TEDWomen 2015
Marlene Zuk: What we learn from insects' sex lives
Marlene Zuk: Hvad vi lærer af insekters frække sexliv
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Marlene Zuk studerer begejstret og målbevidst insekter. I det her oplysende, sjove foredrag, deler hun nogle af de måder, hvorpå de i sandhed er utrolige — ikke mindst på grund af deres kreative måder at have sex.
Marlene Zuk - Evolutionary biologist
Marlene Zuk studies insect behavior -- and how humans use animal behavior to think about how we behave ourselves. Full bio
Marlene Zuk studies insect behavior -- and how humans use animal behavior to think about how we behave ourselves. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
So, people are more afraid of insects
than they are of dying.
than they are of dying.
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Så, mennesker er mere bange for insekter
end de er for at dø.
end de er for at dø.
00:18
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
00:20
At least, according to a 1973
"Book of Lists" survey
"Book of Lists" survey
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I hvert fald i følge
en 1973 "Book of Lists" undersøgelse,
en 1973 "Book of Lists" undersøgelse,
00:25
which preceded all those online best,
worst, funniest lists that you see today.
worst, funniest lists that you see today.
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der gik forud for alle de bedste,
værste, sjoveste lister man ser i dag.
værste, sjoveste lister man ser i dag.
00:32
Only heights and public speaking
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Kun højder og offentlige taler
00:35
exceeded the six-legged
as sources of fear.
as sources of fear.
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overgik de seksbenede,
som kilder til frygt
som kilder til frygt
00:39
And I suspect if you had put
spiders in there,
spiders in there,
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Og jeg tror,
at hvis man havde taget edderkopper med
at hvis man havde taget edderkopper med
00:43
the combinations of insects and spiders
would have just topped the chart.
would have just topped the chart.
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ville kombinationen af
insekter og edderkopper toppet skalaen.
insekter og edderkopper toppet skalaen.
00:48
Now, I am not one of those people.
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Jeg er ikke en af de personer.
00:50
I really love insects.
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Jeg elsker virkelig insekter.
00:53
I think they're interesting and beautiful,
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Jeg synes,
at de er interessante og smukke
at de er interessante og smukke
00:57
and sometimes even cute.
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og nogle gange endda nuttede.
00:58
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
01:00
And I'm not alone.
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Og jeg er ikke den eneste.
01:01
For centuries, some
of the greatest minds in science,
of the greatest minds in science,
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For århundreder har nogen
af de største genier indenfor videnskab
af de største genier indenfor videnskab
01:05
from Charles Darwin to E.O. Wilson,
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fra Charles Darwin til E.O. Wilson,
01:08
have drawn inspiration from studying
some of the smallest minds on Earth.
some of the smallest minds on Earth.
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draget inspiration fra at studere
nogle af de mindste sjæle på jorden.
nogle af de mindste sjæle på jorden.
01:14
Well, why is that?
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Hvorfor det?
01:16
What is that keeps us
coming back to insects?
coming back to insects?
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Hvad er det der får os til,
at vende tilbage til insekter?
at vende tilbage til insekter?
01:20
Some of it, of course, is just the sheer
magnitude of almost everything about them.
magnitude of almost everything about them.
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En del af det er selvfølgelig
hele omfanget af næsten alt omkring dem.
hele omfanget af næsten alt omkring dem.
01:24
They're more numerous
than any other kind of animal.
than any other kind of animal.
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De er mere mangfoldige
end noget andet slags dyr.
end noget andet slags dyr.
01:27
We don't even know how many species
of insects there are,
of insects there are,
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Vi ved ikke engang,
hvor mange insektarter der er,
hvor mange insektarter der er,
01:30
because new ones
are being discovered all the time.
are being discovered all the time.
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fordi der bliver opdaget nye hele tiden.
01:33
There are at least a million,
maybe as many as 10 million.
maybe as many as 10 million.
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Der er mindst en million,
måske så mange som 10 millioner.
måske så mange som 10 millioner.
01:37
This means that you could have
an insect-of-the-month calendar
an insect-of-the-month calendar
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Det betyder at man kunne have
en kalender med et insekt hver måned
en kalender med et insekt hver måned
01:41
and not have to reuse a species
for over 80,000 years.
for over 80,000 years.
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og alligevel ikke genbruge en art
før om 80.000 år.
før om 80.000 år.
