How to control someone else's arm with your brain | Greg Gage

譯者: Joyce Chen 審譯者: Twisted Meadows

大腦，是個令人驚奇又複雜的器官。

The brain is an amazing and complex organ.

And while many people are fascinated by the brain,

雖然很多人對大腦深深著迷，

但他們其實無法深入的告訴你

they can't really tell you that much

about the properties about how the brain works

大腦運作時的詳細特性。

因為學校教育裡並沒有 教我們神經科學。

because we don't teach neuroscience in schools.

And one of the reasons why is that the equipment

原因之一， 是因為神經科學的儀器

is so complex and so expensive

實在太複雜也太昂貴了，

that it's really only done at major universities and large institutions.

所以只有在重點大學 和一些大型研究機構裡面才有。

And so in order to be able to access the brain,

因此，若想接觸大腦，

you really need to dedicate your life

你真的需要投注生命、

and spend six and a half years as a graduate student

花上六年半的時間讀研究所

just to become a neuroscientist to get access to these tools.

只為了成為神經科學家， 如此才能接觸這些儀器。

And that's a shame because one out of five of us,

這樣很可惜， 因為我們平均五個人裡，就有一個

that's 20 percent of the entire world, will have a neurological disorder.

患有某種神經方面的失調， 這大約佔了全球人口的 20%。

And there are zero cures for these diseases.

目前這些疾病都無法完全治癒。

And so it seems that what we should be doing

所以，我們似乎有個要務，

is reaching back earlier in the eduction process

我們要設法在早期的教育裡 教導學生神經科學的知識，

and teaching students about neuroscience so that in the future,

好讓「腦神經學家」成為 他們未來的人生選項之一。

they may be thinking about possibly becoming a brain scientist.

我在讀研究所的時候， 我和我的實驗室夥伴Tim Marzullo決定：

When I was a graduate student, my lab mate Tim Marzullo and myself,

decided that what if we took this complex equipment that we have

我們何不以實驗室裡 一台研究腦部的精密儀器為藍圖，

for studying the brain and made it simple enough and affordable enough

把儀器簡化、讓它可以更便宜，

that anyone that you know, an amateur or a high school student,

好讓每個人，像是非專業的人、 或高中生，

could learn and actually participate in the discovery of neuroscience.

可以學習、甚至參與 神經科學的發現過程？

And so we did just that.

因此我們付諸實踐了。

A few years ago, we started a company called Backyard Brains

幾年前，我們創立了一間公司， 名為「後院天才」（Backyard Brains）

and we make DIY neuroscience equipment and I brought some here tonight,

我們自製了一些神經科學儀器， 今晚也帶了一些過來。

and I want to do some demonstrations.

我要做一些展示。

你們想看嗎？

You guys want to see some?

So I need a volunteer.

好，我需要一個志願者。

So right before -- what is your name? (Applause)

好，在此之前......妳叫什麼名字？ (掌聲)

Sam Kelly: Sam.

莎姆：莎姆。

Greg Gage: All right, Sam, I'm going to record from your brain.

葛雷格：好的，莎姆， 我現在要錄下妳的腦部訊號。

Have you had this before?

妳做過這種事嗎？

SK: No.

莎姆：沒有。

GG: I need you to stick out your arm for science,

葛雷格：請妳為了科學，伸出手吧，

roll up your sleeve a bit,

袖子捲上來一點，

So what I'm going to do, I'm putting electrodes on your arm,

好，我現在要做的是， 我要在妳的手臂放上電極。

and you're probably wondering,

妳現在可能在想，

你剛剛不是說要錄下我的腦部訊號？ 跟手臂有什麼關係？

I just said I'm going to record from your brain, what am I doing with your arm?

Well, you have about 80 billion neurons inside your brain right now.

事實上，妳的腦部大概有八百億個神經元，

They're sending electrical messages back and forth, and chemical messages.

它們負責傳遞電子訊號， 以及化學訊號，

But some of your neurons right here in your motor cortex

但其中有一些 運動皮質區的神經元，

are going to send messages down when you move your arm like this.

會在妳運動手臂時， 送出訊號，

They're going to go down across your corpus callosum,

這些訊號從妳的胼胝體傳下來，

down onto your spinal cord to your lower motor neuron

經過妳的脊髓， 下達到運動神經元，

再傳到妳這裡的肌肉。

out to your muscles here,

而這些電子訊號 會被妳手臂上的電極捕捉到。

and that electrical discharge is going to be picked up

by these electrodes right here

and we're going to be able to listen

所以我們可以聽到

to exactly what your brain is going to be doing.

妳的腦部所發出的指令。

So I'm going to turn this on for a second.

好，我現在開機一下。

Have you ever heard what your brain sounds like?

妳曾經聽過腦部發出的聲音嗎？

莎姆：沒有。

葛雷格：沒關係，我們試試看。 現在妳手用力。

SK: No.

GG: Let's try it out. So go ahead and squeeze your hand.

(Rumbling)

(聲響)

So what you're listening to,

所以現在你們聽到的是

so this is your motor units happening right here.

妳這裡運動神經元所接收到的訊號。

Let's take a look at it as well.

我們也可以看到這些訊號。

So I'm going to stand over here,

我現在要站到這裡來，

打開我的應用程式。

and I'm going to open up our app here.

好，現在手用力。

So now I want you to squeeze.

