ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Armando Azua-Bustos - Astrobiologist
TED Fellow Armando Azua-Bustos studies how microbial life has adapted to survive in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth.

Why you should listen
Astrobiologist Armando Azua-Bustos is the CEO of Atacama Biotech, where he's working to find and characterize species that are able to survive in the extreme conditions imposed by the Atacama Desert in Chile.
 
In the past few years, a range of different lifeforms have been discovered in the Atacama, showing fascinating adaptations to extremely low water availability, high UV radiation, high salinity and other environmental stresses. For these same reasons, the desert is considered as a good analog model of the planet Mars.
 
Azua-Bustos is a TED Fellow. He earned a PhD in molecular genetics and microbiology as well as an MSc in biological sciences and an MSc in biochemistry.
More profile about the speaker
Armando Azua-Bustos | Speaker | TED.com
TED2017

Armando Azua-Bustos: The most Martian place on Earth

阿曼多・阿蘇亞・布斯托斯: 地球上與火星最相似的地方

Filmed:
1,192,605 views

你要研究火星,又怎能沒有太空船?前往地球上與火星最相似的地方──智利的阿他加馬沙漠。天體生物學家阿曼多・阿蘇亞・布斯托斯生長於這片遼闊且乾旱的地方。他在研究一些稀有生物怎樣能適應並生存於過去 400 年沒有降雨記錄的地方。透過這簡短有趣的演講,讓我們一同探索在地球和宇宙其他地方尋找到生命的可能性。
- Astrobiologist
TED Fellow Armando Azua-Bustos studies how microbial life has adapted to survive in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth. Full bio

