We Could Kick-Start Life on Other Planets. Should We? | Betül Kaçar | TED

譯者: Yin Wu 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

Imagine two universes.

讓我們想象兩個宇宙。

In one of these universes,

在其中一個宇宙裡，

life flourishes on nearly every planet you can encounter.

目光所及的每一個星球，生命都在蓬勃生長。

Floating in the atmosphere, swimming in the seas,

它們漂浮在大氣中， 漫遊於海洋裡，休憩在沙灘上。

lounging on the beaches.

Life in every body form and size you can imagine.

生命以任何你能想象的形式和大小存在著。

Now imagine the other universe where life is nowhere to be found.

現在我們再來想象另一個宇宙， 一個毫無生氣的宇宙。

Stars collide, galaxies explode,

星球對撞，星系爆炸，

meteorites crash, asteroids everywhere.

隕石墜毀，小行星無處不在。

A ton of action, but no life.

處處充滿了動靜，卻沒有一絲生命的跡象。

Let me ask you this.

讓我來問問你們，

Which one of these universes is more interesting to you?

哪一個宇宙對你們來說更有意思，

Which one has more value?

哪一個更有價值？

So today I want to take you to a journey

所以今天我想帶你們走上一段旅程，

to explore and understand the origin of life,

去探索和理解生命的起源和未來，

the future and where it is headed

and an ethical dilemma that may arise from understanding this.

以及理解這一切以後可能會引發的道德困境。

First things first, Earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago.

首先我們要知道，地球形成於四十五億年前。

Life happened fairly quickly,

生命以相當快的速度產生了， 只花了最初的幾億年。

within the first few hundred million years.

So that's very fast.

這是很快了。

Think about that next time you feel like you're aging too fast.

如果下次你覺得自己老得太快，就想想這個。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

You're not. You're fine.

你沒有。一切都很好。

And here is how life works.

生命是這樣誕生的。

Life is a form of chemistry.

生命是化學的一種形式，

A form of chemistry that explores solutions

它在周圍的化學環境裡，

in response to the problems in its own immediate chemical environment.

針對存在的問題探索解決方案。

Life is a form of chemistry that retains a memory of these solutions

生命是化學的一種形式，

它保留了數十億年來的用到的解決方案。

over billions of years.

And life's first solution was quite the trick:

而生命的第一個解決方案更像是一個詭計：

copy itself.

自我複製。

This is astounding.

這令人驚歎。

We would not be standing here today if other tricks didn't follow,

如果沒有接下來的詭計，我們也不會站在這裡，

like how to use water as a source of electrons

比如說，如何讓水提供電子，

or how to use the nitrogen in the atmosphere

如何使用大氣中的氮氣，

or how to chew on sunlight.

以及如何利用陽光。

This is remarkable.

這多麼偉大。

I am chemistry that explores.

我是會探索的化學物質，

I am chemistry that defies degradation, and I am chemistry that remembers.

我是拒絕退化的化學物質，

我也是有記憶的化學物質。

I am a tiny part of an unbroken four-billion-year-old heritage,

我是四十億年從未間斷的遺產的微小的一部分，

a four-billion-year-old linkage.

我有著四十億年的紐帶。

Life makes our planet an incredibly exotic place

與我們所知道的其他宇宙空間相比，

compared to the rest of the known universe.

生命讓我們的星球無比奇異。

This is the only place that it is known to exist.

這是我們目前所知的唯一存在生命的地方。

In fact, you can study physics or chemistry or geology

事實上，你可以在宇宙中的 任何地方研究物理、化學或地質學，

anywhere else in the universe.

But this is the only place where you can study biology.

但你只能在這裡研究生物學。

Well, I happen to be a biologist on the only planet

是啊，我碰巧在全宇宙中唯一能有生物學家的星球

where you can be a biologist in the entire universe.

成為了一名生物學家。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And that makes my job very, very special, right?

這使我的工作顯得十分特別，不是嗎？

Because our planet offers an incredible opportunity

因為我們的星球為我們提供了無與倫比的機會，

to explore its own origins

讓我們能探索生命起源

and understand how chemistry converted itself into an agent

和理解化學是如何創造出

capable of responding to its environment

能對外界環境做出反應並自我激發的物質的。

and stimulating itself in response to this.

In the past 10 years, there has been remarkable innovations

在過去的十年裡，對於生命起源的理解， 我們有了很多重要的創新。

in our understanding of origin of life.

I lead a research laboratory,

我領導著一個科研實驗室，

and we are using statistics and mathematical models

我們利用統計學和數學模型，以及進化系統，

and evolutionary systems

and infer the sequences of ancient DNA that existed billions of years ago.

