for that extra edge in the bedroom. But, could science have a solution to our sexual woes?

到寢室中去享受是很難的，但是科學是否有可能解決我們性慾障礙？

It just might...

就只是可能

Sexual desire in both men and women is controlled by your hormones. When something triggers

性需求由男人和女人身上的荷爾蒙所控制。當某些事情觸發

you to be ‘turned on’, the brain and nervous system send signals to your pelvis, causing

你去「打開開關」，大腦和神經系統發出信號給你的骨盆，造成

blood vessels to dilate. You experience an increased heart rate, while your brain releases

血管膨脹。你體會到心跳加速，當你的大腦釋放

norepinephrine, dopamine and other pleasurable neurotransmitters which make it clear to your

正腎上腺素、多巴胺和其它使人快樂的神經傳送素，它使得身體清楚意識到

body that you’re having a good time.

你將會有一段美好的時光

And humans have long tried to enhance this biological response throughout history. Unfortunately,

貫穿整個歷史中，人類一直試著強化這個生理反應。不幸地，

there is no real scientific evidence to the pop culture myth that oysters, chocolate or

沒有真實科學證據證明，流行文化的迷思中所說的生蠔、巧克力

other so called ‘aphrodisiacs’ will make you horny. And while Viagra may prolong an

或其稱為「春藥」的東西會讓你變得飢渴。「偉哥」可能會延長

erection, contrary to popular belief, it actually doesn’t make you more aroused. It works

勃起的時間，但與大眾的思考相反，它其實不會讓你有激動的感覺。它的功用

solely to inhibit an enzyme so blood flow to the penis is increased, and only acts on

是單獨地禁止一種酵素使得血液流到陰莖增加，而且只作用在

the peripheral nervous system. So popping the blue pill won’t increase libido, nor

週邊的神經系統。所以使用藍色小藥丸不會增加性慾，也

will an erection occur without initial stimulation. Not to mention, it has no effect on women.

不會在第一次刺激時就勃起。更不用說，它對女人沒用

But it turns out that scientists may have mistakenly stumbled upon a new sex secret...

但顯然，它指出了科學家一直以來的錯誤，而發現了一個全新的性秘密

In an effort to create sunless tanning agents, scientists were researching melanocortin - a

在努力創造美黑劑的過程中，科學家研究了黑皮質素

specific protein in the brain which can control skin pigmentation. Except, when 10mg of the

一個大腦內特殊的蛋白質，它能夠控制皮膚色素沉著。除了當10毫克的

synthetic version called melanotan-II were injected in a male, an immediate and unstimulated

合成版本，叫做美拉諾坦二代，注射進一個男性立即發生而且用不刺激

erection lasting 8 full hours occurred along with nausea and vomiting. At 2.5 mg the erection

勃起持續了整整八小時伴隨著噁心和嘔吐現象。在注射2.5毫克勃起

lasted 2-3 hours with minimal nausea. But after bringing the dose to 1.25 mg, the males

持續了二到三個小時極微的嘔吐副作用。但後來試到1.25毫克，男性身上

were aroused and had consistent erections without any nausea. Surprisingly, this drug

這個藥物沒有任何作噁的情形。出人意外地，這個藥物

is now being effectively administered as a nasal spray - ‘sniff-a-stiff’ anyone?

現在有效地經營成一罐鼻噴霧劑推出「sniff-a-stiff」有人試過嗎？

On top of which, the drug works on females too.

除此之外，這個藥物對女性也有效

When female rats were injected, along with other hormones such as β-estradiol-3-benzoate

當母老鼠被注射其它荷爾蒙像是苯甲酸雌二醇

and progesterone, they increased hops, darts, and ear wiggling in front of their male counterparts.

和黃體激素。它們增加了跳動、疾走和耳朵擺動在它們男性對應的部份

These are all actions designed to cause sexual arousal, and invite male rats for sex.

這些行為全部被設計成產生喚起性慾，對公老鼠求偶

But, before you run out to find this seemingly miraculous love elixir, just know that it

在你起身去找這貌似愛情靈藥的同時，你要知道它

hasn’t been approved or regulated anywhere in the world yet. However, its derivative

還尚未被世上任何單位認可或管制。然而它衍生出

called bremelanotide, is currently undergoing human clinical trials as a potential treatment

稱為bremelanotide的藥物現在正在做人類臨床試驗，作為一個潛力發展項目

for a myriad of sexual disorders, such as female sexual arousal disorder. And since

針對大量性慾失調者，像是女性性冷感者

the main mode of action occurs directly in the central nervous system, it works on both sexes.

它主要作用形式直接地發生在中樞神經系統，而且它在兩性都有作用

So eat your avocados, oysters and chocolate for sustenance...and let science handle the

所以吃你的鱷梨、生蠔和巧克力當作食物就好…讓科學來處理

sex.

性愛

Special thanks to Audible.com for supporting this episode and giving you a free audio book

特別感謝Adible.com 支援這集和給你一個免費有聲書

of your choice at audible.com/asap. Audible is the leading provider of audiobooks with

你可以在 audible.com/asap 上選擇。Audible是領頭的有聲書供應商

over 150,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature. We recommend the book

有超過十五萬可以下載的書橫跨所有類型的文學。我們推薦這本

“Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End” which tackles how medicine can

「凝視死亡：一位外科醫師對衰老與死亡的思索」這本書會使你明白藥物

not only improve life, but the process of its ending. You can download this audio book

不只改善生活而且持續到它結束。你可以下載這個有聲書

or another of your choice, for free, at audible.com/asap. And with a subscription you get one free book

或你有其它選擇，在 audible.com/asap 上都是免費。只要訂閱，你就會得到一本免費的書看一個月

a month! Special thanks to Audible for making these videos possible!

特別感謝Audible能製作出這些影片

And subscribe for more weekly science videos!

記得訂閱更多每週科學影集