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【TED】蚂蚁在脑科学、癌症和互联网领域带给我们的启发

 

I study ants [AI] 我研究蚂蚁 in the desert. in the tropical forest [AI] 在沙漠里。在热带森林里 and in my kitchen. [AI] 在我的厨房里。 and in the hills around Silicon Valley where I live. [AI] 我住在硅谷周围的小山上。 I've recently realized that ants [AI] 我最近意识到蚂蚁 are using interactions differently [AI] 使用交互的方式是否不同 in different environments. [AI] 在不同的环境中。 and that got me thinking that we could learn from this [AI] 这让我想到我们可以从中学习 about other systems. [AI] 关于其他系统。 like brains and data networks that we engineer. [AI] 就像我们设计的大脑和数据网络。 and even cancer. [AI] 甚至癌症。 So what all these systems have in common [AI] 那么所有这些系统的共同点是什么呢 is that there's no central control. [AI] 就是没有中央控制。 An ant colony consists of sterile female workers -- [AI] 蚁群由不育的女工组成-- those are the ants you see walking around — [AI] 这些就是你看到的四处走动的蚂蚁 and then one or more reproductive females [AI] 然后是一个或多个生殖雌性 who just lay the eggs. [AI] 刚下蛋的人。 They don't give any instructions. [AI] 他们不给任何指示。 Even though they're called queens. [AI] 尽管他们被称为女王。 they don't tell anybody what to do. [AI] 他们不告诉任何人该做什么。 So in an ant colony. there's no one in charge. [AI] 所以在蚁群中。没有人负责。 and all systems like this without central control [AI] 所有这样的系统都没有中央控制 are regulated using very simple interactions. [AI] 使用非常简单的交互进行管理。 Ants interact using smell. [AI] 蚂蚁利用气味进行互动。 They smell with their antennae. [AI] 它们用触角闻气味。 and they interact with their antennae. [AI] 它们与触角相互作用。 so when one ant touches another with its antennae. [AI] 所以当一只蚂蚁用它的触角触碰另一只蚂蚁时。 it can tell. for example. if the other ant [AI] 它可以告诉你。例如如果另一只蚂蚁 is a nestmate [AI] 他是一个巢友 and what task that other ant has been doing. [AI] 还有另一只蚂蚁在做什么。 So here you see a lot of ants moving around [AI] 所以在这里你看到很多蚂蚁四处移动 and interacting in a lab arena [AI] 在实验室里进行互动 that's connected by tubes to two other arenas. [AI] 通过管道连接到另外两个竞技场。 So when one ant meets another. [AI] 所以当一只蚂蚁遇到另一只蚂蚁。 it doesn't matter which ant it meets. [AI] 遇到哪只蚂蚁并不重要。 and they're actually not transmitting [AI] 实际上它们并没有传播 any kind of complicated signal or message. [AI] 任何一种复杂的信号或信息。 All that matters to the ant is the rate [AI] 对蚂蚁来说,重要的是速度 at which it meets other ants. [AI] 在那里它遇到了其他蚂蚁。 And all of these interactions. taken together. [AI] 所有这些互动。综合起来。 produce a network. [AI] 产生一个网络。 So this is the network of the ants [AI] 这就是蚂蚁的网络 that you just saw moving around in the arena. [AI] 你刚才在竞技场里看到的。 and it's this constantly shifting network [AI] 这是一个不断变化的网络 that produces the behavior of the colony. [AI] 这就产生了群体的行为。 like whether all the ants are hiding inside the nest. [AI] 比如是否所有的蚂蚁都躲在巢穴里。 or how many are going out to forage. [AI] 或者有多少人出去觅食。 A brain actually works in the same way. [AI] 大脑实际上也是这样工作的。 but what's great about ants is [AI] 但是蚂蚁的优点是 that you can see the whole network as it happens. [AI] 你可以看到整个网络,因为它发生了。 There are more than 12.000 species of ants. [AI] 蚂蚁有12000多种。 in every conceivable environment. [AI] 在任何可以想象的环境中。 and they're using interactions differently [AI] 他们使用不同的交互方式 to meet different environmental challenges. [AI] 以应对不同的环境挑战。 So one important environmental challenge [AI] 这是一个重要的环境挑战 that every system has to deal with [AI] 每个系统都必须处理的问题 is operating costs. just what it takes [AI] 是运营成本。