a slime mold, Physarum polycephalum.

我想向您介紹一個有機體：

It's a mold with an identity crisis, because it's not a mold,

粘菌，多頭絨泡菌。

so let's get that straight to start with.

這是一個有身份危機的霉菌， 因為牠不是一個霉菌，

It is one of 700 known slime molds

讓我們直接開始說明。

belonging to the kingdom of the amoeba.

牠是屬於700個已知的

It is a single-celled organism, a cell,

阿米巴界的粘菌之一。

that joins together with other cells

牠是一種單細胞生物，一個細胞，

to form a mass super-cell

與其他細胞連接在一起，

to maximize its resources.

以形成一個在超小區而大規模的細胞，

So within a slime mold you might find thousands

能最大限度地發揮其資源。

or millions of nuclei,

所以粘菌內你可能會發現成千上萬

all sharing a cell wall,

或數百萬的核，

all operating as one entity.

全部共用一個細胞壁，

In its natural habitat,

為一體操作的實體。

you might find the slime mold foraging in woodlands,

在其自然棲息地，

eating rotting vegetation,

你可能會發現粘菌在林地覓食，

but you might equally find it

吃腐爛的植被，

in research laboratories,

但你可能會同樣發現牠在

classrooms, and even artists' studios.

研究實驗室、

I first came across the slime mold about five years ago.

教室，甚至是藝術家的工作室。

A microbiologist friend of mine

我第一次碰到粘菌是大約五年前。

gave me a petri dish with a little yellow blob in it

我的一位微生物學家朋友

and told me to go home and play with it.

給我一個裡面 有一點黃色斑點的培養皿，

The only instructions I was given,

叫我回家玩玩。

that it likes it dark and damp

我得到的唯一指令是，

and its favorite food is porridge oats.

牠喜歡陰暗潮濕，

I'm an artist who's worked for many years

其最喜歡的食物是燕麥粥。

with biology, with scientific processes,

我是藝術家，多年來

so living material is not uncommon for me.

與生物學、科學流程周旋，

I've worked with plants, bacteria,

所以有生命的物質對我是尋常不過。

cuttlefish, fruit flies.

我的工作曾經涉及植物、細菌、

So I was keen to get my new collaborator home

墨魚、果蠅。

to see what it could do.

所以我非常熱切地 帶我的新合作者回家，

So I took it home and I watched.

看看牠能做什麼。

I fed it a varied diet.

所以我把牠帶回家，把牠看著。

I observed as it networked.

我餵牠很多樣化的食物。

It formed a connection between food sources.

我觀察牠發展其網路，

I watched it leave a trail behind it,

形成食物源之間的連結。

indicating where it had been.

我看著牠背後留下的痕跡，

And I noticed that when it was fed up with one petri dish,

顯示牠的足跡。

it would escape and find a better home.

而且我注意到， 當牠受夠身在一個培養皿中，

I captured my observations

牠會逃跑，找一個更美好的家園。

through time-lapse photography.

我用縮時攝影

Slime mold grows at about one centimeter an hour,

拍攝記錄我的觀察。

so it's not really ideal for live viewing

粘菌在一個小時左右生長一厘米，

unless there's some form of really extreme meditation,

所以現場觀看不是十分理想，

but through the time lapse,

除非你有某種非常極端的冥想，

I could observe some really interesting behaviors.

透過縮時攝影，

For instance, having fed on a nice pile of oats,

我可以觀察到一些很有趣的行為。

the slime mold goes off to explore new territories

例如，如果牠剛吃了一堆不錯的燕麥，

in different directions simultaneously.

粘菌會同時以不同方向

When it meets itself,

探索新的領域。

it knows it's already there,

當牠遇到自己，

it recognizes it's there,

牠知道自己已經存在那裡，

and instead retreats back

承認自己的存在，

and grows in other directions.

牠不會撤退回來，

I was quite impressed by this feat,

而是會向其他方向生長。

at how what was essentially just a bag of cellular slime

我是相當受這一壯舉感動，

could somehow map its territory,

怎麼本質上只是一袋子細胞粘菌

know itself, and move with seeming intention.

