You ever heard that turtles can breathe through their butts?

你聽說過烏龜可以用屁股呼吸嗎？

Turtles can breathe through their butts?

烏龜能用屁股呼吸？

Well… that's not really true.

其實......這不是真的。

When turtles are locked under the ice, hibernating over winter with no way to surface and breathe air, they actually absorb oxygen through their skin.

當海龜被關在冰下冬眠，無法浮出水面呼吸空氣時，它們實際上是通過皮膚吸收氧氣。

There are a tiny handful of turtle species in Australia that can absorb oxygen through their you-know-whats though, so the snowman didn't completely lie to us.

不過，澳洲有極少數海龜可以通過自己的 "你知道 "吸收氧氣，所以雪人並沒有完全騙我們。

But turtles are an example of how nature's had to come up with some crazy ways to survive harsh winters.

但是，海龜是大自然不得不想出一些瘋狂辦法來度過嚴冬的一個例子。

This lemur reduces its heart rate from over 300 beats per minute down to 6, and can go 10 minutes without breathing.

這種狐猴能將心率從每分鐘 300 多次降至 6 次，並能在 10 分鐘內不呼吸。

And don't even get me started on bears.

別跟我提熊。

They don't eat for months during winter, so they recycle nutrients in their pee to keep their muscles from wasting away before spring.

它們在冬季有幾個月不吃東西，所以它們會在尿液中回收營養，以防止肌肉在春天來臨前萎縮。

Turns out there's a ton of animals that are able to put their biology on slow-mo to survive in the cold or when resources are scarce.

原來，有很多動物都能把自己的生物鐘調慢，以便在寒冷或資源匱乏的環境中生存。

But if all these other animals can fast-forward through winter by slowing down or pressing pause, why can't we humans hibernate?

但是，如果所有這些其他動物都能通過放慢速度或按下暫停鍵來快進冬天，為什麼我們人類就不能冬眠呢？

Think of all the potential benefits, like extensive nap time, no more shoveling snow, interplanetary space travel.

想想所有潛在的好處，比如大量的午睡時間、不再剷雪、星際太空旅行。

But seriously, figuring out how to help humans hibernate might be a key to going where no human has gone before.

不過說真的，找到幫助人類冬眠的方法可能是人類走向未知領域的關鍵。

So let's explore what hibernation is, and what it isn't, so that you can appreciate the incredible creativity of nature when it comes to surviving, and to find out if fat bears and sleepy squirrels might hold the secret to becoming an interplanetary species.

是以，讓我們來探討一下冬眠是什麼，它又不是什麼，這樣你就能欣賞到大自然在生存方面令人難以置信的創造力，並找出肥胖的熊和昏昏欲睡的松鼠是否可能蘊藏著成為星際物種的祕密。

INTRO Before we get back to the video, me and my friend Carl are here to say a big thank you to everyone who supports the show on Patreon.

開場 在我們開始播放視頻之前，我和我的朋友卡爾在這裡向所有在 Patreon 上支持我們節目的人表示衷心的感謝。

Like these fine folks at our top tier.

就像我們最高層的這些優秀人士一樣。

Do you know how much money it costs every month to just feed Carl?

你知道每個月光是養活卡爾就要花多少錢嗎？

Shhh, I'm talking.

噓，我在說話。

Well, not very much actually.

其實也不是很多。

But making educational content like we make does require a lot of resources, and we literally could not do it without the support of our patrons.

但是，製作像我們這樣的教育內容確實需要大量資源，沒有贊助人的支持，我們根本無法做到這一點。

So if you like our videos and you'd like to join our club, there's a link down in the description where you can learn more.

是以，如果您喜歡我們的視頻並想加入我們的俱樂部，描述中有一個鏈接可以讓您瞭解更多資訊。

We have some cool perks, like you get to see these videos before anybody else.

我們有一些很酷的特權，比如你可以搶先看到這些視頻。

Help us figure out the next videos we're going to do in the future, and maybe I'll let you talk to Carl.

幫我們想好未來要做的下一個視頻，也許我會讓你和卡爾談談。

Okay, back over there.

