The smelly mystery of the human pheromone | Tristram Wyatt

譯者: Denise Tso 審譯者: Bighead Ge

"Pheromone" is a very powerful word.

"費洛蒙“是一種非常強大的物質，

It conjures up sex, abandon, loss of control,

它激起性慾、使人失控、放任，

and you can see, it's very important as a word.

因此，我們可以看出， 它是多麼重要的一種物質。

But it's only 50 years old. It was invented in 1959.

不過，“費洛蒙”在1959年 才被發現，距今只有50歲。

Now, if you put that word into the web,

如果你在網上搜索這個名字，

as you may have done,

可能你們已經搜索過了，

you'll come up with millions of hits,

你就會發現，出現的結果有好幾百萬條，

and almost all of those sites are trying to sell you

而幾乎所有網站都嘗試跟你推銷

something to make you irresistible

一些僅需約十元美金或以上、

for 10 dollars or more.

讓你無法抗拒的東西。

Now, this is a very attractive idea,

這個想法的確很吸引人，

and the molecules they mention

而且他們口中那些分子

sound really science-y.

聽起來好像真有那麼一回事。

They've got lots of syllables.

這些分子名稱的音節很多，

It's things like androstenol, androstenone

譬如雄甾烯醇、雄甾烯醇

or androstadienone.

或者雄烯二酮。

It gets better and better,

反正你越往下看， 分子的名字就越複雜。

and when you combine that with white lab coats,

而當你將廣告裏的 純白實驗袍與之結合時，

you must imagine that there is

你必會想像這背後

fantastic science behind this.

一定蘊藏著非常了不起的科技。

But sadly, these are fraudulent claims

但很遺憾，這一切只是

由偽科學撐腰的詐騙式宣傳。

supported by dodgy science.

The problem is that, although there are many

問題就在於，即使有很多

good scientists working on what they think

傑出科學家在研究他們所認為的

are human pheromones,

人類費洛蒙，

and they're publishing in respectable journals,

即使他們在具權威性的期刊中

at the basis of this,

出版有關論文，

despite very sophisticated experiments,

即使研究過程中 涉及到非常複雜的實驗，

there really is no good science behind it,

人類費洛蒙的研究背後 始終沒有正規科學得以支持，

because it's based on a problem,

因為它是建基於另一個問題，

which is nobody has systematically gone through

那就是，至今未曾有人有系統地研究過

all the odors that humans produce --

人類產生的所有氣味，

and there are thousands of molecules that we give off.

而我們所放出的這些 氣味分子達至數以千計。

We're mammals. We produce a lot of smell.

我們是哺乳類，所以產生許多氣味。

Nobody has gone through systematically

沒有人有系統地研究

to work out which molecules really are pheromones.

從而找出哪些分子是真正的費洛蒙。

They've just plucked a few,

他們只是挑出幾個樣品，

and all these experiments are based on those,

然後就以這幾個樣品為中心做實驗，

but there's no good evidence at all.

根本沒有什麼確鑿的證據。

Now, that's not to say

不過，這並不是代表

that smell is not important to people.

氣味對人不重要。

It is, and some people are real enthusiasts,

它的確舉足輕重， 有些人甚至對其非常癡迷，

and one of these was Napoleon.

拿破崙就是其中一員。

And famously, you may remember

你也許會記得，

that out on the campaign trail for war,

當拿破崙踏上征途時，

he wrote to his lover, Empress Josephine,

他給愛人女皇約瑟芬寫過一句著名的情話，

saying, "Don't wash. I'm coming home."

他說：“別洗澡，我很快回家了。”

(Laughter)

(笑）

So he didn't want to lose any of her richness

所以他連愛人在他回家以前的氣味

in the days before he'd get home,

都不想失去。

and it is still, you'll find websites

現在還有網站

that offer this as a major quirk.

