TED@BCG Milan
Karen Lloyd: This deep-sea mystery is changing our understanding of life
凯伦·劳埃德: 神秘的深海微生物正在改变我们对生命的认知
Filmed:
Readability: 3.9
2,218,620 views
我们还能进入地球多深，并且还会发现生命呢？海洋微生物学家凯伦·劳埃德带领我们认识深海地层下的微生物们：在海洋底层泥下几米至几千米的小小有机体，已在地球上有动物前就存在了。它们拒绝在实验室里繁殖，它们与时间和能量间有着与人类本质上不同的关系，来了解更多这些神奇的微生物吧。
Karen Lloyd - Marine microbiologist
Karen Lloyd studies novel groups of microbes in Earth's deep surface biosphere, collecting them from disparate remote places such as Arctic fjords, volcanoes in Costa Rica, even deep in mud in the Marianas Trench Full bio
Karen Lloyd studies novel groups of microbes in Earth's deep surface biosphere, collecting them from disparate remote places such as Arctic fjords, volcanoes in Costa Rica, even deep in mud in the Marianas Trench Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
I'm an ocean microbiologist
at the University of Tennessee,
at the University of Tennessee,
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我是田纳西大学的
一位海洋微生物科学家，
一位海洋微生物科学家，
我想告诉大家，有一些微生物
00:16
and I want to tell you guys
about some microbes
about some microbes
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00:19
that are so strange and wonderful
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非常的奇特与美妙，
它们挑战着
我们对地球上生命的认知。
我们对地球上生命的认知。
00:22
that they're challenging our assumptions
about what life is like on Earth.
about what life is like on Earth.
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我想问大家一个问题。
00:26
So I have a question.
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00:27
Please raise your hand
if you've ever thought it would be cool
if you've ever thought it would be cool
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如果你曾经觉得坐潜水艇去海底
很酷的话，请举起你的手。
00:30
to go to the bottom
of the ocean in a submarine?
of the ocean in a submarine?
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00:34
Yes.
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很好。
大部分人都举了手，
因为海洋真的很酷！
因为海洋真的很酷！
00:35
Most of you, because
the oceans are so cool.
the oceans are so cool.
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00:37
Alright, now -- please raise your hand
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好的，那如果
00:40
if the reason you raised your hand
to go to the bottom of the ocean
to go to the bottom of the ocean
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你想去海底的原因是
这会让你更加接近
这会让你更加接近
海底令人激动人心的泥，
00:44
is because it would get you
a little bit closer
a little bit closer
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请举起你的手。
00:46
to that exciting mud that's down there.
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(笑声)
00:49
(Laughter)
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00:50
Nobody.
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没人啊！
00:51
I'm the only one in this room.
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我是这个屋子里的唯一一个。
00:53
Well, I think about this all the time.
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好的，我总是在想，
我每天醒来后的大部分时间
00:55
I spend most of my waking hours
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00:57
trying to determine
how deep we can go into the Earth
how deep we can go into the Earth
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都花在决定我们可以
探入地球多深这件事上，
探入地球多深这件事上，
并且还会发现有一些活着的生命，
01:01
and still find something,
anything, that's alive,
anything, that's alive,
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因为我们还是不知道
关于地球上的生命这个
关于地球上的生命这个
01:05
because we still don't know
the answer to this very basic question
the answer to this very basic question
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最基本问题的答案。
01:08
about life on Earth.
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在上世纪80年代，一位叫做
约翰·派克斯的英国科学家，
约翰·派克斯的英国科学家，
01:09
So in the 1980s, a scientist
named John Parkes, in the UK,
named John Parkes, in the UK,
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也同样沉迷于这个问题，
01:13
was similarly obsessed,
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他想出了一个疯狂的点子。
01:15
and he came up with a crazy idea.
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01:17
He believed that there was a vast,
deep, and living microbial biosphere
deep, and living microbial biosphere
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他相信在全世界的海洋底部
都有一个巨大，深邃，生机勃勃的
都有一个巨大，深邃，生机勃勃的
微生物圈，
01:23
underneath all the world's oceans
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深入海床达几百米，
01:25
that extends hundreds of meters
into the seafloor,
into the seafloor,
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听起来很酷，
01:27
which is cool,
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可是唯一的问题是，没人相信他，
01:28
but the only problem
is that nobody believed him,
is that nobody believed him,
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而其背后的原因是
01:32
and the reason that nobody believed him
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01:34
is that ocean sediments
may be the most boring place on Earth.
may be the most boring place on Earth.