好吧，回到那裡。

Winter is a tough time to be an animal.

對於動物來說，冬天是個難熬的季節。

It's really stinking cold, so they have to burn even more calories to stay warm.

天氣實在太冷了，所以他們必須消耗更多的熱量來取暖。

But the days are shorter, and food is scarce, so if animals are going to outlive and outlast until spring, they really have three options.

但是，白晝變短，食物匱乏，所以如果動物們要想活到春天，活得更久，其實有三個選擇。

One, they can push through and keep hunting for food throughout the winter months.

其一，它們可以挺過整個冬季，繼續覓食。

Two, they can leave winter behind by migrating or moving to another warmer habitat.

其二，它們可以通過遷徙或遷移到另一個更溫暖的棲息地來告別冬天。

Or three, they can dig in and ride out winter by slowing down the processes of life.

第三，它們可以通過放慢生命進程來躲過寒冬。

Hibernation.

冬眠

Let's get a few things straight before we look at all the ways animals slow down life and go dormant.

在瞭解動物減緩生活節奏和進入休眠狀態的所有方法之前，讓我們先弄清楚幾件事。

Pretty much every animal that goes dormant does this by slowing down their metabolism, ratcheting down how much energy they burn inside their cells, and also by slowing down their bodily processes.

幾乎所有進入休眠狀態的動物都會減緩新陳代謝，減少細胞內的能量消耗，同時也會減緩身體的運作過程。

That means a slower heartbeat, slower breathing, and a lower body temperature.

這意味著心跳減慢、呼吸減慢、體溫降低。

This sounds like deep sleep, but it isn't.

這聽起來像是深度睡眠，其實不然。

Think of it like this.

這樣想吧。

Sleep is like keeping your car's engine running, even if you aren't driving it, because keeping the engine warm makes it easier to hit the road again when you wake up.

睡眠就像保持汽車發動機運轉一樣，即使你沒有駕駛它，因為保持發動機的溫度會讓你在醒來時更容易再次上路。

What these animals do is like turning the engine off.

這些動物的所作所為就像關掉了發動機。

It saves energy, but it takes longer to rev up.

它可以節省能源，但需要更長的時間來啟動。

There are lots of different types of dormancy that can last from days to months.

休眠期有很多種，從幾天到幾個月不等。

For instance, many hummingbirds enter a state called torpor every night, so they don't starve to death.

例如，許多蜂鳥每天晚上都會進入一種叫做 "倦怠 "的狀態，這樣它們就不會餓死。

Hummingbird metabolism is absolutely nuts.

蜂鳥的新陳代謝絕對瘋狂。

During the day, hummingbirds have to eat every 10 minutes to stay alive, the equivalent of a human eating 155,000 calories a day.

在白天，蜂鳥必須每 10 分鐘進食一次才能維持生命，這相當於人類每天攝入 15.5 萬卡路里的熱量。

What?

什麼？

But at night, hummingbirds can't really feed.

但在夜間，蜂鳥無法真正覓食。

And since it's cooler when the sun's down, they'd have to burn more energy to stay warm anyway.

而且，太陽下山時氣溫較低，他們必須燃燒更多的能量才能保持溫暖。

So at night, hummingbirds drastically reduce how much energy they burn, sometimes lowering body temperature by as much as 50 degrees.

是以，蜂鳥在夜間會大幅減少能量消耗，有時會將體溫降低 50 度。

Other animals enter estivation, a type of slowdown that happens during extremely hot and dry periods.

其他動物會進入休眠期，這是一種在極度炎熱和乾燥時期出現的減速現象。

Like water-holding frogs, which cocoon themselves in mucus and bury themselves alive to slow down water loss.

就像蓄水的青蛙一樣，它們用粘液結繭，把自己活埋起來，以減緩水分的流失。

It's a living.

這是一種生活。

And then there's brumation, unique to some reptiles.

還有一些爬行動物特有的冬眠現象。

Ectothermic animals like these scaly boys rely on external heat to maintain their body temperature.

