TED2010
Nathan Myhrvold: Could this laser zap malaria?
内森·梅尔沃德：激光能消灭疟疾吗？
Filmed:
Readability: 3.7
965,317 views
内森·梅尔沃德和他的团队的最新发明—提醒我们解决像疟疾这样的重大问题需要狂野的创造力。随着发明的揭示，内森还现场展示一杆新式灭蚊激光枪以证实其之有效性。
Nathan Myhrvold - Polymath
Nathan Myhrvold is a professional jack-of-all-trades. After leaving Microsoft in 1999, he's been a world barbecue champion, a wildlife photographer, a chef, a contributor to SETI, and a volcano explorer. Full bio
Nathan Myhrvold is a professional jack-of-all-trades. After leaving Microsoft in 1999, he's been a world barbecue champion, a wildlife photographer, a chef, a contributor to SETI, and a volcano explorer. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
We invent.
0
0
2000
我们是发明家。
00:17
My company invents
1
2000
2000
我们的公司发明
00:19
all kinds of new technology
2
4000
2000
各式各样的新科技，
00:21
in lots of different areas.
3
6000
2000
它们涉及各个领域。
00:23
And we do that for a couple of reasons.
4
8000
2000
我们发明是有目的的。
00:25
We invent for fun --
5
10000
2000
首先是为乐趣。
00:27
invention is a lot of fun to do --
6
12000
3000
发明是一件很有意思的事儿。
00:30
and we also invent for profit.
7
15000
2000
其次是利益。
00:32
The two are related because
8
17000
2000
这两者是相互关联的
00:34
the profit actually takes long enough that if it isn't fun,
9
19000
2000
因为利益的攫取总是很耗时，假若过程不好玩
00:36
you wouldn't have the time to do it.
10
21000
2000
人们也不会抽时间来做。
00:38
So we do this
11
23000
2000
所以我们所做的
00:40
fun and profit-oriented inventing
12
25000
2000
大部分发明
00:42
for most of what we do,
13
27000
2000
是趣味和利益相结合的，
00:44
but we also have a program where we invent for humanity --
14
29000
3000
另外我们还有一些发明计划服务于人道主义
00:47
where we take some of our best inventors,
15
32000
2000
我们召集最好的发明家
00:49
and we say, "Are there problems
16
34000
2000
问他们，“有没有什么好办法
00:51
where we have a good idea for solving a problem the world has?" --
17
36000
3000
来解决世界上存在的那些问题？”
00:54
and to solve it in the way we try to solve problems,
18
39000
3000
然后用我们的方式来解决
00:57
which is with dramatic, crazy,
19
42000
2000
也就是这种戏剧性的，看似疯狂的
00:59
out-of-the-box solutions.
20
44000
2000
非凡创意。
01:01
Bill Gates is one of those smartest guys of ours
21
46000
2000
比尔盖茨是我们当中最聪明的一个
01:03
that work on these problems
22
48000
2000
他就致力于这样的工作
01:05
and he also funds this work, so thank you.
23
50000
3000
而且他也是这份工作的赞助人，我在此感谢您。
01:08
So I'm going to briefly discuss
24
53000
2000
现在我要简要汇报下
01:10
a couple of problems that we have
25
55000
2000
我们当下所要面对的问题
01:12
and a couple of problems where
26
57000
2000
以及那些我们已经想到
01:14
we've got some solutions underway.
27
59000
2000
一些解决方案的问题。
01:16
Vaccination is one of the
28
61000
3000
疫苗是一种
01:19
key techniques in public health,
29
64000
2000
公共医疗的重要科技，
01:21
a fantastic thing.
30
66000
2000
非常精彩的发明。
01:23
But in the developing world a lot of vaccines
31
68000
3000
但是在发展中国家很多疫苗
01:26
spoil before they're administered,
32
71000
2000
在被使用前就坏掉了。
01:28
and that's because they need to be kept cold.
33
73000
3000
这是因为疫苗需要冷藏。
01:31
Almost all vaccines need to be kept at refrigerator temperatures.
34
76000
3000
几乎所有的疫苗都要以冷藏温度保存。
01:34
They go bad very quickly if you don't,
35
79000
2000
如果温度不够低，疫苗很快就会坏掉。
01:36
and if you don't have stable power grid, this doesn't happen,
36
81000
3000
而如果没有稳定的电力供应，就不能维持低温，
01:39
so kids die.
37
84000
2000
最终儿童会死掉。
01:41
It's not just the loss of the vaccine that matters;
38
86000
3000
这里不光光是损失了疫苗的问题
01:44
it's the fact that those kids don't get vaccinated.
