原汁原味的Sci & Tech News weekly
Volume 5 19年6月5日
Editor: Dr. Collin F. Hu
卷首語：本期在Health領域，將給大家介紹一種殺死傳播瘧疾的蚊子的新的方法——使用基因改造的毒蘑菇來對付能傳播瘧疾的蚊子。
有誰不討厭蚊子呢？在夏日涼風習習的晚上和家人一起去乘涼，玩耍，講故事是一件很浪漫的事情，可是這種氣氛只需要幾隻蚊子就可以破壞。而且，據我的經驗，蚊子偏愛小鮮肉，所以總是我女兒身上有一個個的大包。
蚊子之可惡當然遠不止是不解風情了。它在非洲更是一種致命的殺手，它能傳播瘧疾，傳播的登革熱，傳播塞卡病毒，每年會殺死40萬人，名副其實的最危險動物。因此，人和蚊子已是勢不兩立，不共戴天。
在我讀大學的時候，也許是年少無知吧，曾經認為所有物種，生而平等。近年來，在人蚊大戰開始後，變為擔心蚊子這個物種滅絕後，是否會引起生態系統的波動。在2010年，看到一篇文章，一些有影響力的生物學家認為蚊子滅絕了，生態系統的變化就像人打個嗝一樣，不會有大的波動。
現在科學家已經發現了多種消滅蚊子的方法，曾經看到物理學家用雷射打蚊子。隨著一束束雷射的發射，看到一個個正在空中飛行的蚊子，發出一縷煙，被打下來，感覺很爽。但其實，生物學家的方法更有效（對蚊子來說更惡毒）。幾年前曾經讀到過一篇文章，說是用基因改造過的雄蚊子與野外的雌蚊子交配，其後代存活不到成年就會死掉。生物學家在巴西的某地曾釋放過一批這種轉基因的蚊子，當地蚊子的數量好像是減少了70%，這個實驗的後續進展我沒有跟進。最近，在比爾蓋茨的基金推動下，用一種叫做「基因驅動」的方法，可能與最新的Crispr-cas9基因編輯技術相關，據說3-5年內，會讓蚊子從地球上消失，連同瘧疾，登革熱，塞卡一起滾蛋。這篇文章也是人蚊大戰的一部分，但用的是另外一種方法，目前還在研究階段。
人蚊大戰的號角已經吹響，雖然這場戰爭中，蚊子從自然選擇中也慢慢發展出抗藥性，使得抗瘧疾的青蒿素如果單獨使用效果會降低，必須和其它藥劑一起使用。但人類現在主宰了這場戰爭，特別是隨著現在基因技術的發展。也許再過5年，再見了，蚊子！來自西方的科學就是非常強悍的。
在Physics領域，我將給大家介紹一下物理學上非常著名且重要的Maxwell demon。科學必須被實驗所檢驗，這是基本的科學精神。但有時候，一下子找不到實驗的方法，或者實驗的設備達不到要求，於是就有了思想實驗，只在腦袋裡面存在的實驗。愛因斯坦就是此中高手，他構思相對論的時候，經常想到的就是兩個布滿時鐘的火車，相對運動的速度接近光速。
今天給大家介紹的Maxwell demon的創造者就是那個寫下了著名的Maxwell方程組，從而開啟了人類電氣時代的人。這個小妖怪的創造是為了說明熱力學第二定律的一個局限性，它的統計性。利用這個小妖怪，可以讓一盒子已經溫度均一的氣體，一邊冷，一邊熱，從而可以做功，比如推動火車前進。
現在看來，這個小妖怪的出現，讓人第一次感到物理學與信息學的深層次的關係，也讓我們就認識了，科學是非常有趣的
Health：
用基因改造的蘑菇可以迅速的殺死99%的傳播瘧疾病毒的蚊子。這種蘑菇的基因改造是受到一種能夠毒死蚊子的蜘蛛的毒液的啟發。把這種蘑菇長出的孢子塗抹在蚊子經常光顧的地方，就可以讓蚊子「仿佛被蜘蛛咬到一樣」，蚊子體內會如同感受到蜘蛛的毒液。
當然，這種方法有一個局限性，也是科學家正在謹慎研究的一個問題，它對生態環境，包括人，還有那些影響？現在已經發現這種毒蘑菇不會對蜜蜂等昆蟲產生影響。在這項研究中，科學家用蚊帳圍住一些區域，製造出一些人為的自然區域，就是希望這種基因改造的蘑菇不會對其生態環境造成。
GM fungus rapidly kills 99% of malaria mosquitoes, study suggests
By James Gallagher 31 May 2019
[Summary] A fungus - genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin - can rapidly kill huge numbers of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study suggests.
enhanced：增強；提升
「a study suggests」 一項研究表明。
[How it matters?] Trials, which took place in Burkina Faso, showed mosquito populations collapsed by 99% within 45 days. The researchers say their aim is not to make the insects extinct but to help stop the spread of malaria. The disease, which is spread when female mosquitoes drink blood, kills more than 400,000 people per year. Worldwide, there are about 219 million cases of malaria each year.
