been a huge divide between what people

在過去，

consider to be non-living systems on one

有一個很大的鴻溝界於人,

side, and living systems on the other side.

認為非生命系統的這一邊

So we go from, say, this beautiful and

和生命系統的另外一邊。

complex crystal as non-life, and this rather

我們從這個美麗

beautiful and complex cat on the other side.

且複雜的非生命晶體，然後到

Over the last hundred and fifty years or so,

另一邊美麗且複雜的貓。

science has kind of blurred this distinction

過去的一百五十年左右,

between non-living and living systems, and

科學家模糊了這樣

now we consider that there may be a kind

在於非生命與生命系統之間的界限,

of continuum that exists between the two.

現在我們認為有一種

We'll just take one example here:

在於這二者之間的連續變化。

a virus is a natural system, right?

我們先來看看這個例子:

But it's very simple. It's very simplistic.

一個病毒是一個自然系統，對嗎？

It doesn't really satisfy all the requirements,

但是它非常簡單，它太過簡單了。

it doesn't have all the characteristics

它無法完全滿足所有的需求。

of living systems and is in fact a parasite

它沒有生命系統的

on other living systems in order to, say,

所有特質，而事實上它是寄生

reproduce and evolve.

在其他生命系統上來

But what we're going to be talking about here

繁殖和演化。

tonight are experiments done on this sort of

但是我們今晚將要在這裡

non-living end of this spectrum -- so actually

討論的是在非生命這部份

doing chemical experiments in the laboratory,

所作的實驗，實際上

mixing together nonliving ingredients

在實驗室裡所做的化學實驗

to make new structures, and that these

混合了非生命的成分

new structures might have some of the

產生了新的結構，而且這些

characteristics of living systems.

新的結構也許有些

Really what I'm talking about here is

生命系統的特性。

trying to create a kind of artificial life.

我在這裡所要說的是

So what are these characteristics that I'm

試著創造一種新的人造生命。

talking about? These are them.

那麼在我剛剛所談到的

We consider first that life has a body.

有什麼特性呢？它們是如下：

Now this is necessary to distinguish the self

我們首先認為生命是有一個身體。

from the environment.

現在有必要把個體從環境中

Life also has a metabolism. Now this is a

區分出來。

process by which life can convert resources

生命會新陳代謝，現在這是一個

from the environment into building blocks

生命轉換的過程，從環境中

so it can maintain and build itself.

的元素到構成要素,

Life also has a kind of inheritable information.

它可以維護並建造本身。

Now we, as humans, we store our information

生命有繼承的資訊。

as DNA in our genomes and we pass this

我們人類現在，在基因裡的DNA

information on to our offspring.

儲存資訊，然後傳遞

If we couple the first two -- the body and the metabolism --

這些訊息給我們的子孫。

we can come up with a system that could

假如我們連結這二個--身體及代謝--

perhaps move and replicate, and if we

我們可以得到一個可以移動

coupled these now to inheritable information,

且複製的系統，假如我們

we can come up with a system that would be

連結這些來繼承資訊,

more lifelike, and would perhaps evolve.

我們可以得到一個系統，那是

And so these are the things we will try to do

更像是生命的，也許可以進化。

in the lab, make some experiments that have

這是我們將要試著

one or more of these characteristics of life.

在實驗室裡做的，做出一些實驗可

So how do we do this? Well, we use

有一個或多個特性的生命。

a model system that we term a protocell.

我們如何辦到呢？我們使用

You might think of this as kind of like a

一個模型系統，我們稱之為原生細胞。

primitive cell. It is a simple chemical

你可以想像這個東西像是一個

model of a living cell, and if you consider

原始的細胞，他是一個活細胞的

for example a cell in your body may have

簡單化學模型，你可以把他看成

on the order of millions of different types

一個細胞，在你的身體裡也許有

of molecules that need to come together,

不同類型的百萬個

play together in a complex network

分子需要組成在一塊,

to produce something that we call alive.