39
89000
3000
重要的是孩子们没办法注射疫苗。
01:47
This is one of the ways that
40
92000
3000
这是其中一种
01:50
vaccines are carried:
41
95000
2000
携带疫苗的方法。
01:52
These are Styrofoam chests. These are being carried by people,
42
97000
3000
这些是聚苯乙烯泡沫箱。由人来携带，
01:55
but they're also put on the backs of pickup trucks.
43
100000
2000
或是用卡车装运。
01:57
We've got a different solution.
44
102000
3000
我们想了另外一个解决办法
02:00
Now, one of these Styrofoam chests
45
105000
3000
现在，一个聚苯乙烯泡沫箱
02:03
will last for about four hours with ice in it.
46
108000
2000
可以在装有冰的情况下维持四小时的低温。
02:05
And we thought, well, that's not really good enough.
47
110000
3000
那么我们想，这样，也许并不够好。
02:08
So we made this thing.
48
113000
2000
所以我们做了这个。
02:10
This lasts six months with no power;
49
115000
3000
它可以在无能源的情况下维持运作六个月，
02:13
absolutely zero power,
50
118000
2000
绝对的零能源
02:15
because it loses less
51
120000
2000
因为它的能耗超低
02:17
than a half a watt.
52
122000
2000
连半瓦都不到。
02:19
Now, this is our second generations prototype.
53
124000
3000
现在这个是我们的二代产品
02:22
The third generation prototype is, right now,
54
127000
2000
第三代雏形目前
02:24
in Uganda being tested.
55
129000
3000
正在乌干达接受测试。
02:27
Now, the reason we were able to come up with this
56
132000
2000
我们能够想到这样的方法
02:29
is two key ideas:
57
134000
2000
主要是因为两点
02:31
One is that this is similar to a cryogenic Dewar,
58
136000
2000
首先这与低温真空瓶的原理相似
02:33
something you'd keep liquid nitrogen or liquid helium in.
59
138000
3000
你可以把液态氮或液态氦放在里面。
02:36
They have incredible insulation,
60
141000
2000
他们有神奇的隔热作用
02:38
so let's put some incredible insulation here.
61
143000
2000
所以，我们把一些神奇的隔热物放到里面。
02:40
The other idea is kind of interesting,
62
145000
3000
另外一点十分有趣
02:43
which is, you can't reach inside anymore.
63
148000
3000
那就是，你不能再把手伸到瓶子里
02:46
Because if you open it up and reach inside,
64
151000
2000
因为一旦你把瓶子打开把手伸进去
02:48
you'd let the heat in, the game would be over.
65
153000
2000
热量也随之进入到瓶子里，瓶子的作用就失去了
02:50
So the inside of this thing actually looks like a Coke machine.
66
155000
3000
所以从这点看，这东西事实上就像是一个可乐售卖机。
02:53
It vends out little individual vials.
67
158000
3000
将小瓶逐个售出。
02:56
So a simple idea,
68
161000
2000
这是一个简单的想法
02:58
which we hope is going to change the way vaccines are distributed
69
163000
3000
我们希望这个想法可以改变疫苗
03:01
in Africa and around the world.
70
166000
2000
在非洲和全球的分送方式。
03:04
We'll move on to malaria.
71
169000
2000
我们接下来说说疟疾
03:06
Malaria is one of the great public health problems.
72
171000
3000
疟疾是重大的公共健康问题之一。
03:09
Esther Duflo talked a little bit about this.
73
174000
2000
埃斯特·迪弗洛也提到过疟疾。
03:11
Two hundred million people a year.
74
176000
3000
每年有2亿5千万人感染该病。
03:14
Every 43 seconds a child in Africa dies;
75
179000
3000
每43秒就有一个非洲的小孩死于该病。
03:18
27 will die during my talk.
76
183000
3000
在我讲话的这点时间就有27个人会死亡。
03:23
And there's no way for us here in this country
77
188000
3000
我们身处在这个国家，我们没有办法
03:26
to grasp really what that means to the people involved.
78
191000
3000
真正理解到这些数字对患病的人来说到底意味着什么。
03:29
Another comment of Esther's
79
194000
2000
埃斯特讲到的另一点是
03:31
was that we react when there's
80
196000
2000
我们会对
03:33
a tragedy like Haiti,
81
198000
2000
像发生在海地那样的灾难作出反应，
03:35
but that tragedy is ongoing.
82
200000
2000
但疟疾是一场持续的灾难。
03:37
So what can we do about it?
83
202000
2000
那么我们可以对此做些什么呢？
03:39
Well, there are a lot of things people have tried
84
204000
2000
人们已经花了好多年时间
03:41
for many years for solving malaria.
85
206000
2000
尝试找出解决疟疾的方法。
03:43
You can spray; the problem is there are environmental issues.
