The neurons that shaped civilization | VS Ramachandran

譯者: Wang Qian 審譯者: Liqiu Qiao

I'd like to talk to you today about the human brain,

今天，我想和大家一探 大腦的奧秘，

which is what we do research on at the University of California.

我在加州大 學做相關研究。

Just think about this problem for a second.

試著思考一下這 個問題。

Here is a lump of flesh, about three pounds,

這裏有一堆肉， 大概重三磅左右，

which you can hold in the palm of your hand.

可以用一掌來 握住。

But it can contemplate the vastness of interstellar space.

但它卻可以探 究浩瀚的星際空間；

It can contemplate the meaning of infinity,

可以探究無限 的意義；

ask questions about the meaning of its own existence,

可以探究自身 存在的意義；

about the nature of God.

可以探究上帝 的本質。

And this is truly the most amazing thing in the world.

這是世界上最 不可思議之事。

It's the greatest mystery confronting human beings:

這是人類面臨 的最大難題之一。

How does this all come about?

這一切是怎麼 來的？

Well, the brain, as you know, is made up of neurons.

正如你們所 知，腦組織是由神經元所組成的。

We're looking at neurons here.

這就是神經 元。

There are 100 billion neurons in the adult human brain.

成人腦組織裏 含有一千億個神經元。

And each neuron makes something like 1,000 to 10,000 contacts

每個神經元與 其他神經元的

with other neurons in the brain.

交接點約有一 千至一萬處。

And based on this, people have calculated

基於此，人們 對之進行了計算，

that the number of permutations and combinations of brain activity

並得出各種大 腦活動的組合總量

exceeds the number of elementary particles in the universe.

超過了宇宙中 基本粒子的數量。

So, how do you go about studying the brain?

所以，我們應 該如何研究大腦？

One approach is to look at patients who had lesions

一種方法是觀 察那些有受過腦部 損傷的人，

in different part of the brain, and study changes in their behavior.

以 來研究他們行為的變遷。

This is what I spoke about in the last TED.

這是我於上次 TED大會上所講的內容。

Today I'll talk about a different approach,

今天我將講述 一種新的方法。

which is to put electrodes in different parts of the brain,

這種方法是將 電極線置放於大腦的不同部位，

and actually record the activity of individual nerve cells in the brain.

以記錄單個神 經細胞的活動性。

Sort of eavesdrop on the activity of nerve cells in the brain.

頗類似於竊聽 神經細胞在大腦內的活動。

Now, one recent discovery that has been made

最近，義大利 帕爾馬的

by researchers in Italy, in Parma,

研究人員們，

by Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues,

亦就是裏左拉蒂與其同事們

is a group of neurons called mirror neurons,

在大腦前額葉 發現了一組神 經元，

which are on the front of the brain in the frontal lobes.

這組神經元被 他們稱作鏡像神經元。

Now, it turns out there are neurons

此外，大腦裏 面還有一組神經元，

which are called ordinary motor command neurons in the front of the brain,

稱作運動神經 元，也位於大腦的前半部分，

which have been known for over 50 years.

這組神經元是 50年前的發現。

These neurons will fire when a person performs a specific action.

當我們要做某 種運動時，這組神經元就會發射資訊至相關器官。

For example, if I do that, and reach and grab an apple,

例如，假若我 這樣做，我向前屈伸，然後抓住一隻蘋果，

a motor command neuron in the front of my brain will fire.

一個運動神經 元則會[向我的手]發射一組資訊。

If I reach out and pull an object, another neuron will fire,

假如我向前 屈伸，並回拉一件物品，另外一個神經元則會 發射另一組 資訊

commanding me to pull that object.

以控制我的行動。

These are called motor command neurons that have been known for a long time.

很早以前， 這些運動神經元就被發現了。

But what Rizzolatti found was

不過，裏佐 拉蒂他們發現

a subset of these neurons,

這組神經元 中包含著另外一組神經元，

maybe about 20 percent of them, will also fire

大約百分之 二十左右。

when I'm looking at somebody else performing the same action.

這些神經元是會當我觀看他人 行動時，

So, here is a neuron that fires when I reach and grab something,

所以，當我 向前抓住某物件時，有個神經元會發出相關資訊，

but it also fires when I watch Joe reaching and grabbing something.

可是若我觀 看喬做相同的動作時，另一個神經元也會發出相關資訊。

And this is truly astonishing.

這實在是令 人震驚。

Because it's as though this neuron is adopting

因為這表 明，神經元也會

the other person's point of view.

採納別人的 觀點。

It's almost as though it's performing a virtual reality simulation

幾乎就是模 仿了他人的動作，

of the other person's action.

有如虛擬現 實仿真。

Now, what is the significance of these mirror neurons?

那麼，這些 鏡像神經元有何存在意義呢？

For one thing they must be involved in things like imitation and emulation.

這裏我必須 引入模仿和仿真的概念。

Because to imitate a complex act

假使我們要 模仿一種複雜的行為，

requires my brain to adopt the other person's point of view.

那麼我們的 大腦則需要採納他人的行為觀點。

So, this is important for imitation and emulation.

因此模仿和 仿真是非常重要的。

Well, why is that important?

好了，它們 為什麼重要呢？

Well, let's take a look at the next slide.

讓我們看看 下一張幻燈片。

So, how do you do imitation? Why is imitation important?