像這些鱗片男孩一樣的外溫動物依靠外部熱量來維持體溫。

And since ectothermic animals can't generate their own body heat, cold temperatures force them into a sluggish, lethargic state, kind of like a teenager on Saturday morning.

由於外溫動物無法產生自身的體溫，低溫迫使它們陷入呆滯、昏睡的狀態，有點像週六早上的青少年。

Their cells cool, and the machinery of life slows down, sort of how it's harder to stir peanut butter out of the fridge versus at room temperature.

它們的細胞變冷，生命機器的運轉就會變慢，就像從冰箱裡拿出花生醬比在室溫下更難攪拌一樣。

Many reptiles use dens or burrows to protect themselves during brumation.

許多爬行動物在冬眠期間會使用巢穴或洞穴來保護自己。

But others, like wood frogs, stay near the surface, basically turning into frog popsicles, thanks to special compounds in their blood that work like antifreeze to protect themselves from damage by ice crystals.

但也有一些青蛙，比如林蛙，會呆在地表附近，基本上變成了青蛙冰棒，這要歸功於它們血液中的特殊化合物，這種化合物就像防凍劑一樣，能保護它們免受冰晶的傷害。

But mammals do winter dormancy a little differently, through hibernation, a kind of torpor on steroids.

不過，哺乳動物的冬季休眠方式有點不同，它們是通過冬眠來度過的，冬眠是一種打了類固醇的休眠。

For starters, hibernation is limited to animals that produce their own body heat, so reptiles need not apply.

首先，冬眠僅限於能產生自身體溫的動物，所以爬行動物不需要冬眠。

And it's almost exclusively seen in mammals.

這種現象幾乎只出現在哺乳動物身上。

Hibernation is triggered when the days get shorter, temperatures cool off, and food becomes more scarce.

當白晝變短、氣溫降低、食物變得更加稀缺時，就會引發冬眠。

Also, when pumpkin spice lattes hit Starbucks.

此外，當南瓜香料拿鐵在星巴克大受歡迎時。

Scientists believe this fires up special neurons in the animal's hypothalamus, which controls functions like hunger, metabolism, body temperature, heart rate, breathing, and sleep.

科學家們認為，這會激發動物下丘腦中的特殊神經元，從而控制飢餓、新陳代謝、體溫、心率、呼吸和睡眠等功能。

Basically all the bodily functions that change during hibernation.

基本上所有的身體機能都會在冬眠期間發生變化。

Those neurons send chemical messages in hibernator's blood, telling the body it's time to slow down.

這些神經元會在冬眠者的血液中傳遞化學資訊，告訴身體該減速了。

Exactly what kicks off hibernation is still a bit of a mystery, but we know a lot more about what changes happen next.

究竟是什麼啟動了冬眠，這仍然是個謎，但我們對接下來發生的變化有了更多的瞭解。

Leading up to hibernation season, these animals have usually been eating a lot.

在冬眠季節到來之前，這些動物通常會吃很多東西。

Looking at you here, fat bears.

胖熊們，看你們的了

Those extra calories are converted to brown fat.

這些額外的熱量會轉化為棕色脂肪。

Brown fat is full of mitochondria.

棕色脂肪富含線粒體。

The powerhouse of the cell!

細胞的動力源

Wow, I didn't know we still had that animation.

哇，我都不知道我們還有這種動畫。

All those mitochondria make brown fat better at producing heat when the fat is burned, which helps mammals stay warm without relying on more energy-intensive things like shivering.

所有這些線粒體使棕色脂肪在燃燒時更能產生熱量，這有助於哺乳動物保持溫暖，而無需依靠顫抖等更耗能的方式。

Many hibernators drop their body temperatures by an average of 5 to 10 degrees Celsius.

許多冬眠者的體溫平均會下降 5 到 10 攝氏度。

The biggest swing happens in arctic ground squirrels.

最大的波動發生在北極地松鼠身上。

They go from a 37 degree body temperature to as cold as minus 3 degrees.