01:45
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
01:48
Take that, pandas and kittens!
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Tag den, pandaer og killinger!
01:50
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
01:52
More seriously, insects are essential.
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Mere alvorligt, insekter er nødvendige.
01:55
We need them.
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Vi har brug for dem.
01:57
It's been estimated
that 1 out of every 3 bites of food
that 1 out of every 3 bites of food
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Det er blevet anslået,
at 1 ud af hver 3 bid føde
at 1 ud af hver 3 bid føde
02:00
is made possible by a pollinator.
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er gjort muligt af en bestøver.
02:04
Scientist use insects to make fundamental
discoveries
discoveries
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Forskere bruger insekter til,
at lave fundamentale opdagelser
at lave fundamentale opdagelser
02:08
about everything from the structure
of our nervous systems
of our nervous systems
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omkring alt fra strukturen
af vores nervesystem
af vores nervesystem
02:11
to how our genes and DNA work.
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til hvordan gener og DNA fungerer.
02:14
But what I love most about insects
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Men hvad jeg elsker
mest om insekter
mest om insekter
02:16
is what they can tell us
about our own behavior.
about our own behavior.
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er hvad de kan fortælle os
om vores egen opførelse.
om vores egen opførelse.
02:19
Insects seem like they do
everything that people do.
everything that people do.
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Insekter ser ud til,
at de gør alting mennesker gør.
at de gør alting mennesker gør.
02:22
They meet, they mate,
they fight, they break up.
they fight, they break up.
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De møder, de parrer, de slås, de slår op.
02:26
And they do so with what looks
like love or animosity.
like love or animosity.
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Og de gør det med, hvad der ligner
kærlighed eller fjendtlighed.
kærlighed eller fjendtlighed.
02:31
But what drives their behaviors is really
different than what drives our own,
different than what drives our own,
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Men hvad der driver deres adfærd er meget
anderledes fra hvad der driver vores egen,
anderledes fra hvad der driver vores egen,
02:36
and that difference
can be really illuminating.
can be really illuminating.
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og den forskel kan være meget oplysende.
02:40
There's nowhere where that's more true
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Der er ingen steder,
det er mere sandt
det er mere sandt
02:42
than when it comes to one
of our most consuming interests -- sex.
of our most consuming interests -- sex.
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end når det kommer til en af
vores mest indtagende interesser -- sex.
vores mest indtagende interesser -- sex.
02:46
Now, I will maintain.
and I think I can defend,
and I think I can defend,
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Jeg vil fastholde,
og jeg mener, at jeg kan forsvare,
og jeg mener, at jeg kan forsvare,
02:48
what may seem like a surprising statement.
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hvad der måske kan virke som
en overraskende udmelding.
en overraskende udmelding.
02:52
I think sex in insects is more
interesting than sex in people.
interesting than sex in people.
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Jeg mener, at sex hos insekter
er mere interessant end sex hos mennesker.
er mere interessant end sex hos mennesker.
02:56
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
02:58
And the wild variety that we see
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Og den vilde varietet, vi ser,
03:01
makes us challenge
some of our own assumptions
some of our own assumptions
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får os til,
at udfordre nogle af vores egne antagelser
at udfordre nogle af vores egne antagelser
03:04
about what it means to be male and female.
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omkring hvad det vil sige,
at være mand og kvinde.
at være mand og kvinde.
03:07
Of course, to start with,
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Selvfølgelig, til at starte med,
03:09
a lot of insects don't need
to have sex at all to reproduce.
to have sex at all to reproduce.
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behøver mange insekter ikke,
at have sex for at reproducere.
at have sex for at reproducere.
03:12
Female aphids can make little, tiny clones
of themselves without ever mating.
of themselves without ever mating.
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Hunkønsbladlus kan lave små,
bitte kloner af sig selv uden parring.
bitte kloner af sig selv uden parring.
03:17
Virgin birth, right there.
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Det er jomfrufødsel.
03:18
On your rose bushes.
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På dine rosenbuske.
03:20
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
03:23
When they do have sex,
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Når de har sex,
03:25
even their sperm is more
interesting than human sperm.
interesting than human sperm.
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er selv deres sæd er mere interessant
end menneskesæd.
end menneskesæd.
03:28
There are some kinds of fruit flies
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Der findes nogle slags frugtfluer,
03:30
whose sperm is longer
than the male's own body.
than the male's own body.
