TED2014
Ed Yong: Zombie roaches and other parasite tales
Ed Yong: Bulkthat vetevrases, furrtaret zombi dhe perralla te tjera parazitesh
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Si qenie humane, ne i vendosin nje cmim vullnetit tone te lire dhe pavaresise...por akoma mund te kete nje influence te erret qe ne nuk po e konsiderojme. Shkrimtari i shkences Ed Yong shpjegon ne kete fjalim te tij zbavites, magjepes, dhe shqetesues, si parazitet e kane perfeksionuar artin e manipulimit ne nje shkalle te pabesueshme per ne njerezit. A po na influencojne ata ne? Ka shume te ngjare.
Ed Yong - Science writer
Ed Yong blogs with a mission: to ignite excitement for science in everyone, regardless of their education or background. Full bio
Ed Yong blogs with a mission: to ignite excitement for science in everyone, regardless of their education or background. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
Nje tufe antilopash afrikane,
nje cektine me peshq,
nje cektine me peshq,
00:12
A herd of wildebeests, a shoal of fish,
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00:15
a flock of birds.
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nje tufe me zogj.
00:16
Many animals gather in large groups
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Shume kafshe mblidhen ne grupe te medha
00:18
that are among the most wonderful spectacles
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dhe eshte nje nga spektaklet
me te mrekullueshme
me te mrekullueshme
00:20
in the natural world.
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ne boten natyrore.
00:22
But why do these groups form?
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Por perse formohen keto grupe?
00:25
The common answers include things like
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Pergjigja me e zakonshme perfshin gjera si
00:26
seeking safety in numbers or hunting in packs
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jane me te sigurt ne shumice,
ose gjuetia ne grupe
ose gjuetia ne grupe
00:29
or gathering to mate or breed,
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ose mblidhen per te gjetur partner
ose per te ngrene,
ose per te ngrene,
00:32
and all of these explanations,
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dhe te gjitha keto shpjegime,
00:34
while often true,
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nderkohe qe jane shpesh te verteta,
00:35
make a huge assumption about animal behavior,
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bejne nje supozim te madh
per sjelljen e kafsheve,
per sjelljen e kafsheve,
00:38
that the animals are in control of their own actions,
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qe kafshet jane ne kontroll
te veprimeve te tyre,
te veprimeve te tyre,
00:41
that they are in charge of their bodies.
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se ato jane ne kontroll te trupit te tyre.
00:43
And that is often not the case.
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Por shpesh nuk eshte kjo ceshtja.
00:47
This is Artemia, a brine shrimp.
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Kjo eshte Artemia,
nje karkalec i liqeneve te kripura.
nje karkalec i liqeneve te kripura.
00:50
You probably know it better as a sea monkey.
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Ndoshta me mire e njihni
si majmuni i detit.
si majmuni i detit.
00:52
It's small, and it typically lives alone,
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Eshte i vogel, dhe eshte tipike
te jetoje vetem,
te jetoje vetem,
00:54
but it can gather in these large red swarms
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por mund te mblidhet
ne keto mizeri te medha te kuqe
ne keto mizeri te medha te kuqe
00:57
that span for meters,
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qe zgjatohet per metra,
01:00
and these form because of a parasite.
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dhe kjo forme ndodh
per shkak te nje paraziti.
per shkak te nje paraziti.
01:03
These shrimp are infected with a tapeworm.
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Keto karkaleca jane te infektuar
nga nje shirit.
nga nje shirit.
01:06
A tapeworm is effectively a long, living gut
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Nje shirit eshte nje zorre e gjate e gjalle
01:08
with genitals at one end and
a hooked mouth at the other.
a hooked mouth at the other.
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me gjenitalet ne nje fund
dhe koken ne fundin tjeter.
dhe koken ne fundin tjeter.
01:11
As a freelance journalist, I sympathize.
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Si gazetar freelancer, une e simpatizoj.
01:13
(Laughter)
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(Te qeshura)
01:15
The tapeworm drains nutrients from Artemia's body,
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Shiriti i thith perberesit
nga trupi i Artemias,
nga trupi i Artemias,
01:18
but it also does other things.
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por gjithashtu ben edhe gjera te tjera.
01:20
It castrates them,
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Ai i tredh ato,
01:22
it changes their color from transparent to bright red,
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ia ndryshon ngjyren nga transparente
ne nje te kuqe te ndezur,
ne nje te kuqe te ndezur,
01:27
it makes them live longer,
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i ben ato te jetojne me gjate,
01:28
and as biologist Nicolas Rode has found,
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dhe ashtu sic ka gjetur biologu Nicholas Rode,
01:31
it makes them swim in groups.
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i ben ato te notojne ne grupe.
