TED英語演講：指紋透露的信息，超乎你的想象

我們的指紋令我們獨一無二，但它們也是揭露我們的行爲，生活形態和日常生活信息的一個隱祕世界。在這個演講中，化學家Simona展示了她如何使用質譜儀來追蹤分子，這種技術可以利用過去不可見的細節來分析指紋，如何幫助警察抓捕罪犯?下面是小編爲大家收集關於TED英語演講：指紋透露的信息，超乎你的想象，歡迎借鑑參考。

演說題目：指紋透露的信息，超乎你的想象!

演說者：Simona Francese

演講稿

Do you ever stop and think, during a romantic dinner, "I've just left my fingerprints all over my wine glass."

在進行浪漫晚餐的時候，你們有沒有停下來想想，“我剛在紅酒杯上留滿了指紋”。

Or do you ever worry, when you visit a friend, about leaving a little piece of you behind on every surface that you touch?

或者你有沒有擔心，當你拜訪朋友時，在每一個觸碰中留下的那一絲痕跡?

And even this evening, have you paid any attention to sit without touching anything?

即便今天晚上，你們坐下時有沒有留意不觸碰任何東西?

Well, you're not alone. Thankfully, criminals underestimate the power of fingerprints, too.

好吧，並不只是你們如此。謝天謝地，犯罪分子也低估了指紋的力量。

And I'm not just talking about the twisted parting of lines that make our fingerprint unique.

我說的可不只是那一條條讓我們的指紋獨一無二的扭曲線條。

I'm talking about an entire world of information hiding in a small, often invisible thing.

我談論的是整個隱藏在微小、常常不可見的物體中的信息世界。

In fact, fingerprints are made up of molecules that belong to three classes:

事實上，組成指紋的分子可以分爲三大類：

sweat molecules that we all produce in very different amounts ...

我們產生的數量非常不同的汗液分子...

molecules that we introduce into our body and then we sweat out and molecules that we may contaminate our fingertips with

進入我們體內然後排出去的分子和污染我們指尖的分子，

when we come across substances like blood, paint, grease, but also invisible substances.

在我們遇到像血液、油漆、油脂那樣的物質時，但也有不可見的物質。

And molecules are the storytellers of who we are and what we've been up to.

分子是我們是誰和我們一直所從事的事的說書人。

We just need to have the right technology to make them talk.

我們只是需要有合適技術讓它們開口說話。

So let me take you on a journey of unthinkable capabilities.

所以，讓我帶你們踏上這段不可思議的能力之旅。

Katie has been raped and her lifeless body has been found in the woods three days later, after her disappearance.

凱蒂被xx了，她的屍體在她失蹤後的三天在樹林裏被發現。

The police is targeting three suspects,

警方鎖定了三個嫌疑人，

having narrowed down the search from over 20 men who had been seen in that area on the same day.

已從案發當天被目擊路過那片區域的超過20人中縮減而來。

The only piece of evidence is two very faint, overlapping fingerprints on the tape that was found wrapped around Katie's neck.

唯一的證據是纏在凱蒂脖子的帶子上面發現的兩個非常模糊的、重疊的指紋。

Often, faint and overlapping fingerprints cannot help the police to make an identification.

通常情況下，模糊和重疊的指紋對警方鑑定沒有幫助。

And until recently, this might have been the end of the road, but this is where we can make the difference.

直至最近，這可能還是走不通，但這是我們可以發揮作用的地方。

The tape is sent to our labs, where we're asked to use our cutting-edge technology to help with the investigation.

帶子送到了我們實驗室，我們被要求使用最尖端技術來幫助調查。

And here, we use an existing form of mass spectrometry imaging technology

在這裏，我們使用了一種現成的質譜成像技術，

that we have further developed and adapted specifically for the molecular and imaging analysis of fingerprints.

我們已經專門針對指紋的分子和成像分析做了進一步的開發和適配。

In essence, we fire a UV laser at the print,

原理上，我們朝指紋發射一束紫外激光，

and we cause the desorption of the molecules from the print, ready to be captured by the mass spectrometer.

去引發指紋上的分子解吸，爲被質譜儀捕獲做好準備。

Mass spectrometry measures the weight of the molecules -- or as we say, the mass

質譜法測量分子的重量--或者如我們所說，質量，

and those numbers that you see there, they indicate that mass.

