Peter Doolittle: How your "working memory" makes sense of the world

725,539 views ・ 2013-11-22

TED


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譯者: lin piao 審譯者: Bighead Ge
00:12
So yesterday, I was out in the street
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昨天呢,我出去走在
00:14
in front of this building,
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這幢樓前的大街上。
00:17
and I was walking down the sidewalk,
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我在人行道上
00:20
and I had company, several of us,
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和幾個朋友同行。
00:22
and we were all abiding by the rules
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我們都很守規矩地
00:23
of walking down sidewalks.
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走在行人專用道上。
00:26
We're not talking each other. We're facing forward.
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我們什麼也不說,就是向前走。
00:28
We're moving.
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就這樣往前走。
00:29
When the person in front of me slows down.
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走在我前面的人突然減慢了速度。
00:33
And so I'm watching him, and he slows down,
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我看見他放慢了速度,
00:35
and finally he stops.
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然後停下了。
00:36
Well, that wasn't fast enough for me,
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然後我很快就趕上他了。
00:38
so I put on my turn signal, and I walked around him,
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正好我要在街角轉彎,我就繞過他走。
00:42
and as I walked, I looked to see what he was doing,
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我一邊走,一邊看他在做什麼。
00:45
and he was doing this.
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他就是這樣。
00:47
He was texting,
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他在發簡訊,
00:49
and he couldn't text and walk at the same time.
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因為他不可能一邊走路一邊打字。
00:51
Now we could approach this
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現在我們可以
00:53
from a working memory perspective
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從工作記憶的角度
00:55
or from a multitasking perspective.
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或從多工處理的角度來看這件事。
00:57
We're going to do working memory today.
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我們今天要講的就是工作記憶的問題。
01:00
Now, working memory
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現在,工作記憶是
01:02
is that part of our consciousness that we are
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每天任何一個有意識的片斷裡
01:05
aware of at any given time of day.
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我們自我認知的一部分。
01:07
You're going it right now.
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你現在就有工作記憶。
01:09
It's not something we can turn off.
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我們不可能隨時關閉它。
01:11
If you turn it off, that's called a coma, okay?
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你要是把它關閉了,那就叫昏迷,對不對?
01:14
So right now, you're doing just fine.
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所以,你們現在都做得挺好。
01:17
Now working memory has four basic components.
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工作記憶有四個基本元素。
01:19
It allows us to store some immediate experiences
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它使我們能夠存儲一些很直接的體驗
01:22
and a little bit of knowledge.
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和很少的一部分知識。
01:24
It allows us to reach back into our long-term memory
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它允許我們去追溯我們的長期記憶
01:27
and pull some of that in as we need it,
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找到我們需要的,
01:29
mixes it, processes it
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進行組合和處理,
01:31
in light of whatever our current goal is.
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這主要取決於我們的當前動機是什麼。
01:33
Now the current goal isn't something like,
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那麼當前動機不是像
01:35
I want to be president or the best surfer in the world.
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我想要當總統 或是做世界最佳衝浪手這樣的動機。
01:37
It's more mundane. I'd like that cookie,
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它更世俗化,比如我要吃那塊餅乾,
01:40
or I need to figure out how to get into my hotel room.
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或者我要找到今晚住宿的酒店。
01:43
Now working memory capacity
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工作記憶的能力
01:45
is our ability to leverage that,
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是我們能夠利用記憶的能力,
01:47
our ability to take what we know
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是我們利用知識的能力。
01:50
and what we can hang onto
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我們可以依賴,
01:51
and leverage it in ways that allow us to satisfy
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可以利用工作記憶能力來滿足
01:55
our current goal.
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我們的當前目標。
01:57
Now working memory capacity
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工作記憶能力
01:59
has a fairly long history,
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有相當長的歷史
02:01
and it's associated with a lot of positive effects.
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它能帶來很多積極效應。
02:03
People with high working memory capacity
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工作記憶能力強的人
02:05
tend to be good storytellers.
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一般會很擅長講故事。
02:07
They tend to solve and do well on standardized tests,
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他們一般很善於應付標準化測試,
02:11
however important that is.
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不管是多麼重要的考試。
02:14
They're able to have high levels of writing ability.
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他們很善於寫作。
02:18
They're also able to reason at high levels.
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他們善於提出深層次的問題。
02:20
So what we're going to do here is play a little bit with some of that.
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那麼這裡呢,我們來做個工作記憶能力的小遊戲。
02:23
So I'm going to ask you to perform a couple tasks,
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我會讓你們完成兩個任務,
02:26
and we're going to take your working memory out for a ride.
