Tara Djokic: This ancient rock is changing our theory on the origin of life
塔拉·德约基奇: 这块古老的岩石正在改变生命起源理论
Tara Djokic discovered direct evidence that indicates some of Earth's oldest life once thrived in hot springs on land. Full bio
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for less than 100 years.
the history of our planet
与我们的生活完全无关。
so inconsequential to everyday life?
in our solar system
让人类存活的环境。
life support for human beings.
for having plate tectonics,
它有板块构造、
have recorded the pivotal moments
to observe those ancient rocks
最早期生命的证据。
evidence for life on the planet.
as layered rock structures,
is almost all we see in the fossil record
这种简单的生命形式。
of life on Earth.
back in the fossil record
a strong foothold
have been either destroyed
要么随板块运动过度变形。
through plate tectonics.
piece of the puzzle
待解决的难题就是,
什么时间开始的。
life on Earth began.
volcanic landscape in the Pilbara.
would provide another clue
的研究会给生命起源之谜
快要结束时,
long week mapping project,
rather special.
a bunch of wrinkly old rocks
小小的罕见的岩石,
was a small, peculiar rock
this rock under a microscope,
在显微镜下观察它,
马尔科姆·沃尔特,
at the time, Malcolm Walter,
of hot spring pools.
the significance of geyserite,
a couple of centuries.
to his friend Joseph Hooker,
in some warm little pond
温暖的小池塘里诞生呢——
more complex changes?"
We call them "hot springs."
的小池塘指的是“温泉”。
from the underlying rocks.
可以产生简单的细胞结构,
can manufacture simple cellular structures
迈向生命起源的第一步。
之后的一百年,
深海热液喷口,即热泉。
were discovered in the ocean.
the Tonga volcanic arc,
in the Pacific Ocean.
out of these chimneylike structures
飘出的“黑烟”,
of these deep-sea vents,
has been in the ocean.
in the ancient rock record,
整体被海洋覆盖,
had a global ocean
were abundant on the very early Earth
provides and supports
able to show that, in fact,
不仅皮尔巴拉有 35 亿年历史
not only did hot springs exist
volcano in the Pilbara,
living on land in hot springs
是合理的生命起源地。
is a reasonable origin-of-life candidate.
how life began on Earth,
的方式仍有待探讨,
生命已经蓬勃发展起来;
the age of the human,
to question its own existence
waiting to connect with us,
comes from the ancient rock record.
再次出现在古岩石记录中。
细菌已经开始产生氧气,
had begun to produce oxygen,
the period that followed
called banded iron formations,
带状铁形成区的岩石里得出的,
hundreds-of-meter-thick packages of rock
the Karijini National Park
two major changes to occur on our planet.
发生了两个重大变化。
to get big and complex.
which protects modern life
它保护现代生命
of the sun's UVB radiation.
made way for complex life,
艰难进化成复杂生命,
its three-billion-year reign
fossilized complex life
复杂生命挖出来,
of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,
大量二氧化碳到大气,
发生了重大变化。
substantial changes to our planet.
are encompassed by global warming.
could see the demise of humanity.
会指向人类的终结。
we aren't connecting with life elsewhere,
four or so billion years
的最后一瞬间存在过。
the very last speck of time.
as a guide or a forecast --
提供指引或预测——
银河系的地球如此孤单。
so lonely in this part of the galaxy.
want to leave behind
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tara Djokic - AstrobiologistTara Djokic discovered direct evidence that indicates some of Earth's oldest life once thrived in hot springs on land.
Why you should listen
Tara Djokic observes the world through the lens of geology and astrobiology. During her studies as a geology graduate student, she discovered direct evidence that indicates some of Earth's oldest life once thrived in hot springs on land -- pushing back the record of land-based hot springs on Earth by approximately three billion years and supporting Darwin's theory that life may have started in some "warm little pond." Djokic's discoveries have also been used to help guide the search for life elsewhere in our solar system. She was involved in the third and fourth "Site Selection Workshops" for the NASA Mars2020 Rover, which is due to launch in July-August, 2020.
Djokic's scientific passions are equal to her passion for sharing knowledge. During her graduate studies, she designed and developed an immersive virtual field trip (VFT) that has been used to teach astrobiology at UNSW Sydney since 2016. Her geological research also led to her involvement in the IMAX documentary The Story of Earth, which (as its title suggests) illustrates Earth's approximately 4.6-billion-year history. She is a seeker of knowledge and believes all people should be encouraged to be curious about our world.
Tara Djokic | Speaker | TED.com