ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Paul Rothemund - DNA origamist
Paul Rothemund folds DNA into shapes and patterns. Which is a simple enough thing to say, but the process he has developed has vast implications for computing and manufacturing -- allowing us to create things we can now only dream of.

Why you should listen

Paul Rothemund won a MacArthur grant this year for a fairly mystifying study area: "folding DNA." It brings up the question: Why fold DNA? The answer is -- because the power to manipulate DNA in this way could change the way we make things at a very basic level.

Rothemund's work combines the study of self-assembly (watch the TEDTalks from Neil Gershenfeld and Saul Griffith for more on this) with the research being done in DNA nanotechnology -- and points the way toward self-assembling devices at microscale, making computer memory, for instance, smaller, faster and maybe even cheaper.

More profile about the speaker
Paul Rothemund | Speaker | TED.com
TED2007

Paul Rothemund: Playing with DNA that self-assembles

Paul Rothemund:DNA魔法

Filmed:
471,278 views

Paul Rothemund正在编写一种特殊的「密码」以使DNA能自己排列成星形、笑脸及其他图案。您会为之感到震惊,但您所看到的只是分子自我排列组合的小型表演,它实际上揭示了未来制造出各种东西的无限可能。
- DNA origamist
Paul Rothemund folds DNA into shapes and patterns. Which is a simple enough thing to say, but the process he has developed has vast implications for computing and manufacturing -- allowing us to create things we can now only dream of. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:26
There's an ancient and universal普遍 concept概念 that words have power功率,
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自古以来,文字就普遍被认为具有一种魔力,
00:30
that spells法术 exist存在, and that if we could only pronounce发音 the right words,
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我们相信咒语的存在,只要我们能够正确的念出那些文字。
00:34
then -- whoooshwhooosh -- you know, an avalanche雪崩 would come
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然后,哈!你知道的,排山倒海之势就会从天而降
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and wipe擦拭 out the hobbits霍比特人, right? So this is a very attractive有吸引力 idea理念
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然后歼灭哈比人,是吧?这是一个非常有吸引力的想法
00:41
because we're very lazy, like the sorcerer's巫师 apprentice学徒,
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因为我们非常懒惰,有若巫士的学徒,
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or the world's世界 greatest最大 computer电脑 programmer程序员.
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或是世界上最棒的软件工程师。
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And so this idea理念 has a lot of traction牵引 with us.
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因此,这个想法对我们有极大的吸引力。
00:47
We love the idea理念 that words, when pronounced宣判 --
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我们很喜欢这个想法是因为,当这些文字被念出来时,
00:49
they're just little more than pure information信息,
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他们不仅仅是单纯的传递讯息,
00:51
but they evoke唤起 some physical物理 action行动
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而且他们还能触发一些在真实世界中
00:53
in the real真实 world世界 that helps帮助 us do work.
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能实质上帮助我们工作的行动。
00:54
And so, of course课程, with lots of programmable可编程的 computers电脑
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当然,因为我们周遭有大量可编程的电脑
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and robots机器人 around this is an easy简单 thing to picture图片.
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以及机器人,这个概念并不难被理解。
01:00
So how many许多 of you know what I'm talking about?
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你们当中有多少人知道我现在在讲什么的?
01:02
Raise提高 your right hand. OK. How many许多 of you
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请举起你们的右手。好。有多少人
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don't know what I'm talking about? Raise提高 your left hand.
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不知道我在讲什么的?请举你们的左手。好。
01:06
So that's great. So that was too easy简单.
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非常好。这太简单了。
01:09
You guys have very insecure不安全 computers电脑, OK?
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你们的「电脑」非常容易出错,对吧?
01:12
So now, the thing is that this is a different不同 kind of spell拼写.
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我想要说的是,这是一种不同的「咒语」。
01:17
This is a computer电脑 program程序 made制作 of zeros and ones那些.
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这是一个由一堆0与1所组成的电脑程序。
01:18
