What’s the smartest age? - Shannon Odell

Translator: Aubrey Cheng

What is the smartest age?

最聰明係幾多歲嘅人呢？

Perhaps a day of friendly competition will lead us to the answer.

我哋或者可以喺一場友誼賽度搵到答案

Tomorrow’s the annual Brain Clash—

聽日就係一年一度嘅《腦力大比拼》—

ten teams of two competing in a decathlon of mental challenges,

每兩人一隊、一共十隊進行 十項心理挑戰賽，

trivia competitions, and puzzles.

小知識競猜、同埋猜謎賽。

I’ve been training all year.

我已經訓練咗成年

I’ll need to pick the smartest, most capable teammate.

我要揀最聰明、最能幹嘅人做隊友

I’ve narrowed down the roster.

我已經篩選咗張名單

First we have Gabriela.

首先，我哋有嘉比爾娜

She may only be 8, but don’t underestimate her!

雖然佢只得8歲， 但千祈唔好睇少佢呀！

She’s fluent in two languages and is the ultimate outside-the-box thinker.

佢精通兩種語言， 重係一個非常有跳脫思維嘅女仔

Then there’s Ama.

然後有阿瑪

She can recite 100 digits of pi, designs satellites for a living,

佢識背圓周率π小數點後一百個位， 係一個衛星設計師

and bakes a perfect soufflé.

同埋焗得一手完美嘅梳乎厘

Or I could go with Mr. Taylor.

或者我可以揀泰來先生

He’s the best chess player in the neighborhood,

佢係區內最佳嘅西洋棋手

not to mention he’s competed in over 20 Brain Clashes

更何況佢已經參與 超過20場《腦力大比拼》

and is a five-time champion!

係一個五屆冠軍添呀！

I’m not sure who to pick! Who’s the smartest?

我唔知應該揀邊個先好！ 究竟邊個最聰明呢？

Which of these teammates should Amir choose for tomorrow's contest and why?

對於聽日嘅比賽， 阿米爾應該揀邊個做隊友？點解呢？

Of course, it depends.

當然，要睇情況

While intelligence is often associated with things like IQ tests,

雖然智力通常同智商測試有關

these assessments fail to capture the scope and depth

但呢啲評估唔能夠測到

of a person’s varied abilities.

測試者嘅各種能力嘅範圍同深度

So instead, we’ll break down the idea of “smart” into categories

所以，反而我哋要將「聰明」 分成幾種類別

like creativity, memory, and learning

如：創意、記性、學習

and explore when the brain’s best at each of them.

同探索大腦幾時會發揮得最好

Let's start at the very beginning.

我哋就由頭開始講起啦

In the first few years of life,

喺人生開始嘅頭幾年

your brain undergoes incredible rapid growth, called synaptogenesis,

大腦會經歷非常急速嘅生長， 呢種成長叫做突觸形成

where more than 1 million new neural connections are formed every second.

每秒會形成超過一百萬新嘅神經連接

As the brain develops, it goes through a pruning process.

隨著大腦發展，會經過一個修整過程

Based on your experience and environment,

根據你嘅經歷同環境，

used connections are strengthened and unused connections are removed.

有用到嘅連接會強化， 冇用到嘅會移除

Frequently used neuronal pathways are myelinated,

經常用到嘅神經通道會形成髓磷脂，

wrapped in a layer of insulation, allowing information to travel faster.

包裹一層絕緣體，令資訊傳送得更快

This creates a more efficient, fine-tuned brain.

咁樣創造一個更有效率、 更精密嘅大腦

But this brain remodeling happens within and between brain regions

但呢個大腦重塑模式 喺大腦區域邊緣內或之間

at different times,

唔同時間發生，

allowing different skills to flourish at different ages.

令唔同技能喺唔同年紀蓬勃發展

For example, in childhood, brain regions involved in language learning

例如，喺孩童時期， 同語言學習有關嘅大腦區域

develop quickly,

會迅速發展，

which is why many children can learn and master multiple languages.

所以小朋友可以學習同精通幾種語言

Yet the prefrontal cortex,

但大腦中，

a brain region responsible for cognitive control and inhibition,

負責認知控制同抑制嘅前額皮層

is slower to develop.

會發展得較慢

As a result, some young children may struggle with strategic games,

結果，有啲幼童覺得玩策略遊戲好困難

such as chess or checkers,

例如西洋棋同跳棋，

which require constant concentration, planning, and abstract thought.

需要不斷集中精神、規劃同抽象思考

At the same time, children tend to be more flexible, exploration-based learners.

同時，小朋友係傾向有彈性、 以探索為基礎嘅學習者

They often use more creative approaches when finding solutions to riddles

佢哋通常會用創意嘅方式去解謎

and are, on average, less afraid to make mistakes.

而且，平均嚟講，佢哋冇咁怕出錯

But adults have their own unique set of abilities.

但成年人有自己一套獨特嘅能力

Adults benefit from a well-developed prefrontal cortex,

成年人有個已經全面發展嘅前額皮層

allowing them to better execute skills that require learning, focus, and memory,

令佢哋可以好好發揮學習、專注、 記憶力需要用到嘅技能

making them quick and efficient puzzle solvers or crossword masters.

從而變成又快又有效率嘅 解謎高手或填字遊戲大師

Late in adulthood, these same skills may decline

步入成年人後期，同樣嘅技能或會衰退

as the brain’s memory center, known as the hippocampus, shrinks.

因為大腦嘅記憶中心海馬體會萎縮

But there’s a reason for the phrase “older and wiser.”

「人老精鬼老靈」呢個俗語背後係有啲道理

After a lifetime of learning,

學習咗成世，

older adults have more knowledge to recall and utilize,

老友記有多啲知識可以回想同運用

making them excellent trivia partners.

令佢哋成為最佳嘅小知識拍檔

Other factors that Amir should consider are his own strengths.

阿米爾重要考慮嘅其他因素 就係佢自己嘅長處

As an adolescent, the prefrontal cortical regions of your brain are more developed

成年人大腦嘅前額葉皮質區

than in childhood.

比孩童時期發展得更成熟

This allows you to better navigate logic and math puzzles.

令你更擅長解決邏輯同數學題目

Simultaneously, deep inside the brain,

同時，喺大腦嘅深處，

regions that are important in motivation and reward are developing even faster,

同動力獎勵有關嘅區域發展得更快

driving teenagers like Amir to be curious and adventurous learners.

令到阿米爾呢啲青少年 成為又好奇又鍾意冒險嘅學習者

In many ways, you can think of the teenager as a jack-of-all-trades,

喺好多方面， 你可以將青少年視為學而不精嘅人，

with brains wired to seek out new experiences and learn quickly.

大腦本質係俾佢哋去尋求新體驗 同埋迅速學習

You’re at a dynamic stage,

你喺一個充滿活力嘅階段

where the choices you make and the skills you focus on

你做嘅選擇、專注嘅技能

can actually guide the development of your brain.

可以實際上引導大腦嘅發展

So, what’s the smartest age?

所以，最聰明係幾多歲嘅人呢？

There’s no single answer.

冇一個單一嘅答案

It’s 8, 16, 25, 65, and everything in between;

係八歲、十六歲、二十五歲、 六十五歲同埋之間嘅任何歲數

our brains have adapted to prioritize different skills at various ages

我哋嘅大腦已經習慣咗喺唔同歲數 重視唔同技能

to meet that stage of life’s challenges and demands.

去應付人生各階段面對嘅挑戰同要求

So no matter who Amir picks, having an age-diverse team is a good strategy.

所以無論阿米爾揀邊個， 一隊入面有唔同年紀嘅人就係一個好策略