ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Bolinsky - Medical animator
David Bolinsky and his team illustrate scientific and medical concepts with high-drama animation. You've never seen the life of a cell quite like this.

Why you should listen

Medical illustrator and animator David Bolinsky has devoted his career to displaying scientific and medical concepts in a clear, fresh light.

Since the earliest days of computer animation, he knew this art could be a powerful tool for explaining scientific concepts in ways that traditional medical illustration simply couldn't. Now, with XVIVO, the company he co-founded, he works with schools and with medical and scientific firms, turning complex processes into understandable, compelling films.

"The Inner Life of a Cell," highlighted at TED2007, represents the leading edge of medical animation, in both its technical achievement and its focus on compelling, memorable action. Created as part of the BioVision initiative to help explain cellular processes to students at Harvard's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, the clip has captured the imagination of the press -- and reportedly, of Hollywood.

More profile about the speaker
David Bolinsky | Speaker | TED.com
TED2007

David Bolinsky: Visualizing the wonder of a living cell

大衛•布林斯基 (David Bolinsky) 使細胞活了起來

Filmed:
2,216,452 views

醫學動畫家大衛•布林斯基展示了一個驚人的三分鐘動畫,動畫中顯示了細胞內熙熙攘攘的生命。
- Medical animator
David Bolinsky and his team illustrate scientific and medical concepts with high-drama animation. You've never seen the life of a cell quite like this. Full bio

