ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Magnus Larsson - Dune architect
Magnus Larsson hopes to build new structures in the desert -- by using bacteria to turn shifting sand into a solid mass.

Why you should listen

Architecture student Magnus Larsson wants to turn some of the most deserted and harsh landscapes on the planet into habitable structures. How? By turning loose sand dunes into solid architecture using bacteria. A team at UC Davis has been looking at the microorganism bacillus pasteurii to solidify the ground in earthquake-prone areas. As Larsson puts it, "All I did was to deliberately misapply their technology ... and to pump up the scale, and turn it into a 6,000-km-long wall that's made of sand and protects against sand."

After talking with Jason DeJong at UC Davis and with Stefano Ciurli, a b. pasteurii expert at the University of Bologna, Larsson put together a team at University College London to grow the bacteria and attempt to solidify sand. His Holcim Award-winning proposal is a complement to the Green Wall Sahara shelterbelt, being planted across the African continent. Larsson is now investigating how to bring the project to the next stage: a 1:1 scale prototype.

More profile about the speaker
Magnus Larsson | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2009

Magnus Larsson: Turning dunes into architecture

Magnus Larsson: 化沙丘为建筑

Filmed:
743,305 views

建筑系学生Magnus Larsson提出了用细菌和一种令人惊奇的建筑材料——沙子本身——来改造严酷的撒哈拉沙漠的计划。在此,他对这一大胆的计划进行了详细的描述。
- Dune architect
Magnus Larsson hopes to build new structures in the desert -- by using bacteria to turn shifting sand into a solid mass. Full bio