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帶你們的工作記憶出來兜兜風。
02:29
You up for that? Okay.
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你們想玩兒吧?好!
02:32
I'm going to give you five words,
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我會給你們五個詞,
02:34
and I just want you to hang on to them.
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我要你們記住這些詞,
02:36
Don't write them down. Just hang on to them.
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不是把它們寫下來,而是用腦子記住它們。
02:37
Five words.
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五個詞。
02:39
While you're hanging on to them, I'm going to ask you to answer three questions.
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你記著它們的同時,還要回答我三個問題。
02:42
I want to see what happens with those words.
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我想看看你們記這五個詞記得怎麼樣
02:44
So here's the words:
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好吧,這五個詞是:
02:46
tree,
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樹,
02:49
highway,
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公路,
02:52
mirror,
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鏡子,
02:54
Saturn
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土星
02:57
and electrode.
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和電極。
02:59
So far so good?
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沒問題吧?
03:01
Okay. What I want you to do
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好!現在我要你們
03:02
is I want you to tell me what the answer is
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回答我的問題,
03:06
to 23 times eight.
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23乘以8是多少。
03:08
Just shout it out.
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喊出來就行。
03:12
(Mumbling) (Laughter)
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(喃喃自語)(笑聲)
03:16
In fact it's -- (Mumbling) -- exactly. (Laughter)
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事實上它等於 — — (喃喃自語) — — 完全正確。(笑聲)
03:18
All right. I want you to take out your left hand
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好吧。那現在我要你們伸出你的左手,
03:22
and I want you to go, "One, two, three, four, five,
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你們要數:「一、二、三、四、五、
03:24
six, seven, eight, nine, 10."
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六、 七、 八、 九,十"。
03:26
It's a neurological test, just in case you were wondering.
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它是一個神經功能測試,如果你想知道。
03:29
All right, now what I want you to do
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好吧,我現在要你們
03:31
is to recite the last five letters
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倒著讀出來
03:33
of the English alphabet backwards.
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英語字母表中的最後五個字母。
03:38
You should have started with Z.
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要從 Z 開始讀。
03:40
(Laughter)
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(笑聲)
03:43
All right. How many people here are still pretty sure
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好吧。這裡有多少人
03:45
you've got all five words?
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還記得我剛才給出的那五個單詞?
03:48
Okay. Typically we end up with about less than half,
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好吧。通常會有不到一半的人還記得。
03:51
right, which is normal. There will be a range.
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沒錯,這是很正常的。就是這麼個範圍。
03:53
Some people can hang on to five.
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有些人可以記住五個。
03:55
Some people can hang on to 10.
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有些人可以記住十個。
03:56
Some will be down to two or three.
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有的人只能記住兩三個。
03:58
What we know is this is really important to the way we function, right?
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我們知道,這個對大腦功能確實很有用,對吧?
04:02
And it's going to be really important here at TED
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這個在 TED 尤其重要,
04:04
because you're going to be exposed to so many different ideas.
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因為你會接觸到很多不同的想法。
04:07
Now the problem that we have
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現在我們的問題是
04:09
is that life comes at us,
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我們迎面而來的生活,
04:11
and it comes at us very quickly,
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它來得非常快。
04:13
and what we need to do is to take that amorphous
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我們需要做的是收集那些模糊的
04:17
flow of experience and somehow
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體驗,然後
04:18
extract meaning from it
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用工作記憶來提煉
04:20
with a working memory
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它的意義所在。
04:21
that's about the size of a pea.
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差不多一個豌豆大小。
04:23
Now don't get me wrong, working memory is awesome.
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別搞錯,工作記憶是很不簡單的。
04:26
Working memory allows us
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它允許我們
04:28
to investigate our current experience
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在繼續前行時
04:30
as we move forward.
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檢視我們當前的體驗。
04:32
It allows us to make sense of the world around us.
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它讓我們理解我們周圍的世界。
04:35
But it does have certain limits.
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但它確實是有極限的。
04:37
Now working memory is great for allowing us to communicate.
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工作記憶讓我們能夠和人交流。
04:41
We can have a conversation,
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我們可以談話,
04:42
and I can build a narrative around that
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我可以通過敘述來說明
04:45
so I know where we've been and where we're going
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我們講到甚麼地方了,要說什麼
04:47
and how to contribute to this conversation.
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以及怎麼說。
04:49
It allows us to problem-solve, critical think.
