In Bee Shortage Bubbles Could Help Pollinate
没有蜜蜂可以使用泡泡授粉
Bees are a big part of the life cycle of plants, carrying pollen from one flower to another and allowing plants to produce their frequently yummy output. But with bee populations on the decline what can take their place? How about soap bubbles?
蜜蜂是植物生命周期的重要组成部分，将花粉从一朵花传到另一朵花，这让植物结出好吃的果子。但是随着蜜蜂的减少，什么可以取代它们呢？肥皂泡怎么样？
It may sound fantastical. But Eijiro Miyako and his colleague at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have used battery-powered bubble makers to pollinate a pear orchard. The details of their magical realism approach to agriculture are in the journal iScience.
这听起来很神奇，但是来自日本高级科学技术研究院的Eijiro Miyako和他的团队使用电池驱动泡泡机来为梨园授粉。他们这一神奇的农业现象的细节发布在《i科学》杂志上。
A few years back, Miyako and his team tried to mimic the pollinating prowess of honeybees by retrofitting a two-inch long toy drone with brushes made of horse hair. They loaded the device with pollen suspended in a sticky gel. But the tiny flyer was tough to control. And its hairy little applicators ended up damaging the delicate floral targets.
几年前，Miyako和他的团队尝试去模仿蜜蜂授粉，他们把马的毛发做成的刷子改装了一个两英尺长的玩具无人机。他们把悬浮在粘性凝胶中的花粉放入这个装置中。但是无人机很难控制，它多毛的小喷头破坏了精美的花受体。
After spending some time blowing bubbles with his son, Miyako started thinking more seriously about these soapy little marvels. He figured bubbles would be sticky enough to carry and deliver a pollen payload, but soft and flexible, so they shouldn’t hurt a blossom when they land and then pop.
在花了一些时间和他儿子吹泡泡后，Miyako开始认真地思考这些泡泡的作用。他发现这些泡泡有足够的粘性成为花粉的载体，即柔软又灵活，泡泡触碰花朵爆裂时不会损伤花朵。
The researchers chemically optimized their soapy solution to make bubbles that were mechanically stable and actually enhanced the pollination process.
研究者对肥皂产生泡泡这一方法进行了化学优化，这一方法可稳定操作并且能有利于传粉。
Out in the orchard, they aimed their souped-up soap bubbles at row after row of pear trees. And they found the bubble system worked just as well as the more labor-intensive pollination by hand: Pear trees pollinated by bubble ultimately bore fruit—a sweet sign of success.
在果园外，它们使用了加强马力的泡泡机并与梨树并排成一行。他们发现泡泡系统与手工劳动密集型授粉有相同作用，梨树通过泡泡授粉后结果——一个成功的甜蜜标志。
Miyako has also revived the drone program…this time using a larger model—equipped with a machine that unleashes a bubble blitz. And has a big advantage over the hand-held model:
Miyako也重新审视无人机程序，这次使用一个大的模型——装备了一个大型的泡泡制造机，这与手动模型相比有一个大的优势。
“Because it’s fully autonomously controllable by GPS with Google Map.”
“原因是由谷歌地图的GPS全自动控制的。”
So the drones can make a bee-line to where farmers need them. You know—to be.
所以无人机可以像农民使用蜜蜂那样工作，你知道的。
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