組成一個複雜的網絡

In the laboratory what we want to do

來產生我們賴以維生的東西。

is much the same, but with on the order of

在實驗室裡，我們要做的

tens of different types of molecules --

就是像這樣，但是十種

so a drastic reduction in complexity, but still

不同分子的順序--

trying to produce something that looks lifelike.

在複雜度上是大幅減少，但仍

And so what we do is, we start simple

要產生像是真的生命型態。

and we work our way up to living systems.

所以我們這樣做，我們開始

Consider for a moment this quote by

用自己的方式產生生命系統。

Leduc, a hundred years ago, considering a

考慮一下這句在

kind of synthetic biology:

一百多年前的話，勒度克認為

"The synthesis of life, should it ever occur,

合成生物學:

will not be the sensational discovery which we

「生命的組成，應該是不斷發生,

usually associate with the idea."

不會有令人興奮的事情被發現,

That's his first statement. So if we actually

因我們已認為是這樣 。」

create life in the laboratories, it's

這是他第一個聲明，如果我們真的

probably not going to impact our lives at all.

在實驗室裡創造了生命,

"If we accept the theory of evolution, then

也許也不會對我們的生命造成衝擊。

the first dawn of synthesis of life must consist

「假如我們接受進化論，

in the production of forms intermediate

合成生命的曙光一定

between the inorganic and the organic

在生產過程中,

world, or between the non-living

從無機到有機體

and living world, forms which possess

的世界，或是從非生命

only some of the rudimentary attributes of life"

到生命世界，產生

-- so, the ones I just discussed --

只有生命的一些基本特性」

"to which other attributes will be slowly added

所以，這個是我剛提到的

in the course of development by the

「會慢慢的增加其他特性

evolutionary actions of the environment."

在這個發展過程

So we start simple, we make some structures

與環境互動的演化」。

that may have some of these characteristics

所以我們開始製做一些簡單的結構,

of life, and then we try to develop that

一些有生命的特性，

to become more lifelike.

而且我們試著發展

This is how we can start to make a protocell.

令到可以更像是生命。

We use this idea called self-assembly.

這是我們開始製做一個原生細胞的方法。

What that means is, I can mix some

我們用一個叫做自我組合的觀點。

chemicals together in a test tube in my lab,

意思是說，我可以在我的實驗室

and these chemicals will start to self-associate

結合一些化學物質,

to form larger and larger structures.

這些化學物質會開始自我聯合

So say on the order of tens of thousands,

變成大一點的結構。

hundreds of thousands of molecules will

依此順序，從幾萬到

come together to form a large structure

幾十萬的分子會

that didn't exist before.

組合在一起形成一個從未

And in this particular example,

存在過的大型結構。

what I took is some membrane molecules,

在這個例子中,

mixed those together in the right environment,

我將一些膜分子

and within seconds it forms these rather

混合在這個環境中,

complex and beautiful structures here.

在短時間內，它就形成了

These membranes are also quite similar,

複雜且漂亮的結構。

morphologically and functionally,

在形態和功能上

to the membranes in your body,

這些膜相當類似

and we can use these, as they say,

你身體裡的膜,

to form the body of our protocell.

我們可以使用這些

Likewise,

來形成原生細胞的主體。

we can work with oil and water systems.

就像

As you know, when you put oil and water together,

我們可以在油和水的系統中作業。

they don't mix, but through self-assembly

你知道，當你把油和水放在一起,

we can get a nice oil droplet to form,

他們不會混合，但經過組裝

and we can actually use this as a body for

我們可以得到一個油滴液,

our artificial organism or for our protocell,

我們可以用這個當一個主體

as you will see later.

做為人工有機體或是原生細胞,

So that's just forming some body stuff, right?

你等一下會看到。

Some architectures.

這是剛成型的身體，對嗎？

What about the other aspects of living systems?

一些架構。

So we came up with this protocell model here

在生命系統的其他方面會是如何？

that I'm showing.

所以我們想出了原生細胞的模型,

We started with a natural occurring clay

我現在顯示出來。

called montmorillonite.