把這佳話看作一大奇事。

At the same time, though,

不過同時，

we spend about as much money

我們也花了一樣多的金錢

taking the smells off us

把身上的氣味除掉

as putting them back on in perfumes,

再以香水代替，

and perfumes are a multi-billion-dollar business.

因此香水這門生意 可創造了數十億美元產業。

So what I want to do in the rest of this talk

接下來，

is tell you about what pheromones really are,

我想講解一下費洛蒙究竟是什麼，

tell you why I think we would expect

解釋為甚麼我覺得

humans to have pheromones,

人類會有費洛蒙，

tell you about some of the confusions in pheromones,

並說說一些有關費洛蒙的疑惑，

and then finally, I want to end with

最後，我會介紹一下

a promising avenue which shows us

接下來我們應該走的

the way we ought to be going.

科研之路。

So the ancient Greeks knew

古希臘人知道

that dogs sent invisible signals between each other.

狗隻之間會互相傳遞隱形信號。

A female dog in heat

一隻發情的母狗

sent an invisible signal to male dogs

會向幾英里範圍的公狗

for miles around,

傳達一種隱形信號，

and it wasn't a sound, it was a smell.

這種信號不是聲音，是氣味。

You could take the smell from the female dog,

如果你沾一沾那隻母狗的氣味，

and the dogs would chase the cloth.

其他公狗就會追著沾有那氣味的布塊走。

But the problem for everybody

但對所有能明白這個現象的人來說，

who could see this effect

問題就在於

was that you couldn't identify the molecules.

他們不能找出這些分子。

You couldn't demonstrate it was chemical.

你不能證明這是化學反應，

The reason for that, of course,

原因當然是

is that each of these animals

這群動物裏，

produces tiny quantities,

每一種動物所產生的分子量都極少，

and in the case of the dog,

而在狗的情況中，

males dogs can smell it, but we can't smell it.

公狗能嗅到，但人類不能。

And it was only in 1959 that a German team,

一個德國研究團隊花了 整整20年尋找這類分子，

after spending 20 years in search of these molecules,

最後於1959年

discovered, identified, the first pheromone,

才發現並確定第一種費洛蒙，

and this was the sex pheromone of a silk moth.

那就是蚕蛾的性費洛蒙。

Now, this was an inspired choice by Adolf Butenandt and his team,

選擇蚕蛾沒有特別原因，

because he needed half a million moths

那只是因為阿道夫·布特南特和他的團隊

to get enough material to do the chemical analysis.

需要多達50萬飛蛾才足夠完成其化學分析。

But he created the model

不過他創造了一套研究費洛蒙的模式

for how you should go about pheromone analysis.

供後世參照。

He basically went through systematically,

他系統地

showing that only the molecule in question

排除無關的分子，

was the one that stimulated the males,

展示出只有懷疑是費洛蒙的分子

not all the others.

才會對雄性飛蛾造成影響。

He analyzed it very carefully.

他非常小心地研究，

He synthesized the molecule,

把分子合成，

and then tried the synthesized molecule on the males

然後把合成分子測試在雄性飛蛾上，

and got them to respond and showed it was,

最後得出結果顯示

indeed, that molecule.

一直研究的分子的確是費洛蒙分子，

That's closing the circle.

由此解決一道難題。

That's the thing which has never been done with humans:

可是以人體為對象的 這種研究卻一直匱乏，

nothing systematic, no real demonstration.

它們不是欠缺系統就是紙上談兵。

With that new concept,

飛蛾研究的成功帶來了新的概念，

we needed a new word,

新的名稱也由此誕生，

and that was the word "pheromone,"

那就是“費洛蒙”了。

and it's basically transferred excitement,

費洛蒙在個體與個體之間互相傳遞，

transferred between individuals,

為個體帶來興奮。

and since 1959, pheromones have been found

自1959年以來，研究人員已在動物王國中，

right the way across the animal kingdom,

從雄性及雌性動物身上

in male animals, in female animals.

發現多種費洛蒙。

It works just as well underwater

費洛蒙對水底動物也同樣適用，

for goldfish and lobsters.