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

00:12
This is a picture圖片 of a sunset日落 on Mars火星
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這張是火星上的日落照片,
00:15
taken採取 by NASA's美國航空航天局 Curiosity好奇心 rover流浪者 in 2013.
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由美國太空總署「好奇號」
於 2013 年拍攝的。
00:19
Mars火星 is a very cold planet行星,
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火星是個非常寒冷的星球,
00:21
flooded with high levels水平 of UVUV radiation輻射
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受強烈紫外線覆蓋,
而且極為乾燥。
00:24
and extremely非常 dry.
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00:26
In fact事實, Mars火星 is considered考慮
to be too dry for life as we know it.
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事實上,我們認為
火星太乾燥,沒有生物存在。
00:30
I'm an astrobiologist天體生物學家.
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我是天體生物學家,
00:32
I try to understand理解
the origin起源 of life on Earth地球
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嘗試去了解地球上生物的起源,
00:35
and the possibilities可能性 of finding發現 life
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以及在宇宙中其他地方
00:37
elsewhere別處 in the universe宇宙.
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找尋到生物的可能性。
00:39
People sometimes有時 ask me,
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有時候,大家會問我,
00:40
how can you be an astrobiologist天體生物學家
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如果你沒有自己的太空船,
00:42
if you don't have your own擁有 spaceship飛船?
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又怎算是天體生物學家呢?
00:45
Well, what I do is that I study研究 life
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其實,我專注在地球尋找
00:47
in those environments環境 on Earth地球
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與其他星球相似的環境,
00:49
that most closely密切 resemble類似
other interesting有趣 places地方 in the universe宇宙.
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並研究該自然環境的生物。
00:54
All life on Earth地球 requires要求 water,
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地球上所有生物賴以水為生,
00:56
so in my case案件 I focus焦點
on the intimate親密 relationship關係
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因此我專於研究
水和生命密切的關係,
00:59
between之間 water and life
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01:00
in order訂購 to understand理解
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從而去了解
01:02
if we could find life
in a planet行星 as dry as Mars火星.
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我們能否在像火星般
乾旱的星球找到生物。
01:06
But since以來 I do not have
the 2.5 billion十億 dollars美元
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由於我沒有 25 億美元資金
01:10
to send發送 my own擁有 robot機器人 to Mars火星,
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把自己的機械人送到火星,
01:12
I study研究 the most Martian火星 place地點 on Earth地球,
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因此研究地球上與火星最似的地方:
01:15
the Atacama阿塔卡馬 Desert沙漠.
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阿他加馬沙漠。
01:16
Located位於 in northern北方 Chile智利,
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位於智利北部,
01:18
it is the oldest最老的
and driest乾旱 desert沙漠 on Earth地球.
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是地球上最古老和乾旱的沙漠。
01:22
To give you an idea理念 of how dry it is,
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給你一個例子,就明白有多乾燥。
01:24
consider考慮 here in Vancouver溫哥華 it rains降雨
over 1,000 millimeters毫米 of rain every一切 year.
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試想,溫哥華這裡
年降雨量超過 1000 毫米;
01:29
In the Atacama阿塔卡馬, there are places地方
with no reported報導 rains降雨
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過去四百年,阿他加馬有些地方
從來沒有降雨記錄。
01:33
in the last 400 years年份.
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01:36
How do I know this?
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為什麽我會知道?
01:38
Well, because I was born天生
and raised上調 in the Atacama阿塔卡馬 --
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因為我在阿他加馬出生和長大。
01:42
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
01:43
So I had a unique獨特 advantage優點
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因此,當我對沙漠展開研究時,
01:45
when I started開始 studying研究 this desert沙漠.
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有得天獨厚的優勢。
01:48
So let me tell you guys
a few少數 fantastic奇妙 examples例子
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就讓我向各位分享
01:52
he has found發現
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「他」所找到的驚人發現,
01:54
on how life has adapted適應
to live生活 with almost幾乎 no water at all.
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即生物在乾旱地方如何能完全適應。
01:58
One of my first findings發現
was in the entrance入口 of a cave洞穴
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我的早期發現之一
是在某個洞穴的入口,
02:01
facing面對 the Pacific和平的 Ocean海洋.
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該洞穴面向太平洋。
02:03
In this place地點, we reported報導
a new type類型 of microalgae微藻
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在這裡,我們發現一類新型微藻,
02:06
that grew成長 only on top最佳 of the spiderwebs蜘蛛網
that covered覆蓋 the cave洞穴 entrance入口.
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只長在覆蓋洞穴入口的蜘蛛網上。
02:11
Have you ever seen看到 a spiderweb蜘蛛網
early in the morning早上?
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你有否在大清早見過蜘蛛網?
02:15
It's covered覆蓋 with dew,
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蜘蛛網被露水覆蓋。
02:16
so this microalgae微藻 learned學到了
that in order訂購 to carry攜帶 photosynthesis光合作用
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因此微藻為了
在地球上最乾旱的沙漠
進行光合作用,
02:20
in the coast of the driest乾旱
desert沙漠 on Earth地球,
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02:23
they could use the spiderwebs蜘蛛網.
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學會借蜘蛛網。
02:24
So here they may可能 access訪問
the water from the fogs
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微藻透過每清早落在
蜘蛛網上的露水吸取水份。
02:27
that regularly經常 cover
these areas in the morning早上.
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02:30
In another另一個 cave洞穴, we found發現
a different不同 type類型 of microalgae微藻.
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我們在另一個洞穴發現別種微藻,
02:34
This one is able能夠 to use ocean海洋 mist薄霧
as a source資源 of water,
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這種微藻以海洋帶來的霧氣為水源,
02:38
and strikingly驚人 lives生活
in the very bottom底部 of a cave洞穴,