01:34
Why? Because the tapeworm,
like many other parasites,
like many other parasites,
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Perse? Sepse shiriti,
ashtu si shume parazite te tjere,
ashtu si shume parazite te tjere,
01:37
has a complicated life cycle
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ka nje cikel jete te komplikuar
01:39
involving many different hosts.
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qe perfshin mbartes te ndryshem.
01:41
The shrimp are just one step on its journey.
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Karkalecat jane vetem nje hap
ne jeten e tij.
ne jeten e tij.
01:44
Its ultimate destination is this,
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Destinacioni i tij final eshte,
01:46
the greater flamingo.
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flamingo i madh.
01:48
Only in a flamingo can the tapeworm reproduce,
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Shiriti mund te riprodhohet
vetem ne nje flamingo,
vetem ne nje flamingo,
01:51
so to get there, it manipulates its shrimp hosts
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per te arritur aty, ai duhet te manipuloje
karkalecin mbartes
karkalecin mbartes
01:54
into forming these conspicuous colored swarms
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qe te formoje keto mizeri
te ngjyrosura te dukshme
te ngjyrosura te dukshme
01:58
that are easier for a flamingo to spot
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qe jane me te lehta
te vihen re nga nje flamingo
te vihen re nga nje flamingo
02:00
and to devour,
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dhe te gelltiten,
02:02
and that is the secret of the Artemia swarm.
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dhe ky eshte sekreti
i mizerive te Artemias.
i mizerive te Artemias.
02:05
They aren't sociable through their own volition,
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Ato nuk jane te shoqerueshme
me vullnetin e tyre,
me vullnetin e tyre,
02:07
but because they are being controlled.
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por sepse ato po kontrollohen.
02:09
It's not safety in numbers.
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Nuk eshte siguria ne shumice.
02:11
It's actually the exact opposite.
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Eshte ne fakt komplet e kunderta.
02:13
The tapeworm hijacks their brains and their bodies,
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Shiriti sulmon trurin dhe trupin e tyre,
02:16
turning them into vehicles
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duke i kthyer ato ne mjete
02:17
for getting itself into a flamingo.
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per tu futur tek nje flamingo.
02:21
And here is another example
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Dhe ja ku eshte nje shembull tjeter
02:22
of a parasitic manipulation.
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i manipulimeve te paraziteve.
02:25
This is a suicidal cricket.
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Kjo eshte nje bulkth vetevrases.
02:28
This cricket swallowed the
larvae of a Gordian worm,
larvae of a Gordian worm,
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Ky bulkth gelltiti larven
e nje krimbi Gordian,
e nje krimbi Gordian,
02:31
or horsehair worm.
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ose krimbi i jeles kalit.
02:33
The worm grew to adult size within it,
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Krimbi u rrit ne permasat e tij normale,
02:35
but it needs to get into water in order to mate,
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por atij i nevojitet te shkoje nen uje
ne menyre qe te ciftezohet,
ne menyre qe te ciftezohet,
02:38
and it does that by releasing proteins
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dhe e ben kete duke leshuar proteina
02:41
that addle the cricket's brain,
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qe e prishin trurin e bulkthit,
02:43
causing it to behave erratically.
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duke shkaktuar qe ai te sillet
ne menyre te parregullt.
ne menyre te parregullt.
02:45
When the cricket nears a body of water,
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Ne momentin qe bulkthi i afrohet
nje vendi me uje,
nje vendi me uje,
02:47
such as this swimming pool,
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sic mund te jete nje pishine,
02:48
it jumps in and drowns,
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hidhet ne te dhe mbytet,
02:51
and the worm wriggles out
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nderkohe qe krimbi del jashte
02:52
of its suicidal corpse.
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nga trupi vetvrases.
02:56
Crickets are really roomy. Who knew?
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Bulkthet jane kaq te bollshem.
Kush e dinte?
Kush e dinte?
03:00
The tapeworm and the Gordian worm are not alone.
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Shiriti dhe krimbi Gordian nuk jane te vetmit.
03:03
They are part of an entire cavalcade
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Ata jane pjese e nje vargani te tere
03:05
of mind-controlling parasites,
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te paraziteve manipulues,
03:07
of fungi, viruses, and worms and insects and more
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e kepurdhave, viruseve, dhe krimbave
dhe insekteve dhe te tjera
dhe insekteve dhe te tjera
03:11
that all specialize in subverting and overriding
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qe jane te specializuara ne shkaterrimin
dhe mbizoterimin
dhe mbizoterimin
03:13
the wills of their hosts.
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e deshirave te mbartesve te tyre.
03:16
Now, I first learned about this way of life
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Fillimisht une kam mesuar
per kete menyre jetese
per kete menyre jetese
03:17
through David Attenborough's "Trials of Life"
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nepermjet David Attenborough
"Gjykimet e jetes"
"Gjykimet e jetes"
03:20
about 20 years ago,
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rreth njezet vjet me pare,
03:22
and then later through a wonderful book called
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dhe me pas nepermjet
nje libri te mrekullueshem
nje libri te mrekullueshem
03:23
"Parasite Rex" by my friend Carl Zimmer.