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海洋的沉积处可能是
地球上最枯燥乏味的地方了。
地球上最枯燥乏味的地方了。
01:39
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
那里没有阳光，没有氧气，
01:40
There's no sunlight, there's no oxygen,
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可能最坏的情况是，
01:43
and perhaps worst of all,
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那里没有新鲜的食物供给
已经持续长达几百万年。
已经持续长达几百万年。
01:44
there's no fresh food deliveries
for literally millions of years.
for literally millions of years.
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你不需要一个生物学博士学位
01:49
You don't have to have a PhD in biology
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就会知道那里不是一个
寻找生命的好地方。
寻找生命的好地方。
01:50
to know that that is a bad place
to go looking for life.
to go looking for life.
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（笑声）
01:53
(Laughter)
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但是在2002年，
约翰说服了足够多的人
约翰说服了足够多的人
01:54
But in 2002, [Steven D'Hondt] had
convinced enough people
convinced enough people
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相信他会有新发现，
于是他得到了一个在一艘叫做
于是他得到了一个在一艘叫做
01:57
that he was on to something
that he actually got an expedition
that he actually got an expedition
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02:01
on this drillship,
called the JOIDES Resolution.
called the JOIDES Resolution.
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乔伊斯决心号的
钻探船上考察的机会。
钻探船上考察的机会。
他和来自丹麦的波巴克·约金森
一同进行了那次考察。
一同进行了那次考察。
02:05
And he ran it along with
Bo Barker Jørgensen of Denmark.
Bo Barker Jørgensen of Denmark.
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他们终于可以拿到
02:08
And so they were finally able to get
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真正的深海下表层的样本，
02:09
good pristine deep subsurface samples
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没有接触到任何
表层微生物的污染。
表层微生物的污染。
02:13
some really without contamination
from surface microbes.
from surface microbes.
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这艘钻探船可以钻进海底几千米，
02:16
This drill ship is capable of drilling
thousands of meters underneath the ocean,
thousands of meters underneath the ocean,
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02:21
and the mud comes up in sequential cores,
one after the other --
one after the other --
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泥被储存在一个接一个的
管子里按顺序被打上来，
管子里按顺序被打上来，
就像这样长长的管子。
02:24
long, long cores that look like this.
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然后由像我这样
在船上的科学家拿着，
在船上的科学家拿着，
02:27
This is being carried by scientists
such as myself who go on these ships,
such as myself who go on these ships,
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在船上处理重要的部分，
然后把它们送回
然后把它们送回
02:31
and we process the cores on the ships
and then we send them home
and then we send them home
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实验室，再进行更深入的研究。
02:34
to our home laboratories
for further study.
for further study.
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当约翰和他的同事们
02:36
So when John and his colleagues
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02:38
got these first precious
deep-sea pristine samples,
deep-sea pristine samples,
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初次拿到了这些宝贵，
新鲜干净的深海样本时，
新鲜干净的深海样本时，
他们把样本放在了显微镜下，
02:41
they put them under the microscope,
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并看到了像这样的图片，
02:43
and they saw images
that looked pretty much like this,
that looked pretty much like this,
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这其实是最近一次考察拿来的样本，
02:47
which is actually taken
from a more recent expedition
from a more recent expedition
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数据来自我的博士学生，
Joy Buongiorno。
Joy Buongiorno。
02:50
by my PhD student, Joy Buongiorno.
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你们可以看到背景有些雾蒙蒙的东西。
02:52
You can see the hazy stuff
in the background.
in the background.
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02:54
That's mud. That's deep-sea ocean mud,
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那是泥，深海泥，
亮亮的绿点，被绿色荧光染色的
02:57
and the bright green dots
stained with the green fluorescent dye
stained with the green fluorescent dye
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是真的，活着的微生物。
03:01
are real, living microbes.