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它讓我們解決問題,慎重思考。
04:51
We can be in the middle of a meeting,
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我們可能在一個會議期間,
04:53
listen to somebody's presentation, evaluate it,
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聽別人的發言,評價它,
04:55
decide whether or not we like it,
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決定我們是否喜歡它,
04:57
ask follow-up questions.
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然後提出問題。
04:58
All of that occurs within working memory.
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所有這一切都是在工作記憶的範疇裡。
05:02
It also allows us to go to the store
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它讓我們去商店
05:04
and allows us to get milk and eggs and cheese
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買牛奶、雞蛋和乳酪,
05:07
when what we're really looking for
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當我們真正想買的
05:09
is Red Bull and bacon. (Laughter)
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是紅牛飲料和培根時。(笑聲)
05:12
Gotta make sure we're getting what we're looking for.
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要確保我們知道我們要找的是什麼。
05:15
Now, a central issue with working memory
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現在,短期記憶的一個主要問題是
05:18
is that it's limited.
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它的局限性。
05:19
It's limited in capacity, limited in duration,
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它的能力和時長都是有局限的。
05:21
limited in focus.
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它的聚焦點也有局限。
05:23
We tend to remember about four things.
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我們一般可以記住四件事情。
05:26
Okay? It used to be seven,
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對吧?以前說是七件,
05:28
but with functional MRIs, apparently it's four,
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但用功能性核磁共振成像檢測,其實是四件
05:30
and we were overachieving.
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我們以前是逞強了。
05:32
Now we can remember those four things
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現在我們在大約10到20秒時間內
05:34
for about 10 to 20 seconds
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可以記住四件事,
05:36
unless we do something with it,
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除非我們利用它,
05:38
unless we process it, unless we apply it to something,
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處理它,應用它,
05:40
unless we talk to somebody about it.
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討論它。
05:44
When we think about working memory,
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我們談到工作記憶的時候
05:47
we have to realize that this limited capacity
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我們需要意識到它的局限性
05:51
has lots of different impacts on us.
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對我們的影響。
05:53
Have you ever walked from one room to another
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你以前有沒有從一個房間走到另個房間
05:56
and then forgotten why you're there?
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突然忘了你要幹什麼?
05:59
You do know the solution to that, right?
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你知道怎麼解決這樣的事,對吧?
06:01
You go back to that original room. (Laughter)
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你就回到原來的那個房間去想想。(笑聲)
06:04
Have you ever forgotten your keys?
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你曾經忘記過你的鑰匙吧?
06:08
You ever forgotten your car?
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你曾經忘記過你的車嗎?
06:10
You ever forgotten your kids?
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你曾經忘記過你的孩子吧?
06:13
Have you ever been involved in a conversation,
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你有沒有在聊天時,
06:15
and you realize that the conversation to your left
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意識到你左邊那人的談話
06:17
is actually more interesting? (Laughter)
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其實更有趣?(笑聲)
06:20
So you're nodding and you're smiling,
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嗯,你在點頭,你在笑,
06:22
but you're really paying attention to this one over here,
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你一直很專心地聽我講
06:24
until you hear that last word go up,
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直到你聽到我說的最後一個字音調升高,
06:26
and you realize,
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你才意識到,
06:28
you've been asked a question. (Laughter)
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我是在問你一個問題。(笑聲)
06:31
And you're really hoping the answer is no,
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然後你們希望答案是否定的。
06:33
because that's what you're about to say.
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因為那是你要說的。
06:36
All of that talks about working memory,
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我們講的就是這些工作記憶,
06:39
what we can do and what we can't do.
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我們能做什麼,不能做什麼。
06:41
We need to realize that working memory
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我們必須認識到工作記憶
06:42
has a limited capacity,
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的能力是有限的。
06:44
and that working memory capacity itself is how we negotiate that.
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工作記憶的能力在於我們怎麼平衡它。
06:47
We negotiate that through strategies.
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我們通過一些策略來平衡。
06:49
So what I want to do is talk a little bit about a couple of strategies here,
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我現在想講的就是兩個策略。
06:52
and these will be really important
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這兩個確實很重要。
06:53
because you are now in an information target-rich environment
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因為接下來的幾天
06:57
for the next several days.
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你將處在一個資訊爆炸的環境裡。
06:59
Now the first part of this that we need to think about
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首先我們需要思考
07:02
and we need to process our existence, our life,
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我們需要整理我們的體驗,
07:05
immediately and repeatedly.
