ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ani Liu - Designer, artist
Ani Liu explores the intersection between technology and sensory perception.

Why you should listen

Ani Liu is a transdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of art and science. Currently at MIT Media Lab, she creates research-based art that explores the social, cultural and ethical implications of emerging technologies. In the search to link scientific innovation with emotional tangibility, her work has spanned the scales of architectural installations, wearable prosthetics, augmented reality and synthetic biology.

Liu's work has been presented at the Boston Museum of Fine ArtsAsian Art MuseumMIT Museum, MIT Media Lab, Wiesner Gallery, Harvard University, Open Gallery, Powerhouse Alliance Conference, Buildings as Cities Inaugural Conference and TEDxBeaconStreet. Her work has been featured in several publications, including See Yourself X: Human Futures Expanded and Solid: Design Techniques.

In 2014-15, she led the research program in Sensory Mediation at the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities, which explores how information visualization, augmented reality and other emerging technologies can be harnessed to extend the human sensorium to redefine spatial experience.

She taught as an Associate Instructor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she co-taught an advanced-level architectural studio called Architecture of Cultural Prosthetics: Tools for Communication and Expression in the Public Space with Krzysztof Wodiczko.

Liu has a BA from Dartmouth College and received a Masters of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, earning a distinction for her thesis in wearable technologies, responsive environments and cultural prosthetics. She continually seeks to discover the unexpected, through playful experimentation, intuition and speculative storytelling.


More profile about the speaker
Ani Liu | Speaker | TED.com
TEDxBeaconStreet

Ani Liu: Smelfies, and other experiments in synthetic biology

安妮·刘: 气味自拍和其他人工生物学实验

Filmed:
938,374 views

如果你能够拍一个气味自拍?如果你能够有一个让植物在你亲吻的地方生长的唇膏?安妮·刘探索了科技和感知的交汇点。她的作品可以挤在科学、设计和艺术之间。在这个简短聪明的演讲中,她分享梦想、虚构和实验,并问:“当科学幻想变成科学现实会怎么样?”
- Designer, artist
Ani Liu explores the intersection between technology and sensory perception. Full bio