正是它所需要的 to run the system. [AI] 运行系统。 And another environmental challenge is resources. [AI] 另一个环境挑战是资源。 finding them and collecting them. [AI] 找到并收集它们。 In the desert. operating costs are high [AI] 在沙漠里。运营成本很高 because water is scarce. [AI] 因为水是稀缺的。 and the seed-eating ants that I study in the desert [AI] 还有我在沙漠里研究的吃种子的蚂蚁 have to spend water to get water. [AI] 必须花钱才能得到水。 So an ant outside foraging. [AI] 所以一只蚂蚁在外面觅食。 searching for seeds in the hot sun. [AI] 在烈日下寻找种子。 just loses water into the air. [AI] 只是把水丢到空气中。 But the colony gets its water [AI] 但是殖民地得到了水 by metabolizing the fats out of the seeds [AI] 通过代谢种子中的脂肪 that they eat. [AI] 他们吃的东西。 So in this environment. interactions are used [AI] 所以在这种环境下。使用交互 to activate foraging. [AI] 激活觅食。 An outgoing forager doesn't go out unless [AI] 外出觅食的人除非 it gets enough interactions with returning foragers. [AI] 它与返回的觅食者有足够的互动。 and what you see are the returning foragers [AI] 你看到的是返回的觅食者 going into the tunnel. into the nest. [AI] 进入隧道。进入巢穴。 and meeting outgoing foragers on their way out. [AI] 并在外出途中与外出觅食者会面。 This makes sense for the ant colony. [AI] 这对蚁群来说是有意义的。 because the more food there is out there. [AI] 因为外面的食物越多。 the more quickly the foragers find it. [AI] 觅食者越快找到它。 the faster they come back. [AI] 他们回来的越快。 and the more foragers they send out. [AI] 他们派出的搜寻者越多。 The system works to stay stopped. [AI] 系统工作以保持停止。 unless something positive happens. [AI] 除非有积极的事情发生。 So interactions function to activate foragers. [AI] 因此,交互作用可以激活觅食者。 And we've been studying the evolution of this system. [AI] 我们一直在研究这个系统的演变。 First of all. there's variation. [AI] 首先有变化。 It turns out that colonies are different. [AI] 结果证明,殖民地是不同的。 On dry days. some colonies forage less. [AI] 在干旱的日子里。有些殖民地觅食较少。 so colonies are different in how [AI] 因此,殖民地在方式上是不同的 they manage this trade-off [AI] 他们管理这一权衡 between spending water to search for seeds [AI] 在花钱寻找种子之间 and getting water back in the form of seeds. [AI] 以种子的形式把水弄回来。 And we're trying to understand why [AI] 我们正在努力理解为什么 some colonies forage less than others [AI] 一些殖民地的觅食量比其他殖民地少 by thinking about ants as neurons. [AI] 把蚂蚁想象成神经元。 using models from neuroscience. [AI] 使用神经科学的模型。 So just as a neuron adds up its stimulation [AI] 就像神经元增加刺激一样 from other neurons to decide whether to fire. [AI] 由其他神经元决定是否开火。 an ant adds up its stimulation from other ants [AI] 蚂蚁把其他蚂蚁的刺激加起来 to decide whether to forage. [AI] 决定是否饲草。 And what we're looking for is whether there might be [AI] 我们要找的是是否有可能 small differences among colonies [AI] 殖民地之间的微小差异 in how many interactions each ant needs [AI] 每只蚂蚁需要多少交互 before it's willing to go out and forage. [AI] 在它愿意出去觅食之前。 because a colony like that would forage less. [AI] 因为那样的一个殖民地会吃得更少。 And this raises an analogous question about brains. [AI] 这就提出了一个关于大脑的类似问题。 We talk about the brain. [AI] 我们谈论大脑。 but of course every brain is slightly different. [AI] 当然,每个人的大脑都略有不同。 and maybe there are some individuals [AI] 也许有一些人 or some conditions [AI] 或者一些条件 in which the electrical properties of neurons are such [AI] 神经元的电特性是这样的 that they require more stimulus to fire. [AI] 他们需要更多的刺激来激发。 and that would lead to differences in brain function. [AI] 这将导致大脑功能的差异。 