Why I Built My Own Time Machine | Lucas Rizzotto | TED

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: suya f.

So a couple of years ago,

多年以前，

I went through a pretty brutal breakup,

我经历了一场非常痛苦的分手，

and to keep myself distracted,

为了分散自己的注意力，

I decided to set myself a ridiculous art challenge:

我决定来一场奇葩的艺术挑战：

o create the closest thing to a real-life time machine

做出一台最接近于 真正的时光机的东西，

with very little technical experience

这位大学毕业生的 技术经验寥寥无几，

and the bank account of a college graduate.

银行账户空空如也。

Now, I know this sounds crazy,

我知道听起来很离谱，

but avoiding your feelings is a very powerful force.

但是逃避自己的感受 是一股强大的力量。

And I had a plan.

我有了一个计划。

You see, all I had to do

我要做的只是

was to spend an entire year wearing 3D cameras on my face,

脸上一整年都戴着 3D 相机，

record my life in first person for 365 days,

以第一视角记录我 365 天的生活，

transfer that into a series of hard drives

再把它们存进硬盘，

and then build a virtual reality simulation

做一套虚拟现实模拟，

that will let me experience those memories in 3D.

以 3D 重温这些回忆。

That's all I had to do.

只要做这些就够了。

In other words, I was going to create a personal time machine,

换句话说，我要做一台 我自己的时光机，

a virtual-reality invention that will let me go back in time

一台虚拟现实的发明创造， 让我穿越时间，回到过去，

and experience moments from my past.

重新体验过去的瞬间。

And building this was pretty insane.

要把它做出来可要花点工夫。

I had to learn a lot of technical skills in a really short span of time,

我要在极短时间内 学习大量技术能力，

and for an entire year, my Tinder profile looked like this.

一整年以来，我的 Tinder （交友软件）头像都长这样。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But in the end, it was all worth it

但到最后，一切都是值得的，

because the final result was so much cooler

因为最终结果比我想象的要酷得多。

than I could have ever imagined.

So this is how it works.

是这么玩的。

You put on a VR headset, you select a date and time you’d like to go back to,

戴上一台 VR 头显， 选择一个想穿越去的时间，

you pull a lever and then, bam.

拉下操纵杆，然后就“啪”。

I got to see exactly what I saw at that given point in time.

我可以看到那一个时间点 我看到的东西。

And in this case, I was eating a bagel in a tree,

现在这个例子是我在树上吃贝果，

which was the thing that I used to do.

我以前就是这么干的。

And now I could go back in time and re-experience a past trip,

我可以再穿越一次， 体验以前的一次旅行，

try a meal again for the first time

第一次尝一尝某顿饭，

and even hang out with a friend who is no longer with us.

甚至可以和已经 不在身边的朋友出去玩。

And the longer I spent with this time machine,

我在这台时光机上花的时间越长，

the more I realized that I had accidentally built something

我就越意识到我意外地做出了

that was much more meaningful than I initially imagined.

一台比我的初衷更有意义的东西。

Because this wasn't just an entirely new way for you to experience your memories.

因为这不仅仅是一个 可以让你重温回忆的全新方式。

This was an entirely new way for you to understand yourself.

它还是一个让你理解自己的新方式。

As I used the time machine,

我在使用时光机的过程中，

I started to become hyper aware of how much of our lives we forget

变得格外关注我们长年累月 忘记了多少生活的片段，

over the years

and how important it is for us to enjoy the moments we have

在我们的大脑不可避免地 将它们遗忘之前，

before our minds inevitably forget them.

享受当下有多么重要。

I learned to be kinder to myself,

我学会了对自己更好一点，

as watching myself wander through life in third person

以上帝视角观察我自己的人生漫步，

kind of taught me how much of a dick I am to myself

某种程度上让我看清了 遇到困难时我对自己有多恶心。

when things get rough.

And I even started to have an active friendship with myself,

我甚至开始和自己建立起积极的友谊，

as in many of my recordings, you find me talking to future me,

因为在很多录像中， 你会发现我在和未来的自己说话，

sending thoughts, hopes and feelings across time.

穿越时空表达想法、希望和感受。

And this was really cool.

这太酷了。

And it was also really confusing.

但这也会让人疑惑。

Because I was just trying to get over my ex with some art.