能以某種方式映射其境，

I found countless scientific studies,

了解本身，並有意圖地移動。

research papers, journal articles,

我發現無數的科學研究、

all citing incredible work with this one organism,

研究論文、期刊文章，

and I'm going to share a few of those with you.

通通都引用了跟這有機體 相關的不可思議研究，

For example, a team in Hokkaido University in Japan

我將會與你們分享一些。

filled a maze with slime mold.

例如，日本北海道大學的一個團隊

It joined together and formed a mass cell.

在迷宮裡填補了粘菌。

They introduced food at two points,

牠連接在一起，形成一個巨大細胞。

oats of course,

他們在兩個時間點上餵養，

and it formed a connection

當然是燕麥，

between the food.

牠形成了

It retracted from empty areas and dead ends.

食物之間的連接。

There are four possible routes through this maze,

牠從空區和死角縮回。

yet time and time again,

通過這個迷宮有四條可行的路徑，

the slime mold established the shortest

但一次又一次，

and the most efficient route.

黏菌搜索了最短

Quite clever.

和最有效的途徑。

The conclusion from their experiment

相當聰明。

was that the slime mold had a primitive form of intelligence.

從他們的實驗得出的結論是，

Another study exposed cold air at regular intervals to the slime mold.

粘菌有智能的原始形式。

It didn't like it. It doesn't like it cold.

另一項研究是定期給粘菌放冷空氣。

It doesn't like it dry.

牠不喜歡它。牠不喜歡寒冷。

They did this at repeat intervals,

牠不喜歡乾燥。

and each time, the slime mold

他們重複間隔這樣做，

slowed down its growth in response.

每一次粘菌反應地

However, at the next interval,

放慢增長。

the researchers didn't put the cold air on,

然而，在下一段時間裡，

yet the slime mold slowed down in anticipation

研究人員並沒有放冷空氣，

of it happening.

但粘菌在因為預期會有冷空氣

It somehow knew that it was about the time

而放緩成長。

for the cold air that it didn't like.

牠在某種程度上知道這段時間

The conclusion from their experiment

會有牠不喜歡的寒冷空氣。

was that the slime mold was able to learn.

從他們的實驗得出的結論是，

A third experiment:

粘菌能夠學習。

the slime mold was invited

第三個實驗：

to explore a territory covered in oats.

粘菌被邀請去

It fans out in a branching pattern.

探索覆蓋燕麥的領域。

As it goes, each food node it finds,

燕麥是分枝形狀的格局。

it forms a network, a connection to,

從那裡，牠每發現有食物的節點，

and keeps foraging.

牠形成了一個網絡，一個連接，

After 26 hours, it established

並保持覓食。

quite a firm network

26 小時後，牠在不同的

between the different oats.

燕麥之間建立了

Now there's nothing remarkable in this

相當堅定的網絡。

until you learn that the center oat that it started from

這，沒有什麼了不起的，

represents the city of Tokyo,

直到你發現， 一開始在中心的燕麥，

and the surrounding oats are suburban railway stations.

代表東京，

The slime mold had replicated

和周圍的燕麥是地鐵站。

the Tokyo transport network

該粘菌已複製了

— (Laughter) —

東京的交通網絡。

a complex system developed over time

（笑聲）

by community dwellings, civil engineering, urban planning.

這是個複雜的、隨時間推移的系統，

What had taken us well over 100 years

由社區住宅、土木工程， 和城市規劃發展出來的。

took the slime mold just over a day.

我們花了超過100年做的，

The conclusion from their experiment

粘菌僅僅用了一天。

was that the slime mold can form efficient networks

從他們的實驗得出的結論是，

and solve the traveling salesman problem.

粘菌能夠形成有效的網絡

It is a biological computer.

解決旅行推銷員問題。

As such, it has been mathematically modeled,

牠是一種生物計算機。

algorithmically analyzed.

因此，牠已在數學上建立了模式，

It's been sonified, replicated, simulated.

算法進行分析。

World over, teams of researchers

牠已經超聲波化、複製、模擬。

are decoding its biological principles

世界各地的研究人員

to understand its computational rules

正進行解碼牠的生物學原理，

and applying that learning to the fields of electronics,

了解其運算規則，

programming and robotics.

並運用學習在電子、

So the question is,

程式編寫和機器人等領域。

how does this thing work?