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hvis sæd er længere end hannens egen krop.
03:34
And that's important because the males
use their sperm to compete.
use their sperm to compete.
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Og det er vigtigt fordi hannerne
bruger deres sæd til at konkurrere.
bruger deres sæd til at konkurrere.
03:38
Now, male insects do compete with weapons,
like the horns on these beetles.
like the horns on these beetles.
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Hankønsinsekter konkurrerer med våben,
som hornene på de her biller.
som hornene på de her biller.
03:43
But they also compete
after mating with their sperm.
after mating with their sperm.
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Men de konkurrerer
også med sæd efter parring.
også med sæd efter parring.
03:48
Dragonflies and damselflies have penises
that look kind of like Swiss Army knives
that look kind of like Swiss Army knives
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Guldsmede og vandnymfer har penisser,
der lidt ligner schweizerknive.
der lidt ligner schweizerknive.
03:53
with all of the attachments pulled out.
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med alt tilbehøret foldet ud.
03:55
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
03:57
They use these formidable devices
like scoops,
like scoops,
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De anvender de her
formidable anordninger som skeer
formidable anordninger som skeer
04:02
to remove the sperm from previous males
that the female has mated with.
that the female has mated with.
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til at fjerne sæd fra tidligere hanner,
som hunnen har parret med.
som hunnen har parret med.
04:06
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
04:08
So, what can we learn from this?
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Så hvad kan vi lære af det?
04:11
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
04:17
All right, it is not a lesson in the sense
of us imitating them
of us imitating them
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Okay, det er ikke en lektion i den forstand,
at vi skal efterligne dem
at vi skal efterligne dem
04:22
or of them setting
an example for us to follow.
an example for us to follow.
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eller at de sætter et eksempel
for os at følge.
for os at følge.
04:25
Which, given this,
is probably just as well.
is probably just as well.
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Hvilket, givet det her,
er formentligt ligeså godt.
er formentligt ligeså godt.
04:29
And also, did I mention sexual cannibalism
is rampant among insects?
is rampant among insects?
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Fik jeg også nævnt, at seksuel kannibalisme
er udbredt blandt insekter?
er udbredt blandt insekter?
04:32
So, no, that's not the point.
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Så, nej, det er ikke pointen.
04:35
But what I think insects do,
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Men hvad jeg tror, at insekter gør,
04:36
is break a lot of the rules
that we humans have about the sex roles.
that we humans have about the sex roles.
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er at bryde en masse regler,
som vi mennesker har omkring sexroller.
som vi mennesker har omkring sexroller.
04:43
So, people have this idea that nature
dictates kind of a 1950s sitcom version
dictates kind of a 1950s sitcom version
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Så, mennesker har den her idé,
at naturen dikterer som en 1950 sitcom,
at naturen dikterer som en 1950 sitcom,
04:48
of what males and females are like.
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hvordan hanner og hunner er.
04:50
So that males are always
supposed to be dominant and aggressive,
supposed to be dominant and aggressive,
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Så hanner altid skal være
dominante og aggressive,
dominante og aggressive,
04:54
and females are passive and coy.
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og hunner er passive og sky.
04:55
But that's just not the case.
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Men det er bare ikke tilfældet.
04:58
So for example, take katydids,
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Lad os tage løvgræshopper for et eksempel,
05:00
which are relatives of crickets
and grasshoppers.
and grasshoppers.
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som er slægtninge til
fårekyllinger og græshopper.
fårekyllinger og græshopper.
05:03
The males are very picky
about who they mate with,
about who they mate with,
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Hannerne er meget kræsne
omkring hvem de parrer med,
omkring hvem de parrer med,
05:07
because they not only transfer
sperm during mating,
sperm during mating,
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fordi der overfører
ikke kun sæd under parring,
ikke kun sæd under parring,
05:10
they also give the female
something called a nuptial gift.
something called a nuptial gift.
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de giver også hunnen noget
der kaldes en bryllupsgave.
der kaldes en bryllupsgave.
05:14
You can see two katydids
mating in these photos.
mating in these photos.
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Man kan se to løvgræshopper,
der parrer i disse fotos.
der parrer i disse fotos.
05:18
In both panels,
the male's the one on the right,
the male's the one on the right,
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I begge paneler,
er hannen den til højre,
er hannen den til højre,
05:20
and that sword-like appendage
is the female's egg-laying organ.
is the female's egg-laying organ.
