（图源：TED视频截图）
Gautam Shah 介绍了诸多新兴技术，让身处元宇宙时代的我们得以更接近自然，并探讨了我们建立的联系对地球的未来有何意义。
Can the Metaverse Bring Us
I'm a total wildlife nerd. But I’m also a career
technologist, and it took me 20 years to figure out how to combine the two towards
wildlife conservation. But I think I finally got it. Technology has come so far
in that time in generating data about our planet and its other non-human
inhabitants. For example, there's a satellite in space that's dedicated to
tracking the movements of hundreds of species. We can pluck DNA samples from
rivers, soil and dung to identify individual animals. And whales and seals are
swimming around right now with sensors on, collecting ocean data for us.
我是个真正的野生动物迷。但我同时也是一名职业技术专家，我花了 20 年想搞清如何将二者结合用于野生动物保护。我觉得我终于找到答案了。这段时间，在生成地球及其非人类居民的数据方面，科技发展迅猛。比如，太空中有一颗卫星，专用于追踪几百个物种的动态。我们可以从河流、土壤和粪便中提取 DNA 样本来识别每一种动物。鲸鱼和海豹正带着传感器四处游动，为我们收集海洋数据。
Now, this data is incredibly valuable to the science of protecting the planet. But I think it could be even more valuable. What if we use that data to give wild animals a unique digital identity that's recognizable by humans? Now why would we do this? Well, most of us have a digital identity that we use to communicate and socialize with each other. But Albert in St. Louis, for example, has no way to create a connection with an orangutan in Borneo. How can we expect him to empathize with its protection? If we want to preserve all life on Earth, we need to create relationships with all life on Earth.
现在，这些数据对保护地球的科学研究价值不菲。但我认为它们的价值可能更高。如果我们利用这些数据给野生动物赋予一个人类可以识别的独特的数字身份，会怎样？那我们为什么要这么做呢？大多数人都有数字身份，可用以与他人交流和社交。但是，举个例子，圣路易斯市的阿尔伯特就无法与加里曼丹岛的猩猩建立联系。那怎么能指望他设身处地地支持对猩猩的保护呢？如果要保护地球上的所有生命，我们就得和地球上的所有生命建立关系。
And relationships are built upon recognizing someone's unique identity. So maybe giving one to that orangutan could create a bond with Albert that helps them both in the real world. Now, this is not as far-fetched as it seems. The technology and the data exist to do it. But it's not enough to just create the identities. They need a place to come alive and be found by humans. Somewhere that creates an immersive and active way to stay engaged. Well, if current predictions come true, most of our socializing, work and play will shift to games, virtual spaces and yes, the metaverse.
而关系基于认可他人独特的身份标识。因此，也许为猩猩提供这么一个身份就可以让它建立起与阿尔伯特的联系，在现实世界中帮到双方。如今，这并没有看上去那样遥不可及。达成这个目标的科技和数据都有了。但是，仅仅创造身份是不够的。它们需要一个地方激活，让人类发现。那个地方可以创造沉浸式的积极方式保持联结。如果目前的预测能实现，那么我们大部分的社交、工作和娱乐都会转移至游戏、虚拟空间，没错，还有元宇宙。
And that's where stories will be told and relationships built. So for every human avatar that is interacting or consuming in these spaces, let’s have the same for Mweituria the elephant, Ataia the Jaguar, Fio the orangutan and hundreds of thousands more. And the events of their lives, as supported by the data, can be recreated digitally. That might be the health of Fio, the migration of Mweituria, a newborn cub to Ataia.
我们会在那里撰写新篇章、建立新关系。那么，既然在这些空间里的人类都有互动、生活的虚拟形象，不如也为大象莫伊特维拉、猎豹阿莎亚、猩猩菲奥，还有成千上万的其他动物创造他们的虚拟形象。它们生活中的各种事件，在数据的支持下，可以重现于数字世界。包括菲奥的健康情况、莫伊特维拉的迁徙情况和阿莎亚刚生的猎豹宝宝。
And these events, and others, create the moments for people to feel the space to feel emotionally bonded. Not because they all of a sudden want to, but because they now have access that they never did before. Some will use that space to connect directly with orangutan researchers in Borneo. Others will identify new patterns in elephant movements. Some will learn about deforestation by actually witnessing it. And we’ll monetize this soon-to-be-trillion-dollar sector to help finance further science and habitat protection. Which means that virtual worlds can directly benefit the real world as opposed to being detached from it.
这些事件和其他信息创造了一些瞬间，让人感受到这个空间能引发共情。人们不是一时冲动想去感受，而是现在有了前所未有的机会。有些人会利用这个空间与加里曼丹岛的猩猩研究者直接建立联系。有些人会识别大象活动的新规律。有些人会通过亲眼所见了解森林砍伐的恶果。我们将借助这个即将达到上万亿规模的产业为科学研究和栖息地保护提供资金。这意味着，虚拟世界能直接让现实世界获益，而不是与现实世界脱节。
And we've been experimenting with this using the real data of animals like Fio and others. And we found that while our vision is still many years away from being realized, the platforms to make it happen already exist. Microsoft's Flight Simulator, it includes two trillion of the world's trees. It could include all the world's wildlife. Adidas recently included five GPS-tracked animals as athletes in its fitness app for its users to compete against. It could include thousands more.
我们一直在用菲奥等各种动物的真实数据进行尝试。我们发现，虽然我们的畅想还需要很多年才能实现，但是实现这个畅想的平台已经出现了。系列游戏《微软模拟飞行》目前涵盖世界上两万亿棵树。它也可以涵盖世界上所有的野生动物。阿迪达斯最近在其健身应用程序中加入了5个由 GPS 追踪的动物作为运动选手，用户可与其比拼。它还可以再加入几千种。
And Fortnite recently held a virtual concert with Travis Scott. They transported over 27 million of their users to a fictional world to witness that concert. Let's hold the next one in the Amazon rainforest. Imagine if Ataia the Jaguar walks by during the show. Now, I'll admit I have fears that some of what I'm advocating could create a greater divide between people and the natural world. If I could, I'd just pick everybody up, I’d plop them in Borneo, and I’d have them spend an hour with Fio instead. But Fio's natural world is literally dying in front of our eyes.
游戏《堡垒之夜》最近举行了一场特拉维斯·斯科特的虚拟音乐会。他们将2700多万名用户带到一个虚拟世界参加这场音乐会。让我们在亚马逊雨林中举办下一场音乐会吧。想象一下，猎豹阿莎亚在演出时路过。现在，我承认，我担心自己想倡导的一些东西会扩大人类和自然世界之间的隔阂。如果可以，我想接上所有人，送到加里曼丹，让大家和菲奥共度一个小时的时光。但是，菲奥的自然世界已经岌岌可危，这样的情形就在我们眼前发生。
We need a seismic shift in how we create relationships with other species. Otherwise, yeah, the next 100 years of wildlife conservation will continue to be an uphill, losing battle. It's only a matter of time before some version of the metaverse changes the way we spend our time and engage with each other. And however you may feel about that, we have to make sure that Mweituria, Ataia, Fio and millions more animals are included, play a role and benefit. And not get left behind.
我们需要彻底改变与其他物种建立关系的方式。不然，未来100年，野生动物保护依旧会是一场艰苦卓绝、注定失败的战斗。元宇宙会持续发展，某一版迟早会改变我们的生活方式和与他人互动的方式。无论你有何感想，我们都必须保证把莫伊特维拉、阿莎亚、菲奥和万千动物考虑进去，让它们发挥作用并从中受益，而不是将它们弃置不顾。
Thank you.
谢谢大家。
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