86
208000
3000
你可以用喷雾，但这牵涉到环境污染的问题。
03:46
You can try to treat people and create awareness.
87
211000
3000
你可以尝试治疗病人并且让他们建立预防疾病的意识。
03:49
That's great, except the places that have malaria really bad,
88
214000
3000
这确实很好，只是在那些疟疾肆虐最严重的地方
03:52
they don't have health care systems.
89
217000
2000
通常都没有医疗保健系统。
03:54
A vaccine would be a terrific thing,
90
219000
2000
疫苗原本会是一个非常好的东西，
03:56
only they don't work yet.
91
221000
2000
但现在还没找到有效的疫苗。
03:58
People have tried for a long time. There are a couple of interesting candidates.
92
223000
3000
人们已经尝试了很久。当中有一些很有潜质的候选疫苗。
04:01
It's a very difficult thing to make a vaccine for.
93
226000
3000
疟疾是一种很难找到与之对抗的疫苗的疾病。
04:05
You can distribute bed nets,
94
230000
2000
你可以分发蚊帐，
04:07
and bed nets are very effective if you use them.
95
232000
3000
如果人们使用蚊帐的话，这会是一个很有效的方式。
04:10
You don't always use them for that. People fish with them.
96
235000
2000
但人们并不把蚊帐用于预防疟疾。人们用蚊帐来捕鱼
04:12
They don't always get to everyone.
97
237000
2000
而且不是所有人都能有蚊帐。
04:14
And bed nets
98
239000
2000
而且蚊帐
04:16
have an effect on the epidemic,
99
241000
2000
虽然说是预防疾病流行的有效方式
04:18
but you're never going to make it extinct with bed nets.
100
243000
3000
但它们并不能使疾病消失。
04:21
Now, malaria is
101
246000
2000
所以说，疟疾是
04:23
an incredibly complicated disease.
102
248000
3000
一种极其复杂的疾病
04:26
We could spend hours going over this.
103
251000
2000
我们可以花数小时来讨论这个疾病。
04:28
It's got this sort of soap opera-like lifestyle;
104
253000
2000
该病的病菌有着肥皂剧般的生活方式。
04:30
they have sex, they burrow into your liver,
105
255000
3000
它们会交配。它们会在你的肝里挖洞。
04:33
they tunnel into your blood cells ...
106
258000
3000
它们会打通通道进入你的血液细胞。
04:36
it's an incredibly complicated disease,
107
261000
2000
疟疾是一种极其复杂的疾病，
04:38
but that's actually one of the things we find interesting about it
108
263000
3000
而这正是我们对其感兴趣的其中一个原因
04:41
and why we work on malaria:
109
266000
2000
也是为什么我们在研究疟疾。
04:43
There's a lot of potential ways in.
110
268000
3000
现在有很多防治该病的方法。
04:47
One of those ways might be better diagnosis.
111
272000
3000
其中一个可能会是迅速诊断仪。
04:50
So we hope this year
112
275000
2000
所以我们希望能在今年
04:52
to prototype each of these devices.
113
277000
3000
能够作出所有这些设备的雏形。
04:56
One does an automatic malaria diagnosis
114
281000
3000
其中一个可以自动诊断疟疾
04:59
in the same way that a diabetic's glucose meter works:
115
284000
3000
这与糖尿病葡萄糖计量器的工作原理是相同的。
05:02
You take a drop of blood,
116
287000
2000
你取出一滴血
05:04
you put it in there and it automatically tells you.
117
289000
2000
放在机器里，就可以自动告诉你诊断结果。
05:06
Today, you need to do a complicated laboratory procedure,
118
291000
3000
但是现在，你需要做一个繁复的实验室检验
05:09
create a bunch of microscope slides
119
294000
2000
制作出一堆显微镜载玻片
05:11
and have a trained person examine it.
120
296000
3000
还需要受过训练的人去做检验。
05:14
The other thing is, you know,
121
299000
2000
大家知道，另外一点就是
05:16
it would be even better if you didn't have to draw the blood.
122
301000
3000
如果不需要抽血就更好了。
05:19
And if you look through the eye,
123
304000
2000
如果你通过观察眼睛
05:21
or you look at the vessels on the white of the eye,
124
306000
3000
或者观察白眼球部分的血管，
05:24
in fact, you may be able to do this
125
309000
2000
事实上，你可以这么做
05:26
directly, without drawing any blood at all,
126
311000
3000
这就可以直接作出诊断而不需要抽取任何的血，
05:29
or through your nail beds.
127
314000
2000
又或者可以通过甲床来作出诊断。
05:31
Because if you actually look through your fingernails, you can see blood vessels,
128
316000
3000
因为事实上你可以通过你的指甲看到血管。
05:34
and once you see blood vessels, we think we can see the malaria.
