why I'm wearing these ninja pajamas.

我今天要跟各位談的是

And to do that, I'd like to talk first

為何我會穿上這忍者裝睡衣

about environmental toxins in our bodies.

在那之前，我想先談談

So some of you may know

我們身體裡的環境毒素

about the chemical Bisphenol A, BPA.

在座有些人也許知道

It's a material hardener and synthetic estrogen

BPA，也就是化學雙酚A

that's found in the lining of canned foods

這是一種固化劑，也是一種合成雌激素

and some plastics.

可以從罐頭食品的內裝

So BPA mimics the body's own hormones

和一些塑膠製品中找到

and causes neurological and reproductive problems.

雙酚A類似我們體內的荷爾蒙

And it's everywhere.

會造成造成神經系統和生殖系統的問題

A recent study found BPA

這種物質無所不在

in 93 percent of people six and older.

一項最近的研究發現

But it's just one chemical.

六歲以上的人中有93%體內都有此種物質

The Center for Disease Control in the U.S.

但這只是其中一種化學物質

says we have 219 toxic pollutants in our bodies,

美國的疾病管制中心表示

and this includes preservatives, pesticides

我們的體內存在了219種毒素

and heavy metals like lead and mercury.

當中包含有防腐劑、農藥

To me, this says three things.

以及像是鉛和汞的重金屬

First, don't become a cannibal.

對我而言，這代表了三件事

Second, we are both responsible for and the victims of

第一、不要當食人魔

our own pollution.

第二、我們同時是汙染者

And third,

也是汙染的受害者

our bodies are filters and storehouses

第三

for environmental toxins.

我們的身體是

So what happens to all these toxins when we die?

環境毒素的濾心也是倉庫

The short answer is:

所以這所有的毒素在我們死後會變成如何呢？

They return to the environment in one way or another,

簡單來說

continuing the cycle of toxicity.

它們會以各種方式回到環境中

But our current funeral practices

繼續毒素的循環

make the situation much worse.

但我們目前處理喪禮的方式

If you're cremated,

讓整個情況更加嚴重

all those toxins I mentioned are released into the atmosphere.

如果是以火化的方式進行

And this includes 5,000 pounds of mercury

我剛提到所有這些毒素會被釋放到大氣中

from our dental fillings alone every year.

這包括5000磅的汞

And in a traditional American funeral,

這還單只是我們每年使用的補牙填充物而已

a dead body is covered with fillers and cosmetics

而傳統的美國式喪禮

to make it look alive.

大體會覆蓋填充物和化妝品

It's then pumped with toxic formaldehyde

要讓大體看起來有生命

to slow decomposition --

而且會注射有毒的甲醛

a practice which causes respiratory problems and cancer

去延緩大體腐敗

in funeral personnel.

這種作法會造成葬儀社人員

So by trying to preserve our dead bodies,

罹患呼吸道疾病及癌症

we deny death, poison the living

為了保存我們的大體

and further harm the environment.

我們拒絕接受死亡，卻荼毒活著的人

Green or natural burials, which don't use embalming,

甚至傷害環境

are a step in the right direction,

環保或自然的墓葬，則不做防腐工作

but they don't address the existing toxins in our bodies.

那是方向較正確的處理方式

I think there's a better solution.

但還是沒有解決我們身體裡存在的毒素

I'm an artist,

我認為有更好的解決之道

so I'd like to offer a modest proposal

我是一位藝術家

at the intersection

我想提供一個

of art, science and culture.

介於藝術、科學和文化

The Infinity Burial Project,

三者交會點間的婉轉建議

an alternative burial system

一個終極的喪禮計畫

that uses mushrooms

一個替代性的殮葬方式

to decompose and clean toxins in bodies.

也就是使用蘑菇

The Infinity Burial Project

來分解和清理體內的毒素

began a few years ago with a fantasy

這個終極的喪禮計畫

to create the Infinity Mushroom --

起因於幾年前的一個想法

a new hybrid mushroom

想創造出一種終極蘑菇

that would decompose bodies, clean the toxins

一種新型混種的蘑菇

and deliver nutrients to plant roots,

可以分解身體、清理毒素

leaving clean compost.

然後將養分傳送到植物根部

But I learned it's nearly impossible

留下乾淨的堆肥

to create a new hybrid mushroom.

但我發現幾乎不可能

I also learned

創造出這種新型混種蘑菇

that some of our tastiest mushrooms

我也學到

can clean environmental toxins in soil.

我們一些嘗起來美味的蘑菇

So I thought maybe I could train an army

能夠清理土壤裡的環境毒素

of toxin-cleaning edible mushrooms

這讓我覺得也許我能培養一群

to eat my body.

可食用的清毒素的蘑菇

So today, I'm collecting what I shed or slough off --

來分解我的身體

my hair, skin and nails --

今天我收集了一些我掉落或脫落的

and I'm feeding these to edible mushrooms.

頭髮、皮屑和指甲

As the mushrooms grow,

然後施給這些可食用的蘑菇當作養分

I pick the best feeders

當這些蘑菇在成長時

to become Infinity Mushrooms.

我選了長得最好的蘑菇

It's a kind of imprinting and selective breeding process

當作終極蘑菇

for the afterlife.

這很像為後世進行印痕作用

So when I die,

和選擇育種的過程

the Infinity Mushrooms will recognize my body

所以當我過世

and be able to eat it.

這些終極蘑菇會認出我的大體

All right, so for some of you,

然後能夠分解我的大體

this may be really, really out there.

好吧，對在座某些人來說

(Laughter)

這也許真的會實現

Just a little.