It can be pronounced宣判 on a computer电脑. It does something like this.
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它能够在电脑上被「念」出来。就像这样。
01:21
The important重要 thing is we can write it in a high-level高水平 language语言.
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关键是我们可以以高阶语言去写它。
01:23
A computer电脑 magician魔术师 can write this thing.
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一个电脑魔术师可以写出这种东西。
01:26
It can be compiled编译 into this -- into zeros and ones那些 --
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它能被编译成这样-- 变成一堆0与1--
01:29
and pronounced宣判 by a computer电脑.
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然后被电脑念出来。
01:30
And that's what makes品牌 computers电脑 powerful强大:
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这就是让电脑、强大的东西:
01:32
these high-level高水平 languages语言 that can be compiled编译.
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这些能被编译的高阶语言。
01:34
And so, I'm here to tell you, you don't need a computer电脑
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然而,我在这边还想告诉你,你并不需要一台电脑
01:37
to actually其实 have a spell拼写. In fact事实, what you can do
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就能够施咒。事实上,你能够做的是
01:40
at the molecular分子 level水平 is that if you encode编码 information信息 --
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如果你将资讯编码到分子层次上 --
01:43
you encode编码 a spell拼写 or program程序 as molecules分子 --
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你使用分子来撰写「咒语」或是程式--
01:46
then physics物理 can actually其实 directly interpret that information信息
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那么这些信息可以直接透过物理作用来解译
01:49
and run a program程序. That's what happens发生 in proteins蛋白质.
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并且执行一个程序。蛋白质分子们就是这样的。
01:52
When this amino氨基 acid sequence序列 gets得到 pronounced宣判 as atoms原子,
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当这些胺基酸序列以原子的型态被「念」出来,
01:55
these little letters are sticky for each other.
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这些彼此之间紧密结合在一起的字母们
01:57
It collapses崩溃 into a three-dimensional三维 shape形状 that turns it into
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堆叠成三维立体结构使之成为
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a nanomachine纳米机器 that actually其实 cuts削减 DNA脱氧核糖核酸.
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一个能切割 DNA 的奈米机器。
02:02
And the interesting有趣 thing is that if you change更改 the sequence序列,
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有趣的是,如果你改变序列,
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you change更改 the three-dimensional三维 folding折页.
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你也同时改变了其三维折叠的方法
02:07
You get now a DNA脱氧核糖核酸 stapler订书机 instead代替. These are the kind of
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你现在得到的是一个 DNA 订书机。
02:10
molecular分子 programs程式 that we want to be able能够 to write,
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这种就是我们希望能够撰写的分子程式,
02:12
but the problem问题 is, we don't know the machine language语言 of
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问题在于,我们不知道蛋白质的程式语言;
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proteins蛋白质. We don't have a compiler编译器 for proteins蛋白质.
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我们没有蛋白质的编译器。
02:17
So I've joined加盟 a growing生长 band of people that try to make
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所以我加入了一个成员逐渐增长的组织, 我们
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molecular分子 spells法术 using运用 DNA脱氧核糖核酸. We use DNA脱氧核糖核酸 because it's cheaper便宜.
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尝试使用 DNA 制造分子魔咒,因为使用 DNA比较便宜。
02:23
It's easier更轻松 to handle处理. It's something that we understand理解 really well.
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它比较容易处理。我们对它的了解已经非常透彻了。
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We understand理解 it so well, in fact事实, that we think we can actually其实 write
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我们对它的了解是如此地透彻,事实上,我们认为我们可以
02:29
programming程序设计 languages语言 for DNA脱氧核糖核酸 and have molecular分子 compilers编译器.
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写一个DNA 的程式语言并且拥有分子编译器。
02:32
So then, we think we can do that. And my first question doing this --
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既然我们认为我们可以做到。我的第一个问题是--
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or one of my questions问题 doing this -- was how can you make
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或者应该说我一堆问题的其中一个是-- 你如何