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

00:15
It's a bit funny滑稽 to be
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能够来参加这次大会是件很有趣的事,
00:17
at a conference会议 dedicated专用 to things not seen看到,
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因为这是一个致力于还未出现的事物的会议,
00:19
and present当下 my proposal提案 to build建立
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而且我将呈现一个创意,
00:22
a 6,000-kilometer-long-kilometer长 wall
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一个将可在非洲大陆上筑起全长
00:24
across横过 the entire整个 African非洲人 continent大陆.
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6000公里的城墙的建议。
00:27
About the size尺寸 of the Great Wall of China中国,
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这就形同中国长城的规模,
00:30
this would hardly几乎不 be an invisible无形 structure结构体.
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因此它将成为令人难以忽视的建筑。
00:32
And yet然而 it's made制作 from parts部分 that are invisible无形, or near-invisible近无形, to the naked eye:
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然而构成它的部件却是不显眼的,或者说对肉眼几乎是不可见的,
00:37
bacteria and grains谷物 of sand.
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那就是细菌和沙粒。
00:40
Now, as architects建筑师 we're trained熟练 to solve解决 problems问题.
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如今,作为建筑师我们被教以解决问题。
00:43
But I don't really believe in architectural建筑的 problems问题;
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但是我不太相信建筑学上的问题,
00:45
I only believe in opportunities机会.
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我只相信机遇。
00:47
Which哪一个 is why I'll show显示 you a threat威胁,
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这就是为什么我要向你们展现一个恶兆,
00:49
and an architectural建筑的 response响应.
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和一个建筑学上的回答。
00:51
The threat威胁 is desertification荒漠化.
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这个恶兆就是沙漠化。
00:55
My response响应 is a sandstone砂岩 wall
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而我的回答
00:58
made制作 from bacteria and solidified凝固 sand,
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是一条由细菌和固化沙粒建筑而成的城墙,
01:00
stretching拉伸 across横过 the desert沙漠.
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它将横穿整个沙漠。
01:04
Now, sand is a magical神奇 material材料
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在如今,沙子是一种不可思议的材料,
01:06
of beautiful美丽 contradictions矛盾.
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它充满着各种美丽的矛盾。
01:08
It is simple简单 and complex复杂.
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它简单却又复杂。
01:11
It is peaceful平静的 and violent暴力.
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和平却也暴力。
01:13
It is always the same相同, never the same相同,
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它虽为永恒却也无常,
01:15
endlessly不休 fascinating迷人.
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它有着无穷尽的迷人魅力。
01:17
One billion十亿 grains谷物 of sand
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这个世界,时时刻刻都有
01:19
come into existence存在 in the world世界 each second第二.
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成千上万的沙粒在产生。
01:23
That's a cyclical周期性 process处理.
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那是一个循环过程。
01:25
As rocks岩石 and mountains die,
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岩石和山脉消逝之时,
01:27
grains谷物 of sand are born天生.
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沙粒于焉诞生。
01:29
Some of those grains谷物 may可能 then cement水泥 naturally自然 into sandstone砂岩.
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一些沙粒随后又自然粘结形成岩石。
01:32
And as the sandstone砂岩 weathers天气, new grains谷物 break打破 free自由.
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随着岩石风化,新的沙粒形成。
01:36
Some of those grains谷物 may可能 then accumulate积累
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其中一些沙粒
01:38
on a massive大规模的 scale规模,
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会大规模积聚,
01:40
into a sand dune沙丘.
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形成沙丘。
01:43
In a way, the static静态的, stone mountain
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从某种程度上来说,静态的岩石山脉
01:46
becomes a moving移动 mountain of sand.
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变成了移动的沙粒山脉。
01:49
But, moving移动 mountains can be dangerous危险. Let me try and explain说明 why.
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但是,移动的山脉是危险的。我来试着解释一下原因。
01:53
Dry areas cover more than one third第三 of the Earth's地球 land土地 surfaces.
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地球表面超过三分之一的陆地处于干旱地区。
01:57
Some are already已经 deserts沙漠;
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其中一些是荒漠,
01:59
others其他 are being存在 seriously认真地 degraded降级 by the sand.
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其它的则被沙完全覆盖。
02:02
Just south of the Sahara撒哈拉 we find the Sahel萨赫勒.
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就在撒哈拉沙漠的南边我们发现了沙赫尔。
02:05
The name名称 means手段 "edge边缘 of the desert沙漠."
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这个名字的意思是“沙漠的边缘”。
02:08
And this is the region地区 most closely密切 associated相关 with desertification荒漠化.