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而且很驚人地生長於洞穴底處,
02:41
so it has adapted適應 to live生活
with less than 0.1 percent百分
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因此它習慣生存在光源只有
普通植物所需光源 0.1% 的地方。
02:44
of the amount of light
that regular定期 plants植物 need.
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02:49
These type類型 of findings發現
suggest建議 to me that on Mars火星,
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這些研究結果意味著在火星
02:52
we may可能 find even
photosynthetic光合 life inside caves洞穴.
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也可能在洞穴找到植物。
02:54
And by the way, that's me.
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順帶一提,這個是我。
02:56
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
02:59
Now, for almost幾乎 15 years年份
this region地區 of Yungay雲蓋, discovered發現 by NASANASA,
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美國太空總署發現位於秘魯
永蓋的這個區域至今已有 15 年,
03:04
was thought to be
the driest乾旱 place地點 of this desert沙漠,
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原被視為這片沙漠中最乾旱的地方。
03:07
but I knew知道 that it was not.
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但以我所知,這裡並不最為乾旱。
03:09
How? You already已經 know the answer回答.
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我怎會知道?你已經知道答案:
03:12
Because I was born天生
and raised上調 in this desert沙漠.
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因為我在這沙漠出生和成長。
03:14
So I remembered記得 that I
usually平時 see fogs in Yungay雲蓋,
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我記得經常在永蓋看到霧。
03:19
so after setting設置 sensors傳感器
in a number of places地方,
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後來我在別的地方設置感應器,
03:21
where I remember記得
never seeing眼看 fogs or clouds,
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因為我從未在那裡見過霧和雲,
03:24
I reported報導 four other sites網站
much drier乾燥劑 than Yungay雲蓋,
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我發現四個比永蓋還要乾旱的地方。
03:28
with this one, Mar損傷ía Elena埃琳娜 South,
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這裡,瑪莉亞埃琳娜南區
03:31
being存在 the truly driest乾旱 place地點 on Earth地球,
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是地球上真正最乾旱的地方,
03:34
as dry as Mars火星,
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跟火星一樣乾旱。
03:36
and amazingly令人驚訝, just a 15-minute-分鐘 ride
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驚喜的是,這裡
距離我出生的煤礦小鎮
03:38
from the small mining礦業 town
where I was born天生.
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只有十五分鐘路程。
03:42
Now, in this search搜索, we were trying
to actually其實 find the dry limit限制
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在研究中,我們嘗試找出
地球上生物耐旱的極限。
03:45
for life on Earth地球,
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03:46
a place地點 so dry that nothing
was able能夠 to survive生存 in it.
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在這個乾旱到寸草不生的地方。
03:50
But even here, well hidden underground地下,
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儘管如此,
03:53
we found發現 a number
of different不同 microorganisms微生物,
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我們在地底發現到多種微生物,
03:55
which哪一個 suggested建議 to me
that similarly同樣 dry places地方, like Mars火星,
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這個結果提醒我,
即使乾旱如火星的地方,
03:59
may可能 be in inhabited居住.
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也可能住著生物。
04:01
We even have some preliminary初步 evidences證據
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我們甚至已有初步證據,
04:03
that these microorganisms微生物
may可能 still be active活性
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證明微生物在乾旱情況下仍活躍,
04:06
in the desiccated脫水 state,
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04:08
like walking步行 mummies木乃伊 all around us,
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就像木乃伊在我們身邊走動一樣。
04:12
and that they may可能 be using運用
UVUV radiation輻射 as a source資源 of energy能源.
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微藻有可能以紫外線作為能源。
04:16
If confirmed確認, this would have
a huge巨大 impact碰撞 on our definition定義 of life,
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假如得到證實,
將改變我們對生物的定義,
04:21
on how we look for life
elsewhere別處 in the universe宇宙.
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以及在其他星球尋找生物的看法。
04:24
Due應有 to its clear明確 skies天空, by 2020,
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由於這裡天氣晴朗,
到了 2020 年,
04:27
60 percent百分 of the biggest最大
telescopes望遠鏡 on Earth地球
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地球上百分六十的大型望遠鏡
04:30
will be located位於 in the Atacama阿塔卡馬,
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將會設於阿他加馬。
04:32
and while everyone大家 else其他
will be looking among其中 the stars明星
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當每個人在望著星星,
04:35
to answer回答 the question, "Are we alone單獨?"
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問:「地球是唯一有生物的地方嗎?」
04:38
I will be looking down to the ground地面
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我會在家中後院,望著地下,
04:40
searching搜索 for this same相同 answer回答
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尋找同一答案。
04:43
in my own擁有 backyard後院.
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04:44
Thank you.
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謝謝。
04:46
(Applause掌聲)
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(拍掌)
Translated by Kelly Yau
Reviewed by Helen Chang

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Armando Azua-Bustos - Astrobiologist
TED Fellow Armando Azua-Bustos studies how microbial life has adapted to survive in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on Earth.

Why you should listen
Astrobiologist Armando Azua-Bustos is the CEO of Atacama Biotech, where he's working to find and characterize species that are able to survive in the extreme conditions imposed by the Atacama Desert in Chile.
 
In the past few years, a range of different lifeforms have been discovered in the Atacama, showing fascinating adaptations to extremely low water availability, high UV radiation, high salinity and other environmental stresses. For these same reasons, the desert is considered as a good analog model of the planet Mars.
 
Azua-Bustos is a TED Fellow. He earned a PhD in molecular genetics and microbiology as well as an MSc in biological sciences and an MSc in biochemistry.
More profile about the speaker
Armando Azua-Bustos | Speaker | TED.com