129
319000
3000
一旦能看到血管，我们认为就有可能看到疟疾。
05:38
We can see it because of this molecule
130
323000
2000
我们可以看出来是因为这种
05:40
called hemozoin.
131
325000
2000
叫作疟原虫色素的分子。
05:42
It's produced by the malaria parasite
132
327000
3000
它是由疟原虫产生的。
05:45
and it's a very interesting crystalline substance.
133
330000
3000
这是一种十分有趣的结晶质，
05:49
Interesting, anyway, if you're a solid-state physicist.
134
334000
2000
不论怎样，如果你是一个固体物理学家，你就会觉得它有趣。
05:51
There's a lot of cool stuff we can do with it.
135
336000
3000
我们可以用它做很多很酷的事情。
05:54
This is our femtosecond laser lab.
136
339000
3000
这是我们的飞秒级激光实验室。
05:57
So this creates pulses of light
137
342000
2000
这可以发射出持续一飞秒的
05:59
that last a femtosecond.
138
344000
2000
光脉冲。
06:01
That's really, really, really short.
139
346000
3000
那是非常非常非常短的时间。
06:05
This is a pulse of light that's
140
350000
2000
这是一束只有大概
06:07
only about one wavelength of light long,
141
352000
2000
一光波波长的脉冲。
06:09
so it's a whole bunch of photons
142
354000
2000
所以事实上就是一整束光子
06:11
all coming and hitting simultaneously.
143
356000
2000
同时发出并相互撞击。
06:13
It creates a very high peak power
144
358000
2000
从而产生一个非常高的峰值功率。
06:15
and it lets you do all kinds of interesting things;
145
360000
2000
可以让你做各种有趣的事情。
06:17
in particular, it lets you find hemozoin.
146
362000
2000
特别是可以让你发现疟原虫色素。
06:19
So here's an image of red blood cells,
147
364000
3000
大家可以看到血红细胞的图像。
06:22
and now we can actually map
148
367000
2000
现在我们事实上可以画出
06:24
where the hemozoin and where the malaria parasites are
149
369000
3000
疟原虫色素和疟原虫
06:27
inside those red blood cells.
150
372000
2000
在这些血红细胞里的分布。
06:29
And using both this technique
151
374000
2000
通过使用这两项技术
06:31
and other optical techniques,
152
376000
2000
以及其他光学技术，
06:33
we think we can make those diagnostics.
153
378000
2000
我们认为可以作出诊断。
06:35
We also have another hemozoin-oriented
154
380000
2000
我们还有另外一个针对疟原虫色素
06:37
therapy for malaria:
155
382000
2000
的疟疾治疗方法
06:39
a way, in acute cases, to actually
156
384000
2000
一个在急症发生时
06:41
take the malaria parasite and filter it out of the blood system.
157
386000
3000
可以实质地找到疟原虫并将其过滤出血液系统的方法
06:44
Sort of like doing dialysis,
158
389000
2000
类似于是在做透析，
06:46
but for relieving the parasite load.
159
391000
3000
但目的是减少疟原虫在血液中的数量。
06:49
This is our thousand-core supercomputer.
160
394000
3000
这是我们的千核超级电脑。
06:52
We're kind of software guys,
161
397000
2000
我们都是些搞软件的家伙，
06:54
and so nearly any problem that you pose,
162
399000
3000
所以面对你提出的几乎任何问题，
06:57
we like to try to solve with some software.
163
402000
3000
我们都喜欢尝试用一些软件去解决。
07:00
One of the problems that you have if you're trying to eradicate malaria
164
405000
3000
如果你想要消除或者减少疟疾
07:03
or reduce it
165
408000
2000
会遇到的其中一个问题是
07:05
is you don't know what's the most effective thing to do.
166
410000
3000
你不知道什么方法是最有效的。
07:08
Okay, we heard about bed nets earlier.
167
413000
2000
是的，我们之前谈到了蚊帐。
07:10
You spend a certain amount per bed net.
168
415000
2000
每床蚊帐都要花钱购买。
07:12
Or you could spray.
169
417000
2000
或者你可以用喷雾。
07:14
You can give drug administration.
170
419000
2000
你可以给他们药物。
07:16
There's all these different interventions
171
421000
2000
有很多种不同的方法。
07:18
but they have different kinds of effectiveness.
172
423000
2000
但这些方法的效果也不一样。
07:20
How can you tell?
173
425000
2000
那你怎样才能知道呢？
07:22
So we've created, using our supercomputer,
174
427000
2000
所以，我们用超级电脑制作出，
07:24
the world's best computer model of malaria,
175
429000
2000
全球最好的疟疾计算模式，
07:26
which we'll show you now.
176
431000
3000
我们现在就给大家展示一下。
07:29
We picked Madagascar.