So in order to ask evolutionary questions. [AI] 所以为了提出进化论的问题。 we need to know about reproductive success. [AI] 我们需要了解生殖成功的情况。 This is a map of the study site [AI] 这是研究地点的地图 where I have been tracking this population [AI] 我一直在跟踪这些人口 of harvester ant colonies for 28 years. [AI] 28年来收获机蚁群的数量。 which is about as long as a colony lives. [AI] 这大约是一个殖民地的寿命。 Each symbol is a colony. [AI] 每个符号都是一个殖民地。 and the size of the symbol is how many offspring it had. [AI] 这个符号的大小是它有多少后代。 because we were able to use genetic variation [AI] 因为我们能够利用遗传变异 to match up parent and offspring colonies. [AI] 匹配亲代和后代群体。 that is. to figure out which colonies [AI] 就是。找出哪个殖民地 were founded by a daughter queen [AI] 是由一位女王的女儿创建的 produced by which parent colony. [AI] 由哪个父群体产生的。 And this was amazing for me. after all these years. [AI] 这对我来说太神奇了。这么多年过去了。 to find out. for example. that colony 154. [AI] 去发现。例如那个殖民地是154。 whom I've known well for many years. [AI] 我认识他很多年了。 is a great-grandmother. [AI] 她是一位曾祖母。 Here's her daughter colony. [AI] 这是她的女儿柯罗尼。 here's her granddaughter colony. [AI] 这是她的孙女柯罗尼。 and these are her great-granddaughter colonies. [AI] 这些是她的曾孙女。 And by doing this. I was able to learn [AI] 通过这样做。我能够学习 that offspring colonies resemble parent colonies [AI] 后代群体与亲代群体相似 in their decisions about which days are so hot [AI] 他们决定哪天这么热 that they don't forage. [AI] 他们不吃草。 and the offspring of parent colonies [AI] 以及亲代群体的后代 live so far from each other that the ants never meet. [AI] 蚂蚁们住得太远了,从来没有见过面。 so the ants of the offspring colony [AI] 所以后代群体的蚂蚁 can't be learning this from the parent colony. [AI] 不能从母殖民地那里学到这一点。 And so our next step is to look [AI] 所以我们下一步要做的就是 for the genetic variation underlying this resemblance. [AI] 因为这种相似性背后的遗传变异。 So then I was able to ask. okay. who's doing better? [AI] 然后我就可以问了。可以谁做得更好? Over the time of the study. [AI] 在研究期间。 and especially in the past 10 years. [AI] 尤其是在过去的10年里。 there's been a very severe and deepening drought [AI] 这是一场非常严重且不断加深的干旱 in the Southwestern U.S.. [AI] 在美国西南部。。 and it turns out that the colonies that conserve water. [AI] 事实证明,这些保护水源的殖民地。 that stay in when it's really hot outside. [AI] 当外面真的很热的时候就呆在家里。 and thus sacrifice getting as much food as possible. [AI] 从而牺牲了获得尽可能多的食物。 are the ones more likely to have offspring colonies. [AI] 是那些更可能有后代的群体。 So all this time. I thought that colony 154 [AI] 所以一直以来。我以为殖民地154号 was a loser. because on really dry days. [AI] 他是个失败者。因为在非常干燥的日子里。 there'd be just this trickle of foraging. [AI] 这只是一点点的觅食。 while the other colonies were out [AI] 当其他殖民地不在的时候 foraging. getting lots of food. [AI] 觅食。得到很多食物。 but in fact. colony 154 is a huge success. [AI] 但事实上。殖民地154是一个巨大的成功。 She's a matriarch. [AI] 她是女族长。 She's one of the rare great-grandmothers on the site. [AI] 她是网站上罕见的曾祖母之一。 To my knowledge. this is the first time [AI] 据我所知。这是第一次 that we've been able to track [AI] 我们能追踪到的 the ongoing evolution of collective behavior [AI] 集体行为的持续演变 in a natural population of animals [AI] 在动物的自然种群中 and find out what's actually working best. [AI] 找出什么是最有效的。 Now. the Internet uses an algorithm [AI] 现在互联网使用一种算法 to regulate the flow of data [AI] 调节数据流 that's very similar to the one [AI] 这和那个很相似 that the harvester ants are using to regulate [AI] 收割机蚂蚁用来调节的 the flow of foragers. [AI] 觅食者的流动。 