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

00:25
I'm a medical illustrator插畫,
0
0
3000
我是一個醫學繪圖師,
00:28
and I come from a slightly different不同 point of view視圖.
1
3000
3000
我的觀點和別人稍微不同。
00:31
I've been watching觀看, since以來 I grew成長 up,
2
6000
2000
自從我懂事開始,我一直在追求,
00:34
the expressions表達式 of truth真相 and beauty美女 in the arts藝術
3
9000
4000
藝術中真與美的表現方式,
00:38
and truth真相 and beauty美女 in the sciences科學.
4
13000
2000
以及科學中真與美的表現方式。
00:40
And while these are both wonderful精彩 things in their own擁有 right --
5
15000
3000
因為藝術與科學本身就是極美妙的事物 —
00:43
they both have very wonderful精彩 things going for them --
6
18000
3000
它們都有許多美妙的事物藏在其中 —
00:46
truth真相 and beauty美女 as ideals理想 that can be looked看著 at by the sciences科學
7
21000
6000
理論上,可以被科學或是數學所檢視的真與美,
00:52
and by math數學 are almost幾乎 like the ideal理想 conjoined連體 twins雙胞胎
8
27000
5000
就好像是理想中完美的連體雙胞胎,
00:57
that a scientist科學家 would want to date日期.
9
32000
1000
每個科學家都會想要跟他們約會。
01:00
(Laughter笑聲)
10
35000
2000
(笑聲)
01:02
These are expressions表達式 of truth真相 as awe-full令人驚嘆的全 things,
11
37000
5000
這些是對於「真」表示敬畏的形容詞,
01:07
by meaning含義 they are things you can worship崇拜.
12
42000
2000
意味著,它們是你可以仰慕的事物。
01:10
They are ideals理想 that are powerful強大. They are irreducible束縛.
13
45000
4000
它們是「完美的」、「有力的」、「不可思議的」、
01:15
They are unique獨特. They are useful有用 --
14
50000
2000
「獨特的」、「有用的」—
01:17
sometimes有時, often經常 a long time after the fact事實.
15
52000
2000
有時候,通常要一陣子,才會顯現出來。
01:20
And you can actually其實 roll some of the pictures圖片 now,
16
55000
2000
事實上,你現在可以開始播放其中一些照片了,
01:22
because I don't want to look at me on the screen屏幕.
17
57000
3000
因為我不想要在螢幕上看到我自己。
01:26
Truth真相 and beauty美女 are things
18
61000
2000
對於不懂科學的人們,
01:28
that are often經常 opaque不透明 to people who are not in the sciences科學.
19
63000
4000
他們常常不能看見真與美。
01:33
They are things that describe描述 beauty美女 in a way
20
68000
6000
它們所描述的美,
01:39
that is often經常 only accessible無障礙 if you understand理解 the language語言
21
74000
5000
常常只有那些懂得該領域科學家
01:44
and the syntax句法 of the person
22
79000
2000
所使用的語言與詞彙的人
01:46
who studies學習 the subject學科 in which哪一個 truth真相 and beauty美女 is expressed表達.
23
81000
3000
才能夠領會其中的真與美。
01:49
If you look at the math數學, E=mcMC squared平方,
24
84000
3000
就像數學中的,E = mc 平方,
01:52
if you look at the cosmological宇宙 constant不變,
25
87000
3000
或是宇宙學常數,
01:55
where there's an anthropic人為 ideal理想, where you see that life had to evolve發展
26
90000
5000
隱藏著跟人類學有關的理論,從中你可以體會生命起源與
02:00
from the numbers數字 that describe描述 the universe宇宙 --
27
95000
3000
描述宇宙的數值間的關係 —
02:03
these are things that are really difficult to understand理解.
28
98000
3000
這些是非常難以了解的事物。
02:06
And what I've tried試著 to do
29
101000
1000
一直以來我想要做的是,
02:07
since以來 I had my training訓練 as a medical illustrator插畫 --
30
102000
2000
既然我是一個醫學繪圖師 —
02:09
since以來 I was taught animation動畫 by my father父親,
31
104000
3000
我的動畫技術傳自我老爸,
02:12
who was a sculptor雕塑家 and my visual視覺 mentor導師 --
32
107000
3000
他也是一個雕塑家兼我的視覺藝術導師 —
02:16
I wanted to figure數字 out a way to help people
33
111000
3000
我希望能找到一種方法,幫助人們
02:20
understand理解 truth真相 and beauty美女 in the biological生物 sciences科學
34
115000
3000
了解生物科學中的真與美,
02:24