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"Parazitet Rex" nga miku im Carl Zimmer.
03:26
And I've been writing about
these creatures ever since.
these creatures ever since.
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Dhe qe atehere s'kam pushuar se shkruari
per keto krijesa.
per keto krijesa.
03:28
Few topics in biology enthrall me more.
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Pak subjekte ne biologji
me magjepsin me shume se ata.
me magjepsin me shume se ata.
03:31
It's like the parasites have subverted my own brain.
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Eshte sikur parazitet kane pushtuar
trurin tim.
trurin tim.
03:35
Because after all, they are always compelling
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Sepse ne fund te fundit,
ata jane gjithmone imponues
ata jane gjithmone imponues
03:37
and they are delightfully macabre.
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dhe te lezetshem ne menyre makabre.
03:38
When you write about parasites,
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Kur ti shkruan per parazitet,
03:40
your lexicon swells with phrases like
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leksiku yt mbushet me fraza si
03:42
"devoured alive" and "bursts out of its body."
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"i gelltit te gjalle" dhe "nxjerr jashte nga trupi."
03:45
(Laughter)
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(Te qeshura)
03:46
But there's more to it than that.
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Por ka me shume gjera se kaq.
03:48
I'm a writer, and fellow writers in the audience
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Une jam shkrimtar,
dhe shkrimtaret ne audience
dhe shkrimtaret ne audience
03:50
will know that we love stories.
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e dine se ne i dashurojme historite.
03:53
Parasites invite us to resist the allure
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Parazitet na ftojne qe ti rezistojme joshjes
03:55
of obvious stories.
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se historive te dukshme.
03:57
Their world is one of plot twists
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Bota e tyre eshte nje bote me komplote
te gershetuara
te gershetuara
03:59
and unexpected explanations.
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dhe me shpjegime te papritura.
04:03
Why, for example,
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Perse, per shembull,
04:04
does this caterpillar
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kjo vemje
04:06
start violently thrashing about
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fillon te dridhet me zhurme
04:08
when another insect gets close to it
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kur nje insekt tjeter i shkon afer asaj
04:10
and those white cocoons that it seems
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dhe fshikezave te bardha
04:12
to be standing guard over?
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qe duket sikur po u ben roje?
04:14
Is it maybe protecting its siblings?
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Ndoshta per te mbrojtur motrat e saj?
04:17
No.
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Jo.
04:18
This caterpillar was attacked
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Kjo vemje eshte sulmuar
04:20
by a parasitic wasp which laid eggs inside it.
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nga nje grerez parazite
e cila vendos veze brenda saj.
e cila vendos veze brenda saj.
04:23
The eggs hatched and the young wasps
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Vezet celen dhe grereza te reja
04:24
devoured the caterpillar alive
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gelltiten vemjet e gjalla
04:26
before bursting out of its body.
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perpara se te dilnin nga trupi i tyre.
04:27
See what I mean?
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E kuptoni tani?
04:30
Now, the caterpillar didn't die.
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Tani, vemja nuk ngordhi.
04:33
Some of the wasps seemed to stay behind
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Disa nga grerezat qendruan prapa
04:35
and controlled it into defending their siblings
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dhe e kontrolluan ate ne mposhtjen
e motrave te saj
e motrave te saj
04:38
which are metamorphosing
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gjate metamorfozes se tyre
04:40
into adults within those cocoons.
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ne te rritur brenda ketyre fshikezave.
04:42
This caterpillar is a head-banging
zombie bodyguard
zombie bodyguard
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Keto vemje jane si nje truproje zombie
04:46
defending the offspring
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qe mbron pasardhesit
04:47
of the creature that killed it.
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e krijeses qe e vrane ate.
04:49
(Applause)
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(Duartrokitje)
04:53
We have a lot to get through.
I only have 13 minutes. (Laughter)
I only have 13 minutes. (Laughter)
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Kemi shume gjera per te kaluar.
Kam vetem 13 minuta. (Te qeshura)
Kam vetem 13 minuta. (Te qeshura)
04:57
Now, some of you are probably just
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Tani, disa prej jush ndoshta
04:59
desperately clawing for some solace
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jane duke kerkuar deshperimisht
per pak ngushellim
per pak ngushellim
05:01
in the idea that these things are oddities
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qe keto gjera jane kuriozitete
05:04
of the natural world, that they are outliers,
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te botes natyrore, se ata jane te vecuar,
05:06
and that point of view is understandable,
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dhe kjo pikpamje eshte e kuptueshme,
05:07
because by their nature, parasites are quite small
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sepse nga natyra e tyre,
parazitet jane shume te vegjel
parazitet jane shume te vegjel
05:10
and they spend a lot of their time
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dhe shpenzojne shume kohe te jetes se tyre
05:11
inside the bodies of other things.
