Uri Alon: Why truly innovative science demands a leap into the unknown

翻译人员: chunhua zhang 校对人员: Xiangyu Fang

In the middle of my Ph.D.,

在我读博士读到一半的时候，

I was hopelessly stuck.

我陷入了令人绝望的困境。

Every research direction that I tried

所有我尝试过的研究方向

led to a dead end.

都走向了死胡同。

It seemed like my basic assumptions

看起来我所有的基本假定

just stopped working.

都出了问题。

I felt like a pilot flying through the mist,

我感觉自己像一个正在驾驶飞机穿越迷雾的飞行员

and I lost all sense of direction.

失去了所有的方向感。

I stopped shaving.

我不再刮胡子。

I couldn't get out of bed in the morning.

我早上无法起床。

I felt unworthy

我觉得自己不配

of stepping across the gates of the university,

跨过学校的大门，

because I wasn't like Einstein or Newton

因为我不像爱因斯坦、牛顿

or any other scientist whose results

或者其他那些我了解他们成果的科学家

I had learned about, because in science,

一样取得成功，要知道在科学上，

we just learn about the results, not the process.

我们只问结果，不问过程。

And so obviously, I couldn't be a scientist.

很明显，我不能成为科学家。

But I had enough support

但最终我获得了足够的支持

and I made it through

并走出了困境

and discovered something new about nature.

对于自然也有了一些新的发现

This is an amazing feeling of calmness,

这是一种关于冷静的，

being the only person in the world

成为世上唯一一个

who knows a new law of nature.

知道一条新的自然规律的人的奇妙感觉。

And I started the second project in my Ph.D,

之后我开始进行我读博期间的第二个项目，

and it happened again.

然后历史重演。

I got stuck and I made it through.

我再次陷入死胡同并又走了出来。

And I started thinking,

然后我开始思考，

maybe there's a pattern here.

也许这里有一种模式。

I asked the other graduate students, and they said,

我问了其他的研究生，他们说

"Yeah, that's exactly what happened to us,

“是的，那的确在我们身上发生过，

except nobody told us about it."

只是没人告诉我们这一点罢了。“

We'd all studied science as if it's a series

我们似乎都是通过基于问题和答案间

of logical steps between question and answer,

的一系列逻辑步骤来学习科学 ，

but doing research is nothing like that.

但是做研究完全不是那样的。

At the same time, I was also studying

与此同时，我也在学习

to be an improvisation theater actor.

做一个即兴表演的演员。

So physics by day,

所以我白天研究物理，

and by night, laughing, jumping, singing,

而到了晚上，则笑啊、跳啊、唱啊，

playing my guitar.

以及弹奏我的吉它。

Improvisation theater,

进行即兴表演，

just like science, goes into the unknown,

就像研究科学一样，也是进入一种未知状态，

because you have to make a scene onstage

因为你要在一个

without a director, without a script,

没有导演，没有剧本，

without having any idea what you'll portray

也不知道你将扮演什么角色

or what the other characters will do.

以及其他演员将会表演什么的舞台上演出。

But unlike science,

但即兴表演又不全像科学研究，

in improvisation theater, they tell you from day one

在即兴表演中，他们从一开始就会告诉你

what's going to happen to you when you get onstage.

当你在舞台上时什么事情将会发生在你的身上。

You're going to fail miserably.

你会遭遇令人痛苦的失败。

You're going to get stuck.

你会陷入僵局。

And we would practice staying creative

我们要练习在僵局中

inside that stuck place.

保持创造性。

For example, we had an exercise

例如，我们做过这样一个训练：

where we all stood in a circle,

我们所有的人都站在一个圆圈里，

and each person had to do the world's worst tap dance,

每个人都必须跳世界上最糟糕的踢踏舞，

and everybody else applauded

并且每个人都鼓掌

and cheered you on,

为你喝彩，

supporting you onstage.

支持你上台。

When I became a professor

当我成为一名教授

and had to guide my own students

并且不得不指导我的学生

through their research projects,

完成他们的研究项目时，

I realized again,

我再次意识到，

I don't know what to do.