去推測數十億年前的遠古DNA的序列。

We then synthesize these ancient DNA molecules

然後我們合成這些遠古DNA分子，

and engineer them inside organisms.

並將它們放進生物體內。

For the first time, we are able to activate molecules

我們第一次得以激活數十億年前的分子，

that existed billions of years ago

to understand and capture what happened back then.

去理解和掌握當時發生的一切。

We also stimulate and simulate ancient environments in the lab

我們也在實驗室裡激發和模擬遠古的環境，

to understand the ingredients

去理解由水分子、空氣和石頭創造出的遠古的組分。

by creating them from water, air and rocks.

This means accessing and obtaining chemistry

這意味著接觸和獲得全新的化學物質；

that is novel.

This means the ability to drive chemical reactions

意味著我們有能力去驅動這些化學反應，

so that they can create chemistry that organizes itself.

去產生能夠自我組裝的化學物質；

This means having chemistry in hand that may act lifelike.

意味著通過化學我們能夠產生類似於生命的物質。

This is really remarkable.

這真的是了不起的成就。

So we might wonder:

那我們可能會這樣想：

What do we do when we have this knowledge in our hands?

有了這些知識，我們可以做些什麼呢？

This may mean that we would be able to connect the dots

這可能意味著我們能夠連接起非生命體和生命體，

between nonliving and living

and understand how chemistry is translating and transforming

能夠理解化學是如何

一步步轉變為生命行為的。

and transitioning into a lifelike behavior.

This may mean that we would be able to obtain the recipe of life, if you will,

這可能意味著，如果我們想的話， 我們就能獲得創造生命的“食譜”，

and having this recipe would enable us to connect the dots

然後依照這個“食譜”去連接非生命體和生命體。

between these two states of living and nonliving.

This may enable us to look at the particular environments

我們可能可以據此推斷出，在某一特定的環境裡，

and know how far along is that particular environment

有著什麼樣的獨特的化學反應， 以及這些反應進行了多久。

from its own unique chemical revolution.

We might be able to study different planets and moons

我們可能可以去研究各個行星和衛星，

and assess them, and assess their chemistry,

去評估它們自身和它們的化學環境，

and know how far along they are from giving birth to life.

從而估計出它們還有多久會產生生命。

And we may be able to guide our telescopes in the vast sky

我們可能可以在廣闊的天空中，

in more guided ways

更有章法地引導我們的望遠鏡在宇宙中尋找生命。

in our pursuit of finding life in the universe.

We might also ask ourselves: What can we do with this knowledge?

我們可能也會問自己： 有了這些知識，我們應該做些什麼呢？

What if you weren't only assessing?

如果我們不僅僅是做評估呢？

What if we were also interacting and engaging with these planets and moons?

如果我們同時也在與這些星球互動呢？

What if we were able to seed life

如果我們能夠在銀河系中的數十億個星球上 播種生命呢？一切會變成什麼樣？

across the billions of planets in the galaxy?

This would not be seeding them with Earth life.

我們不會在那裡播種地球上的生命。

This wouldn't be engineering an Earth organism

我們不會去改造地球上的生命體， 讓它們提前適應那裡的環境，

and preadapting them, and preconditioning them

in a way that they exist and survive in this other planetary body.

這樣它們能在其他的星球存在和存活。

No.

不。

This this wouldn't be terraforming,

我們並不想將其他星球改造成地球，

altering the environment of this other planet,

或是改變那裡的環境，

so that whatever we ship there makes it.

使得我們運送過去的生命體存活下去。

No.

不。

This would be about empowering and not colonizing these environments.

我們想給予這些星球產生生命的能力， 而不是用地球的生命殖民那裡的環境。

This would be about letting them explore their own unique chemistry

我們提供給它們缺失的原材料，

to express their own unique reactions by providing them the missing ingredients.

然後希望它們能探索和運行自己獨特的化學反應。

This wouldn't be about sending them some life

我們不會將生命帶去那裡，

so that we are genetically related

這樣那裡的生命會和我們在基因層面相似， 或是使我們感到熟悉。

or something that is familiar to us.

This would be enabling them to do

我們只是通過給予它們缺少或遺失的原材料，

what perhaps they were supposed to do or meant to do all along,

but they were lacking and missing ingredients.

讓它們能夠進行它們本身就計劃進行的事情。

And not lacking in the sense

而且它們並不是缺少重要的東西，

that they themselves were lacking something important,

in the sense that they weren't lacking, right?

它們本來就不缺少任何東西，不是嗎？

But what if we were able to send the spice?