by using運用 animation動畫, by using運用 pictures圖片, by telling告訴 stories故事
35
119000
3000
利用動畫、靜態圖片及好的劇本。
02:28
so that the things that are not necessarily一定 evident明顯 to people
36
123000
4000
因此那些本來對於人們,可能不是很簡單明顯的事物
02:32
can be brought forth向前, and can be taught, and can be understood了解.
37
127000
4000
可以被帶到檯面上、教導與了解。
02:36
Students學生們 today今天 are often經常 immersed沉浸 in an environment環境
38
131000
5000
今日的學生們常常處在一種環境中,
02:42
where what they learn學習 is subjects主題 that have truth真相 and beauty美女
39
137000
5000
在這個環境中,雖然他們的學習主題包含著真與美,
02:47
embedded嵌入式 in them, but the way they're taught is compartmentalized條塊
40
142000
5000
但是教導他們的方式是片面的、不完整的,
02:52
and it's drawn down to the point where the truth真相 and beauty美女
41
147000
5000
因此常常在這個情況下,真與美
02:57
are not always evident明顯.
42
152000
1000
並不總是顯而易見的。
02:58
It's almost幾乎 like that old recipe食譜 for chicken soup
43
153000
3000
就好像關於雞湯的陳年食譜,
03:01
where you boil the chicken until直到 the flavor味道 is just gone走了.
44
156000
4000
烹煮雞肉直到香味通通散去。
03:06
We don't want to do that to our students學生們.
45
161000
2000
我們並不想要這樣對待我們的學生。
03:08
So we have an opportunity機會 to really open打開 up education教育.
46
163000
4000
這樣我們才有機會真正開啟這方面的教育 。
03:12
And I had a telephone電話 call from Robert羅伯特 Lue攻略 at Harvard哈佛,
47
167000
3000
數年前,我接到哈佛大學
03:15
in the Molecular分子 and Cellular細胞的 Biology生物學 Department,
48
170000
2000
分子與細胞生物學系的
03:17
a couple一對 of years年份 ago. He asked me if my team球隊 and I
49
172000
3000
Robert Lue 的電話。他問我
03:21
would be interested有興趣 and willing願意 to really change更改
50
176000
4000
我跟我的團隊,是否有興趣徹底改變
03:25
how medical and scientific科學 education教育 is doneDONE at Harvard哈佛.
51
180000
3000
哈佛大學的醫學與科學教學方式。
03:28
So we embarked開始 on a project項目 that would explore探索 the cell細胞 --
52
183000
5000
所以我們開始進行,一個探索細胞的計畫,
03:33
that would explore探索 the truth真相 and beauty美女 inherent固有
53
188000
3000
這將能夠探索,分子與細胞生物學中
03:36
in molecular分子 and cellular細胞的 biology生物學
54
191000
2000
固有的真與美,
03:38
so that students學生們 could understand理解 a larger picture圖片
55
193000
3000
學生也能夠了解
03:41
that they could hang all of these facts事實 on.
56
196000
3000
這些科學事實背後的宏觀概念。
03:44
They could have a mental心理 image圖片 of the cell細胞
57
199000
3000
他們腦海中,將會有一個對於細胞的印象,
03:47
as a large, bustling繁華, hugely巨大 complicated複雜 city
58
202000
7000
細胞就好像是,一個錯綜複雜的繁忙大城市,
03:55
that's occupied佔據 by micro-machines微機.
59
210000
2000
城市中遍佈著微機械。
03:57
And these micro-machines微機 really are at the heart of life.
60
212000
3000
這些微機械處於生命的中樞。
04:00
These micro-machines微機,
61
215000
1000
這些微機械,
04:01
which哪一個 are the envy羨慕 of nanotechnologists納米技術 the world世界 over,
62
216000
3000
能讓全世界的奈米工程師嫉妒,
04:05
are self-directed自我導向, powerful強大, precise精確, accurate準確 devices設備
63
220000
7000
它們是能自我引導、功能強大且精準的裝置,
04:12
that are made製作 out of strings字符串 of amino氨基 acids.
64
227000
3000
它們是由胺基酸鏈所組成。
04:15
And these micro-machines微機 power功率 how a cell細胞 moves移動.
65
230000
4000
這些微機械讓細胞移動、
04:19
They power功率 how a cell細胞 replicates重複. They power功率 our hearts心中.
66
234000
5000
複製、它們讓我們的心臟跳動,
04:24
They power功率 our minds頭腦.
67
239000
1000
它們組成我們的心智。
04:26
And so what we wanted to do was to figure數字 out
68
241000
3000
因此我們希望,能夠找出一個方法,
04:30