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og det sværdlignende vedhæng
er hunnens æglæggende organ.
er hunnens æglæggende organ.
05:25
The white blob is the sperm,
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Den hvide klat er sæden,
05:27
the green blob is the nuptial gift,
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den grønne klat er bryllupsgaven,
05:31
and the male manufactures
this from his own body
this from his own body
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og hannen producerer det
fra hans egen krop
fra hans egen krop
05:34
and it's extremely costly to produce.
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og det er ekstremt dyrt at producere.
05:36
It can weigh up to a third
of his body mass.
of his body mass.
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Det kan veje op til en tredjedel
af hans kropsmasse.
af hans kropsmasse.
05:39
I will now pause for a moment
and let you think about
and let you think about
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Jeg vil nu pause for et øjeblik
og lade jer tænke over,
og lade jer tænke over,
05:42
what it would be like if human men,
every time they had sex,
every time they had sex,
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hvordan det ville være for mænd,
hvis de hver gang de havde sex,
hvis de hver gang de havde sex,
05:46
had to produce something
that weighed 50, 60, 70 pounds.
that weighed 50, 60, 70 pounds.
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skulle producere noget,
der vejede 23, 27, 32 kilogram.
der vejede 23, 27, 32 kilogram.
05:52
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
05:56
Okay, they would not be able
to do that very often.
to do that very often.
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Okay, de ville ikke være i stand til,
at gøre det særligt ofte.
at gøre det særligt ofte.
05:59
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
06:01
And indeed, neither can the katydids.
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Og det kan løvgræshopperne heller ikke.
06:04
And so what that means
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Og det betyder så,
06:06
is the katydid males are very choosy
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at hannerne hos løvgræshopper
er meget kræsne
er meget kræsne
06:10
about who they offer
these nuptial gifts to.
these nuptial gifts to.
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omkring hvem de tilbyder
de her bryllupsgaver til.
de her bryllupsgaver til.
06:13
Now, the gift is very nutritious,
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Gaven er meget næringsrig
06:15
and the female eats it
during and after mating.
during and after mating.
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og hunnen spiser det under
og efter parring.
og efter parring.
06:17
So, the bigger it is,
the better off the male is,
the better off the male is,
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Så jo større den her,
desto bedre for hannen
desto bedre for hannen
06:20
because that means more time for his sperm
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fordi det betyder mere tid for hans sæd
06:22
to drain into her body
and fertilize her eggs.
and fertilize her eggs.
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til at trænge ind i hendes krop
og befrugte æggene.
og befrugte æggene.
06:25
But it also means that the males
are very passive about mating,
are very passive about mating,
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Men det betyder også,
at hannerne er meget passive med parring,
at hannerne er meget passive med parring,
06:29
whereas the females
are extremely aggressive and competitive,
are extremely aggressive and competitive,
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hvorimod hunnerne er
meget aggressive og konkurrencepræget
meget aggressive og konkurrencepræget
06:33
in an attempt to get as many of these
nutritious nuptial gifts as they can.
nutritious nuptial gifts as they can.
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i et forsøg på,
at få så mange bryllupsgaver som de kan.
at få så mange bryllupsgaver som de kan.
06:37
So, it's not exactly
a stereotypical set of rules.
a stereotypical set of rules.
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Så det er ikke ligefrem
et stereotypt regelsæt.
et stereotypt regelsæt.
06:42
Even more generally though,
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Endnu mere generelt,
06:44
males are actually not all that important
in the lives of a lot of insects.
in the lives of a lot of insects.
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er hanner faktisk ikke så vigtige i livet
hos mange insekter.
hos mange insekter.
06:49
In the social insects --
the bees and wasps and ants --
the bees and wasps and ants --
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Hos de sociale insekter
-- bier og hvepse og myrer --
-- bier og hvepse og myrer --
06:54
the individuals that you see every day --
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individerne man ser hver dag --
06:56
the ants going back and forth
to your sugar bowl,
to your sugar bowl,
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myrerne der går frem og tilbage
fra din sukkerskål,
fra din sukkerskål,
06:59
the honey bees that are flitting
from flower to flower --
from flower to flower --
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honningbierne der flagrer
fra blomst til blomst --
fra blomst til blomst --
07:02
all of those are always female.