And guess what we call this analogy? [AI] 猜猜我们怎么称呼这个比喻? The anternet is coming. [AI] 蚂蚁网来了。 (Applause) [AI] (掌声) So data doesn't leave the source computer [AI] 所以数据不会离开源计算机 unless it gets a signal that there's enough bandwidth [AI] 除非它得到足够带宽的信号 for it to travel on. [AI] 让它继续前行。 In the early days of the Internet. [AI] 在互联网的早期。 when operating costs were really high [AI] 当运营成本真的很高的时候 and it was really important not to lose any data. [AI] 不丢失任何数据非常重要。 then the system was set up for interactions [AI] 然后,系统被设置为交互 to activate the flow of data. [AI] 激活数据流。 It's interesting that the ants are using an algorithm [AI] 有趣的是蚂蚁正在使用一种算法 that's so similar to the one that we recently invented. [AI] 这和我们最近发明的非常相似。 but this is only one of a handful of ant algorithms [AI] 但这只是为数不多的蚂蚁算法之一 that we know about. [AI] 我们所知道的。 and ants have had 130 million years [AI] 蚂蚁已经有1.3亿年了 to evolve a lot of good ones. [AI] 进化出很多好的。 and I think it's very likely [AI] 我认为很有可能 that some of the other 12.000 species [AI] 其他12000个物种中的一些 are going to have interesting algorithms [AI] 我们将会有有趣的算法 for data networks [AI] 用于数据网络 that we haven't even thought of yet. [AI] 我们甚至还没想到。 So what happens when operating costs are low? [AI] 那么,当运营成本较低时会发生什么呢? Operating costs are low in the tropics. [AI] 热带地区的运营成本很低。 because it's very humid. and it's easy for the ants [AI] 因为天气很潮湿。这对蚂蚁来说很容易 to be outside walking around. [AI] 在外面走来走去。 But the ants are so abundant [AI] 但是蚂蚁太多了 and diverse in the tropics [AI] 热带地区气候多样 that there's a lot of competition. [AI] 有很多竞争。 Whatever resource one species is using. [AI] 一个物种正在使用的任何资源。 another species is likely to be using that [AI] 另一个物种很可能正在使用它 at the same time. [AI] 同时 So in this environment. interactions are used [AI] 所以在这种环境下。使用交互 in the opposite way. [AI] 以相反的方式。 The system keeps going [AI] 系统继续运行 unless something negative happens. [AI] 除非有负面的事情发生。 and one species that I study makes circuits [AI] 我研究的一个物种制造电路 in the trees of foraging ants [AI] 在觅食蚂蚁的树上 going from the nest to a food source and back. [AI] 从巢穴到食物来源再回来。 just round and round. [AI] 一圈又一圈。 unless something negative happens. [AI] 除非有负面的事情发生。 like an interaction [AI] 就像一次互动 with ants of another species. [AI] 和另一种蚂蚁在一起。 So here's an example of ant security. [AI] 这里有一个蚂蚁安全的例子。 In the middle. there's an ant [AI] 在中间有一只蚂蚁 plugging the nest entrance with its head [AI] 用它的头堵住鸟巢的入口 in response to interactions with another species. [AI] 为了回应与另一物种的相互作用。 Those are the little ones running around [AI] 那些是到处跑的小家伙 with their abdomens up in the air. [AI] 腹部悬空。 But as soon as the threat is passed. [AI] 但一旦威胁过去。 the entrance is open again. [AI] 入口又开了。 and maybe there are situations [AI] 也许有些情况 in computer security [AI] 计算机安全 where operating costs are low enough [AI] 运营成本足够低的地方 that we could just block access temporarily [AI] 我们可以暂时阻止访问 in response to an immediate threat. [AI] 为了应对迫在眉睫的威胁。 and then open it again. [AI] 然后再打开它。 instead of trying to build [AI] 而不是试图建立 a permanent firewall or fortress. [AI] 永久的防火墙或堡垒。 So another environmental challenge [AI] 那么另一个环境挑战呢 that all systems have to deal with [AI] 所有系统都必须处理的问题 is resources. finding and collecting them. [AI] 这就是资源。