Is telekinesis real? - Emma Bryce

心灵遥感是否存在- Emma Bryce

翻译人员: nancy liu 校对人员: Jenny Yang

当臭名昭著的虚构人物

When the infamous fictional character,

Carrie White, left her high school prom hall ablaze,

魔女嘉莉离开了陷入火海的 高中毕业舞会的大厅

and brought terror upon her town,

给她在的小镇带来了恐慌

she relied on her powers of telekinesis,

她靠心灵遥感的力量

the ability to manipulate physical objects using the power of the mind alone.

即通过意念控制物体

But while Carrie is just a fictional film based upon a fictional book,

虽然魔女嘉莉只是一个基于小说的 虚构的电影里的人物

belief in telekinesis isn't fictional at all.

但是心灵遥感却一点都不虚幻

For centuries, humans have claimed they really do have the power

数百年来，有人就曾声称

他们的确有能够用意念控制物体的力量

to control the motion of objects using only their minds.

Levitation, opening doors at will and spoon bending

用意念悬浮，开门并弄弯汤勺

are all intriguing examples.

这些都是有趣的例子

It happens in the Matrix when Neo freezes bullets midair,

在《黑客帝国》里， 尼欧可以将子弹停在半空中

and it's a skill that Yoda has honed to a T.

在《星球大战》里,尤达控制他的飞机

But is telekinesis real,

但是心灵遥感真的存在吗？

or just as fictional as Carrie, Yoda and Neo combined?

还是像嘉莉，尤达和尼欧一样都是虚构的？

To investigate, we need to evaluate telekinetic claims

为了弄清楚这件事，我们需要验证心灵遥感的真实性

through a scientific lens using the scientific method.

通过科学的透镜，使用科学的方法

Telekinesis is part of the discipline called parapsychology,

心灵遥感的定律源于心灵学

in which researchers study psychic phenomena.

心灵学研究的研究对象是超自然现象

Parapsychologists regard what they do as a science,

心灵学家视自己研究的事物为科学

but other scientists disagree.

其他科学家却不这么看

Let's start with a few basic observations.

让我们用几个基本的实验观察结果作为开始

Observation #1:

观察结果1

While there are loads of anecdotes out there about telekinesis,

虽然市面上有很多关于心灵遥感的传言

there's no scientific proof that it exists;

但是没有一点科学证据能证明其存在

no studies conducted according to the scientific method

没有在实验室条件下

and repeated under lab conditions can show that its real.

按照科学方法进行的研究能证明这是真实的

In the 1930s, the so-called father of parapsychology, Joseph Banks Rhine,

在1930年左右，所谓的心灵遥感之父，约瑟夫·本克斯·莱茵

tested in the lab whether people could use telekinesis

在实验室里进行了测验

to make a dice roll the way they wanted it to.

测验的内容是人们是否能够通过心灵遥感的使用使投骰子的结果受自己的控制

But afterwards, scientists couldn't replicate his results,

但是在此之后， 科学家们无法得到相同的实验结果

and since replication is key to proving an idea,

然而得到相同的实验结果是证明一个理论的关键

that was a problem.

所以它无法被证实

Aside from scientists,

除了科学家以外

there are also countless self-proclaimed telekinetics,

世上也有许多自封的心灵遥感学家

but all have been exposed as tricksters,

但是他们都被揭露实际上是骗子

or can't perform under conditions where they're not totally in control,

或者无法在不受他们控制的环境里再次进行心灵遥感

suggesting that they manipulate the situation to get the results they want.

这些情况表明他们是在操纵周边的环境来得到自己想要的结果

Today, there's even a huge stash of prize money available from lots of organizations

如今，世界上甚至还有许多组织设置的许多不公开的奖项

for anyone who can prove that psychic abilities, like telekinesis, are real.

用来奖励可以证实超自然能力的人，比如可以证明心灵遥感是真的的人

But these riches remain unclaimed.

但是这些奖项一直没有被授予

Observation #2:

观察结果2

When we investigate telekinesis,

当我们调查心灵遥感的时候

there's no consensus about what exactly is being measured.

我们没有一致的测量对象

Are powerful, Yoda-like brainwaves at work perhaps?