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

00:12
What if our plants植物
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如果我们的植物
00:14
could sense the toxicity毒性
levels水平 in the soil
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能够感觉到土壤中的毒性强弱,
00:17
and express表现 that toxicity毒性
through通过 the color颜色 of its leaves树叶?
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并通过叶子的颜色来表示毒性强弱。
00:21
What if those plants植物 could also
remove去掉 those toxins毒素 from the soil?
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如果这些植物还能够把毒素从土壤中移除?
00:26
Instead代替, what if those plants植物
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或者,如果那些植物
00:28
grew成长 their own拥有 packaging打包,
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生长自己的包装,
00:30
or were designed设计 to only be harvested收获
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或者只能被所有者的专利机器收割。
00:33
by their owners'拥有者' own拥有 patented专利 machines?
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00:35
What happens发生 when biological生物 design设计
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当生物设计是被大批量产品所驱使
00:37
is driven驱动 by the motivations动机
of mass-produced大规模生产的 commodities商品?
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事情会是怎样?
00:40
What kind of world世界 would that be?
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那样的世界会是怎么样?
00:43
My name名称 is Ani阿尼, and I'm a designer设计师
and researcher研究员 at MITMIT Media媒体 Lab实验室,
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我的名字是安妮,我是MIT媒体实验室
的一个设计师和研究人员,
00:47
where I'm part部分 of a relatively相对 new
and unique独特 group called Design设计 Fiction小说,
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我是新成立的组织“虚构设计”的一员,
00:51
where we're wedged楔形 somewhere某处
between之间 science科学 fiction小说 and science科学 fact事实.
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我们挤在科幻和科学之间。
00:55
And at MITMIT, I am lucky幸运 enough足够
to rub shoulders肩膀 with scientists科学家们
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在MIT,我很幸运能够和在最先进领域
00:59
studying研究 all kinds of cutting切割 edge边缘 fields领域
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像人工神经学、人工智能、人工生活
01:01
like synthetic合成的 neurobiology神经生物学,
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01:04
artificial人造 intelligence情报, artificial人造 life
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等等等等领域研究的科学家比肩。
01:06
and everything in between之间.
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01:07
And across横过 campus校园,
there's truly brilliant辉煌 scientists科学家们
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校园里,有很多聪明的科学家
01:11
asking questions问题 like,
"How can I make the world世界 a better place地点?"
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问像“我们如何让世界变的更好?”这样的问题。
01:15
And part部分 of what my group
likes喜欢 to ask is, "What is better?"
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我的团队喜欢问的,是“什么是更好?”
01:18
What is better for you, for me,
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“更好”对于你,对于我,
01:20
for a white白色 woman女人, a gay同性恋者 man,
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对于一个白人女士,一个同性恋男人,
01:22
a veteran老将, a child儿童 with a prosthetic假肢?
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一个退役军人,一个有假体的孩子是什么?
01:25
Technology技术 is never neutral中性.
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科技永远都不是中性的。
01:27
It frames a reality现实
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它搭建现实的框架,
01:28
and reflects反映 a context上下文.
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反射社会背景。
01:30
Can you imagine想像 what it would say
about the work-life工作生活 balance平衡 at your office办公室
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你能够想象如果这是
你工作第一天的常见问题,
01:34
if these were standard标准 issue问题
on the first day?
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你在办公室的生活和工作的平衡会是怎样的吗?
01:36
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
01:37
I believe it's the role角色
of artists艺术家 and designers设计师
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我相信是艺术家和设计师的责任,
01:40
to raise提高 critical危急 questions问题.
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来提出批判性问题。
01:42
Art艺术 is how you can see
and feel the future未来,
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艺术是你能够看见和感受未来的方式,
01:44
and today今天 is an exciting扣人心弦
time to be a designer设计师,
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现在成为一个设计师是很激动人心的,
01:47
for all the new tools工具 becoming变得 accessible无障碍.
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因为新的工具变的容易获取。
01:49
For instance, synthetic合成的 biology生物学
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比如,人工生物学
01:51
seeks寻求 to write biology生物学
as a design设计 problem问题.
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把生物学变成一个设计学。
01:54
And through通过 these developments发展,
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通过这些发展,
01:55
my lab实验室 asks, what are the roles角色
and responsibilities责任
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我的实验室问:作为一个艺术家、
设计师、科学家或者商人
01:58
of an artist艺术家, designer设计师,
scientist科学家 or businessman商人?
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的角色和责任?
02:02
What are the implications启示
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人工生物学、基因工程的含义是什么?
02:04
of synthetic合成的 biology生物学, genetic遗传 engineering工程,
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02:07
and how are they shaping成型 our notions概念
of what it means手段 to be a human人的?
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以及它们是如何改变
我们作为人类的概念?
02:11
What are the implications启示 of this
on society社会, on evolution演化
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这对我们的社会、
进化论的影响是什么?
02:15
and what are the stakes赌注 in this game游戏?
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这其中有哪些利害关系
02:17
My own拥有 speculative投机 design设计 research研究
at the current当前 moment时刻
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我的现在的臆想设计实验
02:21
plays播放 with synthetic合成的 biology生物学,
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和人工生物学有关,
02:22
but for more emotionally感情上 driven驱动 output产量.
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但是更和情感的表达有关。
02:25
I'm obsessed痴迷 with olfaction嗅觉
as a design设计 space空间,
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我痴迷于对气味的设计,
02:28
and this project项目 started开始 with this idea理念
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这个项目开始于一个主意:
02:31
of what if you could take
a smell selfie自拍, a smelfiesmelfie?
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如果你能够有一个气味自拍?
02:34
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
02:36
What if you could take
your own拥有 natural自然 body身体 odor气味