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brenda trupave te gjerave te tjera
05:14
They're easy to overlook,
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Ata mund te neglizhohen lehte,
05:16
but that doesn't mean that they aren't important.
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por kjo nuk do te thote
qe ata jane te parendesishem.
qe ata jane te parendesishem.
05:18
A few years back, a man called Kevin Lafferty
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Disa vjet me pare,
nje njeri i quajtur Kevin Lafferty
nje njeri i quajtur Kevin Lafferty
05:21
took a group of scientists
into three Californian estuaries
into three Californian estuaries
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mori nje grup shkencetaresh
ne tre estuaret kaliforniane
ne tre estuaret kaliforniane
05:24
and they pretty much weighed and dissected
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dhe ata peshuan dhe shqyrtuan
05:26
and recorded everything they could find,
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dhe regjistruan cdo gje qe mund te gjenin,
05:28
and what they found
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dhe ajo cfare gjeten
05:29
were parasites in extreme abundance.
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ishte nje bollek parazitesh.
05:32
Especially common were trematodes,
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Vecanerisht te zakonshem ishin trematodet,
05:34
tiny worms that specialize in castrating their hosts
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krimba te vegjel te specializuar
ne tredhjen e mbartesve te tyre
ne tredhjen e mbartesve te tyre
05:37
like this unfortunate snail.
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ashtu si ky kermilli i pafat.
05:39
Now, a single trematode is tiny, microscopic,
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Nje trematod e vetme eshte e vogel,
mikroskopike,
mikroskopike,
05:42
but collectively they weighed as much
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por sebashku ato peshojne kaq shume
05:44
as all the fish in the estuaries
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sa te gjithe peshqit neper laguna
05:46
and three to nine times more than all the birds.
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dhe tre deri ne nente here me shume
se te gjithe zogjte.
se te gjithe zogjte.
05:50
And remember the Gordian worm that I showed you,
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Dhe e mbani mend krimbin Gordian
qe ju tregova,
qe ju tregova,
05:52
the cricket thing?
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ajo historia e bulkthit?
05:53
One Japanese scientist called Takuya Sato
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Nje shkencetar japonez
i quajtur Takuya Sato
i quajtur Takuya Sato
05:56
found that in one stream,
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gjeti se ne nje rrjedhe
05:58
these things drive so many crickets
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keta krimba drejtojne kaq shume bulkthe
06:00
and grasshoppers into the water
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dhe karkaleca ne uje
06:01
that the drowned insects
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saqe insektet e mbytur
06:02
make up some 60 percent of the diet of local trout.
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perbejne rreth 60 perqind
te dietes se troftave lokale.
te dietes se troftave lokale.
06:06
Manipulation is not an oddity.
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Manipulimi nuk eshte nje gje e rralle.
06:09
It is a critical and common part
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Eshte pjese kritike dhe e zakonshme
06:12
of the world around us,
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e botes rreth nesh,
06:13
and scientists have now found
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dhe shkencetaret tani kane gjetur
06:15
hundreds of examples of such manipulators,
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me qindra shembuj
te manipulimeve te tilla,
te manipulimeve te tilla,
06:17
and more excitingly, they're starting to understand
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dhe me shume, ata po fillojne te kuptojne
06:20
exactly how these creatures control their hosts.
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ekzaktesisht sesi keto krijesa
kontrollojne prene e tyre.
kontrollojne prene e tyre.
06:24
And this is one of my favorite examples.
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Kjo ketu eshte nje nga shembujt
e mi te preferuar.
e mi te preferuar.
06:26
This is Ampulex compressa,
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Kjo eshte Ampulex compresa
06:29
the emerald cockroach wasp,
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grereza e smeraldt e kacabunit,
06:31
and it is a truth universally acknowledged
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dhe njihet boterisht
06:33
that an emerald cockroach wasp in possession
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qe nje grereze e smeraldte e kacabunit
06:35
of some fertilized eggs
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qe ka disa veze te fertilizuara
06:37
must be in want of a cockroach.
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eshte duke kerkuar nje furrtare.
06:39
When she finds one,
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1200
Keshtu qe kur ajo e gjen nje
06:41
she stabs it with a stinger
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ajo i ngul thumbin asaj
06:43
that is also a sense organ.
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qe eshte gjithashtu nje shqise.
06:44
This discovery came out three weeks ago.
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Ky zbulim doli tre jave me pare.