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这是和沙漠化联系最紧密的地区。
02:12
It was here in the late晚了 '60s and early '70s
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也就是在这,在六十年代晚期和七十年代早期,
02:15
that major重大的 droughts干旱 brought three million百万 people
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干旱让三百万人民
02:18
to become成为 dependent依赖的 upon emergency food餐饮 aid援助,
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只能依靠应急救援食品来生存,
02:21
with about up to 250,000 dying垂死.
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并夺去了总计大约250000人的生命。
02:23
This is a catastrophe灾难 waiting等候 to happen发生 again.
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这样的大灾难正伺机卷土重来。
02:26
And it's one that gets得到 very little attention注意.
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但它却很少受到人们的注意。
02:29
In our accelerated加速 media媒体 culture文化,
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在我们日益加速的媒体文化中,
02:31
desertification荒漠化 is simply只是 too slow
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沙漠化是如此缓慢
02:34
to reach达到 the headlines新闻头条.
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而难以登上头版头条。
02:36
It's nothing like a tsunami海啸 or a Katrina卡特里娜:
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它一点也不像海啸或卡特里娜(飓风):
02:39
too few少数 crying哭了 children孩子 and smashed被砸 up houses房屋.
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很少有哭泣的孩子和被摧毁的房屋。
02:44
And yet然而 desertification荒漠化
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然而,沙漠化
02:46
is a major重大的 threat威胁 on all continents大陆,
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对所有国家都是一个主要的威胁。
02:48
affecting影响 some 110 countries国家
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大约110个国家
02:51
and about 70 percent百分 of the world's世界 agricultural农业的 drylands旱地.
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和全球70%左右的农用旱地都受其影响。
02:56
It seriously认真地 threatens威胁 the livelihoods生计
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它严重地威胁了数以万计的人
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of millions百万 of people,
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的生计问题,
03:02
and especially特别 in Africa非洲 and China中国.
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尤其是在非洲和中国。
03:05
And it is largely大部分 an issue问题 that we've我们已经 created创建 for ourselves我们自己
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很大程度上这个问题是我们人类自找的,
03:08
through通过 unsustainable不可持续的 use of scarce稀缺 resources资源.
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源于我们对稀有资源的滥用。
03:12
So, we get climate气候 change更改.
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为此,我们得到了气候变化。
03:14
We get droughts干旱,
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我们得到了干旱,
03:15
increased增加 desertification荒漠化,
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日益严重的沙漠化、
03:17
crashing轰然 food餐饮 systems系统, water scarcity缺乏,
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食物系统崩溃、水资源短缺、
03:20
famine饥荒, forced被迫 migration移民,
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饥荒、被迫的移民、
03:24
political政治 instability不稳定, warfare, crisis危机.
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政治动荡、战争和危机。
03:28
That's a potential潜在 scenario脚本
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如果我们不严肃对待,
03:30
if we fail失败 to take this seriously认真地.
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那一切的不幸将在现实上演。
03:32
But, how far away is it?
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那么,它现在离我们有多远呢?
03:34
I went to Sokoto索科托 in northern北方 Nigeria尼日利亚
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我试着去尼日利亚南部的索科托州
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to try and find out how far away it is.
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寻找答案。
03:39
The dunes沙丘 here move移动 southward向南 at a pace步伐 of around 600 meters a year.
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这的沙丘以每年大约600米的速度向南移动。
03:44
That's the Sahara撒哈拉 eating up almost几乎 [two meters] a day of the arable可耕的 land土地,
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撒哈拉沙漠每天几乎要吞噬掉一米的可耕地,
03:47
physically物理 pushing推动 people away from their homes家园.
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把人赶出他们的房屋。
03:51
Here I am -- I'm the second第二 person on the left --
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我在这——左边第二个——
03:54
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:56
with the elders长老 in Gidan-KaraGidan卡拉,
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和Gidan-Kara的长老一起。
03:59
a tiny village outside of Sokoto索科托.
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那是索科托州外的一个小村庄。
04:02
They had to move移动 this village in 1987
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1987年他们不得不搬离了这个村子,
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as a huge巨大 dune沙丘 threatened受威胁 to swallow it.
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因为一座巨大的沙丘正威胁着将它吞没。
04:07
So, they moved移动 the entire整个 village, hut棚屋 by hut棚屋.
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所以,他们一间屋子一间屋子地搬走了整个村庄。
04:10
This is where the village used to be.