問題是，

It doesn't have a central nervous system.

牠是如何運作？

It doesn't have a brain,

牠沒有中樞神經系統。

yet it can perform behaviors

牠沒有大腦，

that we associate with brain function.

但牠可以執行

It can learn, it can remember,

我們聯想到的腦功能。

it can solve problems, it can make decisions.

牠可以學習，牠有記憶，

So where does that intelligence lie?

牠能夠解決問題，牠可以做決策。

So this is a microscopy, a video I shot,

那麼，牠的智慧何在？

and it's about 100 times magnification,

這是一個顯微鏡，我拍的一段影片，

sped up about 20 times,

大約是 100 倍的放大倍率，

and inside the slime mold,

加快 20 倍左右，

there is a rhythmic pulsing flow,

粘菌裡面，

a vein-like structure carrying

有一個節奏性的脈動流，

cellular material, nutrients and chemical information

通過細胞，攜帶著

through the cell,

細胞物質、營養物質和化學訊息

streaming first in one direction and then back in another.

的脈狀結構，

And it is this continuous, synchronous oscillation

首先在一個方向流， 然後再在另一個方向。

within the cell that allows it to form

就是這種在細胞內連續的、

quite a complex understanding of its environment,

同步的波動，

but without any large-scale control center.

允許牠對其相當複雜的環境有所理解，

This is where its intelligence lies.

儘管牠並沒有任何大型的控制中心。

So it's not just academic researchers

這就是牠智能的所在。

in universities that are interested in this organism.

所以，不只是大學的學術研究人員

A few years ago, I set up SliMoCo,

對這個有機體感興趣。

the Slime Mould Collective.

幾年前，我成立了 SliMoCo，

It's an online, open, democratic network

粘菌合作社。

for slime mold researchers and enthusiasts

這是一個在網上、開放、

to share knowledge and experimentation

民主的網路，給予粘菌研究人員

across disciplinary divides

和愛好者分享知識和研究的地方，

and across academic divides.

跨學科

The Slime Mould Collective membership is self-selecting.

和學術領域。

People have found the collective

合作社的成員是自我選拔。

as the slime mold finds the oats.

人們發現合作社

And it comprises of scientists

就如粘菌發現燕麥。

and computer scientists and researchers

成員包括科學家、

but also artists like me,

電腦科學家和研究員，

architects, designers, writers, activists, you name it.

亦有像我一樣的藝術家研究員，

It's a very interesting, eclectic membership.

建築師、設計師、作家、 社會活動家，包羅萬象。

Just a few examples:

這一群成員非常有趣，不拘一格。

an artist who paints with fluorescent Physarum;

僅僅是幾個例子：

a collaborative team

有一位用熒光絨泡菌油漆的藝術家、

who are combining biological and electronic design

一個結合生物和

with 3D printing technologies in a workshop;

電子設計

another artist who is using the slime mold

與 3D 列印技術的團隊，

as a way of engaging a community

還有另一位藝術家使用粘菌，

to map their area.

請社區團員繪製

Here, the slime mold is being used directly

其區域的地圖。

as a biological tool, but metaphorically

在這裡，粘菌被直接

as a symbol for ways of talking

用作生物工具，但比喻為

about social cohesion, communication

在談論社會凝聚力，

and cooperation.

溝通及合作

Other public engagement activities,

方式的象徵。

I run lots of slime mold workshops,

還有其他公眾參與活動，

a creative way of engaging with the organism.

我辦了很多粘菌工作室，

So people are invited to come and learn

用創造性的方式跟粘菌互動。

about what amazing things it can do,

所以人們受邀來了解

and they design their own petri dish experiment,

粘菌可以做什麼驚人的事情，

an environment for the slime mold to navigate

而且他們可以設計 自己的培養皿實驗環境，

so they can test its properties.

為粘菌進行導航，

Everybody takes home a new pet

使他們能夠測試其性能。

and is invited to post their results

每個人都像帶一隻新寵物回家，

on the Slime Mould Collective.

並應邀在合作社上發表他們

And the collective has enabled me

對粘菌發現的結果。

to form collaborations

合作社使我

with a whole array of interesting people.