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de er allesammen hunner.
07:05
People have had a hard time getting
their head around that idea for millennia.
their head around that idea for millennia.
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Folk har haft svært ved,
at forstå den idé for årtusinder.
at forstå den idé for årtusinder.
07:09
The ancient Greeks knew that there was
a class of bees, the drones,
a class of bees, the drones,
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De gamle grækere vidste,
at der var en klasse af bier, dronerne,
at der var en klasse af bier, dronerne,
07:15
that are larger than the workers,
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som er større end arbejderne,
07:17
although they disapproved
of the drones' laziness
of the drones' laziness
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selvom de misbilligede dronernes dovenskab
07:19
because they could see that
the drones just hang around the hive
the drones just hang around the hive
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fordi de kunne se,
at dronerne bare hængte ud omkring bikuben
at dronerne bare hængte ud omkring bikuben
07:22
until the mating flight --
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indtil parringsflyvningen --
07:24
they're the males.
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de er hannerne.
07:25
They hang around until the mating flight,
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De bliver hængende indtil parringsflyningen,
07:27
but they don't participate
in gathering nectar or pollen.
in gathering nectar or pollen.
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men deltager ikke i indsamlingen
af nektar eller pollen.
af nektar eller pollen.
07:30
The Greeks couldn't figure out
the drones' sex,
the drones' sex,
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Grækerne kunne ikke finde ud
af dronernes køn,
af dronernes køn,
07:32
and part of the confusion was that they
were aware of the stinging ability of bees
were aware of the stinging ability of bees
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og en del af forvirringen var,
at de var klar over biers evne til at stikke.
at de var klar over biers evne til at stikke.
07:37
but they found it difficult to believe
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men de havde svært ved,
at tro på,
at tro på,
07:40
that any animals that bore such a weapon
could possibly be a female.
could possibly be a female.
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at et dyr der bar på sådan et våben,
på nogen måde kunne være en hun.
på nogen måde kunne være en hun.
07:43
Aristotle tried to get involved as well.
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Aristoteles prøvede også på,
at blive involveret.
at blive involveret.
07:46
He suggested, "OK, if the stinging
individuals are going to be the males ..."
individuals are going to be the males ..."
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Han foreslog, "Okay, hvis de stikkende
individer skal være hanner ..."
individer skal være hanner ..."
07:51
Then he got confused,
because that would have meant
because that would have meant
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Så blev han forvirret
fordi det ville have betydet,
fordi det ville have betydet,
07:53
the males were also taking care
of the young in a colony,
of the young in a colony,
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at hanner også tog vare
på de yngste i en koloni
på de yngste i en koloni
07:56
and he seemed to think
that would be completely impossible.
that would be completely impossible.
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og han mente åbenbart,
at det ville være komplet umuligt.
at det ville være komplet umuligt.
08:01
He then concluded that maybe
bees had the organs of both sexes
bees had the organs of both sexes
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Han konkluderede,
at måske havde bier organer fra begge køn
at måske havde bier organer fra begge køn
08:04
in the same individual,
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i det samme individ,
08:05
which is not that far-fetched,
some animals do that,
some animals do that,
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hvilket ikke er så langt ude,
nogen dyr gør det,
nogen dyr gør det,
08:07
but he never really
did get it figured out.
did get it figured out.
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men han fandt aldrig rigtigt ud af det.
08:10
And you know, even today,
my students, for instance,
my students, for instance,
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Og selv i dag,
for eksempel mine elever
for eksempel mine elever
08:14
call every animal they see,
including insects, a male.
including insects, a male.
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kalder alle dyr de ser,
inkluderende insekter, for en han
inkluderende insekter, for en han
08:19
And when I tell them
that the ferocious army-ant soldiers
that the ferocious army-ant soldiers
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Og når jeg fortæller dem,
at de voldsomme hær-myre soldater
at de voldsomme hær-myre soldater
08:23
with their giant jaws,
used to defend the colony,
used to defend the colony,
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med deres kæmpe kæmper plejede,
at forsvare kolonien,
at forsvare kolonien,
08:26
are all always female,
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er alle hunner,
08:29
they seem to not quite believe me.
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troede de ikke rigtigt på mig.
08:31
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
08:32
And certainly all of the movies --
Antz, Bee Movie --
Antz, Bee Movie --
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Og i hvert fald alle filmene --
Antz, Bee Movie --
Antz, Bee Movie --
08:37
portray the main character
in the social insects as being male.
in the social insects as being male.