因为我只是想用某些艺术 跨过前任这道坎。

But somehow by mixing art and technology,

但谁知道融合了艺术和科技，

we ended up in a really interesting place.

我们最终得到了一个很有趣的结果。

And the world agreed.

全世界也是这么认为的。

The time machine went super viral,

时光机风靡一时，

50 million people saw it,

5000 万人观看，

and it even inspired people to start entire companies

甚至鼓舞了一些人 基于这个想法创办公司。

based off this concept.

So it seemed that by mixing art and tech,

看起来我通过 把艺术和科技加在一起，

I created something innovative by accident.

意外创造了创新的东西。

And because that made me feel pretty good,

由于这让我感觉良好，

I was like, can we do that again?

我就想，能再整一次吗？

Could I just take emerging technology,

我能不能用上新兴技术，

you know, the stuff that's weird, the stuff that we don't understand,

那些奇怪的东西， 无法理解的东西，

do some art and just accidentally innovate?

搞点艺术创作， 然后又意外地创新了？

And so our journey begins.

然后我们的旅程就开始了。

A couple of months go by, and ladies and gentlemen,

过了几个月，女士们先生们，

I was back in the game.

我又满血复活了。

I had a new girlfriend.

我交了个新女友。

Her name was Max, and things were going well,

她叫麦克斯（Max），一切顺利，

and Valentine's Day was just around the corner.

马上就要到情人节了。

So me being me, I decided to gift her a little bit of an art project.

不愧是我，我决定 送给她一点艺术作品。

So we're about to see is what I can see from my perspective.

我们接下来会看到的是 从我的视角看到的内容。

I'm wearing an AR headset that's tracking her body in real time.

我戴着一个 AR（增强现实）头显， 会实时追踪她的身体。

So here we go.

来吧。

So love is a really abstract feeling.

爱是一种很抽象的感觉。

It's something we all feel but we can't see or hear.

我们都能感受得到它， 却无法看见或听见它。

So I created this experience that turned the touch between two lovers

所以我创造了这个作品， 将爱侣间的触摸

into this visual and auditory symphony,

转化成视觉和听觉上的交响曲，

basically transforming intimacy into visuals and sounds,

将亲密行为转化成视觉和声音，

which I thought was pretty cool.

我觉得太酷了。

And Max got to play me too, which I think she liked.

麦克斯也在我身上玩了玩， 我觉得她是喜欢的。

But when I posted this online,

但当我将其发布上线后，

people started telling me that I had built something completely different.

人们告诉我 我做的东西很不一样。

And that is when I realized

此时我发现

that by engaging in this artistic exploration of intimacy,

通过进行这种亲密行为的艺术性探索，

I created a new kind of musical instrument,

我创造了一种新乐器，

a particle synthesizer that lets you play complex sounds in midair like this.

一种能让你在半空中 演奏出复杂声音的粒子合成器。

(Music)

（音乐）

Pretty cool, right?

很酷，对吧？

(Applause)

（掌声）

Wait, we're not done.

等等，还没完。

Just for good measure,

保险起见，

I took those instruments, and I attached them to a piece of clothing

我把这些乐器附在了衣服上，

so I could now play my own clothes with my hand in mid-air,

这样我就可以在半空中用手 弹我自己的衣服，

which is ridiculous.

也太好笑了。

And I think it's the first example of interactive digital musical fashion.

我觉得这是交互式 电子音乐时尚的首例。

So for better or for worse,

无论是好是坏，

art took us to some really interesting ideas.

艺术给我们带来了一些很有趣的想法。

And at this point, I thought I was onto something.

说到这里， 我觉得我悟到了什么东西。

But then I had another breakup.

但我又分手了。

Audience: Aww.

观众：哎呀。

LR: But it’s OK because an artist can do what an artist does best,

LR: 但是没关系，因为艺术家 就做艺术家擅长的事，

which is to turn heartbreak into art.

那就是化心碎为艺术。

So jokes aside, this was actually a really difficult time in my life

不开玩笑了，当时确实 是我人生中一段艰难的时间，

because not only I was going through all of that emotional turmoil,

不仅仅是因为 我经历了情感上的波折，

I was also moving to an entirely new country.