06:47
She stabs it with a stinger that is a sense organ
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Ajo i ngul thumbin qe eshte nje shqise
06:49
equipped with small sensory bumps
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dhe eshte i pajisur me nje gunge me ndijues
06:51
that allow her to feel the distinctive texture
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qe e lejon ate te ndjeje
strukturen e vecante
strukturen e vecante
06:54
of a roach's brain.
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te trurit te furrtares.
06:56
So like a person blindly rooting about in a bag,
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Ashtu si nje njeri qe germon
verberisht ne nje cante
verberisht ne nje cante
06:59
she finds the brain, and she injects it with venom
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ajo gjen trurin, dhe injekton helmin
07:01
into two very specific clusters of neurons.
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ne dy grupe neurore shume specifike.
07:05
Israeli scientists Frederic Libersat and Ram Gal
175
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Shkencetaret izraelit Frederic Libersat
dhe Ram Gal
dhe Ram Gal
07:08
found that the venom is a
very specific chemical weapon.
very specific chemical weapon.
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gjeten se helmi eshte nje arme kimike
shume specifike.
shume specifike.
07:12
It doesn't kill the roach, nor does it sedate it.
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Ai as nuk e vret furrtaren,
as nuk e qeteson ate.
as nuk e qeteson ate.
07:15
The roach could walk away
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Furrtarja mund te largohet,
07:17
or fly or run if it chose to,
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ose te fluturoje ose te vrapoje
nese e zgjedh kete,
nese e zgjedh kete,
07:20
but it doesn't choose to,
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por nuk e ben kete gje,
07:22
because the venom nixes its motivation to walk,
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sepse helmi ia heq motivimin per te ecur,
07:25
and only that.
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dhe vetem ate.
07:26
The wasp basically un-checks
the escape-from-danger box
the escape-from-danger box
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Grereza ia bllokon sinjalin -shpeto nga rreziku-,
07:30
in the roach's operating system,
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ne sistemin operues te buburrecit,
07:32
allowing her to lead her helpless victim
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duke e lejuar ate te drejtoje
viktimen e tij te paafte
viktimen e tij te paafte
07:35
back to her lair by its antennae
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drejt skutes se saj me ane te antenave
07:37
like a person walking a dog.
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si nje person qe shetit nje qen.
07:40
And once there, she lays an egg on it,
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Dhe kur arrin atje, ajo vendos vezet,
07:41
egg hatches, devoured alive, bursts out of body,
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vezet celin, e gelltisin te gjalle,
dalin jashte trupit,
dalin jashte trupit,
07:44
yadda yadda yadda, you know the drill.
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yadda yadda yadda, e dini pjesen tjeter.
07:46
(Laughter) (Applause)
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(Te qeshura) (Duartrokitje)
07:49
Now I would argue that, once stung,
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Duhet t'ju them qe pasi eshte thumbuar,
07:52
the cockroach isn't a roach anymore.
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furrtarja nuk eshte me nje buburrec.
07:54
It's more of an extension of the wasp,
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Eshte me shume nje zgjatim i grerezez,
07:56
just like the cricket was an
extension of the Gordian worm.
extension of the Gordian worm.
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ashtu si bulkthi qe ishte
nje zgjatim i krimbit Gordian.
nje zgjatim i krimbit Gordian.
07:59
These hosts won't get to survive or reproduce.
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467719
2800
Keto mbartes nuk do te arrijne
te mbijetojne apo te riprodhohen.
te mbijetojne apo te riprodhohen.
08:02
They have as much control over their own fates
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Ata kane aq shume kontroll
ndaj fatit te tyre
ndaj fatit te tyre
08:04
as my car.
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sa ka makina ime.
08:06
Once the parasites get in,
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Mbasi paraziti futet brenda,
08:07
the hosts don't get a say.
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mbartesi nuk mund te vendose me.
08:10
Now humans, of course,
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Tani njerezit, sigurisht,
08:11
are no stranger to manipulation.
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nuk jane te panjohur ndaj manipulimit.
08:13
We take drugs to shift the chemistries of our brains
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Ne marrim droga per te ndryshuar
kimine e trurit tone
kimine e trurit tone
08:15
and to change our moods,
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dhe per te ndryshuar humorin tone
08:17
and what are arguments or advertising or big ideas
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4020
dhe c'jane debatet, reklamat
apo idete e medha
apo idete e medha
08:21
if not an attempt to influence someone else's mind?
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489024
3703
nese jo nje perpjekje per te influencuar
ne mendjen e dikujt tjeter?
ne mendjen e dikujt tjeter?
08:24
But our attempts at doing this
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492727
1527
Por perpjekjet tona per te bere kete
08:26
are crude and blundering compared
208
494254
1778
jane te paperpunuara
dhe me shume gabime krahasuar
dhe me shume gabime krahasuar
08:28
to the fine-grained specificity of the parasites.
