Thaaaaaat's a giant arthropod!

那那那是隻巨大的節肢動物(arthropod)！

It's question time, where you ask questions

現在是問答時間，你問我問題

and I provide some answers...

然後我給你些答案...

and wave my arms around a lot.

然後手揮來揮去

Here we go!

開始吧！

Theonewiththepoof asked:

Theonewiththepoof 問： 到菲爾德博物館之後最令你感興趣的是？

Trilobites!

三葉蟲(Trilobites)！

And you ask, what is a trilobite?

你問，三葉蟲是什麼？

A trilobite is an early arthropod!

三葉蟲是一種早期的節肢動物！

What's an arthropod?

什麼是節肢動物呢？

An arthropod-

節肢動物...

is a hard bodied invertebrate like our modern day lobsters and insects.

...是一種硬體無脊椎動物(invertebrate)，像我們現在的龍蝦和昆蟲

Trilobites existed on the planet from about 521 to 250 million years ago,

三葉蟲生活在地球上約5.21億至2.5億年前

and as of right now, we know of about 20,000 different species.

而目前為止，我們知道大約20,000種不同的三葉蟲品種

These tiny little, and sometimes really large, invertebrates

這些小小的，有的時候非常大的無脊椎動物

were roaming all over the planet and they're just so cool.

遍布整個地球。他們真的太酷了！

Maura Griffith, @maurasaurus_rex, asked:

Maura Griffith，@maurasaurus_rex 問： 你覺得哪方面比較重要：博物館幕後的科學研究還是對大眾有關館藏的教育？

I mean there are entire museum studies courses that are devoted to picking apart this very question,

其實，有些博物館研究課程專門在研究這個問題

because you have places that call themselves museums,

因為有些自稱博物館的地方

but they don't have a collection.

但他們沒有任何的庫藏

Some museums do a much better job of educating the public than others

有一些博物館的大眾教育做得比別人好

and really engaging them in what is going on behind the scenes,

且邀請大眾參與他們的幕後研究

but at the same time, if we aren't taking the proper care

但同時的，如果我們沒有提供文物

to take care of our collections, then what do we have to share?

適當的照顧，我們要拿什麼來分享給大家呢？

So I really feel like there could be a happy balance struck between

所以我覺得可以在照顧好文物並確定幕後持續研究，

taking care of the collections items and ensuring that research is still happening behind the scenes,

並確定幕後持續研究，

and also helping to better communicate that research to the public,

和同時將這些研究跟大眾溝通的之間取得平衡

which is where The Brain Scoop comes in.

這就是 The Brain Scoop 有用的地方

Northernredwood asked:

Northernredwood 問： 菲爾德博物館裡，哪一件文物是從最遠的地方來的？

Meteorites from space!

從太空來的隕石！

But really, we've got everything from the highest peaks to the deepest oceans

不過說真的，我們有從最高的山峰到最深的海洋

from Madagascar to Chile, to Antarctica, and everything in between.

從馬達加斯加到智利，到南極，以及之間的任何東西

Jim Slaughter, @jimmyslaughter, asked:

Jim Slaughter，@jimmyslaughter 問： 你在到芝加哥前知道菲爾德博物館想要娉請你嗎？還是這完全是個驚喜？

I really had no idea.

我真的不知道

Heather Hsu got in contact with Michael and me to see if we would be interested

海瑟‧許和我與麥可聯絡，問我們有沒有興趣

in visiting Chicago to film their annual Members' Night event, so of course we agreed.

拜訪芝加哥來拍攝菲爾德博物館的年度會員之夜活動，我們當然答應了

Once we got here, The Field Museum allowed us to film behind the scenes

當我們來到這裡，菲爾德博物館讓我們拍攝他們的幕後工程

to see what was going on with the researchers and the staff here at the museum.

參觀研究人員和博物館工作人員在博物館裡做些什麼工作

They lured me into a conference room with the promise of cookies

他們把我引誘到一間會議室裡，跟我說裡面有餅乾

and we were sitting there, and Bill Stanley and I were talking

比爾‧史丹利跟我坐在那邊聊天

about how cool it would be if The Field Museum could do something kinda like The Brain Scoop

談些有關如果菲爾德博物館可以做一些像 The Brain Scoop 的內容會有多酷

and he said, "That'd be really cool. Why don't you do it?"

然後他說：「哪會很棒。不然你來做吧？」

And I said, "What?"

然後我說：「蛤？」

And he said, "We want you to work here."

然後他說：「我們想請你在這工作。」

And I don't remember the rest of the conversation

我不記得接下來的談話內容

because my brain turned to soup.

因為我的腦袋整個融化了

Bytheletterc asks:

Bytheletterc 問： 標本剝制師也要同時雕塑動物標本的基底嗎？還是他們會跟雕刻家合作來作出他們想要的動作和體型？

The taxidermists are the sculptors!

標本剝制師就是雕刻家！

Taxidermy is as much of an art form as it is a science.

標本製作是一門藝術，就跟它是一門科學一樣

All taxidermists have to be avid observers of nature

所有的剝制師都必須是個熱衷的自然觀察家

because it is their job to recreate the essence of life after death.

