Why people fall for misinformation - Joseph Isaac

翻译人员: Nina Stinehour 校对人员: Wanting Zhong

In 1901, David Hänig published a paper

1901 年，大卫·哈尼格 （David Hänig）发表的一篇论文

that forever changed our understanding of taste.

永远地改变了我们对味觉的理解。

His research led to what we know today as the taste map:

从他的研究中诞生了 我们现在所谓的“味觉图”：

an illustration that divides the tongue into four separate areas.

一张把舌头划分为 四个独立区域的示意图。

According to this map,

根据这张示意图，

receptors at the tip of our tongues capture sweetness,

舌尖的受体捕捉甜味，

bitterness is detected at the tongue’s base,

舌根检测苦味，

and along the sides, receptors capture salty and sour sensations.

舌头两侧的受体则 捕捉咸味和酸味。

Since its invention, the taste map has been published

自发明以来， 味觉图被陆续刊登在了

in textbooks and newspapers.

各类教科书和报纸上。

The only problem with this map, is that it’s wrong.

这张图唯一的问题是—— 它是错误的。

In fact, it’s not even an accurate representation

事实上，它甚至没有准确地代表

of what Hänig originally discovered.

哈尼格原本的发现。

The tongue map is a common misconception—

味觉图是个常见的错误观念——

something widely believed but largely incorrect.

虽然广为人信， 大体上却是不准确的。

So where do misconceptions like this come from,

那么，像这样的 错误观念是从哪来的？

and what makes a fake fact so easy to believe?

虚假信息又为什么 能让人如此轻易地信以为真？

It’s true that the tongue map’s journey begins with David Hänig.

的确，味觉图的旅程 是从大卫 · 哈尼格开始的。

As part of his dissertation at Leipzig University,

哈尼格在莱比锡大学的学位论文中

Hänig analyzed taste sensitivities across the tongue for the four basic flavors.

分析了舌头各部位 对四种基本味道的敏感度。

Using sucrose for sweet, quinine sulfate for bitter,

他用蔗糖测甜味， 用硫酸奎宁测苦味，

hydrochloric acid for sour, and salt for salty,

用盐酸测酸味， 用盐测咸味。

Hänig applied these stimuli to compare differences in taste thresholds

哈尼格用这些刺激 来比较被试者舌头各处的

across a subject’s tongue.

味觉阈值的差异。

He hoped to better understand the physiological mechanisms

他希望能更好地理解 影响这四种味觉的

that affected these four flavors,

生理机制，

and his data suggested that sensitivity for each taste

而他的数据显示，舌头各部位

对每种味道的敏感度 确实存在差异。

did in fact vary across the tongue.

The maximum sensation for sweet was located at the tongue’s tip;

对甜味最敏感的是舌尖；

bitter flavors were strongest at the back; salt was strongest in this area,

对苦味最敏感的是舌根； 咸味在这个区域最强，

and sour at the middle of the tongue’s sides.

而酸味则在舌头两侧的中间。

But Hänig was careful to note that every sensation

但是哈尼格谨慎地指出了，

could also be tasted across the tongue,

舌头的各个部位 都能尝出所有的味道，

and that the areas he identified offered very small variations in intensity.

而且他所划分出的区域之间 敏感度差异非常小。

Like so many misconceptions,

就如其它很多错误观念一样，

the tongue map represents a distortion of its original source,

味觉图是最初来源的一种曲解，

however the nature of that distortion can vary.

然而这种曲解的性质 可能存在差异。

Some misconceptions are comprised of disinformation—

有些错误观念是由谣言组成的——

false information intentionally designed to mislead people.

刻意设计出来 以误导人们的虚假信息。

But many misconceptions, including the tongue map,

但包括味觉图在内的很多错误观念

center on misinformation— false or misleading information

围绕的是错误信息—— 因无意的失实

that results from unintentional inaccuracy.

导致的错误或误导性信息。

Misinformation is most often shaped by mistakes and human error,

最常见的错误信息是由 差错和人为失误造成的，

but the specific mistakes that lead to a misconception

但是导致错误观念的具体错误

can be surprisingly varied.

可以有惊人的多样性。

In the case of the tongue map,

在味觉图的例子里，

Hänig’s dissertation was written in German,

哈尼格的学位论文是用德语写的，

meaning the paper could only be understood by readers fluent in German

意味着能真正读懂这篇文章的 只有精通德语、

and well versed in Hanig’s small corner of academia.

且熟知哈尼格的 学术细分领域的人。

This kicked off a game of telephone that re-shaped Häing’s research

这开启了一场传话游戏， 每次和外行人士分享时，

every time it was shared with outside parties.

哈尼格的研究都会改头换面。

Less than a decade after his dissertation,

他的学位论文发表后不到十年，

newspapers were falsely insisting that experiments

报纸已经在错误地坚称，

could prove sweetness was imperceptible on the back of the tongue.

实验能够证明 舌根完全感受不到甜味。

The second culprit behind the tongue map’s spread

导致味觉图广为流传的 第二个罪魁祸首

were the images that Hänig’s work inspired.

是被哈尼格的研究启发的图像。

In 1912, a rough version of the map appeared in a newspaper article

1912 年，一张简略版的 味觉图出现在了报纸上，

that cautiously described some of the mysteries

报道小心翼翼地描述了

味觉和嗅觉研究背后的一些奥秘。

behind taste and smell research.

Featuring clear labels across the tongue, the article’s illustration

这篇报道的插图 在舌头上标注了明确标签，

simplified Hänig’s more-complicated original diagrams.

简化了哈尼格 更加复杂的原始图解。

Variations of this approachable image became repeatedly cited,

这幅平易近人的图像的变体 被反复引用，

often without credit or nuanced consideration for Hänig’s work.

但往往没有注明来源， 也没有对哈尼格的研究有些微斟酌。

Eventually this image spread to textbooks and classrooms

最终，这幅图像传到了 教科书和教室里，

as a purported truth of how we experience taste.

被当成我们如何体验味觉的真相。

But perhaps the factor that most contributed to this misconception

但也许对这个错误观念 贡献最大的因素

was its narrative simplicity.

是它叙事的简单性。

In many ways,

在很多方面，

the map complements our desire for clear stories about the world around us—

味觉图满足了我们对 用明晰的故事讲述身边世界的渴望——

a quality not always present in the sometimes-messy fields of science.

然而这一特质在时而繁杂的 科学领域中却时有缺失。

For example,

举个例子，

even the number of tastes we have is more complicated than Hänig’s work suggests.

甚至连味觉的种类 也比哈尼格所提到的更加复杂。

Umami— also known as savory— is now considered the fifth basic taste,

旨味（umami）——又称鲜味—— 如今被认为是第五种基本味道，

and many still debate the existence of tastes

还有很多人仍在辩论 其他味道是否存在：

like fatty, alkaline, metallic, and water-like.

比如脂肪味、碱味、 金属味、水味等。

一旦我们听到一个好故事，

Once we hear a good story,

it can be difficult to change how we see that information,

想要改变看待它的方式是很难的——

even in the face of new evidence.

哪怕有新的证据摆在面前。

So, next time you see a convenient chart or read a surprising anecdote,

所以下次看见一张简便图表，

或读了一个惊人轶事时， [ “狗没法向上看！”]

try to maintain a healthy skepticism—

请尝试保持一个健康的怀疑态度——

because misconceptions can leave a bitter taste

因为错误观念 会在你舌头上的每个角落

on every part of your tongue.

留下一种苦涩的味道。