209
496032
3095
me specifikimin me shume finese
te paraziteve.
te paraziteve.
08:31
Don Draper only wishes he was as elegant
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499127
2392
Sikur te ishte Don Draper i Mad Man
aq elegant dhe preciz
aq elegant dhe preciz
08:33
and precise as the emerald cockroach wasp.
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4960
sa grereza e smeraldt e buburrecit.
08:38
Now, I think this is part of what makes parasites
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506479
3740
Une mendoj se kjo eshte pjese e asaj
qe i ben parazitet
qe i ben parazitet
08:42
so sinister and so compelling.
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510219
2786
kaq te keqinj dhe kaq te parrezistueshem.
08:45
We place such a premium on our free will
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513005
2622
Ne i japim kaq shume rendesi
vullnetit tone te lire
vullnetit tone te lire
08:47
and our independence
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1261
dhe pavaresise sone
08:48
that the prospect of losing those qualities
216
516888
1581
saqe perspektiva e humbjes
se ketyre karakteristikave
se ketyre karakteristikave
08:50
to forces unseen
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518469
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ndaj forcave te padukshme
08:51
informs many of our deepest societal fears.
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519747
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na ve ne dukje friket tona
sociale me te medha.
sociale me te medha.
08:54
Orwellian dystopias and shadowy cabals
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522915
2453
Distopite ornuelliane dhe konspiruesit
08:57
and mind-controlling supervillains --
220
525368
1854
dhe kriminelet qe kontrollojne mendjet-
08:59
these are tropes that fill our darkest fiction,
221
527222
3028
keto jane kuptimet figurative
te sajimeve me te frikshme
te sajimeve me te frikshme
09:02
but in nature, they happen all the time.
222
530250
4798
por ne natyre, kjo ndodh
gjate gjithe kohes.
gjate gjithe kohes.
09:07
Which leads me to an obvious
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535048
2632
Kjo me con mua ne nje pyejte te dukshme
09:09
and disquieting question:
224
537680
2300
dhe ne nje pyetje shqetesuese:
09:11
Are there dark, sinister parasites
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539980
1723
A ka parazite te keqinj, shpirtezi
09:13
that are influencing our behavior
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1956
qe po ndikojne ne sjelljen tone
09:15
without us knowing about it,
227
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pa e ditur ne,
09:17
besides the NSA?
228
545234
2819
pervec NSA?
09:20
If there are any —
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548053
1307
Nese ka ndonje -
09:21
(Laughter) (Applause)
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(Te qeshura) (Duartrokitje)
09:25
I've got a red dot on my forehead now, don't I?
231
553326
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Kam nje pike te kuqe
ne balle tani, apo jo?
ne balle tani, apo jo?
09:27
(Laughter)
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2527
(Te qeshura)
09:30
If there are any, this is a good candidate for them.
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558175
2954
Nese ka ndonje, ja ku eshte nje kandidat
i mundshem per ta.
i mundshem per ta.
09:33
This is Toxoplasma gondii, or Toxo, for short,
234
561129
3278
Kjo eshte Toxoplasma gondii
ose shkurt, Tokso,
ose shkurt, Tokso,
09:36
because the terrifying creature
235
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1589
per shkak te natyres tmerruese
09:37
always deserves a cute nickname.
236
565996
2210
gjithmone ka nevoje
per nje nofke te lezetshme.
per nje nofke te lezetshme.
09:40
Toxo infects mammals,
237
568206
2282
Tokso infekton gjitaret,
09:42
a wide variety of mammals,
238
570488
1478
nje shumellojshmeri gjitaresh,
09:43
but it can only sexually reproduce in a cat.
239
571966
3081
por mund te riprodhohet seksualisht
vetem tek macet,
vetem tek macet,
09:47
And scientists like Joanne Webster have shown that
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575047
2761
Shkencetaret si Joanne Webster
kane treguar
kane treguar
09:49
if Toxo gets into a rat or a mouse,
241
577808
2193
qe nese Tokso futet tek nje mi,
09:52
it turns the rodent into a cat-seeking missile.
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580001
3472
ajo e kthen brejtesin ne nje rakete
ne kerkim te maces.
ne kerkim te maces.
09:55
If the infected rat smells the delightful odor
243
583473
3076
Nese miu i infektuar ndjen eren e kendshme
09:58
of cat piss,
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1224
te urines se maces
09:59
it runs towards the source of the smell
245
587773
2720
ai vrapon drejt burimit te eres
10:02
rather than the more sensible direction of away.
246
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3919
jo ne drejtimin e kundert sic duhet e beje.
10:06
The cat eats the rat. Toxo gets to have sex.
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2535
Macja e ha miun. Tokso mund te beje seks.
10:08
It's a classic tale of Eat, Prey, Love.