例如金魚和龍蝦，

And almost every mammal you can think of

而你能想到的每種哺乳類動物

has had a pheromone identified,

都有自己確定的費洛蒙，

and of course, an enormous number of insects.

當然，受費洛蒙影響的，還少不了無數昆蟲。

So we know that pheromones exist

所以我們知道費洛蒙

right the way across the animal kingdom.

在動物王國裏廣泛存在。

What about humans?

那麼人類世界呢？

Well, the first thing, of course,

首先，很明顯的，

is that we're mammals,

我們屬哺乳類，

and mammals are smelly.

而哺乳類動物都有體味。

As any dog owner can tell you,

任何一位養狗的朋友都可以告訴你

we smell, they smell.

人類有體味，狗也有體味。

But the real reason we might think

但我們推測人類有費洛蒙

that humans have pheromones

的真正原因是

is the change that occurs as we grow up.

我們成長所帶來的改變。

The smell of a room of teenagers

一屋青少年的氣味

is quite different

跟一屋幼童的氣味

from the smell of a room of small children.

是遠遠不同的。

What's changed? And of course, it's puberty.

是什麼改變了呢？當然是青春期啦。

Along with the pubic hair

伴隨著陰毛

and the hair in the armpits,

和腋毛的生長，

new glands start to secrete in those places,

這些部位的腺體開始分泌，

and that's what's making the change in smell.

氣味也隨之改變。

If we were any other kind of mammal,

如果我們是其他哺乳類動物

or any other kind of animal,

或單純是其他動物，

we would say,

我們可能會說：

"That must be something to do with pheromones,"

“這一定是費洛蒙的問題。”

and we'd start looking properly.

於是，我們便會開始認真研究。

But there are some problems, and this is why,

但是，至今還沒有人像研究動物那樣

I think, people have not looked for

有效率地在人類身上找出費洛蒙，

pheromones so effectively in humans.

我覺得背後有幾個原因，

There are, indeed, problems.

而它們就是問題所在。

And the first of these

首先，

is perhaps surprising.

這個原因可能會令人驚訝，

It's all about culture.

那就是文化。

Now moths don't learn a lot

飛蛾不會知道什麼好聞，

about what is good to smell, but humans do,

但人知道。

and up to the age of about four,

四歲以前，

any smell, no matter how rancid,

所有氣味，不管有多糟糕，

is simply interesting.

都是有趣的。

And I understand that the major role of parents

我知道家長的主要職責

is to stop kids putting their fingers in poo,

是制止小孩把手指插進糞便裏，

because it's always something nice to smell.

因為糞便實在太“好聞”了。

But gradually we learn what's not good,

但漸漸的，我們學懂了什麼是不好聞，

and one of the things we learn

而從學習什麼不好聞，

at the same time as what is not good

我們也學懂

is what is good.

什麼是好聞的。

Now, the cheese behind me

我身後的

is a British, if not an English, delicacy.

不是英國就是英格蘭的標誌食品，

It's ripe blue Stilton.

它是成熟的藍紋斯蒂爾頓奶酪 （以酸辣、濃烈味道著稱），

Liking it is incomprehensible to people from other countries.

對它的偏愛其他國家的人可能不明白。

Every culture has its own special food

每一種文化都有自己的獨特食物

and national delicacy.

和代表國家的著名菜餚。

If you were to come from Iceland,

如果你是冰島人，

your national dish

發酵鯊魚肉

is deep rotted shark.

就是冰島國菜。

Now, all of these things are acquired tastes,

這一切都是培養來的味覺，

but they form almost a badge of identity.

但這些味覺卻差不多等同身份證一樣，

You're part of the in-group.

顯示你是群體的一部分。

The second thing is the sense of smell.

第二個原因就是嗅覺。

Each of us has a unique odor world,

每個人都對不同氣味有不同反應，

in the sense that what we smell,

即便聞的是同一件物件，

we each smell a completely different world.