它們的體溫從 37 度到零下 3 度。

Every once in a while during hibernation, when things get too chilly, these squirrels and other hibernators briefly stir to shiver, burn more fat, and then it's back to hibernation.

在冬眠期間，每隔一段時間，當天氣變得太冷時，這些松鼠和其他冬眠者就會短暫地蹬腿發抖，燃燒更多的脂肪，然後又繼續冬眠。

That's one misconception about hibernation.

這是對冬眠的一種誤解。

Even though it lasts for months, most hibernators do wake up occasionally.

儘管冬眠會持續幾個月，但大多數冬眠者偶爾也會醒來。

Scientists think maybe their immune systems need to turn on to deal with a germ.

科學家們認為，也許它們的免疫系統需要開啟來對付病菌。

Or because they simply get too cold, like our squirrel friend.

或者是因為它們太冷了，就像我們的松鼠朋友一樣。

Ironically, research shows hibernators don't actually sleep.

具有諷刺意味的是，研究表明冬眠者實際上並不睡覺。

So if you ever come across a bear in springtime, keep in mind they're probably pretty cranky.

是以，如果您在春天遇到熊，請記住它們可能非常暴躁。

By now you're probably wondering about bathroom breaks.

現在，您可能已經對上廁所的時間產生了疑問。

And I don't blame you, since the whole point of hibernation is slowing down metabolism.

我不怪你，因為冬眠的意義就在於減緩新陳代謝。

Hibernating animals don't really produce much waste.

冬眠的動物其實不會產生太多廢物。

Some hibernators may release tiny amounts of waste during their chill, but more often they just recycle that water and waste back into their bodies.

有些冬眠者可能會在寒冷時排出少量廢物，但更多時候它們只是將水和廢物回收到體內。

Bears famously don't pee or poop all winter, even building up this hard, dried fecal plug in their colon to act as… well, a lot like what the drain plug in the bathtub does.

熊是出了名的整個冬天都不大小便的動物，它們甚至會在結腸裡堆積這種堅硬、乾燥的糞便塞子，以起到......嗯，就像浴缸裡的排水塞子一樣的作用。

Hibernation also comes with some pretty big benefits.

冬眠也有很多好處。

Small mammals are five times less likely to die when hibernating than when trying to last out the winter.

小型哺乳動物在冬眠時的死亡機率要比試圖熬過冬天時低五倍。

And a lack of movement and smell makes it harder for predators to find hibernating prey.

由於缺乏運動和嗅覺，捕食者更難找到冬眠的獵物。

And hibernators even live longer than non-hibernating species of the same size.

冬眠動物甚至比同樣大小的非冬眠物種壽命更長。

While science isn't exactly sure why, studies on marmots suggest that hibernating could slow down the aging process.

雖然科學界還不清楚原因，但對旱獺的研究表明，冬眠可以延緩衰老。

So feel free to add that to your self-care routine.

是以，請隨意將其添加到你的自我保健程序中。

Which brings us to an interesting question.

這就引出了一個有趣的問題。

Why don't humans hibernate?

人類為什麼不冬眠？

And could we?

我們能嗎？

Unfortunately, hibernation's not really in the human repertoire.

不幸的是，人類並不擅長冬眠。

Humans evolved in Africa, a continent that's not exactly famous for igloos or skiing.

人類在非洲進化，而非洲大陸並不以冰屋或滑雪而聞名。

And because humans are omnivorous, we had year-round food choices.

因為人類是雜食性動物，所以我們一年四季都有食物可供選擇。

So with no winters or severe food shortages, hibernation just wasn't something we had to evolve to do.

是以，在沒有冬季或嚴重食物短缺的情況下，冬眠並不是我們必須進化的事情。

But the biggest reason humans don't hibernate is our brains.

但人類不冬眠的最大原因是我們的大腦。

Instead of evolving to hibernate, we became problem solvers.

我們沒有進化成冬眠者，而是成為了問題解決者。

Winters get too cold?

冬天太冷？

We'll make clothes.

我們要做衣服

And fire.

還有火

Not enough food?

食物不夠？

No worries.