177
434000
3000
我们选择马达加斯加。
07:32
We have every road,
178
437000
2000
我们收集了马达加斯加的每条路，
07:34
every village,
179
439000
2000
每条村庄，
07:36
every, almost, square inch of Madagascar.
180
441000
3000
几乎是该国的每一平方米的数据。
07:39
We have all of the precipitation data
181
444000
3000
我们还收集了所有的降雨量
07:42
and the temperature data.
182
447000
2000
以及气温的数据。
07:44
That's very important because the humidity and precipitation
183
449000
3000
这是很重要的信息，因为湿度和降雨量
07:47
tell you whether you've got
184
452000
2000
可以告诉你哪里
07:49
standing pools of water for the mosquitoes to breed.
185
454000
3000
积水成池，成为蚊子滋生的温床。
07:52
So that sets the stage on which you do this.
186
457000
3000
这样就设定好做这一步的程序。
07:55
You then have to introduce the mosquitoes,
187
460000
2000
然后要往程序里引入蚊子，
07:57
and you have to model that
188
462000
2000
并且在程序里建立蚊子
07:59
and how they come and go.
189
464000
2000
来去的模式。
08:01
Ultimately, it gives you this.
190
466000
2000
最后，电脑程序会给出这样的结果。
08:03
This is malaria spreading
191
468000
2000
这是在马达加斯加
08:05
across Madagascar.
192
470000
2000
散播的疟疾。
08:07
And this is this latter part of the rainy season.
193
472000
3000
这表示雨季的后期。
08:10
We're going to the dry season now.
194
475000
2000
我们现在看一下旱季的情况。
08:12
It nearly goes away in the dry season,
195
477000
2000
蚊子在旱季几乎绝迹。
08:14
because there's no place for the mosquitoes to breed.
196
479000
3000
因为没有地方让蚊子繁育。
08:17
And then, of course, the next year it comes roaring back.
197
482000
3000
当然，到了第二年，一切又卷土重来。
08:21
By doing these kinds of simulations,
198
486000
3000
通过做这些模拟实验，
08:24
we want to eradicate or control malaria
199
489000
2000
我们希望能够消灭或者控制疟疾
08:26
thousands of times in software
200
491000
3000
当然在真正运用到现实生活之前，
08:29
before we actually have to do it in real life;
201
494000
3000
我们会用软件做成千上万次的模拟。
08:32
to be able to simulate both the economic trade-offs --
202
497000
3000
为了模拟经济上的权衡——
08:35
how many bed nets versus how much spraying? --
203
500000
3000
也就是对比蚊帐和喷雾的花费
08:38
or the social trade-offs --
204
503000
2000
——以及社会上的权衡——
08:40
what happens if unrest breaks out?
205
505000
3000
也就是如果发生动乱该怎么办？
08:43
We also try to study our foe.
206
508000
2000
我们也尝试研究我们的“敌人”
08:45
This is a high-speed camera view
207
510000
2000
这是高速摄像机
08:47
of a mosquito.
208
512000
2000
下的蚊子。
08:50
And, in a moment,
209
515000
2000
很快
08:52
we're going to see a view of the airflow.
210
517000
3000
我们就会看到空气的流动。
08:55
Here, we're trying to visualize the airflow
211
520000
2000
在这里，我们想要利用
08:57
around the wings of the mosquito
212
522000
2000
激光照射出一些小粒子
08:59
with little particles we're illuminating with a laser.
213
524000
3000
从而看到蚊子翅膀附近的空气流动。
09:02
By understanding how mosquitoes fly,
214
527000
2000
通过研究蚊子的飞行方式
09:04
we hope to understand how to make them not fly.
215
529000
3000
我们希望能够找出禁止他们飞的方法。
09:07
Now, one of the ways you can make them not fly
216
532000
2000
当今，其中一种禁止蚊子飞的方法
09:09
is with DDT.
217
534000
2000
是使用农药DDT
09:11
This is a real ad.
218
536000
2000
这是一个真实的广告。
09:13
This is one of those things you just can't make up.
219
538000
3000
这是那些你没有办法编造的东西之一。
09:16
Once upon a time, this was the primary technique,
220
541000
3000
这曾经是基本的技术，
09:19
and, in fact, many countries got rid of malaria through DDT.
221
544000
3000
而且事实上，很多国家就是用DDT消灭了疟疾。
09:22
The United States did.
222
547000
2000
美国就是这么做的。
09:24
In 1935, there were 150,000 cases a year
223
549000
3000
在1935年，美国每年
09:27
of malaria in the United States,
224
552000
3000
有15万疟疾病例，
09:30
but DDT and a massive public health effort
225
555000
2000
但是通过使用DDT和大量的公共健康投入
09:32
managed to squelch it.