我不知道该如何是好。

I'd studied thousands of hours of physics,

我花了数千小时学习物理、

biology, chemistry,

生物和化学，

but not one hour, not one concept

但是这中间没有一个小时、一个概念

on how to mentor, how to guide someone

是教我怎么成为一个导师，怎么指导他人

to go together into the unknown,

共赴未知世界，

about motivation.

以及如何激励别人的。

So I turned to improvisation theater,

所以我回到即兴表演上，

and I told my students from day one

从一开始就告诉我的学生

what's going to happen when you start research,

当你开始做研究时你将遭遇什么，

and this has to do with our mental schema

并且这也涉及到我们关于

of what research will be like.

所做的研究将会是什么样子的认知心理模式。

Because you see, whenever people do anything,

因为你知道，任何人做任何事都涉及到认知心理模式，

for example if I want to touch this blackboard,

比如说如果我想触摸这块黑板，

my brain first builds up a schema,

我的大脑首先会建立起一个模式，

a prediction of exactly what my muscles will do

在我还没动手之前

before I even start moving my hand,

就预测我的肌肉将会做什么，

and if I get blocked,

并且如果我的行为被阻止了，

if my schema doesn't match reality,

我的心理模式与实际不符，

that causes extra stress called cognitive dissonance.

那就会导致被称为认知失调的额外压力。

That's why your schemas had better match reality.

这就是为什么你的心理模式最好要与实际相符。

But if you believe the way science is taught,

但是如果你相信教授科学的方式，

and if you believe textbooks, you're liable

并且你相信教科书，

to have the following schema of research.

你可能倾向于以下的研究模式。

If A is the question,

如果A是问题，

and B is the answer,

B是答案，

then research is a direct path.

那么研究是一条直接途径。

The problem is that if an experiment doesn't work,

问题是如果一个实验行不通，

or a student gets depressed,

或者一个学生变得很沮丧，

it's perceived as something utterly wrong

它会被视为完全错误

and causes tremendous stress.

并导致巨大的压力。

And that's why I teach my students

这也是为什么我要教我的学生

a more realistic schema.

一个更现实的模式。

Here's an example

这是一个与你的心理模式不相符的例子。

where things don't match your schema.

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

So I teach my students a different schema.

我教给了我的学生一个不同的模式。

If A is the question,

如果A是问题，

B is the answer,

B是答案，

stay creative in the cloud,

在“乌云”中保持创造性，

and you start going,

你开始做研究，

and experiments don't work, experiments don't work,

然后实验行不通，实验行不通，

experiments don't work, experiments don't work,

实验行不通，实验行不通，

until you reach a place linked with negative emotions

直到你到达一个与消极情绪相连的地方

where it seems like your basic assumptions

觉得你的基本假定似乎

have stopped making sense,

不再有意义，

like somebody yanked the carpet beneath your feet.

就像有人把你脚下的地毯猛然抽出一样。

And I call this place the cloud.

我叫这个地方“乌云”。

Now you can be lost in the cloud

你可能在“乌云”中迷路

for a day, a week, a month, a year,

也许是一天、一星期，一个月，一年，

a whole career,

甚至整个职业生涯，

but sometimes, if you're lucky enough

但有时，如果你足够幸运

and you have enough support,

并获得足够支持，

you can see in the materials at hand,

你可以利用你手上的材料

or perhaps meditating on the shape of the cloud,

或者通过深思“乌云”的形成过程，

a new answer,

获得一个新的答案，

C, and you decide to go for it.

C，然后你决定将它作为新的目标。

And experiments don't work, experiments don't work,

然后实验行不通，实验行不通，

but you get there,

但是你取得了成功，

and then you tell everyone about it

然后你通过发表一篇诠释由A指向C的论文

by publishing a paper that reads A arrow C,

来告诉每一个人你的发现，

which is a great way to communicate,

这是一个很好的传播方法，

but as long as you don't forget the path

只要你没忘记

that brought you there.

把你带到这里的那条路。

Now this cloud is an inherent part

“乌云”是科学研究的必经之路，

of research, an inherent part of our craft,

也是我们手艺的必经之路，

because the cloud stands guard at the boundary.