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迅速地和反復地。
07:06
We need to process what's going on
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我們需要處理正在發生的事情
07:09
the moment it happens, not 10 minutes later,
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就在當下,而不是十分鐘後,
07:12
not a week later, at the moment.
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更不是一週後,就在當下。
07:14
So we need to think about, well, do I agree with him?
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我們需要考慮,嗯,我同意他嗎?
07:18
What's missing? What would I like to know?
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不足的地方有那些?我想知道有哪些?
07:20
Do I agree with the assumptions?
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我同意這個假設嗎?
07:23
How can I apply this in my life?
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我怎麼把它用到我這兒?
07:24
It's a way of processing what's going on
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我們就這麼處理正在發生的事情
07:26
so that we can use it later.
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然後就可以利用它。
07:28
Now we also need to repeat it. We need to practice.
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那麼,我們還需要重複它,需要實踐。
07:31
So we need to think about it here.
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所以需要不斷琢磨它。
07:34
In between, we want to talk to people about it.
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同時需要和別人談論它。
07:36
We're going to write it down, and when you get home,
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回家後還要寫下它。
07:39
pull out those notes and think about them
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然後拿出那些記錄,再考慮考慮它。
07:41
and end up practicing over time.
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就這樣結束記憶的訓練。
07:43
Practice for some reason became a very negative thing.
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為某些原因而重複記憶 是一件非常被動的事。
07:46
It's very positive.
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但它其實有非常積極的意義。
07:47
The next thing is, we need to think elaboratively
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下一件事就是,我們需要考慮如何精煉
07:50
and we need to think illustratively.
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和如何闡述我們的記憶
07:52
Oftentimes, we think that we have to relate new knowledge to prior knowledge.
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很多時候,我們將新知識和舊知識聯繫起來。
07:56
What we want to do is spin that around.
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把它們融會貫通。
07:58
We want to take all of our existence
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我們想要把所有我們舊的體驗
07:59
and wrap it around that new knowledge
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都圍繞著新的知識展開,
08:01
and make all of these connections and it becomes more meaningful.
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讓新舊知識融合在一起使它變得更有意義。
08:05
We also want to use imagery. We are built for images.
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我們還需要運用圖像。人類對圖像天生敏感。
08:08
We need to take advantage of that.
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我們需要利用這一點。
08:10
Think about things in images,
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思考圖像裡面的事實,
08:12
write things down that way.
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把它記下來。
08:14
If you read a book, pull things up.
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如果你在讀一本書,從裡面提煉出想要的東西
08:16
I just got through reading "The Great Gatsby,"
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我以前通讀過《偉大的蓋茨比》,
08:18
and I have a perfect idea of what he looks like
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我很清楚地知道他是怎樣的人。
08:21
in my head, so my own version.
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在我的腦海裡,我有我自己的看法。
08:24
The last one is organization and support.
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最後一個就是組織和支援。
08:26
We are meaning-making machines. It's what we do.
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人天生喜歡追尋意義。我們做的也就是這個。
08:28
We try to make meaning out of everything that happens to us.
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我們努力從任何事情中尋求意義所在。
08:32
Organization helps, so we need to structure
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大腦的組織整理功能説明我們,所以我們要
08:34
what we're doing in ways that make sense.
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讓做的事情更加合情合理。
08:36
If we are providing knowledge and experience,
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如果我們提供知識和經驗,
08:38
we need to structure that.
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就需要去構建它。
08:40
And the last one is support.
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最後一個是支援。
08:42
We all started as novices.
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我們都是從初學者起步的。
08:44
Everything we do is an approximation of sophistication.
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我們做的一切都是一點點趨向成熟。
08:47
We should expect it to change over time. We have to support that.
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這就需要時間使我們成熟起來。我們需要支援體系。
08:50
The support may come in asking people questions,
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這個支援體系通過問人們問題,
08:52
giving them a sheet of paper that has an organizational chart on it
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給他們有表格的紙張,
08:56
or has some guiding images,
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或一些提示性圖片,
08:58
but we need to support it.
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我們需要這樣的支援體系。
09:00
Now, the final piece of this, the take-home message
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現在,最後我要說的就是
09:06
from a working memory capacity standpoint is this:
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從工作記憶能力的角度來看是這樣的:
09:09
what we process, we learn.
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我們整理思考什麼資訊,就學習什麼。
09:12
If we're not processing life, we're not living it.
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我們不整理思考人生,我們就是行屍走肉。
09:16
Live life. Thank you.
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過好你的人生。謝謝。
09:18
(Applause)
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(掌聲)
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