how we could make this story故事 into an animation動畫
69
245000
2000
將這個細胞的故事做成動畫,
04:33
that would be the centerpiece核心 of BioVisionsBioVisions at Harvard哈佛,
70
248000
3000
這就是哈佛大學 BioVisions 的主軸,
04:37
which哪一個 is a website網站 that Harvard哈佛 has
71
252000
4000
它是一個哈佛大學為分子與細胞生物學學生
04:41
for its molecular分子 and cellular細胞的 biology生物學 students學生們
72
256000
2000
所設立的網站,
04:43
that will -- in addition加成 to all the textual文本 information信息,
73
258000
4000
它將書本、講義、參考書
04:48
in addition加成 to all the didactic教導的 stuff東東 --
74
263000
1000
及老師授課內容以外的所有東西,
04:50
put everything together一起 visually視覺, so that these students學生們
75
265000
2000
視覺化的呈現在一起,這樣這些學生
04:53
would have an internalized內在 view視圖 of what a cell細胞 really is
76
268000
4000
能夠從細胞內發現細胞的真與美,
04:57
in all of its truth真相 and beauty美女, and be able能夠 to study研究
77
272000
4000
並在學習過程中,能一直將此畫面
05:01
with this view視圖 in mind心神, so that their imaginations想像 would be sparked引發,
78
276000
4000
牢記在腦海中,因而激發他們的想像力
05:05
so that their passions激情 would be sparked引發
79
280000
2000
及學習熱誠,
05:08
and so that they would be able能夠 to go on
80
283000
1000
這樣他們能持續
05:10
and use these visions願景 in their head to make new discoveries發現
81
285000
4000
使用他們腦中的這些畫面,來進行探索發現,
05:14
and to be able能夠 to find out, really, how life works作品.
82
289000
3000
我相信,最終將能發現生命的原理。
05:17
So we set out by looking at how these molecules分子 are put together一起.
83
292000
6000
所以我們開始研究,這些分子之間的關聯性。
05:24
We worked工作 with a theme主題, which哪一個 is, you've got macrophages巨噬細胞
84
299000
5000
我們想出了一個劇情大綱,那就是,巨噬細胞
05:30
that are streaming down a capillary毛細管,
85
305000
1000
在微血管之間穿梭著,
05:32
and they're touching接觸 the surface表面 of the capillary毛細管 wall,
86
307000
2000
它們不時接觸著微血管的管壁,
05:35
and they're picking選擇 up information信息 from cells細胞
87
310000
2000
它們能藉此動作,得知微血管壁上
05:37
that are on the capillary毛細管 wall, and they are given特定 this information信息
88
312000
4000
細胞的資訊,而這些細胞放出了,管壁外圍某處
05:41
that there's an inflammation somewhere某處 outside,
89
316000
3000
有發炎反應正在進行的訊息,而那個地方的狀態,
05:44
where they can't see and sense.
90
319000
2000
巨噬細胞本來是無從得知的。
05:46
But they get the information信息 that causes原因 them to stop,
91
321000
3000
這個訊息讓它們停了下來,
05:49
causes原因 them to internalize內在 that they need to make
92
324000
4000
它們開始進行內化反應,它們必須製造
05:53
all of the various各個 parts部分 that will cause原因 them to change更改 their shape形狀,
93
328000
4000
許多不同的物件,因此它們必須改變外型,
05:58
and try to get out of this capillary毛細管 and find out what's going on.
94
333000
4000
離開微血管,並搞清楚到底發生什麼事。
06:03
So these molecular分子 motors馬達 -- we had to work
95
338000
2000
因此這些分子馬達 — 我們必須與
06:05
with the Harvard哈佛 scientists科學家們 and databank數據銀行 models楷模
96
340000
5000
哈佛的科學家一起研究,使用資料庫中真實的
06:11
of the atomically原子 accurate準確 molecules分子
97
346000
3000
原子層級模型來表示這些分子,
06:14
and figure數字 out how they moved移動, and figure數字 out what they did.
98
349000
3000
並搞清楚它們是如何移動,做了什麼事。
06:18
And figure數字 out how to do this in a way
99
353000
2000
並想出一個辦法,能夠真實的表現
06:20
that was truthful真實 in that it imparted賦予的 what was going on,
100
355000
5000
體內正在發生的現象,
06:26
but not so truthful真實 that the compact緊湊 crowding擁擠 in a cell細胞
101
361000
5000
但是又必須將其部份簡化,否則細胞中極端擁擠的環境
06:31