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如果你能够提取你的自然体味
02:39
and send发送 it to a lover情人?
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并发给一个爱人?
02:41
Funny滑稽 enough足够, I found发现 that this
was a 19th century世纪 Austrian tradition传统,
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很好笑的是,我发现在19世纪
这是一个澳大利亚的传统,
02:45
where couples情侣 in courtship求爱
would keep a slice of apple苹果
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情侣在求爱期会在跳舞时
02:47
crammed临时抱佛脚 under their armpit腋窝 during dances舞蹈,
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把一片苹果放在他们的腋下,
02:50
and at the end结束 of the evening晚间,
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在晚上快结束时,
02:51
the girl女孩 would give the guy
she most fancied空想的 her used fruit水果,
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女孩会把用过的水果送给她最喜欢的男孩
02:55
and if the feeling感觉 was mutual相互,
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如果感情是相互的,
02:57
he would wolf down that stinky apple苹果.
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他会吃掉那个有气味的苹果。
02:59
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:03
Famously有名, Napoleon拿破仑 wrote
many许多 love letters to Josephine约瑟芬,
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拿破仑给约瑟芬写了一份情书,
03:07
but perhaps也许 amongst其中包括 the most memorable难忘
is this brief简要 and urgent紧急 note注意:
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但是可能情书中最值得记住的
是这个简短迫切的话:
03:11
"Home in three days. Don't bathe洗澡."
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“三天内到家。不要洗澡。”
03:13
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
03:15
Both Napoleon拿破仑 and Josephine约瑟芬
adored崇拜 violets紫罗兰.
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拿破仑和约瑟芬都喜欢紫罗兰。
03:19
Josephine约瑟芬 wore穿着 violet-scented紫罗兰香味 perfume香水,
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约瑟芬用紫罗兰味道的香水,
03:21
carried携带的 violets紫罗兰 on their wedding婚礼 day,
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在婚礼当天戴紫罗兰花,
03:23
and Napoleon拿破仑 sent发送 her a bouquet花束 of violets紫罗兰
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拿破仑每年在纪念日
03:25
every一切 year on their anniversary周年.
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都会送她一束紫罗兰。
03:26
When Josephine约瑟芬 passed通过 away,
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当约瑟芬去世的时候,
03:28
he planted种植的 violets紫罗兰 at her grave,
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他在她的坟墓上种了紫罗兰,
03:30
and just before his exile流亡,
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在他被驱逐前,
他回到她的坟墓,
03:31
he went back to that tomb site现场,
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03:34
picked采摘的 some of those flowers花卉,
entombed埋葬 them in a locket小盒
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捡起一些花朵,放在项链坠内
03:36
and wore穿着 them until直到 the day he died死亡.
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并戴到他去世的那一天。
03:38
And I found发现 this so moving移动,
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我觉得这非常感人,
03:40
I thought, could I engineer工程师 that violet紫色
to smell just like Josephine约瑟芬?
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我想,我能够改变那朵紫罗兰,
让它闻起来像约瑟芬吗?
03:44
What if, for the rest休息 of eternity永恒,
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如果,在未来,
03:45
when you went to visit访问 her site现场,
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你去拜访她的坟墓,
03:47
you could smell Josephine约瑟芬
just as Napoleon拿破仑 loved喜爱 her?
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你能够闻到约瑟芬,
就像拿破仑那样爱她吗?
03:50
Could we engineer工程师 new ways方法 of mourning,
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我们能够创造吊唁的新方式,
03:53
new rituals仪式 for remembering记忆?
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新的记忆的仪式吗?
03:55
After all, we've我们已经 engineered工程
transgenic转基因 crops作物
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毕竟我们已经创造了转基因庄稼,
03:57
to be maximized最大化 for profit利润,
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来最大化收益,
04:00
crops作物 that stand up to transport运输,
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能够承受住运输的庄稼,
04:02
crops作物 that have a long shelf life,
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有长保质期的庄稼,
04:04
crops作物 that taste味道 sugary含糖 sweet
but resist pests害虫,
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吃起来很甜但是抵抗害虫的庄稼,
04:06
sometimes有时 at the expense费用
of nutritional营养 value.
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有的时候以营养价值为代价。
04:10
Can we harness马具 these same相同 technologies技术
for an emotionally感情上 sensitive敏感 output产量?
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我们能够有同样的科技,
为了情感的表达吗?
04:14
So currently目前 in my lab实验室,
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所以现在在我的实验室里,
04:16
I'm researching研究 questions问题 like,
what makes品牌 a human人的 smell like a human人的?
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我在研究像 “什么让人类
闻起来像人类?”这样的问题。
04:19
And it turns out it's fairly相当 complicated复杂.
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结果,这挺复杂的。
04:21
Factors因素 such这样 as your diet饮食,
your medications药物治疗, your lifestyle生活方式
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你的饮食,你的药物和
你的生活方式等等因素
04:25
all factor因子 into the way you smell.
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都影响你的气味。
04:27
And I found发现 that our sweat
is mostly大多 odorless无臭的,
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我发现我们的汗绝大多数是无味的,
04:29
but it's our bacteria and microbiome微生物
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但是是我们的细菌和微生物
04:31
that's responsible主管 for your smells气味,
your mood心情, your identity身分
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产生了我们的气味、我们的心情、
04:35
and so much beyond.
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我们的身份等等。
04:37
And there's all kinds
of molecules分子 that you emit发射
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你释放出非常多种分子
04:39
but which哪一个 we only perceive感知 subconsciously下意识.
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被我们无意间接收。
04:43
So I've been cataloging编目 and collecting搜集
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所以我一直在分类和收集
04:45
bacteria from different不同 sites网站 of my body身体.
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我身体不同部分的细菌。
04:47
After talking to a scientist科学家, we thought,
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在与一个科学家的谈话后,我们想,
04:49
maybe the perfect完善 concoction药汁 of Ani阿尼
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安妮最好的混合体可能是
04:51
is like 10 percent百分 collarbone锁骨,
30 percent百分 underarm腋下,
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10%的锁骨,30%的腋下,
04:55
40 percent百分 bikini比基尼泳装 line线 and so forth向前,
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40%比基尼线等等,