226
557000
3000
美国终于遏止了疾病的继续蔓延。
09:35
So we thought,
227
560000
2000
所以我们在想
09:37
"Well, we've done all these things that are focused on the Plasmodium,
228
562000
3000
我们已经针对疟原虫，也就是引起疟疾的寄生虫，
09:40
the parasite involved.
229
565000
2000
做了这么多的事情。
09:42
What can we do to the mosquito?
230
567000
2000
我们可以对蚊子做些什么呢？
09:44
Well, let's try to kill it with consumer electronics."
231
569000
3000
那么，让我们来试试用日常电器来杀死它们。
09:48
Now, that sounds silly,
232
573000
2000
现在这听上去或者很傻，
09:50
but each of these devices
233
575000
2000
但这里的每一个仪器
09:52
has something interesting in it that maybe you could use.
234
577000
3000
里面都有一些有趣的，或许可以加以利用的东西。
09:55
Your Blu-ray player has
235
580000
2000
你的蓝光播放器里
09:57
a very cheap blue laser.
236
582000
2000
有非常便宜的蓝色激光。
09:59
Your laser printer has a mirror galvanometer
237
584000
2000
你的激光打印机里有一个镜式电流计
10:01
that's used to steer a laser beam very accurately;
238
586000
3000
用它可以很准确地控制激光光束。
10:04
that's what makes those little dots on the page.
239
589000
3000
这正是为什么要在这里讲到这些小器材的原因。
10:07
And, of course, there's signal processing
240
592000
2000
当然，还有信号处理器
10:09
and digital cameras.
241
594000
2000
以及数码相机，
10:11
So what if we could put all that together
242
596000
3000
那么如果我们把这些东西组合起来
10:14
to shoot them out of the sky with lasers?
243
599000
3000
用它们向天空发射激光会怎样呢？
10:17
(Laughter)
244
602000
2000
（笑声）
10:19
(Applause)
245
604000
3000
（鼓掌）
10:22
Now, in our company, this is what we call
246
607000
3000
现在，在我们公司，我们称之为
10:25
"the pinky-suck moment."
247
610000
2000
“粉红的倒霉一刻”
10:27
(Laughter)
248
612000
2000
（笑声）
10:29
What if we could do that?
249
614000
2000
我们能做到的话会怎样呢？
10:31
Now, just suspend disbelief for a moment,
250
616000
3000
现在，请暂时收起怀疑，
10:34
and let's think of what could happen
251
619000
2000
一起来想象一下
10:36
if we could do that.
252
621000
2000
如果我们真能做到会发生什么事情。
10:38
Well, we could protect very high-value targets like clinics.
253
623000
3000
看，我们可以保护像诊所那样的高价值目标。
10:41
Clinics are full of people that have malaria.
254
626000
3000
诊所里充满了患疟疾的病人。
10:44
They're sick, and so they're less able to defend themselves from the mosquitoes.
255
629000
3000
他们都生病了，所以他们抵御蚊子的能力也降低了。
10:47
You really want to protect them.
256
632000
2000
你真的希望能保护他们。
10:49
Of course, if you do that,
257
634000
2000
当然，如果能做到这一点，
10:51
you could also protect your backyard.
258
636000
2000
你同时也保护了你的后院。
10:53
And farmers could protect their crops
259
638000
2000
农民也可以保护他们那些打算
10:55
that they want to sell to Whole Foods
260
640000
2000
卖到全食（Whole Foods)超市的庄稼
10:57
because our photons
261
642000
2000
因为我们的光子
10:59
are 100 percent organic. (Laughter)
262
644000
2000
是百分之一百的有机物。
11:01
They're completely natural.
263
646000
3000
它们是纯天然的。
11:04
Now, it actually gets better than this.
264
649000
2000
其实我们能做的还能更好。
11:06
You could, if you're really smart,
265
651000
3000
如果你真的很聪明，你可以
11:09
you could shine a nonlethal laser on the bug
266
654000
3000
在你杀死这些虫子之前
11:12
before you zap it,
267
657000
2000
向它射出一束不具杀伤力的激光，
11:14
and you could listen to the wing beat frequency
268
659000
2000
你可以仔细听它扇动翅膀的频率，
11:16
and you could measure the size.
269
661000
2000
可以估计它的大小。
11:18
And then you could decide:
270
663000
2000
然后你可以决定
11:20
"Is this an insect I want to kill,
271
665000
2000
这到底是一只我要杀死
11:22
or an insect I don't want to kill?"