不用擔心。

We'll learn how to store food to eat it later.

我們將學習如何儲存食物，以便日後食用。

And if things get too bad, we'll just pack up and migrate.

如果情況變得太糟糕，我們就收拾行李遷移。

No hibernation necessary.

無需冬眠

Not only that, hibernation causes cognitive loss.

不僅如此，冬眠還會導致認知能力下降。

During hibernation, mammals lose half to two-thirds of their brain's synapses.

在冬眠期間，哺乳動物會失去一半到三分之二的大腦突觸。

Like bears have to relearn certain smells after hibernating.

就像熊在冬眠後必須重新學習某些氣味一樣。

But while humans don't hibernate now, some of our ancient ancestors may have hibernated around half a million years ago.

不過，雖然人類現在不冬眠了，但我們的一些遠古祖先可能在大約 50 萬年前就冬眠了。

That means the genetic programming for hibernation might be lurking around in some ancient part of our DNA.

這意味著冬眠的基因程序可能潛伏在我們 DNA 的某個古老部分。

Scientists are working to crack that code, because figuring out how to put humans in hibernation could help us treat traumatic injuries and severe illnesses by sort of slowing down time inside the body.

科學家們正在努力破解這一密碼，因為弄清如何讓人類進入冬眠狀態，可以幫助我們通過減緩體內時間來治療創傷和重病。

It could also help us live longer, thanks to the anti-aging benefits seen in some hibernators.

它還能幫助我們延年益壽，這要歸功於某些冬眠動物的抗衰老功效。

And perhaps most interestingly, it's an important tool we might need for space travel.

也許最有趣的是，它是我們在太空旅行中可能需要的重要工具。

The nearest potentially habitable planet to Earth orbits the star Proxima Centauri.

距離地球最近的潛在宜居行星圍繞著半人馬座比鄰星運行。

Getting there, using current technology, would require a more than 6,000 year journey.

利用現有技術到達那裡需要 6000 多年的旅程。

That's why NASA started researching the possibility of human hibernation in 2014.

是以，美國國家航空航天局於2014年開始研究人類冬眠的可能性。

The research started with what we already know, that cold temperatures can slow down human metabolic processes, just like other mammals.

研究的出發點是我們已經知道的，即低溫會減緩人類的新陳代謝過程，就像其他哺乳動物一樣。

We already use therapeutic hypothermia in certain health emergencies, like heart attacks.

我們已經在某些緊急情況下使用治療性低溫療法，如心臟病發作。

But it's a lot trickier and more dangerous to extend that process for weeks, months, or years.

但是，如果要將這一過程延長數週、數月或數年，則要棘手得多，也危險得多。

While temperature can help slow down our metabolism, we have to figure out a way to keep our bodies from starving themselves in the process.

雖然溫度可以幫助我們減緩新陳代謝，但我們必須想辦法讓身體在這個過程中不至於餓壞。

Hibernation also slows down our immune systems, making us more susceptible to diseases.

冬眠還會減緩我們的免疫系統，使我們更容易生病。

Remember how bears don't poop during hibernation?

還記得熊在冬眠期間不會大便嗎？

Well, we would have to in order to avoid sepsis and other really nasty things.

為了避免敗血症和其他非常糟糕的情況，我們必須這樣做。

So if you've got a solution to that, call NASA.

所以，如果你有解決這個問題的辦法，請給美國宇航局打電話。

These are obviously big hurdles for science to overcome.

這些顯然是科學需要克服的巨大障礙。

And yet, NASA's study found that there aren't really any fundamental biological reasons humans couldn't hibernate, it's just that our technology hasn't caught up with the problem yet.

然而，美國國家航空航天局的研究發現，人類不能冬眠其實並沒有什麼根本的生物學原因，只是我們的技術還沒有跟上這個問題。

And maybe when it does, we'll be one step closer to a future napping like fat bears amongst the stars.

也許到那時，我們就離像胖熊一樣在星空中打盹的未來更近了一步。

Stay curious.

保持好奇心

That last one's not yet proven.

最後一條尚未得到證實。