04:57
and occasionally偶尔
I let researchers研究人员 from other labs实验室
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偶尔,我让其他实验室的研究人员
05:00
take a sniff吸气 of my samples样本.
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闻闻我的样本。
05:02
And it's been interesting有趣 to hear
how smell of the body身体
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身体的气味是如何在身体外被接收的
05:05
is perceived感知 outside
of the context上下文 of the body身体.
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一直让我觉得有兴趣。
05:08
I've gotten得到 feedback反馈 such这样 as,
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我听过反馈,
05:10
smells气味 like flowers花卉, like chicken,
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像闻起来像花朵,像鸡,
05:12
like cornflakes玉米片,
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像脆玉米片,
05:13
like beef牛肉 carnitas猪肉丝.
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像墨西哥玉米牛肉卷。
05:15
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
05:17
At the same相同 time, I cultivate培育
a set of carnivorous肉食 plants植物
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同时,我种植了一系列食肉植物,
05:20
for their ability能力 to emit发射
fleshlikefleshlike odors气味 to attract吸引 prey猎物,
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因为他们能够释放
像动物一样的气味来吸引猎物,
05:24
in an attempt尝试 to kind of create创建
this symbiotic共生 relationship关系
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创造这种共生的关系,
05:27
between之间 my bacteria and this organism生物.
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在我的细菌和这个生物之间。
05:31
And as it so happens发生,
I'm at MITMIT and I'm in a bar酒吧,
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当这发生的时候,
我在MIT,我在一个酒吧里,
05:34
and I was talking to a scientist科学家
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我在和一个科学家说话,
05:36
who happens发生 to be a chemist化学家
and a plant scientist科学家,
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他正好是一个化学家和植物学家,
05:38
and I was telling告诉 him about my project项目,
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我在跟他说关于我的项目,
05:40
and he was like, "Well, this sounds声音
like botany植物学 for lonely孤独 women妇女."
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他回答:“好吧,这听起来
像是一个孤独的女人的园艺。”
05:44
(Laughter笑声)
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(笑声)
05:47
Unperturbed镇定自若, I said, "OK."
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镇定地,我说:“好吧。”
05:49
I challenged挑战 him.
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我挑战了他,
05:51
"Can we engineer工程师 a plant
that can love me back?"
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“我们能改造一个植物,
让它回应我的爱吗?”
05:54
And for some reason原因,
he was like, "Sure, why not?"
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他回答:“当然,为什么不呢?”
05:58
So we started开始 with,
can we get a plant to grow增长 towards me
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所以我们以“能否让一个植物朝我生长”开始,
06:00
like I was the sun太阳?
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就好像我是太阳一样。
06:02
And so we're looking at mechanisms机制
in plants植物 such这样 as phototropism向光性,
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所以我们查找植物的机制,比如趋光性,
06:06
which哪一个 causes原因 the plant
to grow增长 towards the sun太阳
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它让植物向太阳生长,
06:08
by producing生产 hormones激素 like auxin生长素,
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通过分泌像生长素一样的荷尔蒙,
06:10
which哪一个 causes原因 cell细胞 elongation伸长
on the shady阴凉 side.
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这能够引起在阴暗处的细胞生长。
06:13
And right now I'm creating创建
a set of lipsticks口红
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现在,我在创造一套唇膏,
06:15
that are infused输注 with these chemicals化学制品
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能够和这些化学成分融合,
06:17
that allow允许 me to interact相互作用 with a plant
on its own拥有 chemical化学 signatures签名 --
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使我和一株有自己独特
化学标志——唇膏的植物互动,
06:20
lipsticks口红 that cause原因 plants植物
to grow增长 where I kiss it,
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能够使我亲吻的那部分植物生长,
06:24
plants植物 that blossom开花
where I kiss the bloom盛开.
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在我亲吻处开花。
06:27
And through通过 these projects项目,
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通过这些项目,
06:29
I'm asking questions问题 like,
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我问问题,像
06:31
how do we define确定 nature性质?
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“我们如何定义自然?”
06:33
How do we define确定 nature性质
when we can reengineer重新设计 its properties性能,
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我们如何定义自然,
当我们可以重建它的特点?
06:36
and when should we do it?
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什么时候我们应该付诸行动?
06:38
Should we do it for profit利润, for utility效用?
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我们应该以盈利还是效用为目的?
06:41
Can we do it for emotional情绪化 ends结束?
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我们能够为感情需求做什么吗?
06:43
Can biotechnology生物技术 be used
to create创建 work as moving移动 as music音乐?
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生物科技能否被用来
创造动作或者音乐作品?
06:47
What are the thresholds阈值 between之间 science科学
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科学和改变我们情绪的门槛在哪里?
06:49
and its ability能力 to shape形状
our emotional情绪化 landscape景观?
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06:52
It's a famous著名 design设计 mantra口头禅
that form形成 follows如下 function功能.
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形态和功能是设计最出名的颂歌。
06:56
Well, now, wedged楔形 somewhere某处
between之间 science科学, design设计 and art艺术
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挤在科学、设计和艺术之间,
07:00
I get to ask,
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我不得不问,
07:01
what if fiction小说 informs运筹学 fact事实?
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如果虚幻启发现实,会怎样?
07:03
What kind of R&amp功放;D lab实验室 would that look like
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那样的研究与开发实验室会是什么样子?
07:05
and what kind of questions问题
would we ask together一起?
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我们应该一起问怎样的问题?
07:07
We often经常 look to technology技术 as the answer回答,
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我们通常认为科技是答案,
07:10
but as an artist艺术家 and designer设计师,
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但是作为一个艺术家和设计师,
07:11
I like to ask, but what is the question?
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我喜欢问问题,但是问题是什么?
07:14
Thank you.
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谢谢。
07:15
(Applause掌声)
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(鼓掌)
Translated by Conway Ye
Reviewed by Yufei Zheng