你看到的這些數字，它們表示質量。

But more crucially, they indicate who those molecules are

但更關鍵的是，它們表示這些分子是誰，

whether I'm seeing paracetamol or something more sinister, forensically speaking.

我看到的是對乙酰氨基酚或是從法醫證物角度來說更罪惡的東西。

We applied this technology to the evidence that we have and we found the presence of condom lubricants.

我們對證物採用這個技術並從中發現了避孕套的潤滑劑。

In fact, we've developed protocols that enable us to even suggest what brand of condom might have been used.

事實上，我們開發了一套流程讓我們甚至可以知道使用什麼牌子的避孕套。

So we pass this information to the police,

於是我們把這個信息傳達給警方，

who, meanwhile, have obtained a search warrant and they found the same brand of condom in Dalton's premises.

警方，同時已經取得了搜查證並在道爾頓的房子裏發現了同樣牌子的避孕套。

And with Dalton and Thomson also having records for sexual assaults,

鑑於道爾頓和湯姆森也有性侵犯的記錄，

then it is Chapman that may become the less likely suspect.

那麼，查普曼就不太可能成爲嫌疑人。

But is this information enough to make an arrest?

但這個信息足夠去逮捕人了嗎?

Of course not, and we are asked to delve deeper with our investigation.

當然不夠，我們被要求深入我們的調查。

So we found out, also, the presence of other two very interesting molecules.

於是我們也發現了另外兩個非常有趣的分子的存在。

One is an antidepressant, and one is a very special molecule.

一種是抗抑鬱藥，另一種是非常特殊的分子。

你指紋透露的信息超乎你的想象

It only forms in your body if you drink alcohol and consume cocaine at the same time.

如果你同時喝酒和吸食可卡因，只會在你的身體中形成。

And alcohol is known to potentiate the effects of cocaine,

衆所周知，酒精會增強可卡因的作用，

so here, we now have a hint on the state of mind of the individual whilst perpetrating the crime.

所以在這兒，我們現在有了一個關於個人心理狀態的提示。

We passed this information to the police, and they found out that, actually, Thomson is a drug addict,

我們把信息傳遞給警方，他們發現，事實上湯姆森是個癮君子，

and he also has a medical record for psychotic episodes, for which presumably the antidepressant was prescribed.

而且他也有精神病發的醫療記錄，大概是用抗抑鬱藥開的處方。

So now Thomson becomes the more likely suspect.

所以現在湯姆森成爲了更有可能的嫌疑人。

But the reality is that I still don't know where these molecules are coming from,

但事實是，我仍然不知道這些分子是從哪裏來的，

from which fingerprint, and who those two fingerprints belong to.

來自誰的指紋，這兩個指紋屬於誰的。

Fear not. Mass spectrometry imaging can help us further.

不要害怕。質譜成像可以幫助我們更進一步。

In fact, the technology is so powerful that we can see where these molecules are on a fingerprint.

事實上，這個技術是如此強大，我們可以看到這些分子在指紋上的位置。

Like you see in this video, every single one of those peaks corresponds to a mass, every mass to a molecule,

如這個視頻中所看到，每一個波峯都對應一個質量，每一個質量對應一個分子，

and we can interrogate the software, by selecting each of those molecules,

我們可以通過選擇每一個分子，並查詢這個軟件，

as to where they are present on a fingermark.

來了解它們在一個手指上的位置。

And some images are not very revealing, some are better, some are really good.

有些照片不能說明問題，有些更好些，有些真的很好。

And we can create multiple images of the same mark -- in theory, hundreds of images of the same fingerprint

我們可以創建相同標記的多個圖像--理論上，對於我們檢測到的很多分子，

for as many of the molecules that we have detected.

可以創建同個指紋的上百張圖像。

So step one ... for overlapping fingerprints, chances are,

所以步驟1...對於重疊的指紋，很大可能性是，

especially if they come from different individuals, that the molecular composition is not identical,

特別是如果它們來自不同的個體，分子組成是不一樣的，

so let's ask the software to visualize those unique molecules just present in one fingermark and not in the other one.