「Trials」 實驗；
「The researchers say their aim is not to make the insects extinct but to help stop the spread of malaria.」不明白為什麼作者不敢直接說他們的目的就是」wipe out the mosquitoes」,也許反對的聲音太大吧。
[How to do it?] They turned to a toxin found in the venom of a species of funnel-web spider in Australia. The genetic instructions for making the toxin were added to the fungus's own genetic code so it would start making the toxin once it was inside a mosquito.
The next step was to test the fungus in as close to real-world conditions as possible. A 6,500-sq-ft fake village - complete with plants, huts, water sources and food for the mosquitoes - was set up in Burkina Faso.
It was surrounded by a double layer of mosquito netting to prevent anything escaping. The fungal spores were mixed with sesame oil and wiped on to black cotton sheets. The mosquitoes had to land on the sheets to be exposed to the deadly fungus. The researchers started the experiments with 1,500 mosquitoes.
venom：毒液；
「added to the fungus's own genetic code」，基因改造的過程；
「6,500-sq-ft」 6500 Square Foot (ft) = 603.86976 Square Meter (m)
「real-world conditions」真實世界的條件；
可能現實世界的情況比實驗中預想的更加複雜，不知道在真實的世界中，這個實驗是否還有這麼好的實驗結果。
[The results] The results, published in the journal Science, showed numbers soared when the insects were left alone. But when the spider-toxin fungus was used, there were just 13 mosquitoes left after 45 days. Tests also showed the fungus was specific to these mosquitoes and did not affect other insects such as bees.
… New tools are needed to tackle malaria as mosquitoes are becoming resistant to insecticides. The World Health Organization has warned that cases are now increasing in the 10 worst affected countries in Africa.
soared：飆升；快速上升；
specific to： 特別針對；
「resistant to insecticides」對殺蟲劑的抗藥性；這是蚊子在進化過程中發展出來的特徵。
World Health Organization：世界衛生組織；
[Comments] Commenting on the findings, Prof Michael Bonsall, from the University of Oxford, said: "Neat - this is a super-exciting study." … "Proportionate bio-safety regulations are needed to ensure that the viability of this and other approaches for vector [mosquito] control using genetic methods are not lost through overly zealous restrictions."
Dr Tony Nolan, from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, added: "These results are encouraging. "We need new and complementary tools to augment existing control methods, which are being affected by the development of insecticide-resistance."
在BBC新聞中，為了保證新聞的客觀，中立，往往邀請一些第三方人士對研究做出報導。可以看出，這些人對這個實驗都是讚賞狀態，但是對其在真實世界中的應用提到應該有一些監管措施。
推薦讀13遍的英語句子：
1. A fungus - genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin - can rapidly kill huge numbers of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study suggests.
2. The researchers say their aim is not to make the insects extinct but to help stop the spread of malaria.
3. The next step was to test the fungus in as close to real-world conditions as possible.
4. The mosquitoes had to land on the sheets to be exposed to the deadly fungus.
5. Tests also showed the fungus was specific to these mosquitoes and did not affect other insects such as bees.
6. New tools are needed to tackle malaria as mosquitoes are becoming resistant to insecticides.
7. Neat - this is a super-exciting study.
Physics：
物理學中，一個有智能的微小生物會破壞熱力學第二定律。如下圖顯示的，本來一盒子溫度如室溫，而且均一的氣體在這個小妖怪的作用下，一邊可以當冰箱用，另一邊，可以燒開一壺開水。一句話，小妖怪從氣體分子無序的動能中產生了可以使用的能量。
對這樣一個小妖怪，傳統的物理回答，她是不存在的。有什麼物理器械能夠判斷出分子運動的速度，且作出要不要關門的決定。所以，儘管有這個小妖怪存在，熱力學第二定律並沒有受到影響。
只不過，在近些年的發展中，尤其是在生物系統中，這個小妖怪再次引起物理學家的注意。生命系統需要很多的這種小妖怪（或生物學大分子）來打破熱力學的平衡，從而創造出五彩斑斕的生命。
這個小妖怪也再一次提示物理學家們，物理學和信息科學在深層次上有密切的關聯。
Maxwell’s demon
From Wiki 3 June 2019
Maxwell's demon is a thought experiment created by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867 in which he suggested how the second law of thermodynamics might hypothetically be violated. In the thought experiment, a demon controls a small door between two chambers of gas.
As individual gas molecules approach the door, the demon quickly opens and shuts the door so that only fast molecules are passed into one of the chambers, while only slow molecules are passed into the other.
Because faster molecules are hotter, the demon's behaviour causes one chamber to warm up and the other to cool down, thereby decreasing entropy and violating the second law of thermodynamics.
This thought experiment has provoked debate and theoretical work on the relation between thermodynamics and information theory extending to the present day, with a number of scientists arguing that theoretical considerations rule out any practical device violating the second law in this way.
推薦讀13遍的英語句子：
1， Maxwell's demon is a thought experiment created by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867 in which he suggested how the second law of thermodynamics might hypothetically be violated.
2， This thought experiment has provoked debate and theoretical work on the relation between thermodynamics and information theory extending to the present day, with a number of scientists arguing that theoretical considerations rule out any practical device violating the second law in this way.
James Clerk Maxwell：麥克斯韋，可以說是僅次於牛頓和愛因斯坦的偉大理論物理學家。比鑽石還珍貴的麥克斯韋方程組直接把人類從機器時代帶到了電氣時代。
provoke：激發；引起；