我们要测量的是尤达一样强有力的脑电波么？

Since nobody agrees, it's difficult to apply a research standard,

由于大家都没有达成一致，很难确定出一个一致的调查标准

something required in all other types of science

而一致实验标准却是所有类型的科学实验所要求的

to test the validity of ideas.

没有它就无法测试理论的有效性

Observation #3:

观察结果3

The point of science is to discover the unknown,

科学的意义在于发现未知

and in the history of scientific investigation,

在科学调查的历史中

it's definitely happened

新的发现与已经建立起来的体系相违背的现象

that new discoveries have gone against established science,

并不罕见

and even overturned whole branches of science.

甚至有时一个新的发现会改变科学之中一整枝分支得方向

Such discoveries must be proven extra carefully

这种与之前体系相违背的发现必须被带着审慎得态度

to withstand skepticism.

来进行谨慎的验证

In the case of telekinesis,

在心灵遥感的例子里

the idea goes against established science,

这种理论虽然与之前建立起的科学体系相违背

but lacks the powerful evidence in favor of it.

却又缺乏强有力的证据来支持它

Our universe is controlled and explained by the laws of physics,

我们的宇宙被物理学定律所诠释和支配

and one of these laws tells us that brain waves can't control objects

然而其中一条定律告诉我们脑电波无法控制物体

because they're neither strong nor far-reaching enough

因为它们既不强烈又没有那么广的控制范围

to influence anything outside of our skulls.

因此无法影响我们头骨意外的东西

Physics also tells us that the only forces that can influence objects from afar

物理学也告诉我们唯一能够在远距离情况下影响物体的

are magnetic and gravitational.

具有磁力或者具有引力的物体

Probably the closest thing to telekinesis that science can explain

科学能解释的，与心灵遥感最相近的现象

is the use of thoughts to control a robotic arm.

可能就是用思想来控制机器手臂的实验了

In the brains of stroke patients who can't move,

脑中风患者无法移动身体

researchers can implant tiny wires into the region that controls movement,

研究者可以将一些细线埋植入大脑中控制运动的区域

and then train the patient to concentrate on moving a robotic arm,

然后训练这些患者使他们集中精力来移动机械手臂

which acts like an extension of their minds, and it works.

使得机械手臂仿佛他们思想的实质化，而且实验取得了成功

It's amazing, but it isn't telekinesis.

这个实验令人震惊，但它终究不是心灵遥感

The patients thoughts aren't just vague, undetectable things.

患者的思想并不模糊，也不是无法侦测的

They're measurable brain signals,

它们是可以测量的脑信号

translated through wires into a robot.

它们被翻译，通过细线传入进入机械手臂

Science can measure, test and explain the motion,

科学可以被测量，被检验，然后解释其这种现象

and that's how we've shown that this kind of mind control is real.

这就是我们如何证实这种思想控制外物的真实性

Science is a slow process of accumulating

科学是一个慢慢积累的过程

the evidence that either stands for or against an idea.

慢慢积累一些或支持或反对某一现象的证据

When we stack up evidence,

当我们把这些证据堆叠在一起

we can see which tower grows tallest,

我们就能看出哪一座塔更高

and in the case of telekinesis, it's not the tower showing that it exists.

而在心灵遥感的例子中，证明它成立的证据之塔并不是最高的

Some say this mystical phenomenon can't fit within the confines of science,

一些人可能会说这种神秘的现象只是无法在现有的科学理论中被证明

and that's okay.

那好吧

But then telekinesis becomes purely a matter of personal conviction.

但是这样的话心灵遥感就变成了纯粹的个人观点

If something can't be assessed scientifically,

如果事物无法向科学靠拢

then it can't be described as scientific either.

那它也就不能被称为“科学的”

So the results of our investigation

所以，我们调查的结果

reveal that however much we may want to believe

揭示了无论我们多么想要相信

that the force really is within us,

我们真的拥有这种力量

the case for telekinesis remains weak.

但是心灵遥感的理论依旧禁不起考量

Sorry Neo, Carrie and Yoda.

对不起啦尼欧，嘉莉和尤达

Your skills are mind-blowing, but for now, they belong in the movies.

你们的能力虽然令人印象深刻，但是现在，它们只存在于电影中