能夠與大批

I've been working with filmmakers

有趣的人合作。

on a feature-length slime mold documentary,

我正在與製片人

and I stress feature-length,

安排粘菌的長篇紀錄片，

which is in the final stages of edit

我要強調是長篇，

and will be hitting your cinema screens very soon.

正在編輯的最後階段，

(Laughter)

很快就會在你附近的影院放映。

It's also enabled me to conduct what I think is

（笑聲）

the world's first human slime mold experiment.

牠也讓我進行我認為是

This is part of an exhibition in Rotterdam last year.

世界上第一個人類粘菌實驗。

We invited people to become slime mold for half an hour.

這是在鹿特丹去年展覽的一部分。

So we essentially tied people together

我們邀請人們扮演粘菌半小時。

so they were a giant cell,

基本上，我們就把人捆綁在一起

and invited them to follow slime mold rules.

形成一個巨細胞，

You have to communicate through oscillations,

並邀請他們要按照粘菌規則做。

no speaking.

必須要通過振盪來溝通，

You have to operate as one entity, one mass cell,

不能說話，

no egos,

要作為一體、巨大細胞來行動，

and the motivation for moving

沒有自我，

and then exploring the environment

移動的動機便是

is in search of food.

要探索環境

So a chaotic shuffle ensued as this bunch of strangers

尋找食物。

tied together with yellow ropes wearing "Being Slime Mold" t-shirts

因此，一堆混亂的人群 隨之而來，

wandered through the museum park.

這群被黃色繩索綁在一起的陌生人 穿寫著「我是粘菌」黃色的 T 恤，

When they met trees, they had to reshape

在博物館的公園漫步。

their connections and reform as a mass cell

當他們遇到樹木，

through not speaking.

還得以巨大細胞的方式 重塑他們的連接和重組，

This is a ludicrous experiment in many, many ways.

且不能說話。

This isn't hypothesis-driven.

這是一個非常滑稽的實驗。

We're not trying to prove, demonstrate anything.

這不是為了證實假設。

But what it did provide us was a way

我們不是想證明，表明什麼。

of engaging a broad section of the public

但它確實為我們提供了

with ideas of intelligence, agency, autonomy,

一個能讓公眾參與的方法，

and provide a playful platform

充滿聰明想法、媒介、自主性，

for discussions about

並俏皮地提供了

the things that ensued.

有關隨後進行

One of the most exciting things

討論的平台。

about this experiment

這實驗中

was the conversation that happened afterwards.

最令人興奮的事情

An entirely spontaneous symposium happened in the park.

是之後的談話。

People talked about the human psychology,

完全自發的座談 會發生在公園裡。

of how difficult it was to let go

人們津津樂道地談人的心理，

of their individual personalities and egos.

是多麼困難地放棄本身

Other people talked about bacterial communication.

和自我。

Each person brought in their own

其他人談論細菌的傳播。

individual interpretation,

每個人有

and our conclusion from this experiment was that

自己的解釋，

the people of Rotterdam were highly cooperative,

從這個實驗我們的結論是，

especially when given beer.

鹿特丹的人很合群，

We didn't just give them oats.

尤其是喝了啤酒之後。

We gave them beer as well.

我們不只是給他們燕麥。

But they weren't as efficient as the slime mold,

我們也給他們啤酒。

and the slime mold, for me,

但他們不是像粘菌一樣有效。

is a fascinating subject matter.

粘菌，對我來說，

It's biologically fascinating,

是一個引人入勝的題材。

it's computationally interesting,

牠是迷人的生物，

but it's also a symbol,

牠的計算有趣，

a way of engaging with ideas of community,

但牠也是一個象徵，

collective behavior, cooperation.

是種集合社區想法、

A lot of my work draws on the scientific research,

集體行為和合作的一種方式。

so this pays homage to the maze experiment

我的許多作品中借鑒了科研，

but in a different way.

所以這個是對迷宮實驗的致敬，

And the slime mold is also my working material.

只是以不同的方式。

It's a coproducer of photographs, prints, animations,

粘菌也是我的工作物質。

participatory events.

牠是照片的、版畫的、動畫的，

Whilst the slime mold doesn't choose

參與事件的共同製作者。

to work with me, exactly,

雖然在粘菌不曾