(Rumbling)

(聲響)

So right here, these are the motor units that are happening

現在看到的這個， 就是運動神經元的訊號，

from her spinal cord out to her muscle right here,

訊號是從她的脊髓 傳遞到她這邊的肌肉，

所以當她做動作的時候，

and as she's doing it,

妳可以看到其中的 電流活動。

you're seeing the electrical activity that's happening here.

你還可以點選其中一個波段來細看。

You can even click here and try to see one of them.

所以請繼續用力握。

So keep doing it really hard.

好，我們現在停在

妳的腦部裡面其中一個訊號 正要觸發動作的時刻。

So now we've paused

on one motor action potential that's happening right now inside of your brain.

Do you guys want to see some more?

你們想看多一點嗎？

(掌聲)

(Applause)

That's interesting, but let's get it better.

剛剛很有趣， 不過我們來點更棒的。

I need one more volunteer.

我需要另一名志願者。

What is your name, sir?

好的。先生，你叫甚麼名字？

米格爾：米格爾。

Miguel Goncalves: Miguel.

葛雷格：米格爾，很好。

GG: Miguel, all right.

請你站在這裡。

You're going to stand right here.

So when you're moving your arm like this,

好，所以，當妳這樣動妳的手時，

your brain is sending a signal down to your muscles right here.

妳的腦會送訊息到 妳這裡的肌肉。

我要請你也移動你的手。

I want you to move your arm as well.

So your brain is going to send a signal down to your muscles.

好，所以你的大腦也會送訊息到你的肌肉。

And so it turns out that there is a nerve that's right here

很碰巧的，在這裡， 有一條神經

that runs up here that innervates these three fingers,

它會牽動你的 這三根手指，

and it's close enough to the skin that we might be able

而這條神經離皮膚非常的近， 所以我們可能可以

to stimulate that so that what we can do

直接刺激這條神經。 因此，我們可以

is copy your brain signals going out to your hand

複製妳腦部要送到妳手臂的訊號

and inject it into your hand,

然後注入他的手臂，

so that your hand will move when your brain tells your hand to move.

所以你的手，會在她的大腦命令 她的手運動時，跟著一起運動。

So in a sense, she will take away your free will

也就是說，她會奪走你的自由意志，

and you will no longer have any control over this hand.

你不再能掌握你自己的這隻手。好嗎？

You with me?

你們聽懂了嗎？

So I just need to hook you up.

所以我要幫你們連線了。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

So I'm going to find your ulnar nerve,

我要找一下你的尺骨神經，

which is probably right around here.

大概在這裡吧。

You don't know what you're signing up for

你上台時不知道我會這樣玩你吧。

when you come up.

So now I'm going to move away and we're going to plug it in

好，現在我要站到一邊去，

啟動我們的「人傳人」的界面。

to our human-to-human interface over here.

Okay, so Sam, I want you to squeeze your hand again.

好的，那麼......莎姆，請妳再握緊妳的手。

Do it again. Perfect.

再握一次。好，很好。

So now I'm going to hook you up over here so that you get the --

好，我現在要把你跟莎姆連線了， 你將會......

It's going to feel a little bit weird at first,

一開始感覺會有點怪，

this is going to feel like a -- (Laughter)

感覺會有點像...... (笑聲)

You know, when you lose your free will, and someone else becomes your agent,

你知道，如果你失去了自由意志， 而別人反而變成主宰，

it does feel a bit strange.

那種感覺真的怪怪的。

Now I want you to relax your hand.

現在，請你放鬆你的手。

Sam, you're with me?

莎姆，妳有跟上嗎？

So you're going to squeeze.

好，請妳手用力。

I'm not going to turn it on yet, so go ahead and give it a squeeze.

我現在還沒打開連線， 所以儘量用力。

好，米格爾，你準備好了嗎？

So now, are you ready, Miguel?

MG: Ready as I'll ever be.

米格爾：好了，再好不過。

葛雷格：我現在打開了， 請轉動你的手。

GG: I've turned it on, so go ahead and turn your hand.

有感覺到了嗎？ 米格爾：沒。

Do you feel that a little bit? MG: Nope.

GG: Okay, do it again? MG: A little bit.

葛雷格：OK，再試試看？ 米格爾：有一點。

GG: A little bit? (Laughter)

葛雷格：有一點？ (笑聲)

So relax.

放輕鬆⋯

So hit it again.

再試試看。

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

Oh, perfect, perfect.

噢，太棒了，太棒了。

好，放鬆，再試試看。

So relax, do it again.

好了。所以現在⋯⋯

All right, so right now,

your brain is controlling your arm and it's also controlling his arm,

所以現在：妳的腦控制著妳的手臂， 而且也控制著他的手臂，

所以妳再用力一次試試看。

so go ahead and just do it one more time.

All right, so it's perfect. (Laughter)

好了，非常完美。 (笑聲)

所以現在，如果是 由我來控制妳的這隻手呢？

So now, what would happen if I took over my control of your hand?

And so, just relax your hand.

好，妳手放鬆。

What happens?

現在怎麼樣？

Ah, nothing.

啊～沒反應。

Why not?

為什麼？

Because the brain has to do it.

因為必須要由腦來控制才有用。

So you do it again.

所以再試一次。

All right, that's perfect.

好了，很完美。

Thank you guys for being such a good sport.

感謝兩位， 讓大家有愉快時光。

This is what's happening all across the world --

這是全世界都在發生的事——

electrophysiology!

電流生理學！

We're going to bring on the neuro-revolution.

我們要準備掀起 神經元革命了。

感謝各位。

Thank you.

(Applause)

(掌聲)