would prevent避免 the vista遠景 from happening事件.
102
366000
3000
將會使得這種視景變得不可能。
06:34
And so what I'm going to show顯示 you is a three-minute三分鐘
103
369000
4000
我將要播放一個三分鐘,
06:38
Reader's讀者 Digest消化 version of the first aspect方面 of this film電影
104
373000
3000
我們所製作的這個影片第一部份的「讀者文摘」版,
06:41
that we produced生成. It's an ongoing不斷的 project項目
105
376000
3000
這個計畫尚未完成,
06:44
that's going to go another另一個 four or five years年份.
106
379000
2000
預計還會進行四到五年。
06:47
And I want you to look at this
107
382000
2000
我希望你們能看著這部影片,
06:49
and see the paths路徑 that the cell細胞 manufactures製成品 --
108
384000
4000
看到細胞製造這些東西的步驟 —
06:53
these little walking步行 machines, they're called kinesins驅動蛋白 --
109
388000
3000
這些會走路的小機械,它們是驅動蛋白 —
06:57
that take these huge巨大 loads負載
110
392000
1000
能夠背負這巨大的貨物,
06:59
that would challenge挑戰 an ant螞蟻 in relative相對的 size尺寸.
111
394000
2000
這大小比例關係,可能更甚螞蟻的背負能力。
07:02
Run the movie電影, please.
112
397000
3000
請開始播放。
07:06
But these machines that power功率 the inside of the cells細胞
113
401000
3000
但這些驅動著細胞內部的機械,
07:09
are really quite相當 amazing驚人, and they really are the basis基礎 of all life
114
404000
4000
真的很神奇,它們真的是所有生命的基礎。
07:13
because all of these machines interact相互作用 with each other.
115
408000
4000
因為所有這些機械,彼此之間都存在著互動。
07:18
They pass通過 information信息 to each other.
116
413000
1000
它們彼此傳遞訊息;
07:20
They cause原因 different不同 things to happen發生 inside the cell細胞.
117
415000
2000
它們導致細胞內各種不同現象的發生。
07:23
And the cell細胞 will actually其實 manufacture製造 the parts部分 that it needs需求
118
418000
3000
細胞會利用能讀取基因的分子,
07:26
on the fly, from information信息
119
421000
2000
讀取由細胞核中傳來的資訊,
07:28
that's brought from the nucleus by molecules分子 that read the genes基因.
120
423000
4000
以飛速的製造這些細胞所需的零件。
07:33
No life, from the smallest最少 life to everybody每個人 here,
121
428000
4000
沒有生命,從最小的生命到今天在座的各位,
07:38
would be possible可能 without these little micro-machines微機.
122
433000
2000
如果沒有這些小微機械,生命將不可能發生。
07:41
In fact事實, it would really, in the absence缺席 of these machines,
123
436000
3000
事實上,如果沒有這些機械,
07:45
have made製作 the attendance here, Chris克里斯, really quite相當 sparse.
124
440000
2000
Chris,今天的出席狀況將會非常慘烈。
07:47
(Laughter笑聲)
125
442000
4000
(笑聲)
07:51
(Music音樂)
126
446000
12000
(音樂)
08:03
This is the FedEx聯邦快遞 delivery交貨 guy of the cell細胞.
127
458000
2000
這就是細胞中的 FedEx 快遞小弟:
08:07
This little guy is called the kinesin驅動蛋白,
128
462000
1000
這小傢伙叫做驅動蛋白,
08:09
and he pulls a sack解僱 that's full充分 of brand new manufactured製成的 proteins蛋白質
129
464000
4000
它拉著一大袋新合成的蛋白質
08:13
to wherever哪裡 it's needed需要 in the cell細胞 --
130
468000
2000
到細胞所需的任何地方,
08:15
whether是否 it's to a membrane, whether是否 it's to an organelle細胞器,
131
470000
3000
不論是到細胞膜、胞器,
08:18
whether是否 it's to build建立 something or repair修理 something.
132
473000
2000
不論將是用來製造或是修補。
08:20
And each of us has about 100,000 of these things
133
475000
4000
我們體內每個細胞,大約有十萬個這些小傢伙
08:24
running賽跑 around, right now,
134
479000
1000
正在跑來跑去,
08:26
inside each one of your 100 trillion cells細胞.
135
481000
3000
而我們有大約一百兆個細胞。
08:29
So no matter how lazy you feel,
136
484000
2000
因此不論你感覺有多懶惰,
08:32
you're not really intrinsically本質 doing nothing.
137
487000
2000
本質上,你還是非常地忙碌的。
08:34