我还在迁往一个崭新的国度。

I was leaving my hometown from Brazil

我离开了巴西的家乡，

and moving into the United States, thousands of miles away from family,

搬去了美国， 与我的家人相距千里，

no friends, didn't know anybody.

没有朋友，谁都不认识。

So it was probably the loneliest I've been in my entire life.

也许这就是我一生中 最孤独的时候了。

So why not use this opportunity to take my misery and make something cool?

那为什么不借此机会 借助我的痛苦，做点好玩的东西呢？

What if we use VR to create an experience

如果我可以用 VR 打造一种体验，

that's specifically designed to foster the connection that I needed

专为我所需的联结打造，

to make me feel closer to strangers?

让我感觉与陌生人更亲近， 会怎么样？

And that was the genesis of "Where Thoughts Go."

这就是《思想的归宿》 （Where Thoughts Go）的起源。

So this is how it works.

是这样的。

You enter these virtual worlds

你进入了虚拟世界，

in which you're surrounded by these sleeping creatures.

周围都是沉睡的生物。

Each one of them is a voice message left by another user

每一个都是另一个用户 留下的语音信息，

who was there before you were.

他们来过你的所在之处。

If you raise your fingers and touch them gently,

如果你举起手指，轻轻触碰它们，

you can listen to the voice messages that people have left behind.

你就能听到人们留下的语音信息。

And in each one of these worlds,

每一个世界里，

you're asked a different personal question.

你都会被询问 一个不同的个人问题。

So by playing this experience,

通过这种游玩体验，

you're essentially going down an intimacy funnel

其实你深入了亲密漏斗，

in which you're getting to learn about deeply intimate aspects

你会了解到他人生活中 极为私密的方面。

of other people's lives.

And of course, at the end of each one of these worlds,

当然，在每个世界的尽头，

you can put your hands together, give birth to your own little creature,

你都可以捧起双手， 创造你自己的小生物，

speak into it, and leave your messages behind for others to find.

对它说话，留下你的信息， 供其他人寻觅。

It was sweet, beautiful, anonymous.

它是可爱的、美丽的、匿名的。

And people would say things in this experience

人们会在游玩过程中

that they wouldn't share with their closest friends.

说出那些和最好的朋友 都不愿意分享的事情。

And when I was making this,

在我制作的过程中，

everyone told me it was a horrible idea.

每个人都告诉我， 这是个烂点子。

People would tell me that trolls would destroy the entire app,

人们告诉我， 喷子会踏平整个 App，

that people would be mean to each other,

人们会恶言相向，

they would make each other cry.

会让别人哭泣。

And you know what?

你猜怎么着？

They weren't wrong.

他们都错了。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

So when I started testing "Where Thoughts Go"

我与前几百名用户 测试《思想的归宿》时，

with the first couple of hundred users,

I found out that roughly 20 percent of them

发现大约 20% 的用户

were crying at least once per session.

每次游玩都会至少哭泣一次。

This is what I like to call "Where Thoughts Go's" cry rate.

我称之为《思想的归宿》哭泣率。

But people weren't crying because they were being bullied.

但人们不是因为受到了欺负而哭泣。

People were crying because they were feeling emotionally moved

人们哭泣是因为 他们看到了别人的留言，

by the messages of others.

感到十分感动。

We had created a system that instilled a deep sense of empathy and connection

我们创造的这个系统 可以在极短时间内

in a really short span of time.

注入深深的感同身受和情感连接。

And by making this, not only I was able to get the connection that I was craving,

做出这个作品，不仅仅是 我自己获得了我梦寐以求的联结，

but I was able to give it to others as well.

我也将其给了其他人。

And because of how this experience was designed,

由于这样的游玩设计，

there were virtually zero trolls in the system.

这个系统里几乎没有任何喷子。

It's like people were walking into a church

就像人们走向教堂，

and instinctively knew to lower their voices,

就本能地知道该降低音量，

treat each other respectfully

互相尊重，

and treat the space they were in as sacred,

视所在之处为神圣之地，

which is a cool thing you can only do in VR.

这是只有在 VR 中 才能做到的酷事。

And when I put things that way,

我这么做了以后，

it's clear that there's something interesting here.