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596947
2872
Eshte nje histori klasike
e Ha, Gjuaj, Dashuro
e Ha, Gjuaj, Dashuro
10:11
(Laughter) (Applause)
249
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4668
(Te qeshura) (Duartrokitje)
10:19
You're very charitable, generous people.
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3202
Ju jeni shume bamires, njerez bujare.
10:22
Hi, Elizabeth, I loved your talk.
251
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Pershendetje Elizabete.
Me pelqeu fjalimi yt.
Me pelqeu fjalimi yt.
10:25
How does the parasite control its host
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3368
Si e kontrollon paraziti mbartesin e tij
10:28
in this way?
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616667
1204
ne kete menyre?
10:29
We don't really know.
254
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1326
Nuk e dime ne te vertete.
10:31
We know that Toxo releases an enzyme
255
619197
1688
Ne dime qe Tokso leshon nje enzime
10:32
that makes dopamine, a substance involved
256
620885
1992
qe prodhon dopaminen,
nje substance e cila perfshihet
nje substance e cila perfshihet
10:34
in reward and motivation.
257
622877
1813
ne shperblim dhe motivim.
10:36
We know it targets certain parts of a rodent's brain,
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2431
Ne e dime se targeton pjese te vecanta
te trurit te brejtesit
te trurit te brejtesit
10:39
including those involved in sexual arousal.
259
627121
2465
duke perfshire ato qe perfshihen
ne zgjimin seksual.
ne zgjimin seksual.
10:41
But how those puzzle pieces fit together
260
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2201
por sesi keto pjese te gjezes
bashkohen sebashku
bashkohen sebashku
10:43
is not immediately clear.
261
631787
1844
nuk eshte akoma e qarte.
10:45
What is clear is that this thing
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2296
Ajo qe eshte e qarte eshte se kjo gje
10:47
is a single cell.
263
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1392
eshte nje qelize e vetme.
10:49
This has no nervous system.
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1370
Nuk ka sistem nervor.
10:50
It has no consciousness.
265
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1132
Nuk ka ndergjegje.
10:51
It doesn't even have a body.
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1301
Nuk ka bile as trup.
10:53
But it's manipulating a mammal?
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2624
Por po manipulon nje gjitar?
10:55
We are mammals.
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1426
Ne jemi gjitare.
10:57
We are more intelligent than a mere rat, to be sure,
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2434
Ne jemi me inteligjente sesa nje mi,
me siguri,
me siguri,
10:59
but our brains have the same basic structure,
270
647606
2524
por truri jone ka strukturen bazike,
11:02
the same types of cells,
271
650130
1393
te njejtat qeliza te trurit,
11:03
the same chemicals running through them,
272
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1588
te njejtet lende kimike qe rrjedhin ne te,
11:05
and the same parasites.
273
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2319
dhe te njejtin parazite.
11:07
Estimates vary a lot, but some figures suggest
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2348
Vleresimet variojne shume,
por disa shifra tregojne
por disa shifra tregojne
11:09
that one in three people around the world
275
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2360
se nje ne tre njerez ne bote
11:12
have Toxo in their brains.
276
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1713
kane Tokso ne trurin e tyre
11:13
Now typically, this doesn't lead to any overt illness.
277
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3488
ne pergjithesi, kjo nuk con
ne asnje semundje.
ne asnje semundje.
11:17
The parasite holds up in a dormant state
278
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1878
paraziti qendron ne gjendje te fjetur
11:19
for a long period of time.
279
667217
2183
per nje periudhe te gjate kohe.
11:21
But there's some evidence that those people
280
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2039
Por ka disa evidenca se keta njerez
11:23
who are carriers score slightly differently
281
671439
3034
qe jane mbartes kane rezultate te ndryshme
11:26
on personality questionnaires than other people,
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674473
2729
ne pyetesoret e personalitetit
nga personat e tjere,
nga personat e tjere,
11:29
that they have a slightly
higher risk of car accidents,
higher risk of car accidents,
283
677202
2484
qe kane nje risk me te larte
per aksidente me makine,
per aksidente me makine,
11:31
and there's some evidence
that people with schizophrenia
that people with schizophrenia
284
679686
2603
dhe ka evidence se njerezit me skizofreni
11:34
are more likely to be infected.
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2546
ka shume te ngjare te jene te infektuar.
11:36
Now, I think this evidence is still inconclusive,
286
684835
2183
Tani, une mendoj se kjo evidence
eshte akoma te paperfunduar,
eshte akoma te paperfunduar,
11:39
and even among Toxo researchers,
287
687018
1911
edhe bile ndermjet kerkuesve te Toxo,
11:40
opinion is divided as to whether the parasite
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2440
opinionet jane te ndryshme nese paraziti
11:43
is truly influencing our behavior.
289
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2385
ndikon vertet ne sjelljen tone.