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03:05
Now I've got to tell you
something really tragic about microbes.
something really tragic about microbes.
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现在我需要告诉你们
微生物真正悲剧的地方。
微生物真正悲剧的地方。
它们在显微镜下看起来都一样。
03:08
They all look the same under a microscope,
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我是说，初次预测的时候。
03:10
I mean, to a first approximation.
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你可以拿着世界上
最迷人的有机组织，
最迷人的有机组织，
03:11
You can take the most fascinating
organisms in the world,
organisms in the world,
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比如说一个可以呼吸铀的微生物，
03:15
like a microbe that literally
breathes uranium,
breathes uranium,
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和一个可以产生火箭燃料的微生物，
03:19
and another one that makes rocket fuel,
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把它们和一些深海泥混在一起，
03:21
mix them up with some ocean mud,
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然后把它们放在显微镜下观察。
03:23
put them underneath a microscope,
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它们只会是一个个小点点，
03:25
and they're just little dots.
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03:27
It's really annoying.
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很让人抓狂。
所以我们不能通过
它们的样子来辨别它们。
它们的样子来辨别它们。
03:28
So we can't use their looks
to tell them apart.
to tell them apart.
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我们需要用DNA, 像指纹一样
03:31
We have to use DNA, like a fingerprint,
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03:33
to say who is who.
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来分清谁是谁。
03:35
And I'll teach you guys
how to do it right now.
how to do it right now.
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我现在来教你们怎么做。
我编了一些数据，
我要给大家展示这些模拟数据。
我要给大家展示这些模拟数据。
03:37
So I made up some data, and I'm going
to show you some data that are not real.
to show you some data that are not real.
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只是为了展示如果
一群物种彼此之间毫无联系，
一群物种彼此之间毫无联系，
03:41
This is to illustrate
what it would look like
what it would look like
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03:43
if a bunch of species
were not related to each other at all.
were not related to each other at all.
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数据看起来应该是什么样子。
03:47
So you can see each species
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你可以看到每个物种
03:50
has a list of combinations
of A, G, C and T,
of A, G, C and T,
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有一系列由A, G, C, T组成的组合，
这些是DNA的四个碱基对，
03:55
which are the four sub-units of DNA,
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几乎是随机地乱成一团，
彼此看起来毫无相似之处，
彼此看起来毫无相似之处，
03:56
sort of randomly jumbled,
and nothing looks like anything else,
and nothing looks like anything else,
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04:00
and these species
are totally unrelated to each other.
are totally unrelated to each other.
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这些物种彼此之间毫无关联。
但这是真正的DNA，
04:03
But this is what real DNA looks like,
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这些物种共享的基因。
04:05
from a gene that these species
happen to share.
happen to share.
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04:08
Everything lines up nearly perfectly.
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所有碱基都完美的排列着。
得到这些竖着的列的概率
04:11
The chances of getting
so many of those vertical columns
so many of those vertical columns
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比如每个物种在这列都有个c，
或者在这列都有个t的
或者在这列都有个t的
04:14
where every species has a C
or every species has a T,
or every species has a T,
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04:18
by random chance, are infinitesimal.
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随机概率是无穷小的。
04:21
So we know that all those species
had to have had a common ancestor.
had to have had a common ancestor.
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我们了解到所有的物种
是需要有一个共同的祖先的。
是需要有一个共同的祖先的。
它们彼此都是亲戚。
04:26
They're all relatives of each other.
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04:28
So now I'll tell you who they are.
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现在我来告诉大家它们到底是谁。
04:30
The top two are us and chimpanzees,
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最上边的两个是人类和大猩猩，
04:32
which y'all already knew were related,
because, I mean, obviously.
because, I mean, obviously.
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我们都知道了这两个物种
是有关联的，这很明显吧。
是有关联的，这很明显吧。
04:36
(Laughter)
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(笑声)
04:38
But we're also related to things
that we don't look like,
that we don't look like,
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但是我们也和很多跟我们
不相像的物种有联系，
不相像的物种有联系，
04:40
like pine trees and Giardia,
which is that gastrointestinal disease
which is that gastrointestinal disease
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比如，松树、贾第虫，
一种肠胃疾病，
一种肠胃疾病，
如果你徒步时在山上喝了没有经过
过滤的水的话，可能会得这种病。
过滤的水的话，可能会得这种病。
04:45
you can get if you don't filter
your water while you're hiking.
your water while you're hiking.