因为“乌云”在边界设置了守卫。

It stands guard at the boundary

它守卫着已知

between the known

and the unknown,

和未知之间的边界，

because in order to discover something truly new,

因为为了获得真正的全新发现

at least one of your basic assumptions has to change,

你得至少改变一个基本假定，

and that means that in science,

那也就意味着在科学上，

we do something quite heroic.

我们会做一些很壮烈的事情。

Every day, we try to bring ourselves

每一天，我们都试着将自己带到

to the boundary between the known and the unknown

已知和未知之间的边界，

and face the cloud.

并面对“乌云”。

Now notice that I put B

现在请注意我把B放到

in the land of the known,

已知这一边，

because we knew about it in the beginning,

因为我们从一开始就知道它，

but C is always more interesting

但是C总是比B更有趣

and more important than B.

并且也更重要。

So B is essential in order to get going,

所以B是开始研究的必要条件，

but C is much more profound,

但C却更加深刻，

and that's the amazing thing about resesarch.

这就是关于研究的奇妙之处。

Now just knowing that word, the cloud,

我刚刚获悉“乌云”这个词，

has been transformational in my research group,

就在我的研究团队中被使用了。

because students come to me and say,

因为学生会过来对我说，

"Uri, I'm in the cloud,"

“喔，我在‘乌云’中，”

and I say, "Great, you must be feeling miserable."

然后我说，“很好，你一定觉得很痛苦。”

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But I'm kind of happy,

但是我很开心，

because we might be close to the boundary

因为我们可能已经接近

between the known and the unknown,

已知和未知的边界，

and we stand a chance of discovering

并且我们有希望发现

something truly new,

一些真正的全新的东西，

since the way our mind works,

我们大脑的工作方式，

it's just knowing that the cloud

使它明白“乌云”

is normal, it's essential,

是正常的，是必要的，

and in fact beautiful,

并且事实上很美丽。

we can join the Cloud Appreciation Society,

我们可以加入“乌云协会”，

and it detoxifies the feeling that something

它消除了我的那种觉得某些事情对我来说是

is deeply wrong with me.

很大的错误的感觉。

And as a mentor, I know what to do,

作为一个导师，我知道我该做的，

which is to step up my support for the student,

就是增加对学生的支持，

because research in psychology shows

因为心理学研究表明

that if you're feeling fear and despair,

如果你感到害怕和失去信心，

your mind narrows down

你的大脑就会被限制在

to very safe and conservative ways of thinking.

用非常安全和保守的方法去思考。

If you'd like to explore the risky paths

如果你想探索“乌云”之外的

needed to get out of the cloud,

其它危险路径，

you need other emotions --

你需要其他的情感——

solidarity, support, hope —

团结，支持，希望——

that come with your connection from somebody else,

这些都随着你与他人的联系而产生，

so like in improvisation theater,

所以就像在即兴表演中一样，

in science, it's best to walk into the unknown

在科学研究上，最好大家一起

together.

走进未知。

So knowing about the cloud,

所以不仅要了解“乌云”，

you also learn from improvisation theater

你还要从即兴表演中学会

a very effective way to have conversations

如何在“乌云”中

inside the cloud.

有效地交流。

It's based on the central principle

它以即兴表演的

of improvisation theater,

核心原则为基础，

so here improvisation theater

所以即兴表演

came to my help again.

再一次帮了我的忙。

It's called saying "Yes, and"

它被称之为对其他演员的提议

to the offers made by other actors.

说“是的，然后”。

That means accepting the offers

那也就是说接受那些提议

and building on them, saying, "Yes, and."

并且依靠它们，说“是的，然后。"

For example, if one actor says,

例如，如果一个演员说：

"Here is a pool of water,"

“这里有一池水，”

and the other actor says,

然后另一个演员说：

"No, that's just a stage,"

“不，那只是一个舞台，“

the improvisation is over.

那么这场即兴表演就进行不下去了。

It's dead, and everybody feels frustrated.

它就这样结束了，每都会觉得泄气。

That's called blocking.

那被称之为阻塞。

If you're not mindful of communications,

如果你在沟通时漫不经心，

scientific conversations can have a lot of blocking.

那么在科学对话中就会产生很多阻塞。

Saying "Yes, and" sounds like this.