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an arbitrary随意 shape形状 or pattern模式 out of DNA脱氧核糖核酸? And I decided决定 to use
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用DNA来制造任意形状或图案? 我决定使用
02:41
a type类型 of DNA脱氧核糖核酸 origami折纸, where you take a long strand of DNA脱氧核糖核酸
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一种类似折纸的DNA 折叠艺术,你可以将一股长条DNA
02:44
and fold it into whatever随你 shape形状 or pattern模式 you might威力 want.
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折叠成你想要的各种形状或图案。
02:47
So here's这里的 a shape形状. I actually其实 spent花费 about a year in my home,
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这边是其中一种形状。事实上我在家中花了一年的时间,
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in my underwear内衣, coding编码, like Linus莱纳斯 [Torvalds托瓦尔兹], in that picture图片 before.
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只穿着内裤,编写程式,就如同之前照片中的李纳斯·托瓦兹(Linux之父)一般。
02:54
And this program程序 takes a shape形状, spits吐奶 out 250 DNA脱氧核糖核酸 sequences序列.
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这个程式输入一个形状,列出二百五十个不同的DNA 序列。
02:57
These short DNA脱氧核糖核酸 sequences序列 are what are going to fold the long strand
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这些短的DNA 序列就是接下来将一长股DNA
03:00
into this shape形状 that we want to make. So you send发送 an e-mail电子邮件
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折叠成这种我们想要的形状时会派上用场的东西。
03:03
with these sequences序列 in it to a company公司, and what it does --
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所以你发一封内含这些序列的电子邮件去一家公司,
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the company公司 pronounces宣告 them on a DNA脱氧核糖核酸 synthesizer合成.
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由这家公司使用DNA 合成仪去制造出这些序
03:09
It's a machine about the size尺寸 of a photocopier复印机. And what happens发生 is,
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合成仪的大小大概与影印机差不多。
03:12
they take your e-mail电子邮件 and every一切 letter in your e-mail电子邮件,
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然后,他们将你的电子邮件和内含序列的每一个字
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they replace更换 with 30-atom-原子 cluster -- one for each letter,
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变成约30个原子的群集,每一个单元就是一个字母,
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A, T, C, and G in DNA脱氧核糖核酸. They string them up in the right sequence序列,
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DNA 中的 A, T, C 和 G。他们被串成正确的序列,
03:21
and then they send发送 them back to you via通过 FedEx联邦快递.
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然后他们使用 FedEx 寄还给你。
03:23
So you get 250 of these in the mail邮件 in little tubes.
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这封信件中有一些小管子,管子里面就有着这二百五十种序列。
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I mix混合 them together一起, add a little bit of salt water,
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我把他们混合在一起,加一点点盐水,
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and then add this long strand I was telling告诉 you about,
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然后加入这个我一直跟你提到的东西,
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that I've stolen被盗 from a virus病毒. And then what happens发生 is,
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我从病毒中借用的长股 DNA。然后,
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you heat this whole整个 thing up to about boiling沸腾. You cool it down
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将其整个加热至接近沸腾。再待其冷却
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to room房间 temperature温度, and as you do,
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至室温,就像你平常会做的事一般,
03:38
what happens发生 is those short strands, they do the following以下 thing:
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这些短股DNA 就会去做接下来的事情:
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each one of them binds结合 that long strand in one place地点,
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他们每一个都会与长股中的某处结合在一起,
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and then has a second第二 half that binds结合 that long strand
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然而他们的另外半段则会与长股中
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in a distant遥远 place地点, and brings带来 those two parts部分 of the long strand
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一段距离外的某处结合,使这长股的两部份
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close together一起 so that they stick together一起.
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互相靠近而黏在一起。
03:52
And so the net effect影响 of all 250 of these strands is to fold