我們開始用天然的粘土

This is natural from the environment, this clay.

叫做蒙脫石。

It forms a surface that is, say, chemically active.

存在於天然的環境中，這種粘土

It could run a metabolism on it.

會形成一個表面，這是化學活性。

Certain kind of molecules like to associate

它會執行代謝程序。

with the clay. For example, in this case, RNA, shown in red

這個粘土喜歡與某種

-- this is a relative of DNA,

分子相連，舉例來說，像紅色的 RNA--

it's an informational molecule --

這是相對的 DNA,

it can come along and it starts to associate

這是帶有訊息的分子--

with the surface of this clay.

它開始是單獨的，然後與其他

This structure, then, can organize the

粘土表面相連。

formation of a membrane boundary around

這個結構，可以組成

itself, so it can make a body of

一個膜邊來圍繞著

liquid molecules around itself, and that's

自身，可以變為液態

shown in green here on this micrograph.

分子的主體圍繞自己，這個

So just through self-assembly, mixing things

綠色的是顯微照片。

together in the lab, we can come up with, say,

剛剛透過自行組裝，在實驗室裡

a metabolic surface with some

混合在一起，我們可以說

informational molecules attached

一個代謝的表面與一些

inside of this membrane body, right?

訊息分子在這個

So we're on a road towards living systems.

膜的主體裡面，對嗎？

But if you saw this protocell, you would not

所以我們已走向生命系統的路上。

confuse this with something that was actually alive.

但假如你看到這個原生細胞，你不會

It's actually quite lifeless. Once it forms,

和其他的真實生命混淆。

it doesn't really do anything.

它真的是沒有生命，它一旦成形,

So, something is missing.

便沒有辦法做任何事。

Some things are missing.

所以，一定是有東西漏掉了。

So some things that are missing is,

有一些東西是漏掉了。

for example, if you had a flow of energy

一些漏掉的東西是,

through a system, what we'd want

舉例來說，如果你有一道能量

is a protocell that can harvest

貫穿一個系統，我們想要

some of that energy in order to maintain itself,

一個原生細胞可以獲得

much like living systems do.

一些能量來維持自身,

So we came up with a different protocell

就像生命系統所做的一樣。

model, and this is actually simpler than the previous one.

我們想出了一個不一樣的原生細胞

In this protocell model, it's just an oil droplet,

模型，這個比先前一個更簡單。

but a chemical metabolism inside

在這個原生細胞模型中，這只是一個油滴,

that allows this protocell to use energy

但有個化學代謝在裡頭,

to do something, to actually become dynamic,

可以讓原生細胞可以使用能源

as we'll see here.

來做一些事情，變成動態的,

You add the droplet to the system.

像我們看到。

It's a pool of water, and the protocell

你在這個系統加入這個油滴。

starts moving itself around in the system.

這是個水池，這個原生細胞

Okay? Oil droplet forms

在這個系統開始自己移動起來。

through self-assembly, has a chemical

OK ? 油滴形成

metabolism inside so it can use energy,

透過自我組合，有一個化學

and it uses that energy to move itself

代謝在這裡頭，它可以使用能量,

around in its environment.

它用這些能量讓自己

As we heard earlier, movement is very

在這個環境裡移動。

important in these kinds of living systems.

先前我們聽過，動作在這類

It is moving around, exploring its environment,

的生命系統中是非常重要的。

and remodeling its environment, as you see,

它到處移動，探索這個環境,

by these chemical waves that are forming by the protocell.

且重新塑造它的環境，如你所看到的,

So it's acting, in a sense, like a living system

原生細胞所產生的這些化學波。

trying to preserve itself.

它在動，某種意義，像是一個生命系統

We take this same moving protocell here,

試著維護本身。

and we put it in another experiment,

我們帶了一樣會動的原生細胞,

get it moving. Then I'm going

放在另一個實驗裡,

to add some food to the system,

讓它動。然後我

and you'll see that in blue here, right?