如果我們只是給它們帶去一些調味料呢？

秘製醬料。

The secret sauce.

Give it a little nudge.

輕輕地給它們一個推動力。

For it to react

讓星球裡本來就有的材料發生些反應，

with whatever is already present in this planetary body

so that life is sparked,

從而產生生命的火花，

in conjunction and agreement with the own history and journey

而這一切都與這些星球自身的

歷史、旅程和起源相協調，

and origin of this own planetary body,

without our meddling, without our direction,

而我們沒有插手，沒有改變方向，

without anything that we do to direct this in any way.

沒有將它們引上這條路。

This would be kickstarting a process that may unfold itself

我們只是開啟一段旅程，

而它可能會在未來的數千甚至數百萬年裡緩緩展開。

over thousands or millions of years into the future.

But should we do it?

但我們應該這樣做嗎？

This is an extraordinary proposition.

這是一個非同尋常的命題。

And it brings up an extraordinary dilemma about what it means to be alive.

它引發了一個非同尋常的困境： 活著究竟意味著什麼。

Does life, as a chemical system capable of formulating,

生命，作為一個能夠規劃和回答

and in some cases answering, questions about its own existence,

關於自身存在的問題的化學系統，

have a responsibility or should have a prohibition

是否有責任去阻止在宇宙中 創造更多的生命的行為？

against sponsoring more life across the universe?

Do we do this just because we could?

僅僅因為我們有這個能力，我們就應該這樣做嗎？

And what is the ethical difference and is there any ethical difference

將地球生命擴散到其他星球， 和給予其他星球產生生命的潛能，

between spreading a particular Earth life

在倫理上有區別嗎，區別又是什麼？

versus spreading a potential of life across the galaxy?

And where does this difference lie?

又是什麼造成了這些區別？

So I really tried to bring you answers today,

今天我努力地想給你們帶來一個答案，

and I don't have any.

但我並沒有答案。

But I see the facts shaping in front of me.

但這些事實在我面前逐漸成形。

A universe full with life is interesting

一個充滿生命的宇宙是充滿趣味的，

because having a solution in hand has value, right?

因為我們手頭上有的解決方案是有價值的，對吧？

But perhaps the spontaneity

但或許，發現新的化學反應和新的生命形式的過程

and unpredictability of discovering novel chemistries and novel life forms

充滿著的自發性和不可預測性也很有趣，

is also interesting and has its own unique merits.

並且有著它獨特的優勢。

But do we get to set course

但我們是否可以預先設定路線，

and let natural evolution discover its own local environments

然後讓自然進化在宇宙中的任何地方 發現它自己的局部環境？

wherever it might be in the cosmos?

An empty universe in this regard, I think,

從這個層面上來說，空無一物的宇宙 可以被看作是一個空白的調色板，

can be viewed as an wide open palette for solutions waiting to be discovered.

在等著解決方案被發現的一天。

But should we do it just because we can?

僅僅因為我們能，我們就該做嗎？

It is very important to keep in mind that Earth is our only home,

我們應該時刻銘記地球是我們唯一的家， 而且它是個很好的星球。

and it's a good planet.

這是很重要的。

And you know the saying: “Good planets are hard to find.”

你應該知道這句話吧：“好星球難求。”

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I know that, I've been looking for one.

我知道這個，因為我一直在找一個好星球。

I'll let you know when I find a good one.

我找到的時候會跟你說的。

Exploring the origins may allow us to truly understand life around us,

探索生命的起源能夠讓我們 真正理解我們周圍的生命，

and perhaps an exercise like this may encourage us

而進行這樣的思維鍛煉或許能鼓勵我們

to truly appreciate and understand how life emerged in the first place.

去真正地欣賞並理解生命最初是如何出現的。

I really think that in order for us

我真切地認為，為了理解我們周圍的生物和生命，

to understand the biology and life around us,

we really need to understand

我們真的需要了解生命最初是 如何在這個星球上誕生的。

how life happened to this planet in the first place.

I really, really believe in this.

我真的，真的這樣相信著。

I will dedicate my life to do this.

我將畢生為此而努力。

And before I leave to do that, back to my lab that I missed very much,

在我離開這裡，回到我朝思暮想的實驗室之前，

let me ask you again:

讓我再問你們一次：

A universe that is empty and one with a lot of life.

一個空空如也的宇宙和一個生機盎然的宇宙，

Which one of this is more interesting to you?

哪一個對你來說更有趣呢？

Thank you. Thank you very much.

謝謝大家！

Teşekkürler.

謝謝你們。（土耳其語）

(Applause)

（掌聲）