聞到的氣味可以不盡相同。

Now, smell was the hardest

嗅覺是幾個感官裏面

of the senses to crack,

最難理解的，

and the Nobel Prize awarded to

在2004年，

Richard Axel and Linda Buck

氣味如何運作的原理才被發現，

was only awarded in 2004

理查德·阿克塞爾和 琳達·巴克更因這項成就

for their discovery of how smell works.

榮獲諾貝爾獎。

It's really hard,

這個研究真的很難，

but in essence, nerves from the brain

不過本質上，

go up into the nose

大腦神經延伸至鼻子裡，

and on these nerves exposed in the nose

這些神經暴露在空氣中，

to the outside air are receptors,

成為感受器。

and odor molecules coming in on a sniff

當氣味分子隨著吸氣帶進鼻子裏，

interact with these receptors,

分子會和這些感受器接觸，

and if they bond, they send the nerve a signal

一旦鍵合， 神經就會接受到一個訊息，

which goes back into the brain.

並將其傳達至大腦中。

We don't just have one kind of receptor.

我們的感受器不止一種，

If you're a human, you have about 400

人類大約有400多種

different kinds of receptors,

不同感受器，

and the brain knows what you're smelling

當感受器和

受刺激的神經細胞組合，

because of the combination of receptors

and nerve cells that they trigger,

並由這個組合

sending messages up to the brain

傳遞信息至大腦，

in a combinatorial fashion.

大腦便會知道你聞到了什麼。

But it's a bit more complicated,

乍聽下去好像很簡單，

because each of those 400

但是這四百多種感受器中，

comes in various variants,

各自有不同變化，

and depending which variant you have,

而你的感受器組合，

you might smell coriander, or cilantro, that herb,

可能令你覺得芫荽聞起來

either as something delicious and savory

會使人齒頰留香

or something like soap.

或相反，像濃烈的廉價香水般讓人難受。

So we each have an individual world of smell,

因此，因人而異的氣味世界

and that complicates anything

令研究變得

when we're studying smell.

複雜許多。

Well, we really ought to talk about armpits,

我們真的得談談腋窩，

and I have to say that I do have particularly good ones.

不瞞你說，我對自己的腋窩挺滿意的，

Now, I'm not going to share them with you,

不過我不打算展示出來。

but this is the place that most people

腋窩是最多人

have looked for pheromones.

嘗試尋找費洛蒙的身體部位。

There is one good reason,

背後的原因很充分，

which is, the great apes have armpits

那就是，腋窩是人科（包括人類和猩猩等）

as their unique characteristic.

獨有特徵。

The other primates have scent glands

其他靈長目動物的分泌腺

in other parts of the body.

長在身體的其他部位，

The great apes have these armpits

而人科動物的腋窩

full of secretory glands

就長滿分泌腺，

producing smells all the time,

這些分泌腺產生無數分子，

enormous numbers of molecules.

令腋窩每時每刻都散發著氣味。

When they're secreted from the glands,

當腺體排出這些分子時，

the molecules are odorless.

它們其實是沒有氣味的，

They have no smell at all,

體味的“罪魁禍首”

and it's only the wonderful bacteria

是在茂盛的腋毛中

growing on the rainforest of hair

不斷增加繁衍的細菌，

that actually produces the smells

有了這些細菌，

that we know and love.

我們熟悉並喜愛的體味就出現了。

And so incidentally, if you want to reduce

所以順便說一下，

the amount of smell,

如果想減少體味，

clear-cutting your armpits

把腋毛完全除掉

is a very effective way of reducing

是減少細菌溫床的

the habitat for bacteria,

最好方法，

and you'll find they remain less smelly

這樣你就會發現， 腋窩不但比以前少了異味，

for much longer.

改善的情況還可以保持更久。

But although we've focused on armpits,

比起其他身體部位，

I think it's partly because they're the least

從腋窩收集研究樣品最不讓人尷尬，

embarrassing place to go and ask people for samples.

