， 並對環境做出反應。

You see, it will swim forward when it's happy;

你們看，當它快樂的時候會向前游；

it will swim backward when it's trying to get away from something

如果它想要躲開什麼，就會向後游，

like, you know, a toxic chemical.

比如，要躲開有毒的化學物質。

With our friends in the Center for Cellular Construction

靠著我們在細胞建造中心的朋友

and the help of the National Science Foundation,

以及國家科學基金會的協助，

we are using Stentor to sense the presence of contamination in food and water,

我們能夠使用喇叭蟲來感測 食物和水是否有受到污染，

which I think is really cool.

我認為這真的很酷。

Alright, last one.

最後一種。

So the dots that you see there that are, let's say, behind everything,

在這裡……可以說 在所有東西後方的圓點，

they're algae.

那是水藻。

They are the creatures that provide the majority of oxygen in the air.

空氣中大部分的氧氣 都是由這種生物提供的。

They convert solar light and carbon dioxide

它們會把太陽光和二氧化碳

into the oxygen that is filling your lungs right now.

轉換成現在各位肺部當中的氧氣。

So you see, we all got algae breath.

所以，我們都有水藻口氣。

TZ: (Exhales)

湯姆：呼氣。

SB: Yay! (Laughter)

西蒙尼：耶！（笑聲）

You know, there's something interesting.

有件事很有意思。

About a billion years ago, ancient plants got their photosynthesis capability

大約十億年前，古老的植物 之所以能取得光合作用的能力，

by incorporating tiny, tiny plankton into their cells.

是因為把浮游生物 結合到它們的細胞當中。

That's exactly like us putting solar panels on top of our roofs.

就像是我們把太陽能板 放到我們的屋頂上一樣。

So you see, the microscopic world is even more amazing than science fiction.

看吧，顯微世界比 科幻故事還要讓人驚異。

TZ: Oh, indeed.

湯姆：喔，的確。

So now you've seen how vital plankton are to our lives

現在你們知道浮游生物 對我們的生命有多重要

and how much we need them.

以及我們多麼需要它們。

If we kill the plankton, we will die

如果我們殺死浮游生物， 我們也會死亡，

of asphyxiation or starvation, take your pick.

不是窒息就是餓死，自己選一種。

Oh, yes, I know it's sad, yes.

喔，是的，我知道這很感傷。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

In the game of plankton, you win or you die.

在浮游生物的遊戲中， 你若不是贏，就是死。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, what amazes me is, we have known about global warming

讓我感到驚奇的是，我們 早在一世紀以前就已經知道

for over a century.

全球暖化。

Ever since the Swedish scientist, Arrhenius,

自從瑞典科學家阿瑞尼斯

calculated the effect of burning fossil fuel

計算出了燃燒化石燃料

on the earth's temperature.

對於地球溫度的影響之後就知道了。

We've known about this for a long time, but it's not too late if we act now.

我們知道很久了，但如果現在 就採取行動，還不會太遲。

Yes, yes, I know, I know, our world is based on fossil fuels,

是，是，我知道，我們的世界 是以化石燃料為基礎的，

but we can adjust our society to run on renewable energy from the Sun

但我們可以調整我們的社會， 改用太陽的可再生能源，

to create a more sustainable and secure future.

來打造一個更永續、更安全的未來。

That's good for the little creatures here, the plankton,

那樣的世界對於這些 小小浮游生物有益的，

and that good for us -- here's why.

對我們也是有益的──原因如下。

The three greatest concerns of people all around the globe

全世界的人最關心的三樣事物

typically are jobs, violence and health.

通常是工作、暴力，及健康。

A job means food and shelter.

工作意味著食物和庇護所。

Look at these creatures, they're swimming around,

看看這些生物，它們到處游，

they're looking for a place to eat and reproduce.

它們在找地方吃東西和繁殖。

If a single cell is programmed to do that,

如果一個單細胞被設計要那麼做，

it's no surprise that 30 trillion cells have the same agenda.

並不意外三十兆個細胞 會有相同的事要做。

Violence.

暴力。

Dependence on fossil fuels makes a country vulnerable.

對化石燃料的依賴， 會讓一個國家脆弱。

Which leads to conflicts all around the oil resources.

它會導致石油資源的衝突。

Solar energy, on the other hand, is distributed around the whole globe,

另一方面，太陽能分佈在全球，

and no one can blockade the sun.

沒有人能擋住太陽。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And then, finally, health.

最後，健康。

Fossil fuels are like a global cigarette.

化石燃料就像是全球香菸。

And in my opinion, coal is like an unfiltered type.

依我所見，煤就像是沒濾嘴的香菸。

Now, just like smoking, the best time to quit is when?

就和抽煙一樣， 最好的戒煙時機是何時？

Audience: Now.

觀眾：現在。

TZ: Now! Not when you get lung cancer.

湯姆：現在！不是等你得了肺癌時。

Now I know if you look around, some people may abandon facts and reason.

我知道如果你四處看看， 有些人可能已經抛棄了事實和理智。

Only until suffering --

只有到了受苦時──

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yes, they will abandon facts and reason.

是的，他們會抛棄事實和理智。

But suffering will eventually and inevitably force change.

但最終，無可避免的， 受苦會強迫改變。

But let's instead use our neocortex, our new brain,

但，讓我們用我們的新皮質， 我們的新大腦，

to save the Elders, some of the oldest creatures on the earth.

來拯救前輩，它們屬於 地球上最古老的生物。

And let's apply science to harness the energy

讓我們應用科學來駕馭數百年來

that has fueled the Elders for millions of years --

一直供應前輩能源的能量──

the sun.

太陽。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）