272
667000
2000
还是不想杀死的虫子？
11:24
Moore's law made computing cheap;
273
669000
2000
摩尔定律使计算机的使用成本降低
11:26
so cheap we can weigh
274
671000
2000
低至我们可以用计算机测量
11:28
the life of an individual insect
275
673000
2000
个体昆虫的重量
11:30
and decide thumbs up
276
675000
3000
从而决定是否该
11:33
or thumbs down. (Laughter)
277
678000
3000
按下（杀虫的）按钮。
11:36
Now, it turns out we only kill the female mosquitoes.
278
681000
3000
事实上，我们只需要杀死雌性的蚊子。
11:39
They're the only ones that are dangerous.
279
684000
2000
只有它们是有危险的。
11:41
Mosquitoes only drink blood
280
686000
2000
蚊子只有在吸血后
11:43
to lay eggs.
281
688000
2000
才能产卵。
11:45
Mosquitoes actually live ... their day-to-day nutrition
282
690000
3000
事实上，蚊子生存必需品—它们每天的营养
11:48
comes from nectar, from flowers --
283
693000
2000
来源于花蜜。
11:50
in fact, in the lab, we feed ours raisins --
284
695000
3000
事实上，在实验室里，我们用葡萄来喂它们
11:53
but the female needs the blood meal.
285
698000
3000
但是雌性的蚊子需要吸血。
11:56
So, this sounds really crazy, right?
286
701000
2000
怎样，这听起来很疯狂，是吗？
11:58
Would you like to see it?
287
703000
2000
你想要看吗？
12:00
Audience: Yeah!
288
705000
2000
（观众：想）
12:02
Nathan Myhrvold: Okay, so our legal department prepared a disclaimer,
289
707000
3000
好的，为此我们的法律部门准备了一份免责声明。
12:06
and here it is.
290
711000
2000
就是这份。
12:08
(Laughter)
291
713000
3000
（笑声）
12:13
Now, after thinking about this a little bit
292
718000
3000
然后，对此稍作考虑之后，
12:16
we thought, you know, it probably would be simpler
293
721000
2000
我们想，可能用非致命性的激光
12:18
to do this with a nonlethal laser.
294
723000
2000
来做这件事会更简单。
12:20
So, Eric Johanson, who built the device,
295
725000
3000
所以，艾里克·乔纳森，他做了这个仪器
12:23
actually, with parts from eBay;
296
728000
2000
事实上，有的部件是在eBAY上买回来的。
12:25
and Pablos Holman over here,
297
730000
2000
还有在那边的帕布罗斯·霍尔曼
12:27
he's got mosquitoes in the tank.
298
732000
2000
他把蚊子养在这个箱子里。
12:29
We have the device over here.
299
734000
2000
我们的仪器在这里。
12:31
And we're going to show you,
300
736000
2000
我们将要向大家展示。
12:33
instead of the kill laser,
301
738000
2000
我们不用杀伤性激光，
12:35
which will be a very brief, instantaneous pulse,
302
740000
2000
那是一种短暂，即时的脉冲
12:37
we're going to have a green laser pointer
303
742000
2000
而是用一种绿色激光指针
12:39
that's going to stay on the mosquito for, actually, quite a long period of time;
304
744000
3000
这个指针会在蚊子身上停留颇长的一段时间
12:42
otherwise, you can't see it very well.
305
747000
2000
否则你不能看得很清楚
12:44
Take it away Eric.
306
749000
2000
把它拿开，艾里克。
12:46
Eric Johanson: What we have here
307
751000
2000
艾里克·乔纳森：我们现在可以看到
12:48
is a tank on the other side of the stage.
308
753000
2000
在讲台的另一边有一个箱子。
12:50
And we have ... this computer screen
309
755000
2000
我们还有这个电脑屏幕
12:52
can actually see the mosquitoes as they fly around.
310
757000
2000
可以看到蚊子在里面飞行的真实情况。
12:54
And Pablos, if he stirs up our mosquitoes a little bit
311
759000
3000
还有帕布罗斯，如果他稍稍搅动一下
12:57
we can see them flying around.
312
762000
2000
我们就可以看到蚊子在里面飞来飞去。
12:59
Now, that's a fairly straightforward image processing routine,
313
764000
2000
接下来是一个很直接的常见的图像处理过程。
13:01
and let me show you how it works.
314
766000
2000
请让我告诉大家是怎样操作的。
13:03
Here you can see that the insects are being tracked
315
768000
2000
在这里你可以看到这些虫子
13:05
as they're flying around,
316
770000
2000
在飞来飞去的时候被跟踪定位
13:07
which is kind of fun.
317
772000
3000
这其实挺有趣。
13:10
Next we can actually light them up with a laser. (Laughter)
318
775000
2000
然后我们其实可以用激光照亮它们
13:12
Now, this is a low powered laser,
319
777000
2000
现在我们要用的是低功率激光
13:14
and we can actually pick up a wing-beat frequency.