寻找和收集它们。 And to do this. ants solve the problem [AI] 这样做。蚂蚁解决了这个问题 of collective search. [AI] 集体搜索的结果。 and this is a problem that's of great interest [AI] 这是一个非常有趣的问题 right now in robotics. [AI] 现在在机器人领域。 because we've understood that. [AI] 因为我们明白这一点。 rather than sending a single. [AI] 而不是发送一个。 sophisticated. expensive robot out [AI] 复杂的昂贵的机器人 to explore another planet [AI] 探索另一个星球 or to search a burning building. [AI] 或者搜查燃烧的建筑物。 that instead. it may be more effective [AI] 那倒是。它可能更有效 to get a group of cheaper robots [AI] 为了得到一群更便宜的机器人 exchanging only minimal information. [AI] 只交换最少的信息。 and that's the way that ants do it. [AI] 蚂蚁就是这样做的。 So the invasive Argentine ant [AI] 所以入侵的阿根廷蚂蚁 makes expandable search networks. [AI] 创建可扩展的搜索网络。 They're good at dealing with the main problem [AI] 他们擅长处理主要问题 of collective search. [AI] 集体搜索的结果。 which is the trade-off between [AI] 两者之间的权衡是什么 searching very thoroughly [AI] 彻底搜查 and covering a lot of ground. [AI] 覆盖了很多土地。 And what they do is. [AI] 他们所做的是。 when there are many ants in a small space. [AI] 当一个小空间里有很多蚂蚁时。 then each one can search very thoroughly [AI] 然后每个人都可以非常彻底地搜索 because there will be another ant nearby [AI] 因为附近会有另一只蚂蚁 searching over there. [AI] 在那边搜索。 but when there are a few ants [AI] 但是当有几只蚂蚁的时候 in a large space. [AI] 在很大的空间里。 then they need to stretch out their paths [AI] 然后他们需要扩展他们的道路 to cover more ground. [AI] 覆盖更多的土地。 I think they use interactions to assess density. [AI] 我认为他们用互动来评估密度。 so when they're really crowded. [AI] 所以当他们真的很拥挤的时候。 they meet more often. [AI] 他们见面更频繁。 and they search more thoroughly. [AI] 而且他们搜索得更彻底。 Different ant species must use different algorithms. [AI] 不同的蚂蚁物种必须使用不同的算法。 because they've evolved to deal with [AI] 因为他们已经进化到可以处理 different resources. [AI] 不同的资源。 and it could be really useful to know about this. [AI] 了解这一点可能非常有用。 and so we recently asked ants [AI] 所以我们最近问蚂蚁 to solve the collective search problem [AI] 解决集体搜索问题 in the extreme environment [AI] 在极端环境中 of microgravity [AI] 微重力 in the International Space Station. [AI] 在国际空间站。 When I first saw this picture. I thought. [AI] 当我第一次看到这张照片的时候。我想。 Oh no. they've mounted the habitat vertically. [AI] 哦,不,他们已经垂直安装了栖息地。 but then I realized that. of course. it doesn't matter. [AI] 但后来我意识到了这一点。当然没关系。 So the idea here is that the ants [AI] 所以这里的想法是蚂蚁 are working so hard to hang on [AI] 你是如此努力地工作来坚持下去 to the wall or the floor or whatever you call it [AI] 到墙上或地板上,或者你管它叫什么 that they're less likely to interact. [AI] 他们不太可能互动。 and so the relationship between [AI] 因此,它们之间的关系 how crowded they are and how often they meet [AI] 他们有多拥挤,见面的频率有多高 would be messed up. [AI] 会搞砸的。 We're still analyzing the data. [AI] 我们还在分析数据。 I don't have the results yet. [AI] 我还没有结果。 But it would be interesting to know [AI] 但知道这一点会很有趣 how other species solve this problem [AI] 其他物种如何解决这个问题 in different environments on Earth. [AI] 在地球上不同的环境中。 and so we're setting up a program [AI] 所以我们正在制定一个计划 to encourage kids around the world [AI] 鼓励世界各地的孩子 to try this experiment with different species. [AI] 用不同的物种做这个实验。 It's very simple. [AI] 这很简单。 It can be done with cheap materials. [AI] 这可以用便宜的材料来完成。 