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我们与大肠杆菌和
艰难梭菌也有联系，
艰难梭菌也有联系，
04:48
We're also related to bacteria
like E. coli and Clostridium difficile,
like E. coli and Clostridium difficile,
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艰难梭菌是一种特别不好的
爱钻空子的病原体，杀死了很多的人。
爱钻空子的病原体，杀死了很多的人。
04:53
which is a horrible, opportunistic
pathogen that kills lots of people.
pathogen that kills lots of people.
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但也有很多对我们有益的微生物，
比如产乙烯脱卤拟球菌，
比如产乙烯脱卤拟球菌，
04:56
But there's of course good microbes too,
like Dehalococcoides ethenogenes,
like Dehalococcoides ethenogenes,
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它们可以帮助我们清洁工业废物。
05:01
which cleans up
our industrial waste for us.
our industrial waste for us.
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如果我用这些DNA序列，
05:03
So if I take these DNA sequences,
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05:06
and then I use them, the similarities
and differences between them,
and differences between them,
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用它们的相同和不同之处
做一个家谱的话，
05:09
to make a family tree for all of us
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你可以看到谁跟谁联系更紧密，
05:11
so you can see who is closely related,
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它们看起来是这样的。
05:13
then this is what it looks like.
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你可以清楚的看出来，
05:15
So you can see clearly, at a glance,
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05:17
that things like us and Giardia
and bunnies and pine trees
and bunnies and pine trees
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我们人类和贾第虫，兔子，还有松树
05:23
are all, like, siblings,
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都像是亲兄弟姐妹，
细菌则像我们的远古表亲。
05:25
and then the bacteria
are like our ancient cousins.
are like our ancient cousins.
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05:28
But we're kin to every
living thing on Earth.
living thing on Earth.
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但我们跟地球上的
生物都有亲戚关系。
生物都有亲戚关系。
我每天的工作就是，
05:32
So in my job, on a daily basis,
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05:34
I get to produce scientific evidence
against existential loneliness.
against existential loneliness.
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提供科学证据来
反驳我们是孤独存在着的物种。
反驳我们是孤独存在着的物种。
05:39
So when we got these first DNA sequences,
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所以当我们在第一艘钻探船上拿到
05:42
from the first cruise, of pristine samples
from the deep subsurface,
from the deep subsurface,
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深海底部样品的第一个DNA序列时，
我们想知道它们位于
这个家谱上的什么位置。
这个家谱上的什么位置。
05:46
we wanted to know where they were.
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我们发现的第一件事是，
它们不是外星人，
它们不是外星人，
05:48
So the first thing that we discovered
is that they were not aliens,
is that they were not aliens,
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它们的DNA可以跟地球上的
其他生物排在一起。
其他生物排在一起。
05:51
because we could get their DNA to line up
with everything else on Earth.
with everything else on Earth.
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但是看它们在这个家谱上的位置。
05:54
But now check out where they go
on our tree of life.
on our tree of life.
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05:59
The first thing you'll notice
is that there's a lot of them.
is that there's a lot of them.
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你们首先会注意到的是，
它们有很多种类，
它们有很多种类，
不是一个小小的物种
06:02
It wasn't just one little species
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存活在恶劣的环境下。
06:04
that managed to live
in this horrible place.
in this horrible place.
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而是很多东西并存。
06:06
It's kind of a lot of things.
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你们也许会注意到的第二点就是，
06:08
And the second thing that you'll notice,
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它们与我们之前见过的
东西一点儿都不像。
东西一点儿都不像。
06:10
hopefully, is that they're not
like anything we've ever seen before.
like anything we've ever seen before.
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06:15
They are as different from each other
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它们彼此也大不相同，
就像和我们已知的物种很不同一样，
06:17
as they are from anything
that we've known before
that we've known before
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就像我们跟松树的不同。
06:20
as we are from pine trees.
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06:22
So John Parkes was completely correct.