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ani Liu - Designer, artist
Ani Liu explores the intersection between technology and sensory perception.

Why you should listen

Ani Liu is a transdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of art and science. Currently at MIT Media Lab, she creates research-based art that explores the social, cultural and ethical implications of emerging technologies. In the search to link scientific innovation with emotional tangibility, her work has spanned the scales of architectural installations, wearable prosthetics, augmented reality and synthetic biology.

Liu's work has been presented at the Boston Museum of Fine ArtsAsian Art MuseumMIT Museum, MIT Media Lab, Wiesner Gallery, Harvard University, Open Gallery, Powerhouse Alliance Conference, Buildings as Cities Inaugural Conference and TEDxBeaconStreet. Her work has been featured in several publications, including See Yourself X: Human Futures Expanded and Solid: Design Techniques.

In 2014-15, she led the research program in Sensory Mediation at the Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities, which explores how information visualization, augmented reality and other emerging technologies can be harnessed to extend the human sensorium to redefine spatial experience.

She taught as an Associate Instructor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she co-taught an advanced-level architectural studio called Architecture of Cultural Prosthetics: Tools for Communication and Expression in the Public Space with Krzysztof Wodiczko.

Liu has a BA from Dartmouth College and received a Masters of Architecture degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, earning a distinction for her thesis in wearable technologies, responsive environments and cultural prosthetics. She continually seeks to discover the unexpected, through playful experimentation, intuition and speculative storytelling.


More profile about the speaker
Ani Liu | Speaker | TED.com