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所以这两百五十种短股的净效应
03:55
the long strand into the shape形状 that you're looking for.
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将把长股折叠成你想要的形状。
03:59
It'll它会 approximate近似 that shape形状. We do this for real真实 in the test测试 tube.
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它大约就是那个形状。我们真的在试管中做这个实验。
04:02
In each little drop下降 of water you get 50 billion十亿 of these guys.
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每一小滴水中包含约五百亿个这些小东西。
04:05
You can look with a microscope显微镜 and see them on a surface表面.
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你可以用显微镜看到他们平躺在一个平面上。
04:08
And the neat整齐 thing is that if you change更改 the sequence序列
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最棒的是如果你更改序列
04:09
and change更改 the spell拼写, you just change更改 the sequence序列 of the staples主食.
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改变咒语,你只要更改这些「钉书针」(指短股DNA)的序列。
04:13
You can make a molecule分子 that looks容貌 like this, and, you know,
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你可以使一个分子看起来像这样,
04:16
he likes喜欢 to hang out with his buddies哥儿们, right.
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你知道他喜欢跟朋友在一起,是吧?
04:19
And a lot of them are actually其实 pretty漂亮 good.
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这些朋友聚在一起的确挺不错的。
04:21
If you change更改 the spell拼写 again, you change更改 the sequence序列 again.
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如果你改变咒语,就又改变了一次序列。
04:23
You get really nice不错 130 nanometer纳米 triangles三角形. If you do it again,
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你会得到这些130奈米的三角形。你再做一次,
04:27
you can get arbitrary随意 patterns模式. So on a rectangle长方形
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你能做出任何图案。所以在一个长方形上
04:30
you can paint涂料 patterns模式 of North and South America美国, or the words, "DNA脱氧核糖核酸."
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你可以画出南北美洲的地图,或是排出「DNA」三个字母。
04:35
So that's DNA脱氧核糖核酸 origami折纸. That's one way. There are many许多 ways方法
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这就是 DNA 折叠艺术。而这只是目前
04:39
of casting铸件 molecular分子 spells法术 using运用 DNA脱氧核糖核酸.
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可以使用DNA 施展分子魔咒的许多方法中的一种。
04:42
What we really want to do in the end结束 is learn学习 how to program程序
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我们真正想要做的是学习如何编辑
04:45
self-assembly自组装 so that we can build建立 anything, right?
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自我组合的程式,这样我们就可以建出任何东西了,对吧?
04:48
We want to be able能够 to build建立 technological技术性 artifacts文物
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我们希望能够创造出对世界有益的科技产物
04:50
that are maybe good for the world世界. We want to learn学习
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我们希望学习的是
04:52
how to build建立 biological生物 artifacts文物, like people and whales鲸鱼 and trees树木.
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如何制造生命,如人、鲸鱼或是树木。
04:57
And if it's the case案件 that we can reach达到 that level水平 of complexity复杂,
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如果我们真的能够建造出如此复杂的东西,
04:59
if our ability能力 to program程序 molecules分子 gets得到 to be that good,
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如果我们编写分子程式的能力真的如此强大
05:03
then that will truly be magic魔法. Thank you very much.
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那就是真的创造奇迹了。非常谢谢你们。
05:06
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Jenny Yang
Reviewed by Chaoran Yu

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Paul Rothemund - DNA origamist
Paul Rothemund folds DNA into shapes and patterns. Which is a simple enough thing to say, but the process he has developed has vast implications for computing and manufacturing -- allowing us to create things we can now only dream of.

Why you should listen

Paul Rothemund won a MacArthur grant this year for a fairly mystifying study area: "folding DNA." It brings up the question: Why fold DNA? The answer is -- because the power to manipulate DNA in this way could change the way we make things at a very basic level.

Rothemund's work combines the study of self-assembly (watch the TEDTalks from Neil Gershenfeld and Saul Griffith for more on this) with the research being done in DNA nanotechnology -- and points the way toward self-assembling devices at microscale, making computer memory, for instance, smaller, faster and maybe even cheaper.

More profile about the speaker
Paul Rothemund | Speaker | TED.com