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所以约翰·帕克思是完全正确的。
06:26
He, and we, had discovered
a completely new and highly diverse
a completely new and highly diverse
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他，和我们，发现了一个
崭新并高度多样化的
崭新并高度多样化的
06:30
microbial ecosystem on Earth
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地球微生物圈，
06:32
that no one even knew existed
before the 1980s.
before the 1980s.
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而在80年代以前没人知道它的存在。
06:37
So now we were on a roll.
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现在我们手气正旺，
下一步是在培养基上
培养这些奇异的物种，
培养这些奇异的物种，
06:38
The next step was to grow
these exotic species in a petri dish
these exotic species in a petri dish
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06:43
so that we could
do real experiments on them
do real experiments on them
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这样就可以用它们
做真正的科学实验，
做真正的科学实验，
06:45
like microbiologists are supposed to do.
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做微生物学家该做的工作。
06:48
But no matter what we fed them,
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可是不管我们喂给它们什么，
06:49
they refused to grow.
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它们都不成长。
06:51
Even now, 15 years
and many expeditions later,
and many expeditions later,
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甚至在15年后的现在，
经历了许多科学考察之后。
经历了许多科学考察之后。
06:55
no human has ever gotten a single one
of these exotic deep subsurface microbes
of these exotic deep subsurface microbes
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仍然没有人可以让
那些来自深海的微生物
那些来自深海的微生物
在培养基上长大。
07:01
to grow in a petri dish.
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07:02
And it's not for lack of trying.
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这不是因为缺乏尝试。
07:05
That may sound disappointing,
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这也许听起来很令人失望，
但我却觉得这令人振奋，
07:07
but I actually find it exhilarating,
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07:08
because it means there are so many
tantalizing unknowns to work on.
tantalizing unknowns to work on.
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因为这意味着有许许多多
未知有待发掘。
未知有待发掘。
07:12
Like, my colleagues and I got
what we thought was a really great idea.
what we thought was a really great idea.
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比如，我和同事
想出了一个特别好的点子。
想出了一个特别好的点子。
我们打算像读菜谱一样
读取它们的基因，
读取它们的基因，
07:16
We were going to read their genes
like a recipe book,
like a recipe book,
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发现它们想吃什么，
然后放在培养基上，
然后放在培养基上，
07:19
find out what it was they wanted to eat
and put it in their petri dishes,
and put it in their petri dishes,
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这样它们就会快乐地长大。
07:22
and then they would grow and be happy.
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但是当我们检查它们基因的时候，
07:24
But when we looked at their genes,
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发现它们想吃的食物
我们已经在喂了。
我们已经在喂了。
07:26
it turns out that what they wanted to eat
was the food we were already feeding them.
was the food we were already feeding them.
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所以那个点子就废了。
07:30
So that was a total wash.
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就是说，在培养基上，
它们想要的其他东西
它们想要的其他东西
07:32
There was something else
that they wanted in their petri dishes
that they wanted in their petri dishes
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07:35
that we were just not giving them.
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我们并没有提供。
07:38
So by combining measurements
from many different places
from many different places
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把从世界不同地方的测量数据
结合到一起时，
07:41
around the world,
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我在南加州大学的同事们
07:43
my colleagues at the University
of Southern California,
of Southern California,
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07:46
Doug LaRowe and Jan Amend,
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Doug LaRowe和Jan Amend，
07:48
were able to calculate that each one
of these deep-sea microbial cells
of these deep-sea microbial cells
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成功计算出了每个深海微生物
07:53
requires only one zeptowatt of power,
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只需要一仄普托（zepto）瓦的能量，
07:56
and before you get your phones out,
a zepto is 10 to the minus 21,
a zepto is 10 to the minus 21,
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别忙着掏手机，
一个仄普托是10的负21次方。
一个仄普托是10的负21次方。
要是我肯定是会查一下的。
08:00
because I know I would want
to look that up.
to look that up.
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另一方面，人类
08:02
Humans, on the other hand,
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需要100瓦的能量。
08:04
require about 100 watts of power.
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08:06
So 100 watts is basically
if you take a pineapple
if you take a pineapple
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100瓦是你拿一个菠萝，
08:10
and drop it from about waist height
to the ground 881,632 times a day.
to the ground 881,632 times a day.