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这是他们村子曾经所在的地方。
04:12
It took us about 10 minutes分钟 to climb up to the top最佳 of that dune沙丘,
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爬到那座沙丘的顶部大约花掉了我们10分钟时间。
04:17
which哪一个 goes to show显示 why they had to move移动 to a safer更安全 location位置.
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这说明了他们为什么不得不搬到一个更安全的地方。
04:20
That's the kind of forced被迫 migration移民
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那就是沙漠化所导致的
04:22
that desertification荒漠化 can lead to.
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被迫的迁移。
04:25
If you happen发生 to live生活 close to the desert沙漠 border边境,
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如果你碰巧住在离沙漠边界很近的地方,
04:27
you can pretty漂亮 much calculate计算 how long it will be
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你几乎能计算还有多久
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before you have to carry携带 your kids孩子 away,
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你就得带着你的孩子离开,
04:31
and abandon放弃 your home and your life as you know it.
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遗弃你的房屋和生活,正如你所知道的。
04:36
Now, sand dunes沙丘 cover only about one fifth第五 of our deserts沙漠.
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现在,沙丘只覆盖了我们大约五分之一的荒漠。
04:40
And still, those extreme极端 environments环境 are very good places地方
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但是,如果我们想要阻止流沙的话
04:43
if we want to stop the shifting sands沙滩.
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那些极端的环境会是很好的地方。
04:46
Four years年份 ago, 23 African非洲人 countries国家
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四年前,23个非洲国家
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came来了 together一起 to create创建 the Great Green绿色 Wall Sahara撒哈拉.
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联合起来建造撒哈拉沙漠长城。
04:52
A fantastic奇妙 project项目, the initial初始 plan计划
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一个项不可思议的工程,它最初的计划
04:55
called for a shelter庇护 belt of trees树木 to be planted种植的
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是种植一条西起毛里塔尼亚东至吉布提
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right across横过 the African非洲人 continent大陆,
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贯穿非洲大陆的
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from Mauritania毛里塔尼亚 in the west西, all the way to Djibouti吉布提 in the east.
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防护林带。
05:03
If you want to stop a sand dune沙丘 from moving移动,
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如果你想要停止沙丘移动
05:05
what you need to make sure to do is to stop the grains谷物
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你就必须确保能够阻止沙粒
05:07
from avalanching雪崩 over its crest波峰.
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从沙丘顶部崩塌下来。
05:10
And a good way of doing that, the most efficient高效 way,
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有一个很好的也是最有效的方法
05:12
is to use some kind of sand catcher捕手.
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就是用某种沙子捕手。
05:14
Trees or cacti仙人掌 are good for this.
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树或者仙人掌就不错。
05:17
But, one of the problems问题 with planting种植 trees树木 is that
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但是种树面临着一个问题,
05:20
the people in these regions地区 are so poor较差的
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那个地区的人太穷,
05:22
that they chop them down for firewood.
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他们把树砍倒当柴火了。
05:24
Now there is an alternative替代 to just planting种植 trees树木
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现在,除了种树然后指望着它们别被砍掉
05:28
and hoping希望 that they won't惯于 get chopped切碎的 down.
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我们有了另一种选择。
05:31
This sandstone砂岩 wall that I'm proposing建议 essentially实质上 does three things.
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我所提倡的岩石长城从本质上做了三件事。
05:34
It adds增加 roughness粗糙度 to the dune's沙丘的 surface表面,
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它增加了沙丘表面纹理的粗糙度,
05:37
to the texture质地 of the dune's沙丘的 surface表面, binding捆绑 the grains谷物.
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把沙粒粘结在一起。
05:40
It provides提供 a physical物理 support支持 structure结构体 for the trees树木,
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它为树木的生存提供了物理支撑结构,
05:43
and it creates创建 physical物理 spaces空间,
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它还在沙丘的内部创造了
05:46
habitable可居住 spaces空间 inside of the sand dunes沙丘.
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可供居住的空间。
05:48
If people live生活 inside of the green绿色 barrier屏障
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如果人们居住在这道绿色的屏障内,
05:51
they can help support支持 the trees树木, protect保护 them from humans人类,
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他们就能帮着照料这些树,保护它们免受人类
05:54
and from some of the forces军队 of nature性质.
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和一些自然力量的破坏。
05:56
Inside of the dunes沙丘 we find shade阴凉处.
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在沙丘里我们能找到阴凉的地方。
05:59