加入一些食物在系統裡面,

So I add some food source to the system.

你看到這個藍色的，對不對？

The protocell moves. It encounters the food.

我加入一些食物在這個系統裡。

It reconfigures itself and actually then

原生細胞移動了，它遇到了食物。

is able to climb to the highest concentration

它重新調整了自己，然後

of food in that system and stop there.

爬上系統中濃度最高

Alright? So not only do we have this system

的食物，然後停留在那裡。

that has a body, it has a metabolism,

對嗎？我們不只有一個系統

it can use energy, it moves around.

像一個身體，它還有代謝,

It can sense its local environment

它可以使用能量來移動。

and actually find resources

它會感測到周圍的環境

in the environment to sustain itself.

並在其中找到

Now, this doesn't have a brain, it doesn't have

資源來維生。

a neural system. This is just a sack of

現在，它還沒有大腦，它沒有

chemicals that is able to have this interesting

神經系統，這只是一群

and complex lifelike behavior.

化學品的集合，有這些有趣

If we count the number of chemicals

且像生命的複雜行為。

in that system, actually, including the water

假如我們算一下這系統內

that's in the dish, we have five chemicals

的化學物，包含了在盤子裡

that can do this.

的水，我們有5 個化學物質

So then we put these protocells together in a

可以完成這個。

single experiment to see what they would do,

接著, 我們將這些原生細胞放在

and depending on the conditions, we have

一個獨立的實驗中，觀察它們所做的,

some protocells on the left that are

依照這些條件，我們有

moving around and it likes to touch the other

一些原生細胞在左邊

structures in its environment.

往來移動著，像是要去碰這個

On the other hand we have two moving

環境下的其他結構。

protocells that like to circle each other,

另一邊我們有二個移動的,

and they form a kind of a dance, a complex dance with each other.

各自成圈圈的原生細胞,

Right? So not only do individual protocells

它們開始一種舞蹈，互相做複雜的舞蹈。

have behavior, what we've interpreted as

對嗎？不只是單獨的原生細胞

behavior in this system, but we also have

有行為，我們的解釋是

basically population-level behavior

這個系統中的行為，我們有

similar to what organisms have.

一個基本的人口水平行為,

So now that you're all experts on protocells,

類似生物所擁有的。

we're going to play a game with these protocells.

現在你們已是原生細胞的專家,

We're going to make two different kinds.

我們要和這些原生細胞玩個遊戲。

Protocell A has a certain kind of chemistry

我們要做兩種不一樣的類型。

inside that, when activated, the protocell

原生細胞 A 有一種化學成分在

starts to vibrate around, just dancing.

裡面，當活躍時，這個原生細胞

So remember, these are primitive things,

會開始在周圍動來動去，像在跳舞。

so dancing protocells, that's very

所以請記住，這些是原始的舉動,

interesting to us. (Laughter)

這些跳舞的原生細胞，它們對

The second protocell has a different

我們是非常的有趣。 ( 笑聲 )

chemistry inside, and when activated,

第二個原生細胞有一個不一樣的

the protocells all come together and they fuse

化學成份在裡頭，當活躍時

into one big one. Right?

原生細胞會融合在一起

And we just put these two together

變成一大個，對嗎？

in the same system.

我們把這兩個放在

So there's population A,

同一個系統裡。

there's population B, and then

這是人口A,

we activate the system,

這是人口B,

and protocell Bs, they're the blue ones,

我們啟動這個系統,

they all come together. They fuse together

原生細胞Bs , 它們是藍色的,

to form one big blob, and the other protocell

全部組合成一塊。融合在一起

just dances around. And this just happens

形成一個大的滴夜，而其他的原生細胞

until all of the energy in the system is

在周圍跳舞。這發生在

basically used up, and then, game over.

這個系統中，直到這些能源

So then I repeated this experiment

被用完為止，然後，遊戲結束。

a bunch of times, and one time

當我重覆這個實驗

something very interesting happened.

很多次後，有一次

So, I added these protocells together

有趣的事發生了。