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然后每天从你腰部那么高的地方
丢到地上88万1632次。
丢到地上88万1632次。
如果你连上一个涡轮
这么做了的话，
这么做了的话，
08:16
If you did that
and then linked it up to a turbine,
and then linked it up to a turbine,
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08:19
that would create enough power
to make me happen for a day.
to make me happen for a day.
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你就可以创造足够支撑我
一整天的能量。
一整天的能量。
08:23
A zeptowatt, if you put it
in similar terms,
in similar terms,
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一仄普托瓦，用一个类似的比较，
08:25
is if you take just one grain of salt
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如果你拿一粒盐做参照物，
08:30
and then you imagine
a tiny, tiny, little ball
a tiny, tiny, little ball
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然后你想象一个很小很小很小的球，
08:33
that is one thousandth of the mass
of that one grain of salt
of that one grain of salt
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大约是一粒盐重量的1/1000，
08:37
and then you drop it one nanometer,
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然后你把它丢下1纳米的高度，
08:40
which is a hundred times smaller
than the wavelength of visible light,
than the wavelength of visible light,
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一纳米大约是
可见光波长的1/100的长度，
可见光波长的1/100的长度，
08:44
once per day.
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每天丢一次。
08:46
That's all it takes
to make these microbes live.
to make these microbes live.
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这就是这些微生物存活需要的能量。
08:50
That's less energy than we ever thought
would be capable of supporting life,
would be capable of supporting life,
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比我们之前想的
可以支撑生命的能量要少很多，
可以支撑生命的能量要少很多，
但是让人惊讶，却十分美妙的是，
08:56
but somehow, amazingly, beautifully,
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08:59
it's enough.
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这就够了。
09:01
So if these deep-subsurface microbes
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如果这些海洋底部下的微生物
09:03
have a very different relationship
with energy than we previously thought,
with energy than we previously thought,
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跟能量之间有一个与我们之前
假设的不一样的关系，
假设的不一样的关系，
那么接下来就是它们需要
09:06
then it follows that they'll have to have
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与时间之间也有不同的关系，
09:08
a different relationship
with time as well,
with time as well,
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因为如果你靠着
这么微小的能量生活，
这么微小的能量生活，
09:10
because when you live
on such tiny energy gradients,
on such tiny energy gradients,
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09:14
rapid growth is impossible.
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快速成长是不可能的。
如果这些微生物想占领我们的喉咙
然后让我们生病，
然后让我们生病，
09:15
If these things wanted
to colonize our throats and make us sick,
to colonize our throats and make us sick,
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它们会在第一次分裂发生前
09:18
they would get muscled out
by fast-growing streptococcus
by fast-growing streptococcus
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被快速繁殖的链球菌踢出局。
09:21
before they could even
initiate cell division.
initiate cell division.
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09:23
So that's why we never
find them in our throats.
find them in our throats.
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所以我们不会在喉咙里找到它们。
09:27
Perhaps the fact that the deep
subsurface is so boring
subsurface is so boring
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也许深海的下表层
极度无聊的环境
极度无聊的环境
09:31
is actually an asset to these microbes.
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其实是对这些微生物
来说是一种财富。
来说是一种财富。
09:34
They never get washed out by a storm.
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它们不会被一场风暴冲刷走。
09:36
They never get overgrown by weeds.
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它们不会被海草覆盖。
09:39
All they have to do is exist.
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它们要做的就是存在着。
09:42
Maybe that thing that we were missing
in our petri dishes
in our petri dishes
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也许我们在培养基上缺少的
09:46
was not food at all.
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根本不是食物。
也许都不是任何化学物质。
09:48
Maybe it wasn't a chemical.
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也许它们真正想要的，
09:50
Maybe the thing that they really want,
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09:51
the nutrient that they want, is time.
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它们想要的营养是，时间。
09:56
But time is the one thing
that I'll never be able to give them.
that I'll never be able to give them.