说“是的，然后”听起来就像这样：

"Here is a pool of water." "Yeah, let's jump in."

“这里有一池水” “是的，我们一起跳进去吧。“

"Look, there's a whale! Let's grab it by its tail.

“瞧，那里有一头鲸鱼！我们来抓住它的尾巴。

It's pulling us to the moon!"

它正把我们拖向月球！“

So saying "Yes, and" bypasses our inner critic.

所以绕过我们的内在批评说“是的，然后”。

We all have an inner critic

我们都有一种看守我们言行的

that kind of guards what we say,

内在批评，

so people don't think that we're obscene

所以人们不会认为我们是下流的、

or crazy or unoriginal,

疯狂的或者非原创的，

and science is full of the fear

在科学界充满着被认为是非原创的恐惧。

of appearing unoriginal.

Saying "Yes, and" bypasses the critic

绕过内在批评说“是的，然后”

绕开批评

and unlocks hidden voices of creativity

并且开启你所拥有的连自己都没注意到的

you didn't even know that you had,

隐藏的创造力之声，

and they often carry the answer

他们经常蕴藏着关于“乌云”的答案。

about the cloud.

So you see, knowing about the cloud

所以你看，了解“乌云”

and about saying "Yes, and"

和说“是的，然后”

made my lab very creative.

使我的实验室变得非常有创造力。

Students started playing off of each others' ideas,

学生们开始互相揭露彼此观点中的缺点，

and we made surprising discoveries

然后我们在物理学和生物学的交叉地带

in the interface between physics and biology.

获得了一些令人惊奇的发现。

For example, we were stuck for a year

例如，我们曾在试图理解

trying to understand the intricate

我们细胞里那些复杂的生物化学网络时

biochemical networks inside our cells,

停滞了一年之久，

and we said, "We are deeply in the cloud,"

然后我们说：“我们深陷‘乌云’，”

and we had a playful conversation

之后我们进行了一场好玩的谈话，

where my student Shai Shen Orr said,

我的学生沙伊·沈·奥尔说：

"Let's just draw this on a piece of paper, this network,"

“让我们把这张网络画在一张纸上，”

and instead of saying,

而不是光说：

"But we've done that so many times

“但是我们已经画过很多次了，

and it doesn't work,"

它不起作用，“

I said, "Yes, and

我说，“好吧，那我们

let's use a very big piece of paper,"

就用一张很大的纸来画吧，“

and then Ron Milo said,

然后罗恩·麦洛说：

"Let's use a gigantic architect's

“我们用一张像建筑师用的

blueprint kind of paper, and I know where to print it,"

设计图那么大的纸来画吧，并且我知道去哪里打印它，“

and we printed out the network and looked at it,

然后我们把这张网络打印了出来并看着它，

and that's where we made our most important discovery,

然后我们获得了最重要的发现，

that this complicated network is just made

那就是这张复杂的网络只是由

of a handful of simple, repeating interaction patterns

少数的像彩色玻璃上的图案

like motifs in a stained glass window.

那样简单、重复地相互作用的形态所构成。

We call them network motifs,

我们叫它们网络图案，

and they're the elementary circuits

它们也是

that help us understand

帮助我们理解

the logic of the way cells make decisions

所有的生物体，也包括我们的身体中的细胞是如何做决定的

in all organisms, including our body.

这一逻辑的的基本路径。

Soon enough, after this,

很快，在这之后，

I started being invited to give talks

我开始被邀请

to thousands of scientists across the world,

去给世界各地数以千计的科学家们做演讲，

but the knowledge about the cloud

但是关于“乌云”

and saying "Yes, and"

和说“是的，然后”的知识

just stayed within my own lab,

只是待在我自己的实验室里，

because you see, in science, we don't talk about the process,

因为你知道，在科学上，我们不谈过程

anything subjective or emotional.

以及任何主观或感性的东西。

We talk about the results.

我们只谈结果。

So there was no way to talk about it in conferences.

所以决不可能在会上谈到它。

That was unthinkable.

那是不可想象的。

And I saw scientists in other groups get stuck

我也看到过其他的科学家团队在陷入停滞时

without even having a word to describe

甚至都无法描述

what they're seeing,

他们看到了什么，

and their ways of thinking

并且他们的思考方式

narrowed down to very safe paths,

也局限到了那些非常安全的路径，

their science didn't reach its full potential,

他们的科学不能充分发挥潜力，

and they were miserable.