We can start开始 harvesting收获 condensation缩合,
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我们开始收获(沙粒的)凝结,
06:02
and start开始 greening绿化 the desert沙漠 from within.
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并开始从内部将沙漠绿化。
06:04
Sand dunes沙丘 are almost几乎 like ready-made现成 buildings房屋 in a way.
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沙丘已经差不多有点像现成的建筑了,
06:07
All we need to do is solidify固化 the parts部分 that we need to be solid固体,
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我们需要做的只是固化所需的部分,
06:11
and then excavate挖掘 the sand,
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然后挖掘沙子,
06:13
and we have our architecture建筑.
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构筑我们的建筑。
06:15
We can either excavate挖掘 it by hand
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我们既可以用手挖掘
06:17
or we can have the wind excavate挖掘 it for us.
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也能让风来帮我们。
06:19
So, the wind carries携带 the sand onto the site现场
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风把沙粒搬运上来
06:21
and then it carries携带 the redundant sand away from the structure结构体 for us.
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再把多余的沙从我们的建筑上搬走。
06:26
But, by now, you're probably大概 asking,
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但是,到现在,你们或许会问
06:28
how am I planning规划 to solidify固化 a sand dune沙丘?
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我打算怎样把一座沙丘固化呢?
06:31
How do we glue those grains谷物 of sand together一起?
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我们又怎样把沙粒粘合在一起?
06:34
And the answer回答 is, perhaps也许, that you use these guys,
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答案就是,或许,你可以用这些家伙,
06:37
Bacillus芽孢杆菌 pasteurii巴斯德,
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巴氏芽孢杆菌,
06:39
a micro-organism微生物 that is readily容易 available可得到 in wetlands沼泽地
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一种能从湿地和沼泽中
06:41
and marshes沼泽, and does precisely恰恰 that.
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轻松获取的微生物。
06:44
It takes a pile of loose疏松 sand
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它带着一堆疏松砂岩
06:46
and it creates创建 sandstone砂岩 out of it.
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并能用它们制造砂岩。
06:49
These images图片 from the American美国 Society社会 for Microbiology微生物学 show显示 us the process处理.
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这些来自美国微生物学会的照片向我们展示了这一过程。
06:53
What happens发生 is, you pour Bacillus芽孢杆菌 pasteurii巴斯德 onto a pile of sand,
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所发生的是,你把巴氏芽孢杆菌倒在一堆沙上,
06:57
and it starts启动 filling填充 up the voids空隙 in between之间 the grains谷物.
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它开始填充沙粒间的间隙。
07:00
A chemical化学 process处理 produces产生 calcite方解石,
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由一个化学过程产生方解石,
07:02
which哪一个 is a kind of natural自然 cement水泥
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方解石是一种天然的水泥,
07:04
that binds结合 the grains谷物 together一起.
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能把沙粒粘结在一起。
07:06
The whole整个 cementation胶结 process处理 takes about 24 hours小时.
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整个粘结过程大概需要24个小时。
07:10
I learned学到了 about this from a professor教授 at U.C. Davis戴维斯 called Jason贾森 DeJongDeJong.
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我从加州大学一个叫Jason DeJong的教授那里学到了这些。
07:14
He managed管理 to do it in a mere 1,400 minutes分钟.
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他成功地在1400分钟里完成了这个实验。
07:18
Here I am, playing播放 the part部分 of the mad scientist科学家,
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在这,我扮演起了这位疯狂的科学家的角色,
07:20
working加工 with the bugs虫子 at UCLUCL in London伦敦,
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和这个疯子一起在伦敦的伦敦大学学院工作,
07:24
trying to solidify固化 them.
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尝试着固化它们。
07:26
So, how much would this cost成本?
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那么,这个项目要花费多少呢?
07:29
I'm not an economist经济学家, very much not,
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我一点也不像个经济学家,
07:31
but I did, quite相当 literally按照字面, a back of the envelope信封 calculation计算 --
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但是,我做了一个——照字面来说的——封底运算……
07:35
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
07:37
-- and it seems似乎 that for a cubic立方体 meter仪表 of concrete具体
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看起来一立方米粘结物
07:40
we would have to pay工资 in the region地区 of 90 dollars美元.
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要耗费我们90美元左右。
07:43
And, after an initial初始 cost成本 of 60 bucks雄鹿 to buy购买 the bacteria,
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最初我们需要用60美元来买细菌,
07:46
which哪一个 you'll你会 never have to pay工资 again,
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之后你就不用再为细菌花钱了,
07:48
one cubic立方体 meter仪表 of bacterial细菌 sand
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那样算下来的话一立方米带细菌的沙子
07:51
would be about 11 dollars美元.
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大约是11美元。
07:53