(Laughter笑聲)
138
489000
4000
(笑聲)
08:38
So what I want you to do when you go home
139
493000
2000
你們回到家後,我希望你們
08:40
is think about this, and think about how powerful強大 our cells細胞 are.
140
495000
3000
能想想這個問題,想想我們的細胞多麼地強大,
08:44
And think about some of the things
141
499000
1000
想想我們已經學到的
08:45
that we're learning學習 about cellular細胞的 mechanics機械學.
142
500000
4000
關於細胞機械的種種事情。
08:49
Once一旦 we figure數字 out all that's going on --
143
504000
3000
一旦我們全盤了解細胞內發生的所有事情 —
08:52
and believe me, we know almost幾乎 a percent百分 of what's going on --
144
507000
3000
相信我,我們大概才知道 1% 而已 —
08:56
once一旦 we figure數字 out what's going on,
145
511000
1000
一旦我們了解細胞內的狀況,
08:57
we're really going to be able能夠 to have a lot of control控制
146
512000
3000
我們將能更好的控制
09:00
over what we do with our health健康,
147
515000
2000
我們的健康,
09:02
with what we do with future未來 generations,
148
517000
3000
我們的後代,
09:05
and how long we're going to live生活.
149
520000
1000
我們的壽命。
09:07
And hopefully希望 we'll be able能夠 to use this
150
522000
2000
並且,希望我們能藉此
09:09
to discover發現 more truth真相, and more beauty美女.
151
524000
3000
發現更多的真與美。
09:12
(Music音樂)
152
527000
14000
(音樂)
09:26
But it's really quite相當 amazing驚人 that these cells細胞, these micro-machines微機,
153
541000
4000
這些細胞,這些微機械,真的很不可思議,
09:31
are aware知道的 enough足夠 of what the cell細胞 needs需求 that they do their bidding投標.
154
546000
5000
它們能察覺細胞需要它們為它做些什麼事。
09:36
They work together一起. They make the cell細胞 do what it needs需求 to do.
155
551000
4000
它們同心協力; 它們使細胞能完成它所需要的事情。
09:40
And their working加工 together一起 helps幫助 our bodies身體 --
156
555000
6000
它們合力使我們的身體 —
09:46
huge巨大 entities實體 that they will never see -- function功能 properly正確.
157
561000
4000
一個巨大,它們永遠無法察知的個體存在 — 正常的工作。
09:51
Enjoy請享用 the rest休息 of the show顯示. Thank you.
158
566000
1000
請繼續欣賞接下來的表演。謝謝各位
09:52
(Applause掌聲)
159
567000
2000
(掌聲)
Translated by Bill Hsiung
Reviewed by Mandy Lo

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
David Bolinsky - Medical animator
David Bolinsky and his team illustrate scientific and medical concepts with high-drama animation. You've never seen the life of a cell quite like this.

Why you should listen

Medical illustrator and animator David Bolinsky has devoted his career to displaying scientific and medical concepts in a clear, fresh light.

Since the earliest days of computer animation, he knew this art could be a powerful tool for explaining scientific concepts in ways that traditional medical illustration simply couldn't. Now, with XVIVO, the company he co-founded, he works with schools and with medical and scientific firms, turning complex processes into understandable, compelling films.

"The Inner Life of a Cell," highlighted at TED2007, represents the leading edge of medical animation, in both its technical achievement and its focus on compelling, memorable action. Created as part of the BioVision initiative to help explain cellular processes to students at Harvard's Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, the clip has captured the imagination of the press -- and reportedly, of Hollywood.

More profile about the speaker
David Bolinsky | Speaker | TED.com