然后他们很痛苦。

I thought, that's the way it is.

我想，它就是这么回事。

I'll try to make my lab as creative as possible,

我会努力使我的实验室尽可能的有创造力，

and if everybody else does the same,

并且如果每个人都这样做，

science will eventually become

科学最终就会变得

more and more better and better.

越来越好。

That way of thinking got turned on its head

当有一次偶然听到伊夫林·福克斯·凯勒的

when by chance I went to hear Evelyn Fox Keller

一个讲述她作为一位女性科学研究者的经历的演讲后，

give a talk about her experiences

as a woman in science.

我的那套思考方式被彻底转变了。

And she asked,

她问道：

"Why is it that we don't talk about the subjective

“为什么我们不去谈论科学研究中的

and emotional aspects of doing science?

主观和感性方面的问题？

It's not by chance. It's a matter of values."

这不是偶然，这是一个价值观的问题。“

You see, science seeks knowledge

你看，科学研究探索

that's objective and rational.

那些客观和理性的知识。

That's the beautiful thing about science.

那是科学中最美丽的东西。

But we also have a cultural myth

我们不仅在做科学研究时

that the doing of science,

有一种文化迷思，

what we do every day to get that knowledge,

即使我们每天想要去获取的那些知识

is also only objective and rational,

也都是客观和理性的，

like Mr. Spock.

就像斯波克先生一样。

And when you label something

当你把什么东西帖上

as objective and rational,

客观和理性的标签时，

automatically, the other side,

自然而然地，另一边，

the subjective and emotional,

主观和感性的，

become labeled as non-science

就会被贴上非科学、

or anti-science or threatening to science,

反科学甚至对科学构成威胁的标签，

and we just don't talk about it.

只是我们不去谈论这一点罢了。

And when I heard that,

当我听到

that science has a culture,

科学中有一种文化，

everything clicked into place for me,

我豁然开朗，

because if science has a culture,

因为如果科学中有一种文化，

culture can be changed,

而文化是可以被改变的，

and I can be a change agent

那么我就可以尽我所能成为一名

working to change the culture of science wherever I could.

改变科学的文化的推动者。

And so the very next lecture I gave in a conference,

所以紧接着我在一个大会上做的演讲中，

I talked about my science,

谈了我的科学研究，

and then I talked about the importance

然后我谈到了

of the subjective and emotional aspects of doing science

主观和感性在科学研究中的重要性，

and how we should talk about them,

以及我们该如何谈论它们，

and I looked at the audience,

然后我望向观众，

and they were cold.

他们无动于衷。

They couldn't hear what I was saying

在这场由10张连续的PPT演示

in the context of a 10 back-to-back

所构成的会议的背景下

PowerPoint presentation conference.

他们听不到我在说什么。

And I tried again and again, conference after conference,

我试了一次又一次，一场会议又一场会议，

but I wasn't getting through.

但是我无法打破僵局。

I was in the cloud.

我陷入了“乌云”中。

And eventually I managed to get out the cloud

最终我借助即兴表演和音乐

using improvisation and music.

走出了“乌云”。

Since then, every conference I go to,

从那以后，在每一个我去的会场，

I give a science talk and a second, special talk

我除了做一个关于科学的演讲，还会做另外一个

called "Love and fear in the lab,"

叫做“实验室里的爱和恐惧”的特别演讲，

and I start it off by doing a song

我是通过创作一首

about scientists' greatest fear,

关于科学家们最恐惧的事情的歌开始的，

which is that we work hard,

科学家们最恐惧的是我们努力工作，

we discover something new,

然后有了一些新发现，

and somebody else publishes it before we do.

但是却有人赶在我们之前把这些成果发表了。

We call it being scooped,

我们称它为“被抢发”，

and being scooped feels horrible.