(笑聲)

I realize this is not the kind of relationship

有一點吧

that we usually aspire to have with our food.

我意識到這並非

We want to eat, not be eaten by, our food.

我們對於食物的某種認知

But as I watch the mushrooms grow

我們吃食物，但不是被食物吃

and digest my body,

但當我看著這些蘑菇成長

I imagine the Infinity Mushroom

分解消化我部分的身體

as a symbol of a new way of thinking about death

我想像這終極蘑菇

and the relationship between my body and the environment.

是一種新的象徵

See for me,

象徵思考死亡以及我的身體和環境間的關係

cultivating the Infinity Mushroom

看看我

is more than just scientific experimentation

培育終極蘑菇

or gardening or raising a pet,

並非只是科學實驗

it's a step towards accepting the fact

或是園藝工作或養寵物

that someday I will die and decay.

這是一種接納的步驟

It's also a step

接受有天我會死亡和腐敗的事實

towards taking responsibility

這也一種步驟

for my own burden on the planet.

要承擔責任

Growing a mushroom is also part of a larger practice

為這個地球承擔我自己帶來的負擔

of cultivating decomposing organisms

培育蘑菇也是培育

called decompiculture,

有生物分解力的有機體的大型實驗之一

a concept that was developed by an entomologist,

這是一種生物分解藝術 (decompiculture)

Timothy Myles.

是由Timothy Myles一位昆蟲學家

The Infinity Mushroom is a subset of decompiculture

發展出的概念

I'm calling body decompiculture and toxin remediation --

終極蘑菇是生物分解藝術下的分支

the cultivation of organisms that decompose

我把它稱為人體分解藝術和毒素清理

and clean toxins in bodies.

就是培養生物有機體來

And now about these ninja pajamas.

分解和清理體內毒素

Once it's completed,

現在回來談談這忍者裝睡衣

I plan to integrate the Infinity Mushrooms into a number of objects.

如果完成

First, a burial suit

我預計將終極蘑菇和各式的物品結合

infused with mushroom spores,

首先，做成一件壽衣

the Mushroom Death Suit.

上頭布滿了蘑菇孢子

(Laughter)

一件蘑菇做的壽衣

I'm wearing the second prototype

(笑聲)

of this burial suit.

我現在穿的是

It's covered with a crocheted netting

第二款壽衣的雛形

that is embedded with mushroom spores.

這是針織成的網

The dendritic pattern you see

上頭也嵌入了蘑菇孢子

mimics the growth of mushroom mycelia,

各位看到的樹突狀圖案

which are the equivalent of plant roots.

模仿了蘑菇菌絲生長

I'm also making a decompiculture kit,

這和植物的根相當類似

a cocktail of capsules

我也做出了生物分解藝術的套件

that contain Infinity Mushroom spores

雞尾酒式的膠囊

and other elements

裡頭也有終極蘑菇的孢子

that speed decomposition and toxin remediation.

還有其他元素

These capsules are embedded in a nutrient-rich jelly,

能夠加快生物分解和毒素清理

a kind of second skin,

這些膠囊中含有一種營養豐富的果凍

which dissolves quickly

像是第二層皮膚

and becomes baby food for the growing mushrooms.

可以溶解的很快

So I plan to finish the mushroom and decompiculture kit

然後變成成長中蘑菇的嬰兒食品

in the next year or two,

我預計要在明年或後年

and then I'd like to begin testing them,

完成培育蘑菇和生物分解藝術的套件

first with expired meat from the market

然後我想開始測試它們

and then with human subjects.

會先拿超市裡過期的肉品測試

And believe it or not,

然後才會人體測試

a few people have offered to donate their bodies to the project

不管各位相信與否

to be eaten by mushrooms.

有少數人已經答應捐贈他們的大體參與這個計劃

(Laughter)

讓蘑菇分解他們的大體

What I've learned from talking to these folks

(笑聲)

is that we share a common desire

從談這些故事中，我學到的是

to understand and accept death

我們有共同的慾望

and to minimize the impact of our death on the environment.

想了解和接受死亡

I wanted to cultivate this perspective

同時降低死亡對環境的影響

just like the mushrooms,

我想培養這個概念

so I formed the Decompiculture Society,

就像培育蘑菇一樣

a group of people called decompinauts

所以我建構了一個生物分解藝術的社群

who actively explore their postmortem options,

一群叫做生物分解藝術人士(decompinauts)

seek death acceptance

他們積極地探索身後事的選擇性

and cultivate decomposing organisms

追求接納死亡

like the Infinity Mushroom.

也幫助培育生物分解有機體

The Decompiculture Society shares a vision

例如終極蘑菇

of a cultural shift,

生物分解藝術的社群分享了

from our current culture of death denial and body preservation

一種文化變遷的概念

to one of decompiculture,

從我們當前拒絕接受死亡和遺體保存的文化

a radical acceptance of death and decomposition.

變成生物分解藝術

Accepting death means accepting

並且理性的接受死亡和遺體分解

that we are physical beings

接受死亡意味著

who are intimately connected to the environment,

我們是自然的

as the research on environmental toxins confirms.

我們和環境緊密的結合

And the saying goes,

就如同做環境研究時，那些毒素的存在一樣

we came from dust and will return to dust.

老話一句

And once we understand that we're connected to the environment,

我們本是塵土，仍要歸於塵土

we see that the survival of our species

只要我們了解我們和環境是相連的

depends on the survival of the planet.

我們的生存

I believe this is the beginning

仰賴地球的生存

of true environmental responsibility.

我相信這會是

Thank you.

真正環境責任承擔的開端

(Applause)

謝謝各位