這也是我們集中研究腋下的部分原因。

There is actually another reason why we might not

我們不在這個部位 尋找人類通用的性費洛蒙，

be looking for a universal sex pheromone there,

其實也有另一個原因。

and that's because 20 percent of the world's population

那是因為全球有百分之二十人口

doesn't have smelly armpits like me.

並沒有像我味道那麼濃的腋窩，

And these are people from China, Japan,

這百分之二十的人口 裏有中國人、日本人、

Korea, and other parts of northeast Asia.

韓國人還有一部分東北亞人。

They simply don't secrete those odorless precursors

他們根本不會分泌這些無味的前導體

that the bacteria love to use to produce the smells

吸引細菌從而產生氣味，

that in an ethnocentric way we always thought of

由此他們的腋窩

as characteristic of armpits.

跟我們常先入為主的腋窩特徵有所出入，

So it doesn't apply to 20 percent of the world.

因此腋窩的研究並不能涉及全部人類。

So what should we be doing

那麼，我們該怎麼

in our search for human pheromones?

尋找人類費洛蒙呢？

I'm fairly convinced that we do have them.

我本人是挺相信費洛蒙 存在於人類身上的，

We're mammals, like everybody else

因為我們是哺乳類 跟其他哺乳類動物一樣，

who's a mammal, and we probably do have them.

我們很可能有費洛蒙。

But what I think we should do

但我們該怎麼找到它呢？

is go right back to the beginning,

我覺得我們應該重回原點，

and basically look all over the body.

不管搜尋過程有多讓人難為情，

No matter how embarrassing,

都得在身體上從頭到尾仔細找一遍。

we need to search and go for the first time

我們要走在

前人不敢走的路上。

where no one else has dared tread.

It's going to be difficult,

研究會是艱難重重，

it's going to be embarrassing, but we need to look.

會是讓人尷尬窘迫， 但是我們還是得走下去。

We also need to go back to the ideas

我們要參考

that Butenandt used when he was studying the silk moth.

布特南特研究蚕蛾時用的方法，

We need to go back and look systematically

我們也要重新有系統地

at all the molecules that are being produced,

研究所產生的所有分子

and work out which ones are really involved.

並找出哪一些是真的 跟費洛蒙拉上關係的。

It isn't good enough simply to pluck a couple

隨便抽出幾種分子就說 “這些應該算吧。”

and say, "They'll do."

是遠遠不足夠的。

We have to actually demonstrate

我們必須驗證

that they really have the effects we claim.

這些分子真有我們所說的效果。

There is one team that I'm actually very impressed by.

我非常佩服一個

They're in France, and their previous success

來自法國的研究團隊，

was identifying the rabbit mammary pheromone.

他們曾成功發現兔子的乳腺費洛蒙，

They've turned their attention now

現在，他們已經把目標

to human babies and mothers.

轉移到人類母嬰。

So this is a baby having a drink of milk

這是一幅

from its mother's breast.

嬰兒吸吮母乳的照片。

Her nipple is completely hidden

這位母親的乳頭完全被

by the baby's head,

嬰兒的頭遮擋住，

but what you'll notice is a white droplet

但是我們還是會看見

with an arrow pointing to it,

箭頭指著的一滴白色液體，

and that's the secretion from the areolar glands.

那是乳暈腺的分泌。

Now, we all have them, men and women,

不論男女，我們每人都有乳暈腺

and these are the little bumps around the nipple,

它們就是乳頭周圍一粒一粒的小突點。

and if you're a lactating woman,

乳暈腺在女性哺乳期時

these start to secrete.

開始分泌，

It's a very interesting secretion.

產生令我們為之著迷的分泌物。

What Benoist Schaal and his team developed

法國研究團隊貝諾亞·莎爾和他的共事

was a simple test to investigate

想出一項簡單的測試

what the effect of this secretion might be,

來驗證這種分泌物的效果，

in effect, a simple bioassay.