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但是时间是唯一
我没法给它们的东西。
我没法给它们的东西。
即使我有一个细胞群可以
传给我的博士生，
传给我的博士生，
09:59
So even if I have a cell culture
that I pass to my PhD students,
that I pass to my PhD students,
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10:02
who pass it to their
PhD students, and so on,
PhD students, and so on,
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然后他们会传给他们的
博士生，如此延续，
博士生，如此延续，
都需要传上个几千年
10:05
we'd have to do that
for thousands of years
for thousands of years
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10:08
in order to mimic the exact conditions
of the deep subsurface,
of the deep subsurface,
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才能模仿出深海的环境，
这还是在无任何污染的情况下。
10:11
all without growing any contaminants.
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10:13
It's just not possible.
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这是完全不可能做到的。
10:15
But maybe in a way we already have
grown them in our petri dishes.
grown them in our petri dishes.
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但也许我们已经在我们的
培养基上繁殖它们了。
培养基上繁殖它们了。
10:18
Maybe they looked at all that food
we offered them and said,
we offered them and said,
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也许它们看看我们给的食物说，
“谢谢，我决定加速繁殖，
10:21
"Thanks, I'm going to speed up so much
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要在下个世纪分裂一个新细胞。”
10:23
that I'm going to make
a new cell next century.
a new cell next century.
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唉.....
10:25
Ugh.
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(笑声)
10:26
(Laughter)
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那为什么其他的生物动作那么快？
10:28
So why is it that the rest
of biology moves so fast?
of biology moves so fast?
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为什么一个细胞一天就死亡了，
10:33
Why does a cell die after a day
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10:35
and a human dies
after only a hundred years?
after only a hundred years?
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一个人在一百年后就会死亡？
10:37
These seem like really
arbitrarily short limits
arbitrarily short limits
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当你想到宇宙中的时间总和，
10:40
when you think about the total amount
of time in the universe.
of time in the universe.
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这些看起来就都是
很短的随机限制了。
很短的随机限制了。
10:43
But these are not arbitrary limits.
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但这些并不是毫无规律的限制。
10:45
They're dictated by one simple thing,
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它们被一个东西主宰着，
10:48
and that thing is the Sun.
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那就是太阳。
10:51
Once life figured out how to harness
the energy of the Sun
the energy of the Sun
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当生命弄清怎么通过光合作用
从太阳获取能量，
10:54
through photosynthesis,
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我们不得不加速，
然后适应白日黑夜的轮回。
然后适应白日黑夜的轮回。
10:55
we all had to speed up
and get on day and night cycles.
and get on day and night cycles.
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10:58
In that way, the Sun gave us
both a reason to be fast
both a reason to be fast
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在这个意义上，太阳给了
我们一个加速的理由，
我们一个加速的理由，
11:02
and the fuel to do it.
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也给了我们加速的原料。
你可以把地球上大多数生命
看成一个循环系统，
看成一个循环系统，
11:03
You can view most of life on Earth
like a circulatory system,
like a circulatory system,
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太阳就是我们跳动着的心脏。
11:06
and the Sun is our beating heart.
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11:09
But the deep subsurface
is like a circulatory system
is like a circulatory system
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而深海下表层也像一个
与太阳完全隔离的
与太阳完全隔离的
11:11
that's completely
disconnected from the Sun.
disconnected from the Sun.
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循环系统。
11:14
It's instead being driven
by long, slow geological rhythms.
by long, slow geological rhythms.
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它的演变在被漫长的地质韵律驱使。
11:19
There's currently no theoretical limit
on the lifespan of one single cell.
on the lifespan of one single cell.
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一个单细胞的生命长度
目前还没有理论上的限制。
目前还没有理论上的限制。
11:26
As long as there is at least
a tiny energy gradient to exploit,
a tiny energy gradient to exploit,
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只要有一丁点儿的能量可以用，
理论上讲，一个细胞可以存活
11:30
theoretically, a single cell could live
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11:32
for hundreds of thousands
of years or more,
of years or more,
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几十万年甚至更久，
11:34
simply by replacing
broken parts over time.
broken parts over time.