How do we construct构造 something like this?
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我们该怎么构建想这样的东西呢?
07:55
Well, I'll quickly很快 show显示 you two options选项.
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我这就为你们展示两种选择。
07:57
The first is to create创建 a kind of balloon气球 structure结构体,
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第一是创造一种气球一样的结构,
07:59
fill it with bacteria, then allow允许 the sand to wash over the balloon气球,
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把它装满细菌,然后用沙子磨洗它,
08:03
pop流行的 the balloon气球, as it were, disseminating传播 the bacteria into the sand and solidifying it.
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冲击它,可以说就是把细菌散播进沙里去固化它。
08:07
Then, a few少数 years年份 afterwards之后,
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等过几年,
08:09
using运用 permaculturalpermacultural strategies策略,
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从长远打算,
08:11
we green绿色 that part部分 of the desert沙漠.
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我们把那部分沙漠绿化。
08:14
The second第二 alternative替代 would be to use injection注射 piles.
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第二种选择是用喷桩。
08:17
So, we pushed the piles down through通过 the dune沙丘,
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我们把喷桩插进沙丘里,
08:19
and we create创建 an initial初始 bacterial细菌 surface表面.
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再创造一个原始的细菌表面。
08:22
We then pull the piles up through通过 the dune沙丘
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然后把这些喷桩从沙丘里拔出来。
08:25
and we're able能够 to create创建 almost几乎 any conceivable可以想象 shape形状 inside of the sand
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以沙为模子,
08:28
with the sand acting演戏 as a mold模子 as we go up.
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我们几乎能在沙丘内部创造任何我们想要的形状。
08:32
So, we have a way of turning车削 sand into sandstone砂岩,
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所以,我们有了一个把沙变成砂岩的办法,
08:36
and then creating创建 these habitable可居住 spaces空间 inside of the desert沙漠 dunes沙丘.
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能在沙丘内部创造可居住的空间。
08:40
But, what should they look like?
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但是,它们该是什么样子的呢?
08:42
Well, I was inspired启发, for my architectural建筑的 form形成, by tafonitafoni,
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嗯,我的建筑形态让我有些激动,它是依靠风化形成的,
08:47
which哪一个 look a little bit like this, this is a model模型 representation表示 of it.
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看起来有点像这样,这是它的一个模型。
08:50
These are cavernous海绵状 rock structures结构 that I found发现 on the site现场 in Sokoto索科托.
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这些是我在索科托州建立的洞穴岩石结构。
08:53
And I realized实现 that if I scaled缩放 them up, they would provide提供 me
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我意识到如果我把它们像鱼鳞一样排列起来,它们就能为我提供
08:56
with good spatial空间的 qualities气质,
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很好的空间质量,
08:59
for ventilation通风, for thermal comfort安慰, and for other things.
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无论是通风,温度还是其它事。
09:02
Now, part部分 of the formal正式 control控制 over this structure结构体
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现在,在正常控制范围内,这些结构的一部分
09:05
would be lost丢失 to nature性质, obviously明显,
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很明显会被自然侵蚀掉。
09:07
as the bacteria do their work.
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那些细菌起作用了。
09:10
And I think this creates创建 a kind of boundless漫漫 beauty美女 actually其实.
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我想着确实是创造了一种无尽的美。
09:13
I think there is really something in that articulation关节
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在这里的确有一些东西
09:16
that is quite相当 nice不错.
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是非同凡响的。
09:18
We see the result结果, the traces痕迹, if you like,
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我们看到了用巴氏芽孢杆菌来把沙漠
09:22
of the Bacillus芽孢杆菌 pasteurii巴斯德 being存在 harnessed驾驭 to sculpt塑造 the desert沙漠
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雕刻成人间乐土的结果,
09:25
into these habitable可居住 environments环境.
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如果你喜欢,也可以说是痕迹。
09:27
Some people believe that
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有人担心
09:30
this would spread传播 uncontrollably失控,
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这种传播会不会不受控制,
09:32
and that the bacteria would kill everything in its way.
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那些细菌会杀死它们碰到的任何东西。
09:34
That's not true真正 at all.
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那绝对是错误的。
09:36
It's a natural自然 process处理. It goes on in nature性质 today今天,
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这是一个自然过程。它现在也在自然界中进行着。
09:38
and the bacteria die as soon不久 as we stop feeding馈送 them.
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一旦我们停止喂养细菌,它们就会死去。
09:41
So, there it is --
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所以,这些是——
09:43
architectural建筑的 anti-desertification防沙治沙 structures结构
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用沙漠本身建造的