“被抢发”让人觉得可怕。

It makes us afraid to talk to each other,

它使得我们害怕互相交谈，

which is no fun,

这一点都不好玩，

because we came to science to share our ideas

因为我们研究科学就是要分享我们的观点

and to learn from each other,

以及互相学习，

and so I do a blues song,

因此我写了一首布鲁斯歌曲，

which — (Applause) —

歌名——（掌声）——

called "Scooped Again,"

叫做“又被抢发了，”

and I ask the audience to be my backup singers,

我邀请现场观众为我伴奏，

and I tell them, "Your text is 'Scoop, Scoop.'"

然后我告诉他们，“你们的歌词就是‘抢发，抢发，”

It sounds like this: "Scoop, scoop!"

它听起来像这样：“抢发，抢发！”

Sounds like this.

听起来像这样

♪ I've been scooped again ♪

我又被抢发了

♪ Scoop! Scoop! ♪

抢发！抢发

And then we go for it.

然后我们继续

♪ I've been scooped again ♪

我又被抢发了

♪ Scoop! Scoop! ♪

抢发！抢发

♪ I've been scooped again ♪

我又被抢发了

♪ Scoop! Scoop! ♪

抢发！抢发！

♪ I've been scooped again ♪

我又被抢发了

♪ Scoop! Scoop! ♪

抢发！抢发！

♪ I've been scooped again ♪

我又被抢发了

♪ Scoop! Scoop! ♪

抢发！抢发！

♪ Oh mama, can't you feel my pain ♪

哦妈妈，你能感觉到我的痛苦吗

♪ Heavens help me, I've been scooped again ♪

老天爷帮帮我，我又被抢发了。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Thank you.

谢谢。

Thank you for your backup singing.

谢谢你们的伴奏。

So everybody starts laughing, starts breathing,

大家都开始笑，开始喘气了，

notices that there's other scientists around them

请注意这里还有其他一些

with shared issues,

被这些共同的问题包围的科学家，

and we start talking about the emotional

而我们却开始谈论感性

and subjective things that go on in research.

和主观这类会继续在研究中出现的东西。

It feels like a huge taboo has been lifted.

感觉就像巨大的禁忌被打破。

Finally, we can talk about this in a scientific conference.

最终，我们可以在科学会议上谈论这些。

And scientists have gone on to form peer groups

科学家们已经倾心于组成同龄群体，

where they meet regularly

他们定期会面

and create a space to talk about the emotional

并创造了一个谈论他们

and subjective things that happen as they're mentoring,

在指导学生的过程中，

as they're going into the unknown,

在进入未知世界的过程中遇到的感性和主观方面的事情的空间，

and even started courses

他们甚至开设了

about the process of doing science,

关于科学研究的课程，

about going into the unknown together,

关于共赴未知世界，

and many other things.

以及关于其它许多事情的课程。

So my vision is that,

所以我的设想是这样的，

just like every scientist knows the word "atom,"

就像每个科学家都知道“原子”这个词，

that matter is made out of atoms,

物质是由原子构成的，

every scientist would know the words

每个科学家也都会知道

like "the cloud," saying "Yes, and,"

像“乌云”这样的词，并说“是的，然后，”

and science will become much more creative,

而且科学也将会变得更有创造力，

make many, many more unexpected discoveries

获得更多的意外发现，

for the benefit of us all,

对我们都有益，

and would also be much more playful.

并且会变得更有趣。

And what I might ask you to remember from this talk

所以我希望你们能通过今天的谈话记住一点

is that next time you face

那就是下次

a problem you can't solve

当你不管是在工作上或是生活上

in work or in life,

遇到不能解决的问题时，

there's a word for what you're going to see:

你会看到这么一个词：

the cloud.

“乌云”。

And you can go through the cloud

你最终会走出“乌云”

not alone but together

并且不是一个人，而是与那些

with someone who is your source of support

通过对你的观点说“是的，然后”

to say "Yes, and" to your ideas,

来支持你的人一起，

to help you say "Yes, and" to your own ideas,

与那些帮助你肯定自己的观点的人一起，

to increase the chance that,

与那些帮你创造更多走出“乌云”机会的人在一起

through the wisps of the cloud,

you'll find that moment of calmness

你会发现当你

where you get your first glimpse

第一眼看到

of your unexpected discovery,

你的意外发现，

your C.

也就是你的答案C的时候，你会很淡定。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）