因為重現動物活著時的本質是他們工作的目標

So, if you're interested in finding a career that will

所以說，如果你在尋找一種

happily marry both science and art,

可以愉快地結和科學與藝術職業

the first obvious choice is to be a scientific illustrator,

最顯而易見的選擇是做一個科學插畫家

the second is to probably pursue taxidermy,

再來就是從事標本製作了

but that doesn't mean there aren't other career options available.

但是，這並不代表沒有其他的職業選擇。

TBSkyen, or T-B-S-K-Y-E-N-I-don't-know-how-to-pronounce-your-name, asked:

TBSkyen，還是 T-B-S-K-Y-E-N-我-不-知-道-你-名-字-怎-麼-念 問： 你看認為你的人生使命是什麼？

To get as many people as possible excited about

讓盡可能更多人了解我們集體生存的可能性有多低

the incredible unlikelihood of our collective existence.

並為我們的集體生存感到興奮

Aurusallos asked:

Aurusallos 問： 有人在和你準備標本時因為不能招架那噁心的程度，只好離開嗎？你對他失望嗎？

A few years ago, I had a new volunteer in the lab

在幾年前，我的實驗室裡有一個新的志工

helping me to dissect and clean the skull of a bobcat.

她幫我解剖和清理一隻山貓的頭骨

It came in with all the fur on the head and everything,

那隻山貓進來時還很完整，包含皮跟頭跟其他東西

and she did really well during the process,

她在過程中表現得非常好

but I couldn't ever get her to come back again.

可是我永遠沒辦法說服她再回來

I felt really bad about it and I guess

我覺得非常的愧疚

it's probably because it looked a lot like a house cat,

可能是因為山貓看起來很像普通的家貓吧

but I never judge anybody if they can't "handle" what's going on in the lab

但我從來不會對一個人做評價，就因為他不能「招架」實驗室裡的東西

or if they think it's too gross, because, honestly, at the end of the day,

或是覺得噁心，因為說實話，到頭來

I'm just really proud of them for giving it a try.

他們願意來嘗試讓我感到很驕傲

Drawingforawesome askes:

Drawingforawesome 問： 當你在解剖一隻動物時，你通常會檢查它胃裡的內容嗎？那你看過最奇怪的東西是什麼？

One time I was watching a colleague dissect a beaver

有一次，我在看一個同事解剖一隻海狸

and when it got time to opening up the stomach it just-

當他剖開肚子的時候，裡面都是...

...was a bunch of sawdust. And, I mean,

...是一堆木屑。我是說，

I know beavers eat trees, that totally makes sense,

我知道海狸吃樹，這完全是有道理的，

But I just was not prepared for how well digested it was,

但我從來不知道它消化得多好

and it- it looked like a dust collecting bag from a table saw.

它...它看起來就像從一個桌鋸集塵袋。

It was intense.

還滿刺激的

Katherinethegreat asks:

Katherinethegreat 問： 你認為你是一位科學家嗎？雖然你沒有正式（例如：大學）的科學訓練？

By definition, a scientist is somebody who is either studying

根據定義，「科學家」是一個在學習科學的人

or an expert in one or more of the physical or natural sciences,

或者在一個物理或自然科學的專家

a science being a state of knowledge or constant pursuit of learning.

「科學」是一種知識，或是不斷追求學習的狀態。

By definition, we are all scientists.

根據定義，我們都是科學家。

You, investing in The Brain Scoop and what museums do, are scientists.

對 The Brain Scoop 和有關博物館的運作有興趣的你，是科學家。

You're pursuing knowledge in the field.

你在追求知識

So, given those standards, I would say, yeah, I'm a scientist.

所以，考慮到這些標準，我會說，是的，我是一個科學家。

As are you.

你也是

Zeroarcana asks:

Zeroarcana 問： 你認為有博物館的一部分被低估或是沒有得到應有的重視嗎？

It's unfortunately not common knowledge that a lot of the dioramas

不幸的是，大家都不知道這些在鳥類和哺乳類的

down in birds and mammals are close to 100 years old,

立體情景模型已經接近快100歲了

and they've been entirely sealed up to prevent any dust from settling or damaging the specimens.

他們被完全密封，以防止任何灰塵囤積或損壞標本。

Or, that an exhibit like Plants of the World could never be recreated today

或是，像「世界的植物」這樣的展覽已經不可能在今日重現

because each leaf on every plant in that hall

因為在那個展廳裡的每株植物的每片葉子

was molded and sculpted and painted by hand!

都是以手工成型、雕塑、和上色的！

42Dude asked:

42Dude 問： 菲爾德博物館所有的館藏大概值多少錢？

Even though everything from art works to artifacts can end up at auction,

儘管一切從藝術作品到文物，從寶石畫到化石，礦物，

literally everything from gems to paintings to fossils and minerals,

都可以被放到拍賣會上

that doesn't mean that these things inherently have a monetary value.

這並不代表著這些東西本身具有貨幣價值

Because how can you really put a value on an entire ecosystem

因為你怎麼幫整個生態系統標價？

or an entire culture of people?

或整個文明和它的居民？

You can't. You won't find anybody in a museum who assigns that kind of value to our collection.

沒辦法。你不會在博物館裡找到任何一個人的工作是幫我們的館藏標價。

I would argue that everything we have here is invaluable.

我認為，我們有的所有文物都是無價的。

The real question is though, is having access to this invaluable material worth the $15 admission price?

真正的問題是，能夠使用這些無價的資源值得15美元的門票嗎？