320
779000
2000
我们事实上是要测量翅膀扇动的频率。
13:16
So you may be able to hear some mosquitoes flying around.
321
781000
3000
所以你可能会听到有些蚊子在周围飞
13:19
NM: That's a mosquito wing beat you're hearing.
322
784000
3000
内森·梅尔沃德：大家现在听到的是蚊子的翅膀扇动
13:24
EJ: Finally, let's see what this looks like.
323
789000
3000
艾里克·乔纳森：最后，我们来看看结果.
13:29
There you can see mosquitoes as they fly around, being lit up.
324
794000
3000
由于有激光照射，大家可以看到蚊子在飞来飞去.
13:32
This is slowed way down
325
797000
2000
这是放慢版
13:34
so that you have an opportunity to see what's happening.
326
799000
2000
以让大家有机会看清楚在发生的事情。
13:36
Here we have it running at high-speed mode.
327
801000
2000
这是用高速模式播放的效果。
13:38
So this system that was built for TED is here to illustrate
328
803000
2000
这是我们专门为TED设计的演示系统
13:40
that it is technically possible to actually deploy a system like this,
329
805000
3000
这证明了要开发这样的一个系统在技术上是可行的。
13:43
and we're looking very hard at how to make it
330
808000
3000
我们正在非常努力地大幅降低其使用成本
13:46
highly cost-effective to use in places like Africa and other parts of the world.
331
811000
3000
使其能够在非洲和世界上的其他国家使用。
13:49
(Applause)
332
814000
6000
（鼓掌）
13:56
NM: So it wouldn't be any fun to show you that
333
821000
3000
内森·梅尔沃德：如果不向大家演示我们用激光
13:59
without showing you what actually happens when we hit 'em.
334
824000
3000
射击它们时会发生什么事情，这次演示就一点都不有趣了。
14:02
(Laughter)
335
827000
2000
（笑声）
14:10
(Laughter)
336
835000
3000
（笑声）
14:13
This is very satisfying.
337
838000
2000
这使人感到非常满足。
14:15
(Laughter)
338
840000
2000
（笑声）
14:18
This is one of the first ones we did.
339
843000
2000
这是我们做出的首批产品的其中之一
14:20
The energy's a little bit high here.
340
845000
2000
这里的能量有点过高了。
14:22
(Laughter)
341
847000
3000
（笑声）
14:27
We'll loop around here in just a second, and you'll see another one.
342
852000
2000
我们会在这里稍作环绕，你会看到另一只。
14:29
Here's another one. Bang.
343
854000
2000
这是另一只。砰。
14:31
An interesting thing is, we kill them all the time;
344
856000
3000
有趣的是，我们总是把它们杀死
14:34
we've never actually gotten the wings to shut off in midair.
345
859000
3000
我们从未真正在半空中烧掉它们的翅膀。
14:37
The wing motor is very resilient.
346
862000
2000
翅膀的动力是很持久的
14:39
I mean, here we're blowing wings off
347
864000
2000
我的意思是，在这里，我们可以把翅膀吹掉
14:41
but the wing motor keeps all the way down.
348
866000
3000
但在翅膀掉下来的过程中，依然能转动。
14:45
So, that's what I have. Thanks very much.
349
870000
2000
以上就是我要呈现给大家的。非常感谢。
14:47
(Applause)
350
872000
16000
（鼓掌）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Nathan Myhrvold - PolymathNathan Myhrvold is a professional jack-of-all-trades. After leaving Microsoft in 1999, he's been a world barbecue champion, a wildlife photographer, a chef, a contributor to SETI, and a volcano explorer.
Why you should listen
Since leaving his post as Microsoft's Chief Technology Officer in 1999 (with fortune in tow), Nathan Myhrvold has been a professional exemplar of the spirit of the "Renaissance Man," proudly following his interests wherever they've led. His dispersed passions have triggered an impressive list of accomplishments, including world barbecue championships, major archeological finds (several Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons), prize-winning wildlife photography, building a section of Babbage's Difference Engine #2, s, and a new and consuming interest in the sous-vide cooking technique.
Malcolm Gladwell's 2008 New Yorker profile of him revealed an impish but truly inspired character whose latest company, Intellectual Ventures -- which brainstorms and patents a wide array of inventions -- has been accused in some quarters of acting like a 'patent troll' but is described by Myhrvold as "a disruptive organization providing an efficient way for patent holders to get paid for the inventions they own, and... for technology companies to gain easy access to the invention rights they need." After funding big-vision projects such as the Allen Telescope Array, exploring active volcanoes and investigating penguin digestion, Myhrvold insists that his hobbies aren't as discursive as they seem. They do have a common denominator, after all: him.
Nathan Myhrvold | Speaker | TED.com