显然有些好玩的东西。

Some innovative ideas that could be used,

有些创新的想法可以被人运用，

designs and lessons and approach that could be applied

设计、教训、方法可以被人使用，

towards the entire internet.

开放给整个互联网。

But at this point, you might go like, Lucas,

但是此时此刻， 你会想，卢卡斯，

you're not really innovating anymore.

你不再是在创新了。

There's a lot of thought behind this.

背后考虑了很多。

And yes, but no, because a year after I launched this,

没错，但也不是， 因为我发布了一年之后，

medical doctors contacted me and told me I invented a new form of group therapy.

有医生联系了我，告诉我 我发明了一种新的群体治疗方法。

And now this art piece is being used in a medical trial

这个艺术作品现在被用作

as an anxiety treatment tool.

治疗焦虑症的工具， 参与医疗试验。

And shortly after that,

不久后，

I got to collaborate with SpaceX and St Jude's

我与 SpaceX 和圣乔德学院 进行了合作，

to make a version of this that astronauts could use

制作宇航员可以使用的版本，

so they could emotionally connect with kids on Earth.

这样他们可以与地球上的孩子 建立起情感上的连接。

This is not what I was trying to do.

这可不是我本来想做的事。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

But that's when it started to make sense.

但从此，一切都有了道理。

And it's really simple.

而且很简单。

When you take technology that we don't understand

我们无法理解的科技，

and you approach it as an artist,

再以艺术家的视角接触它，

you do things that the conventional engineer would never think of doing.

你就会做出一些传统工程师 不会想到要去做的事。

And when you do that in a space brimming with possibility, like emerging tech,

如果你选择了一个充满 可能性的领域，比如新兴技术，

it's only a matter of time before you stumble upon something of value.

你迟早会碰到一些有价值的东西。

That is why mixing art and tech is a great way to accidentally innovate.

这就是为什么融合艺术和科技 是意外创新的好方法。

It takes you off the beaten path, it removes creative constraints,

它带你离开前人走烂的路， 去除创意的枷锁，

and it allows you to approach technology in a way that's unique to you,

让你可以以独一无二的方式接触科技，

that leverages your passions and your interests

融入了你的热爱、兴趣、

and your life events and breakups.

人生经历和关系破裂。

And all of this just comes together and gives you a unique angle of approach.

这一切都融合在了一起， 给你带来了一个独特的视角。

And that unique angle is everything.

这个独特的视角就是一切。

Because here's the thing about emerging technology,

因为这就是新兴技术，

and this applies to everything, VR, AI, brain computers and whatever’s next.

它适用于一切，VR、AI、 脑机，还有之后的种种。

No one knows what they're doing.

没人知道自己在做什么。

Everyone is just following blind hunches.

大家都只是跟着感觉走。

It's too early in a technology's life cycle

在一项技术的生命周期中，

for anyone to have a comprehensive view of what it's good for.

谁都来不及对它有什么用 形成全面的了解。

And in a world where no one knows what they're doing,

在这个人人都不知道 自己在做什么的世界里，

just following your gut is a really great thing to do.

跟着感觉走就是件不错的事。

Because what we have here is unlimited creative potential.

因为我们拥有的是 无限的创意潜能。

It's the ability to create impossible objects out of thin air

是凭空创造出 不可能存在的物体的能力，

at no carbon costs,

又不会产生任何碳排放，

the ability to connect people in ways never possible before.

是以前所未有的方式 联结人们的能力。

And it's the ability to create technology that changes how we look at ourselves

是创造出改变我们 看待自己、看待身边世界的

and the world around us.

科技的能力。

We have all the tools we need to create a future

我们已经全副武装，创造出一个

that's beautiful and human and exciting.

美丽、人性化、激动人心的未来。

And the only thing that threatens this

唯一的威胁就是

is if we have a massive lapse of imagination.

我们太缺乏想象力了。

So ...

所以……

Today I’m working on a new project called “Pillow,”

我现在正在研究一个新项目， 名叫《枕头》，

and I'm trying to turn your bed, the most comfortable place in your home,

我想把你的床， 也就是你家里最舒服的地方，

into a mixed reality playground of wellness, play and human connection.

变成一个混合现实游乐场， 融合了健康、游玩和人际交往。

And this is an early prototype, but look how beautiful this is.

