Why the octopus brain is so extraordinary - Cláudio L. Guerra

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Max Chern

What could octopuses possibly have in common with us?

章魚和我們怎麼可能有共通點？

After all, they don't have lungs, spines, or even a plural noun we can all agree on.

畢竟牠們沒有肺、沒有脊椎

甚至連個公認的 英文複數型都沒有

But what they do have is the ability to solve puzzles,

但牠們的確有解謎的能力

learn through observation,

能透過觀察以學習

and even use tools,

甚至能夠使用工具

just like some other animals we know.

就像我們所知的某些動物一樣

And what makes octopus intelligence so amazing

章魚的智力之所以如此驚人

is that it comes from a biological structure

在於牠們的生物結構 完全與人類不同

completely different from ours.

The 200 or so species of octopuses

章魚大約有 200 種品種

are mollusks belonging to the order cephalopoda,

屬於「頭足綱」的軟體動物

Greek for head-feet.

希臘語就是「頭足」的意思

Those heads contain impressively large brains,

章魚的頭裡有非常大的腦

with a brain to body ratio similar to that of other intelligent animals,

擁有與其它高智能生物 相似的腦部身體比例

and a complex nervous system with about as many neurons as that of a dog.

及複雜的神經系統 其神經元數量約和狗相當

But instead of being centralized in the brain,

但這五億個神經元 並非全部集中於腦部

these 500 million neurons are spread out in a network of interconnected ganglia

而是散佈在一個 互連的神經節網絡中

organized into three basic structures.

並分為三個基本結構

The central brain only contains about 10% of the neurons,

中樞腦部僅含約 10% 的神經元

while the two huge optic lobes contain about 30%.

兩片龐大的視葉約含 30%

The other 60% are in the tentacles,

剩餘的 60% 則位在觸手中

which for humans would be like our arms having minds of their own.

這就好比人類的手臂 擁有自己的智能一樣

This is where things get even more interesting.

這也是事情變得更有趣的地方

Vertebrates like us have a rigid skeleton to support our bodies,

像人類這樣的脊椎動物 有著堅硬的骨骼以支撐身體

with joints that allow us to move.

還有關節可使我們移動身體

But not all types of movement are allowed.

卻不是每種動作都做得出來

You can't bend your knee backwards,

例如，你無法向後屈膝

or bend your forearm in the middle, for example.

或是彎曲前臂的中間部分

Cephalopods, on the other hand, have no bones at all,

但是，頭足類動物完全沒有骨骼

allowing them to bend their limbs at any point and in any direction.

讓牠們可以在肢體的任何一點 往任何方向彎曲

So shaping their tentacles

因此彎曲觸手

into any one of the virtually limitless number of possible arrangements

做出幾乎無限可能的各種動作

is unlike anything we are used to.

並不是我們慣見的事

Consider a simple task, like grabbing and eating an apple.

設想一個簡單的動作 例如拿取並吃下一顆蘋果

The human brain contains a neurological map of our body.

人類的大腦有身體的神經地圖

When you see the apple,

當你看到蘋果

your brain's motor center activates the appropriate muscles,

大腦運動中樞 會啟動相應的肌肉

allowing you to reach out with your arm,

讓你能伸出手臂

grab it with your hand,

用手拿取蘋果

bend your elbow joint,

彎曲手肘關節

and bring it to your mouth.

再送入口中

For an octopus, the process is quite different.

對章魚而言該過程則完全不同

Rather than a body map,

章魚的腦部沒有身體地圖

the cephalopod brain has a behavior library.

卻有個行為圖書館

So when an octopus sees food,

當章魚看到食物

its brain doesn't activate a specific body part,

牠的腦部不會啟動 特定的身體部位

but rather a behavioral response to grab.

卻會啟動一套行為反應 以抓取食物

As the signal travels through the network,

信號在網絡內傳導

the arm neurons pick up the message

腕足的神經元收到信號

and jump into action to command the movement.

馬上開始動作

As soon as the arm touches the food,

一旦腕足接觸到食物

a muscle activation wave travels all the way through the arm to its base,

肌肉活化波就會 一路從腕足傳導到其基部

while the arm sends back another wave from the base to the tip.

同時腕足會從基部 送另一種波到尖端

The signals meet halfway between the food and the base of the arm,

這兩波信號 在食物與腕足基部中間相遇

letting it know to bend at that spot.

讓章魚知道要在此點彎曲

What all this means is that each of an octopus's eight arms

這一切意味著章魚的八隻腕足

can essentially think for itself.

每一隻基本上都可以自己思考

This gives it amazing flexibility and creativity

因而賦予章魚驚人的 靈活性及創造性

when facing a new situation or problem,

以面對新的情況或問題

whether its opening a bottle to reach food,

無論是打開瓶子拿食物

escaping through a maze,

還是從迷宮中脫逃

moving around in a new environment,

在新環境裡走動

changing the texture and the color of its skin to blend into the scenery,

改變皮膚質地及顏色 以融入背景

or even mimicking other creatures to scare away enemies.

甚至是模仿其它生物以退敵

Cephalopods may have evolved complex brains

頭足類或許 比我們的脊椎動物近親

long before our vertebrate relatives.

更早演化出複雜的腦部

And octopus intelligence isn't just useful for octopuses.

而且章魚的智能 不只對章魚有用

Their radically different nervous system and autonomously thinking appendages

牠們完全不同的神經系統 及具自主思考能力的附肢

have inspired new research

啟發我們新的研究

in developing flexible robots made of soft materials.

開發以軟材質製造的 高靈活性機器人

And studying how intelligence can arise along such a divergent evolutionary path

研究智能如何在這條 完全不同的演化路徑上崛起

can help us understand more about intelligence and consciousness in general.

也能幫助我們 更加瞭解智能與意識

Who knows what other forms of intelligent life are possible,

誰知道還有什麼 不同形式的智能生命存在

or how they process the world around them.

及他們如何處理其四周的世界

翻譯：Regina Chu