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udstiller hovedkarakteren
hos de sociale insekter som at være han.
hos de sociale insekter som at være han.
08:44
Well, what difference does this make?
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Hvad forskel gør det?
08:46
These are movies. They're fiction.
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Det er film. Det er fiktion.
08:48
They have talking animals in them.
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De har talende dyr i dem.
08:50
What difference does it make
if they talk like Jerry Seinfeld?
if they talk like Jerry Seinfeld?
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Hvad forskel gør det,
hvis de taler som Jerry Seinfeld?
hvis de taler som Jerry Seinfeld?
08:53
I think it does matter,
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Jeg mener,
at det betyder noget,
at det betyder noget,
08:55
and it's a problem that actually
is part of a much deeper one
is part of a much deeper one
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og at det er en del
af et meget dybereliggende problem
af et meget dybereliggende problem
08:58
that has implications
for medicine and health
for medicine and health
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som har konsekvenser
for medicin og helbred.
for medicin og helbred.
09:02
and a lot of other aspects of our lives.
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og mange andre aspekter af vores liv.
09:05
You all know that scientists
use what we call model systems,
use what we call model systems,
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I ved alle sammen, at forskere bruger,
hvad vi kalder modelsystemer,
hvad vi kalder modelsystemer,
09:09
which are creatures --
white rats or fruit flies --
white rats or fruit flies --
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som er væsener --
hvide rotter eller frugtfluer --
hvide rotter eller frugtfluer --
09:12
that are kind of stand-ins
for all other animals, including people.
for all other animals, including people.
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der er en slags stand-in for
alle andre dyr også mennesker.
alle andre dyr også mennesker.
09:17
And the idea is
that what's true for a person
that what's true for a person
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Og idéen om,
hvad der er sandt for et menneske
hvad der er sandt for et menneske
09:20
will also be true for the white rat.
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vil også være sandt for den hvide rotte.
09:22
And by and large,
that turns out to be the case.
that turns out to be the case.
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Og i store træk viser det sig,
at være tilfældet.
at være tilfældet.
09:25
But you can take the idea
of a model system too far.
of a model system too far.
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Men du kan tage idéen
om et modelsystem for langt.
om et modelsystem for langt.
09:29
And what I think we've done,
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Og hvad jeg tror,
at vi har gjort,
at vi har gjort,
09:32
is use males, in any species,
as though they are the model system.
as though they are the model system.
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er at bruge hanner, i enhver art,
som at de er modelsystemet.
som at de er modelsystemet.
09:37
The norm.
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Normen.
09:38
The way things are supposed to be.
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Den måde som det er meningen at,
tingene skal være på.
tingene skal være på.
09:41
And females as a kind of variant --
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Og hunner som en slags variant --
09:44
something special that you only study
after you get the basics down.
after you get the basics down.
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noget specielt som man kun studerer
efter man kan det basale.
efter man kan det basale.
09:49
And so, back to the insects.
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Og dermed tilbage til insekterne.
09:52
I think what that means
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Jeg tror,
at det betyder
at det betyder
09:53
is that people just couldn't see
what was in front of them.
what was in front of them.
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folk bare ikke kunne se,
hvad der var lige foran dem.
hvad der var lige foran dem.
09:56
Because they assumed that the world's
stage was largely occupied by male players
stage was largely occupied by male players
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Fordi de antog, at verdensscenen
stort set var besat af mandlige spillere
stort set var besat af mandlige spillere
10:03
and females would only have
minor, walk-on roles.
minor, walk-on roles.
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og kvinder kun ville have
mindre statistroller.
mindre statistroller.
10:07
But when we do that, we really miss out
on a lot of what nature is like.
on a lot of what nature is like.
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Men når vi gør det, går vi virkelig glip
af en masse om hvordan naturen er.
af en masse om hvordan naturen er.
10:13
And we can also miss out on the way
natural, living things, including people,
natural, living things, including people,
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Og vi kan også gå glip af den måde
naturlige, levende ting, også mennesker,
naturlige, levende ting, også mennesker,
10:20
can vary.
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kan variere.