And that way. we could make a global map [AI] 就这样。我们可以制作一张全球地图 of ant collective search algorithms. [AI] 蚂蚁集体搜索算法。 And I think it's pretty likely that the invasive species. [AI] 我认为很可能是入侵物种。 the ones that come into our buildings. [AI] 那些进入我们大楼的人。 are going to be really good at this. [AI] 你会在这方面做得很好的。 because they're in your kitchen [AI] 因为它们在你的厨房里 because they're really good at finding food and water. [AI] 因为他们真的很擅长寻找食物和水。 So the most familiar resource for ants [AI] 所以蚂蚁最熟悉的资源 is a picnic. [AI] 这是一次野餐。 and this is a clustered resource. [AI] 这是一个集群资源。 When there's one piece of fruit. [AI] 当有一片水果的时候。 there's likely to be another piece of fruit nearby. [AI] 附近可能还有一块水果。 and the ants that specialize on clustered resources [AI] 还有专门研究集群资源的蚂蚁 use interactions for recruitment. [AI] 利用互动进行招聘。 So when one ant meets another. [AI] 所以当一只蚂蚁遇到另一只蚂蚁。 or when it meets a chemical deposited [AI] 或者当它遇到化学物质时 on the ground by another. [AI] 被另一个人扔在地上。 then it changes direction to follow [AI] 然后它改变方向以跟随 in the direction of the interaction. [AI] 在互动的方向上。 and that's how you get the trail of ants [AI] 你就是这样找到蚂蚁的踪迹的 sharing your picnic. [AI] 分享你的野餐。 Now this is a place where I think we might be able [AI] 现在我想我们可以在这里 to learn something from ants about cancer. [AI] 从蚂蚁身上学到一些关于癌症的知识。 I mean. first. it's obvious that we could do a lot [AI] 我是说。第一很明显,我们可以做很多 to prevent cancer [AI] 预防癌症 by not allowing people to spread around [AI] 不允许人们四处传播 or sell the toxins that promote [AI] 或者出售促进健康的毒素 the evolution of cancer in our bodies. [AI] 癌症在我们体内的演变。 but I don't think the ants can help us much with this [AI] 但我认为蚂蚁在这方面帮不了我们多少忙 because ants never poison their own colonies. [AI] 因为蚂蚁从不毒害自己的殖民地。 But we might be able to learn something from ants [AI] 但我们或许可以从蚂蚁身上学到一些东西 about treating cancer. [AI] 关于治疗癌症。 There are many different kinds of cancer. [AI] 癌症有很多种。 Each one originates in a particular part of the body. [AI] 每一个都起源于身体的特定部位。 and then some kinds of cancer will spread [AI] 然后一些癌症就会扩散 or metastasize to particular other tissues [AI] 或转移到特定的其他组织 where they must be getting resources that they need. [AI] 他们必须得到他们需要的资源。 So if you think from the perspective [AI] 所以如果你从这个角度来思考 of early metastatic cancer cells [AI] 早期转移癌细胞的研究进展 as they're out searching around [AI] 当他们在外面四处寻找的时候 for the resources that they need. [AI] 他们需要的资源。 if those resources are clustered. [AI] 如果这些资源是集群的。 they're likely to use interactions for recruitment. [AI] 他们可能会利用互动进行招聘。 and if we can figure out how cancer cells are recruiting. [AI] 如果我们能弄清楚癌细胞是如何招募的。 then maybe we could set traps [AI] 也许我们可以设陷阱 to catch them before they become established. [AI] 在他们建立之前抓住他们。 So ants are using interactions in different ways [AI] 所以蚂蚁以不同的方式使用交互作用 in a huge variety of environments. [AI] 在各种各样的环境中。 and we could learn from this [AI] 我们可以从中学习 about other systems that operate [AI] 关于其他运行的系统 without central control. [AI] 没有中央控制。 Using only simple interactions. [AI] 只使用简单的交互。 ant colonies have been performing [AI] 蚁群一直在表演 amazing feats for more than 130 million years. [AI] 超过1.3亿年的惊人壮举。 We have a lot to learn from them. [AI] 我们有很多东西要向他们学习。 Thank you. [AI] 非常感谢。 (Applause) [AI] (掌声)

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