11:45
But given the widespread
nature of such manipulations,
nature of such manipulations,
290
693754
2659
Por duke pare perhapjen kaq te madhe
ne natyre te manipulimeve te tilla,
ne natyre te manipulimeve te tilla,
11:48
it would be completely implausible
291
696413
1845
do te ishte plotesisht e pabesueshme
11:50
for humans to be the only species
292
698258
1649
qe njerezit te jene qeniet e vetme
11:51
that weren't similarly affected.
293
699907
2946
qe te mos preken ne menyre te njejte.
11:54
And I think that this capacity to constantly
294
702853
4393
Une mendoj se ky kapacitet
qe ne menyre konstante
qe ne menyre konstante
11:59
subvert our way of thinking about the world
295
707246
2867
saboton menyren
sesi ne mendojme per boten
sesi ne mendojme per boten
12:02
makes parasites amazing.
296
710113
1547
i ben parazitet te habitshem.
12:03
They're constantly inviting us to
look at the natural world sideways,
look at the natural world sideways,
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3209
Ata ne menyre te vazhdueshme na ftojne
te shohim me dyshim boten natyrore
te shohim me dyshim boten natyrore
12:06
and to ask if the behaviors we're seeing,
298
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2171
dhe te pyesim nese sjelljet qe po verejme
12:09
whether they're simple and obvious
299
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1487
qofshin ato te thjeshta dhe te dukshme,
12:10
or baffling and puzzling,
300
718527
1533
ose te pakuptueshme dhe enigmatike,
12:12
are not the results of individuals
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2086
nuk jane rezultat i individeve
12:14
acting through their own accord
302
722146
1853
te cilet veprojne sipas arsyes se tyre
12:15
but because they are being bent
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723999
1809
por sepse ato kane rene
12:17
to the control of something else.
304
725808
2670
nen kontrollin e dickaje tjeter.
12:20
And while that idea may be disquieting,
305
728478
2040
Nderkohe qe kjo ide
mund te jete shqetesuese
mund te jete shqetesuese
12:22
and while parasites' habits may be very grisly,
306
730518
2923
dhe nderkohe qe sjelljet e paraziteve
mund te jene shume te frikshme
mund te jene shume te frikshme
12:25
I think that ability to surprise us
307
733441
1792
une mendoj se aftesia per te na habitur ne
12:27
makes them as wonderful and as charismatic
308
735233
3175
i ben ata me te mrekullueshem
dhe me karizmatike
dhe me karizmatike
12:30
as any panda or butterfly or dolphin.
309
738408
3364
se cdo pande apo flutur apo delfin.
12:33
At the end of "On the Origin of Species,"
310
741772
2219
Ne fund te " Mbi origjinen e specieve"
12:35
Charles Darwin writes about the grandeur of life,
311
743991
2989
Carls Darvini shkruan
mbi madheshtine e jetes
mbi madheshtine e jetes
12:38
and of endless forms most beautiful
312
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2653
dhe mbi format e pafundme me te bukura
12:41
and most wonderful,
313
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1432
dhe me te mrekullueshme
12:43
and I like to think he could easily have been talking
314
751065
2579
dhe mua me pelqen te mendoj
se ai mund te kete qene
se ai mund te kete qene
12:45
about a tapeworm that makes shrimp sociable
315
753644
3180
duke folur per shiritin qe i ben
karkalecat e shoqerueshem
karkalecat e shoqerueshem
12:48
or a wasp that takes cockroaches for walks.
316
756824
3249
ose nje grerez
qe e nxjerr buburrecin shetitje.
qe e nxjerr buburrecin shetitje.
12:52
But perhaps, that's just a parasite talking.
317
760073
3149
Por ndoshta, kjo eshte thjesht
nje e folur paraziti.
nje e folur paraziti.
12:55
Thank you.
318
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1731
Ju falemnderit.
12:56
(Applause)
319
764953
4000
(Duartrokitje)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ed Yong - Science writerEd Yong blogs with a mission: to ignite excitement for science in everyone, regardless of their education or background.
Why you should listen
Whether he's exploring a possible resurrection for extinct mouth-birthing amphibians or skewering media misunderstandings of hyped hormones like oxytocin, Ed Yong has a gift for illuminating the beauty (or controversy) in difficult and complex topics.
The award-winning blog Not Exactly Rocket Science (hosted by National Geographic) is the epicenter of Yong’s formidable web and social media presence. In its posts, he tackles the hottest and most bizarre topics in science journalism. As he says, “The only one that matters to me, as far as my blog is concerned, is that something interests me. That is, excites or inspires or amuses me.” When not blogging, he also finds time to contribute to Nature, Wired, Scientific American and many other web and print outlets.
He is also the author of the book I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life.
Ed Yong | Speaker | TED.com