事實上，這項測試不過是簡單的生物測定。

So this is a sleeping baby,

圖中所示的是一個熟睡嬰兒，

and under its nose, we've put a clean glass rod.

研究人員把一個乾淨的滴管拿到他鼻子下，

The baby remains sleeping,

嬰兒會繼續沉睡，

showing no interest at all.

對滴管沒有顯示任何興趣；

But if we go to any mother

但是如果我們跟任何哺乳期母親

who is secreting from the areolar glands,

拿取乳暈腺的分泌物，

so it's not about recognition,

要注意，跟任何母親拿分泌物是因為

it can be from any mother,

我們得排除嬰兒認得自己母親氣味的機會，

if we take the secretion

現在如果我們把分泌物

and now put it under the baby's nose,

送到嬰兒的鼻下，

we get a very different reaction.

我們得到與別不同的反應。

It's a connoisseur's reaction of delight,

嬰兒好像看到至寶一樣開心，

and it opens its mouth

他張開嘴巴，

and sticks out its tongue

把舌頭伸出，

and starts to suck.

然後開始吸吮。

Now, since this is from any mother,

因為這種分泌物可以來自任何一個母親，

it could really be a pheromone.

它很可能就是費洛蒙。

It's not about individual recognition.

讓嬰兒做出這種反應的，

Any mother will do.

不是個體，而是全體哺乳期女性。

Now, why is this important,

這個結論除了是挺有趣之外，

apart from being simply very interesting?

為甚麼也同樣重要呢？

It's because women vary

因為每個女人

in the number of areolar glands that they have,

所擁有的乳暈腺都不同，

and there is a correlation between the ease

而乳暈腺的數量又關係到

with which babies start to suckle

寶寶是否在短時間內

and the number of areolar glands she has.

願意吸第一口奶。

It appears that the more secretions she's got,

從實驗所見，如果乳暈腺分泌越多，

the more likely the baby is to suckle quickly.

寶寶喝奶的速度就越快。

If you're a mammal,

一個哺乳類動物

the most dangerous time in life

剛出生的頭幾個小時

is the first few hours after birth.

是最有生命危險的，

You have to get that first drink of milk,

你必須把奶喝下，

and if you don't get it, you won't survive.

不然就存活不了，

You'll be dead.

也就會死亡。

Since many babies actually find it difficult

對很多嬰兒來說

to take that first meal,

吸取第一口奶非常困難，

because they're not getting the right stimulus,

因為他們沒有得到適當的刺激。

if we could identify what that molecule was,

如果我們能找到能 刺激嬰兒喝奶的分子，

and the French team are being very cautious,

那個法國團隊對 這項研究是非常慎重小心的，

but if we could identify the molecule,

如果我們能找到這種分子，

synthesize it, it would then mean

並將其合成，那就意味著

premature babies would be more likely to suckle,

早產嬰兒有較大機會自行吸奶，

and every baby would have a better chance

整體上嬰兒也有

of survival.

較大的存活機會。

So what I want to argue is this is one example

所以我想說的是，

of where a systematic, really scientific approach

透過系統、科學的方法

can actually bring you a real understanding

讓我們真正認識費洛蒙，

of pheromones.

這就是一個很好的例子。

There could be all sorts of medical interventions.

費洛蒙可能對醫療有各種影響，

There could be all sorts of things

人類很多活動

that humans are doing with pheromones

可能都牽涉到費洛蒙，

that we simply don't know at the moment.

我們只是對其一無所知而已。

What we need to remember is pheromones

我們要記住的是

are not just about sex.

費洛蒙不但關係到性，

They're about all sorts of things to do

它跟哺乳類動物的生命

with a mammal's life.

緊密相連。

So do go forward and do search for more.

去探索更多關於費洛蒙的知識吧，

There's lots to find.

它的世界有待我們發掘。

Thank you very much.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）