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必要时换掉坏的部件就可以了。
11:38
To ask a microbe that lives like that
to grow in our petri dishes
to grow in our petri dishes
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让一个微生物在我们的培养皿中
那样存活，就等于是在
那样存活，就等于是在
11:42
is to ask them to adapt to our frenetic,
Sun-centric, fast way of living,
Sun-centric, fast way of living,
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要求它们来适应我们疯狂的
以太阳为中心的快速生活方式，
以太阳为中心的快速生活方式，
也许它们有其他
更重要的事情要做呢。
更重要的事情要做呢。
11:47
and maybe they've got
better things to do than that.
better things to do than that.
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11:50
(Laughter)
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(笑声)
想象一下，如果我们可以
弄清它们怎么做到的。
弄清它们怎么做到的。
11:51
Imagine if we could figure out
how they managed to do this.
how they managed to do this.
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如果这其中包含着某些
特别酷，特别稳定的化合物
特别酷，特别稳定的化合物
11:55
What if it involves some cool,
ultra-stable compounds
ultra-stable compounds
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可以被利用来提高生物医药产品和
11:58
that we could use
to increase the shelf life
to increase the shelf life
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12:01
in biomedical or industrial applications?
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工业产品的有效期，会怎么样？
或许我们可以研究出它们之所以可以
12:03
Or maybe if we figure out
the mechanism that they use
the mechanism that they use
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12:06
to grow so extraordinarily slowly,
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成长得如此缓慢的机制，
12:09
we could mimic it in cancer cells
and slow runaway cell division.
and slow runaway cell division.
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那我们就可以在癌细胞中
模拟这个机制，从而减缓癌细胞的分裂。
模拟这个机制，从而减缓癌细胞的分裂。
12:13
I don't know.
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我也不知道。
12:15
I mean, honestly, that is all speculation,
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那些都只是我的猜测，
但是我唯一可以确定的是，
12:18
but the only thing I know for certain
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12:20
is that there are
a hundred billion billion billlion
a hundred billion billion billlion
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有着数目无法估量的
12:24
living microbial cells
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活着的微生物细胞
12:26
underlying all the world's oceans.
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待在全世界海洋的底部。
12:29
That's 200 times more than the total
biomass of humans on this planet.
biomass of humans on this planet.
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相当于地球上全部人类生物质
总和的200多倍。
总和的200多倍。
12:33
And those microbes have
a fundamentally different relationship
a fundamentally different relationship
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从本质上说，比起人类，
那些微生物与时间和能量
那些微生物与时间和能量
12:37
with time and energy than we do.
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有着不同的关系。
12:39
What seems like a day to them
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它们世界中的一天
12:42
might be a thousand years to us.
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可能对我们而言像是几千年。
12:45
They don't care about the Sun,
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它们才不管太阳呢，
12:47
and they don't care about growing fast,
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也不屑于快速的繁殖，
12:49
and they probably don't give a damn
about my petri dishes ...
about my petri dishes ...
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它们可能也不在意
呆在我的培养皿里...
呆在我的培养皿里...
（笑声）
12:52
(Laughter)
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但是如果我们继续去
发现新的方法来研究它们，
发现新的方法来研究它们，
12:53
but if we can continue to find
creative ways to study them,
creative ways to study them,
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12:57
then maybe we'll finally figure out
what life, all of life, is like on Earth.
what life, all of life, is like on Earth.
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那么也许我们最终可以
搞清楚地球上全部的生命。
搞清楚地球上全部的生命。
13:04
Thank you.
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谢谢大家。
（鼓掌）
13:05
(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Karen Lloyd - Marine microbiologistKaren Lloyd studies novel groups of microbes in Earth's deep surface biosphere, collecting them from disparate remote places such as Arctic fjords, volcanoes in Costa Rica, even deep in mud in the Marianas Trench
Why you should listen
Karen G. Lloyd applies molecular biological techniques to environmental samples to learn more about microbes that have thus far evaded attempts to be cultured in a laboratory. She has adapted novel techniques to quantify and characterize these mysterious microbes while requiring minimal changes to their natural conditions. Her work centers on deep oceanic subsurface sediments, deep-sea mud volcanoes and cold seeps, terrestrial volcanoes and hot springs, serpentinizing springs, Arctic marine fjord sediments and ancient permafrost. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee.
Karen Lloyd | Speaker | TED.com