09:46
made制作 from the desert沙漠 itself本身.
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建筑学上的抵抗沙漠化结构。
09:48
Sand-stopping沙停止 devices设备, made制作 from sand.
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来自于沙的阻止沙前进的设备。
09:52
The world世界 is likely容易 to lose失去 one third第三 of its arable可耕的 land土地
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到本世纪末,全世界有可能失去
09:55
by the end结束 of the century世纪.
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三分之一的可耕地。
09:57
In a period of unprecedented史无前例 population人口 growth发展
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在人口数量空前飞涨
10:01
and increased增加 food餐饮 demands需要, this could prove证明 disastrous惨重.
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食物需求日益增加的时期,这几乎是个灾难。
10:03
And quite相当 frankly坦率地说, we're putting our heads in the sand.
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坦白说我们正把目光投向沙漠。
10:07
If nothing else其他, I would like for this scheme方案 to initiate发起 a discussion讨论.
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如果没有什么其它的事,我想为这个计划开始一个讨论。
10:12
But, if I had something like a TEDTED wish希望,
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但是,如果要我在TED许一个愿,
10:14
it would be to actually其实 get it built内置,
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我希望它能被切实地建造起来,
10:16
to start开始 building建造 this habitable可居住 wall,
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开始建造这条可以居住的长城,
10:19
this very, very long, but very narrow狭窄 city in the desert沙漠,
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这座很长很长,但却很窄的沙漠之城,
10:23
built内置 into the dunescapedunescape itself本身.
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建在沙丘自己体内。
10:27
It's not only something that supports支持 trees树木,
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它不仅能承载树木,
10:30
but something that connects所连接 people and countries国家 together一起.
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更能将人和各个国家联系在一起。
10:34
I would like to conclude得出结论 by showing展示 you an animation动画 of the structure结构体,
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最后,我想给你们展示一个这个结构的动画,
10:40
and leave离开 you with a sentence句子 by Jorge乔治 Luis路易斯 Borges博尔赫斯.
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并送给你们一句博尔赫斯的话。
10:46
Borges博尔赫斯 said that "nothing is built内置 on stone,
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博尔赫斯说:“没有什么是建筑在岩石上,
10:52
everything is built内置 on sand,
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任何东西都建于沙子之上的,
10:56
but we must必须 build建立 as if the sand were stone."
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但我们必须把沙子当作石头来建筑。”
11:01
Now, there are many许多 details细节 left to explore探索 in this scheme方案 --
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现在,这个计划的许多细节还有待进一步研究,
11:05
political政治, practical实际的, ethical合乎道德的, financial金融.
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有政治的,实用性的,道德的,经济的。
11:10
My design设计, as it takes you down the rabbit兔子 hole,
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我的设计——将带领你们深入“兔窝”——
11:15
is fraught误人子弟 with many许多 challenges挑战
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在现实中充满了
11:19
and difficulties困难 in the real真实 world世界.
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困难和挑战。
11:22
But, it's a beginning开始, it's a vision视力.
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但是,这只是一个开始,一个展望。
11:26
As Borges博尔赫斯 would have it, it's the sand.
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如博尔赫斯所说,这是沙子。
11:30
And I think now is really the time
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我想,现在是把沙子
11:33
to turn it into stone. Thank you.
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变成岩石的时候了。谢谢。
11:36
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by 碎碎 雨
Reviewed by Chaoran Yu

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Magnus Larsson - Dune architect
Magnus Larsson hopes to build new structures in the desert -- by using bacteria to turn shifting sand into a solid mass.

Why you should listen

Architecture student Magnus Larsson wants to turn some of the most deserted and harsh landscapes on the planet into habitable structures. How? By turning loose sand dunes into solid architecture using bacteria. A team at UC Davis has been looking at the microorganism bacillus pasteurii to solidify the ground in earthquake-prone areas. As Larsson puts it, "All I did was to deliberately misapply their technology ... and to pump up the scale, and turn it into a 6,000-km-long wall that's made of sand and protects against sand."

After talking with Jason DeJong at UC Davis and with Stefano Ciurli, a b. pasteurii expert at the University of Bologna, Larsson put together a team at University College London to grow the bacteria and attempt to solidify sand. His Holcim Award-winning proposal is a complement to the Green Wall Sahara shelterbelt, being planted across the African continent. Larsson is now investigating how to bring the project to the next stage: a 1:1 scale prototype.

More profile about the speaker
Magnus Larsson | Speaker | TED.com