讓我們讓軟件來可視化這些只在一個手指上，而不在另一個手指上的獨特分子。

By doing so, that's how we can separate the two ridge patterns.

這樣做，這就是我們如何分離這兩種嵴線類型的方法。

And this is really important because the police now are able to identify one of the two fingerprints,

這真是非常重要，因爲警察現在就可以鑑定兩個指紋中的一個，

which actually corresponds to Katie.

其中正好和凱蒂的是相對應的。

And they've been able to say so because they've compared the two separate images with one taken posthumously from Katie.

他們現在可以這樣說，是因爲他們把這兩張分開的圖片跟死後的凱蒂上拍到的做了對比。

So now, we can concentrate on one fingerprint only -- that of the killer's.

所以現在，我們可以聚焦在只有一個指紋上了--屬於兇手的。

So then, step two ... where are these three molecules that I've seen?

然後，步驟2...我所見過的這三個分子在哪裏?

Well, let's interrogate the software -- show me where they are.

好吧，讓我們來查一下軟件--告訴我它們在哪裏。

And by doing this, only portions of the image of the killer's fingerprint show up.

通過這樣做，只有兇手的部分指紋出現了。

In other words, those substances are only present in the killer's print.

換句話說，這些物質只存在於兇手的指紋中。

So now our molecular findings start matching very nicely the police intelligence about Thomson,

所以現在我們的分子發現開始很好地匹配警察掌握的關於湯姆森的情報，

should that fingerprint belong to him.

那指紋應該屬於他。

But the reality is that that print is still not good enough to make an identification.

但事實是這個指紋仍然不夠好去做鑑定。

Step three: since we can generate hundreds of images of the same fingerprint, why don't we superimpose them,

步驟3: 既然我們可以生成數百張相同指紋的圖像，我們爲什麼不把它們疊加起來呢，

and by doing so, try to improve the rich pattern of continuity and clarity?

通過這樣做，試着改善連續性和清晰性的豐富模式。

That's the result. Striking. We now have a very clear image of the fingerprint and the police can run it through the database.

這就是結果。非常驚人。我們現在有了指紋的清晰圖像，警察已經可以在數據庫中檢索了。

The match comes out to Thomson. Thomson is our killer.

匹配結果顯示是湯姆森。湯姆森就是兇手。

Katie, the suspects and the circumstances of the crime aren't real,

凱蒂、犯罪嫌疑人和犯罪現場都不是真實的，

but the story contains elements of the real police casework we've been confronted with,

但這個故事包含了我們所遇到的真正的警察案件的元素，

and is a composite of the intelligence that we can provide -- that we have been able to provide the police.

而這也包含了我們所能提供給警察的情報信息的組合。

And I'm really, really thrilled that after nine years of intense research,

在9年的深入研究後，我真的真的非常激動，

as of 20xx, we are able to contribute to police investigations.

在20xx年，我們能夠對警方的調查做出貢獻。

Mine is no longer a dream; it's a goal. We're going to do this wider and wider, bigger and bigger,

我的夢想不再是夢想;它是個目標。我們要做得越來越廣，越來越大，

and we're going to know more about the suspect, and we're going to build an identikit.

我們要了解更多嫌疑人的信息，我們要建立一個身份證明。

I believe this is also a new era for criminal profiling.

我相信這也是犯罪檔案的新時代。

The work of the criminologist draws on the expert recognition of behavioral patterns that have been observed before

犯罪學家的工作利用了將過去觀察過的行爲模式

to belong to a certain type, to a certain profile.

歸屬於特定類型和畫像的專家認可。

As opposed to this expert but subjective evaluation, we're trying to do the same thing,

相對於專家這種主觀評估，我們在試圖做同樣的事情，

but from the molecular makeup of the fingerprint, and the two can work together.

但從指紋的分子結構去看，這兩者可以一起工作。

I did say that molecules are storytellers,

我說過分子是講故事的，

so information on your health, your actions, your lifestyle, your routines, they're all there, accessible in a fingerprint.

所以關於你的健康信息，你的行爲，你的生活形態，你的日常生活，它們全在那裏，可通過指紋獲取。

And molecules are the storytellers of our secrets in just a touch. Thank you.

只需輕輕觸碰，分子是我們祕密的說書人。謝謝。