2017年12月16日 星期六

A new weapon in the fight against superbugs

How physics could help physicians ... Open in your browser
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December 16, 2017

David Brenner: A new weapon in the fight against superbugs

10:13 minutes · Filmed Apr 2017 · Posted Dec 2017 · TED2017

Since the widespread use of antibiotics began in the 1940s, we've tried to develop new drugs faster than bacteria can evolve -- but this strategy isn't working. Drug-resistant bacteria known as superbugs killed nearly 700,000 people last year, and by 2050 that number could be 10 million -- more than cancer kills each year. Can physics help? In a talk from the frontiers of science, radiation scientist David Brenner shares his work studying a potentially life-saving weapon: a wavelength of ultraviolet light known as far-UVC, which can kill superbugs safely, without penetrating our skin. Followed by a Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson.

Playlist of the week

What direction is the future headed? 

Cue up these talks to explore what may be in store for our collective future and how we can plan for the unpredictable, together. Watch »

6 TED Talks • Total run time 1:51:12

catch up on this week's new TED Talks

How do we improve as our work gets more and more complex? Atul Gawande has studied this question with a surgeon's precision. He shares what he's found to be the key: having a good coach to provide a more accurate picture of our reality, to instill positive habits of thinking, and to break our actions down and then help us build them back up again. As he says: "It's not about how good you are now; it's how good you're going to be." Watch »

Space physicist Miho Janvier studies solar storms: giant clouds of particles that escape from the Sun and can disrupt life on Earth (while also producing amazing auroras). How do you study the atmosphere on the Sun, which burns at temperatures of up to around 10 million degrees Kelvin? With math! Join the TED Fellow as she shares her work trying to better understand how the Sun affects us here on Earth. Watch »

Joan Blades and John Gable want you to make friends with people who vote differently than you do. A pair of political opposites, the two longtime pals know the value of engaging in honest conversations with people you don't immediately agree with. Join them as they explain how to bridge the gaps in understanding between people on opposite sides of the political spectrum -- and create opportunities for mutual listening and consideration (and, maybe, lasting friendships). Watch »

How will we live elsewhere in the galaxy? On Earth, natural resources for creating structures are abundant, but sending these materials up with us to the Moon or Mars is clunky and cost-prohibitive. Enter architect Xavier De Kestelier, who has a radical plan to use robots and space dust to 3D-print our interplanetary homes. Learn more about the emerging field of space architecture with this fascinating talk about the (potentially) not-too-distant future. Watch »

Five hundred million Chinese consumers -- the equivalent of the combined populations of the US, UK and Germany -- buy almost everything via their mobile phones, even while standing in brick-and-mortar stores. Retail expert Angela Wang asks: What will this transformation mean for the future of shopping all around the world? Learn more about the new business-as-usual, where everything is ultra-convenient, ultra-flexible and ultra-social. Watch »

Africa needs engineers, but its engineering students often end up working at auditing firms and banks. Why? Kamau Gachigi suspects it's because they don't have the spaces and materials needed to test their ideas and start businesses. Which is why he started Gearbox, a makerspace for both professionals and people with no formal engineering background. In this forward-thinking talk, he shares some of the extraordinary projects and innovations coming out of his Kenyan fab lab. Watch »

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Quote of the Week

We want to re-weave the fabric of our communities. We believe that our differences can be a strength, that our values can be complimentary and that we have to overcome the fight so that we can honor everyone's values and not lose any of our own."

Joan Blades and John Gable
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Are deception and secrecy categorically wrong? Or can they be a necessary means to an end? This hour, TED speakers share stories of going undercover to explore unknown territory and find the truth. Listen on Apple Podcasts, through the TED Android app, on NPR, or wherever you get your podcasts!

 

 

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