10:22
And I think that's why we've used males
as models in a lot of medical research,
as models in a lot of medical research,
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Og jeg tror, at det er derfor vi har brugt
hanner som model for medicinsk forskning,
hanner som model for medicinsk forskning,
10:27
something that we know now to be a problem
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noget som vi nu ved er et problem,
10:29
if we want the results to apply
to both men and women.
to both men and women.
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hvis vi ønsker at resultaterne skal gælde
for både mænd og kvinder.
for både mænd og kvinder.
10:34
Well, the last thing
I really love about insects
I really love about insects
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Den sidste ting,
som jeg virkelig elsker om insekter
som jeg virkelig elsker om insekter
10:37
is something that a lot of people
find unnerving about them.
find unnerving about them.
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er noget som mange mennesker
finder foruroligende omkring dem.
finder foruroligende omkring dem.
10:40
They have little, tiny brains
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De har lille, små hjerner.
10:42
with very little cognitive ability,
the way we normally think of it.
the way we normally think of it.
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med meget lille kognitiv evne,
måden vi normalt tænker på det.
måden vi normalt tænker på det.
10:46
They have complicated behavior,
but they lack complicated brains.
but they lack complicated brains.
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De har kompliceret adfærd,
men de mangler komplicerede hjerner.
men de mangler komplicerede hjerner.
10:51
And so, we can't just think of them
as though they're little people
as though they're little people
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Derfor kan vi ikke bare tænke på dem
som små mennesker.
som små mennesker.
10:57
because they don't do things
the way that we do.
the way that we do.
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fordi de gør ikke ting,
på samme måde vi gør.
på samme måde vi gør.
11:00
I really love that it's difficult
to anthropomorphize insects,
to anthropomorphize insects,
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Jeg elsker virkelig, at det er svært,
at menneskeliggøre insekter,
at menneskeliggøre insekter,
11:04
to look at them and just think of them
like they're little people
like they're little people
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at se på dem og bare tænke på dem,
som om at de er små mennesker
som om at de er små mennesker
11:08
in exoskeletons, with six legs.
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i exoskeletter med seks ben.
11:10
(Laughter)
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(Latter)
11:12
Instead, you really have to accept them
on their own terms,
on their own terms,
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I stedet bliver man nødt til,
at acceptere dem på deres egen vilkår,
at acceptere dem på deres egen vilkår,
11:15
because insects make us question
what's normal and what's natural.
what's normal and what's natural.
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fordi insekter får os til, at spørge hvad
der er normalt og hvad der er naturligt.
der er normalt og hvad der er naturligt.
11:21
Now, you know, people write fiction
and talk about parallel universes.
and talk about parallel universes.
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Folk skriver fiktion
og snakker om parallelle universer.
og snakker om parallelle universer.
11:26
They speculate about the supernatural,
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De spekulerer over det overnaturlige
11:29
maybe the spirits of the departed
walking among us.
walking among us.
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måske de døde ånder der færdes blandt os.
11:34
The allure of another world
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Tiltrækningen af en anden verden
11:37
is something that people say is part of
why they want to dabble in the paranormal.
why they want to dabble in the paranormal.
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er noget folk siger er en del af,
hvorfor de vil lege med det okkulte.
hvorfor de vil lege med det okkulte.
11:44
But as far as I'm concerned,
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Men så vidt jeg er bekymret,
11:46
who needs to be able to see dead people,
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hvem har brug for,
at kunne se døde mennesker,
at kunne se døde mennesker,
11:48
when you can see live insects?
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når du kan se levende insekter?
11:51
Thank you.
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Tak.
11:52
(Applause)
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(Bifald)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Marlene Zuk - Evolutionary biologistMarlene Zuk studies insect behavior -- and how humans use animal behavior to think about how we behave ourselves.
Why you should listen
Marlene Zuk is a biologist and writer who researches animal behavior and evolution, mostly using insects as subjects. Zuk is interested in the ways that people use animal behavior to think about human behavior, and vice versa, as well as in the public's understanding of evolution. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota -- including a seminar called “What’s the Alternative to Alternative Medicine?”
In addition to publishing numerous scientific articles, Zuk has published four books for a general audience: Sexual Selections: What We Can and Can’t Learn About Sex from Animals; Riddled with Life: Friendly Worms, Ladybug Sex, and the Parasites That Make Us Who We Are; Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life, Love and Language from the Insect World; and most recently, Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us About Sex, Diet and the Way We Live.
Marlene Zuk | Speaker | TED.com