这只是一个初期的原型， 但看它多美啊。

We're using mixed reality to connect two beds together

我们利用混合现实连接了两张床，

and give people a way to engage that's never been possible before.

让人们以前所未有的方式 联结在一起。

And even though this is early,

虽然这还处于初期，

there's so much that we're learning

我们已经学到了太多

about how to create meaningful connections

关于如何在人和虚拟环境间 建立起深刻的联结，

between people and virtual environments,

how to use artificial intelligence to create immersive experiences

如何使用人工智能 创造出沉浸式体验，

that really feel personal

让人感同身受，

and how to approach products with accessibility in mind

如何从一开始 就把无障碍考虑进产品。

from the get-go.

Things that work just as well lying down on a couch

得做到躺在沙发上

as they do in a hospital bed.

和躺在病床上的效果是一样的。

And I don't know where this is going to go,

我不知道未来会去向何方，

but it's going to be somewhere interesting.

但一定会是一个有趣的目的地。

And when I look at this, I just don't see art.

我看着它的时候， 我看到的不是艺术。

I see research.

我看到的是研究。

I see things that could be turned into products and companies.

我看到的是可以 转化为产品和公司的东西。

And I want more artists to start tech companies.

我希望更多的艺术家 可以创立科技公司。

We need more artists in technology,

科技领域需要更多的艺术家，

but we also just need more technologists to think a little bit like artists.

我们也需要更多的技术专家 多像艺术家那样思考。

Because some of the world's most important ideas,

因为这个世界上的 一些最重要的想法，

you really can't stumble upon them

如果一味地追求高估值， 是不可能与其邂逅的。

by just trying to chase the highest valuation.

Sometimes you only stumble upon them

有时只有你从真理之地 看待科技，才能遇见它们。

when you approach technology from a place of truth.

When you build things just because you need to make them

如果你做出某样东西， 只是因为你得把它做出来，

and you don't know where you're going, but if you follow your gut,

你不知道你接下来会去向何方， 但如果你跟随你的直觉，

you will be rewarded.

你会有收获的。

And I don't know how or when,

我不知道如何或何时，

like with anything else that I told you about today,

如同我今天提到的一切，

but you will be rewarded.

但你会有收获的。

We will all be rewarded.

我们都会有收获的。

And being true to yourself is just a really good long-term strategy.

坦诚面对自己 是一个很好的长期策略。

Technology gives us the tools, but art shows us the way.

科技给我们提供了工具， 但艺术为我们指引了方向。

It's always been like this.

一直都是这样。

It's hard to find a single futuristic startup

很少会有 充满未来感的创业公司

that hasn't been deeply inspired by some kind of science fiction material.

没有深受某种科幻内容的启发。

Engineers have always followed the imaginations of artists,

工程师一直追随着 艺术家的想象力，

and that's not going to change anytime soon.

一时半会儿也不会发生改变。

But what is changing is that technology is becoming easier to use.

但正在改变的是 越来越容易使用科技了。

I didn't know how to do any of this five years ago.

我可不知道在五年之前 该怎么做到这些事。

Artists don't have to be in the background anymore.

艺术家不再应该待在幕后。

We can get our hands dirty and build science nonfiction instead

我们可以亲身实践， 创造出真实的科幻，

to create projects and companies

创立项目和公司，

that challenge the engineer-dominated visions of technology

挑战由工程师主导的 对科技的畅想，

and propose something new,

提出新鲜的观点，

something a little weirder with a little more heart.

有点怪异但更有心的观点。

And I think in the process, we can unlock new realities

我相信在此过程中， 我们可以创造出新的现实世界，

that not only we are excited to live in,

不仅我们自己期待身处其中，

but that we're excited to see our children grow up in.

我们还很期待我们的孩子 可以在其中成长。

For the longest time in technology artists imagine so engineers can build.

长久以来的科技都是 艺术家想象，然后工程师开发。

But I think engineers build, so artists can imagine.

但我认为也可以工程师开发， 让艺术家可以想象。

So if you have a crazy project in your back pocket,

如果你私藏着一个疯狂的项目，

something you always wanted to do but never got around to,

你一直想做但一直没有动手，

you should go for it.

那就去做吧。

You will never know what you're going to find on the other side.

你不会知道另一边 有什么在等待着你。

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声、欢呼声）