你怎樣進行 模仿？模仿為什麼重要？

Mirror neurons and imitation, emulation.

鏡像神經 元，模仿和仿真。

Now, let's look at culture, the phenomenon of human culture.

現在，讓我 們從人類文化方面入手。

If you go back in time about [75,000] to 100,000 years ago,

讓我們回到 七萬五千年至十萬年前時，

let's look at human evolution, it turns out

我們來觀測 下人類進化的過程，結果發現

that something very important happened around 75,000 years ago.

于七萬五千 年前左右，一件重大事件影響了人類的發展。

And that is, there is a sudden emergence and rapid spread

那就是，各 種獨特的“人類”技巧

of a number of skills that are unique to human beings

突然出現以 及迅速傳播。這些技巧包括

like tool use,

工具的使 用、

the use of fire, the use of shelters, and, of course, language,

火的使用、 房屋的出現和語言交流，

and the ability to read somebody else's mind

以及讀取他 人心思的能力和

and interpret that person's behavior.

理解他人的 行為。

All of that happened relatively quickly.

這一切都相 對地較快發生。

Even though the human brain had achieved its present size

原始人類的 大腦形狀大約于四至五十萬年前

almost three or four hundred thousand years ago,

就已經發育 至今人的形狀，

100,000 years ago all of this happened very, very quickly.

不過這些事 件則是十萬年前才快速地發生。

And I claim that what happened was

我認為這些 事件的產生是

the sudden emergence of a sophisticated mirror neuron system,

源于先進的 鏡像神經元系統的突然浮現，

which allowed you to emulate and imitate other people's actions.

這些神經元 將允許你模仿他人的行為

So that when there was a sudden accidental discovery

所以當氏族 的某一成員偶然

by one member of the group, say the use of fire,

發現，火的 使用，

or a particular type of tool, instead of dying out,

而非凋零消 亡，

this spread rapidly, horizontally across the population,

這種方法將會橫向傳播於氏族中，

or was transmitted vertically, down the generations.

或者代代縱 向傳播。

So, this made evolution suddenly Lamarckian,

所以，這是 一種拉馬克式進化，

instead of Darwinian.

而非達爾文 式。

Darwinian evolution is slow; it takes hundreds of thousands of years.

達爾文式進 化是異乎緩慢的，它大概需要幾千年的時間來產生效用。

A polar bear, to evolve a coat,

若要使一隻 北極熊進化出一件外衣，

will take thousands of generations, maybe 100,000 years.

則需要他們 經過數千代的傳承，或許需要十萬年方能得出外衣。

A human being, a child, can just watch its parent

一個人類小 孩，則僅需觀看他的父母

kill another polar bear,

如何屠殺另 一隻北極熊，

and skin it and put the skin on its body, fur on the body,

將其剝皮拆 骨，用來製造外衣。

and learn it in one step. What the polar bear

小孩因此可 以快速掌握這一技能。

took 100,000 years to learn,

北極熊需要 十萬年才得以進化出外衣，

it can learn in five minutes, maybe 10 minutes.

人類小孩僅 僅要五分鐘或者十分鐘就學會了。

And then once it's learned this it spreads

當他們學會 之後，這項技能將以

in geometric proportion across a population.

燎原之勢散 播於他們的氏族當中。

This is the basis. The imitation of complex skills

這就是本 源。文化就是模仿

is what we call culture and is the basis of civilization.

複雜的行為 活動，而文明則產於此。

Now there is another kind of mirror neuron,

現在我將講 到另外一種鏡像神經元，

which is involved in something quite different.

擔負另外的 功能。

And that is, there are mirror neurons,

有些鏡像神 經元

just as there are mirror neurons for action, there are mirror neurons for touch.

只管活動，

In other words, if somebody touches me,

換句話來 說，假如某人觸碰了我，

my hand, neuron in the somatosensory cortex

我的手，位 於軀體感覺皮層的神經元

in the sensory region of the brain fires.

將會發出一 組資訊。

But the same neuron, in some cases, will fire

但同一個神 經元，在某些情況下，

when I simply watch another person being touched.

當我觀看他 人被觸碰時，也會發出資訊。

So, it's empathizing the other person being touched.

注意，我是 說他人被觸碰。

So, most of them will fire when I'm touched

大多數的神 經元都會於我被觸碰時

in different locations. Different neurons for different locations.

發出資訊。 不同的神經元負責不同的身體區域。

But a subset of them will fire even when I watch somebody else

偏偏有小部 分的神經元在我觀看他人被觸碰時

being touched in the same location.

也會發出相 同的資訊。

So, here again you have neurons

因此，這裏 又有一群神經元

which are enrolled in empathy.

參與進了你 與他人之間的共鳴。

Now, the question then arises: If I simply watch another person being touched,

不過問題 是：假如我只觀看他人被觸碰，

why do I not get confused and literally feel that touch sensation

那麼為什麼 我不會

merely by watching somebody being touched?

有那種被觸 碰的感覺呢？

I mean, I empathize with that person but I don't literally feel the touch.

我與那人產 生共鳴，但我並未產生觸碰感。

Well, that's because you've got receptors in your skin,

那是因為我 們皮膚上有感受器，

touch and pain receptors, going back into your brain

一種痛感受 器，它會向大腦

and saying "Don't worry, you're not being touched.

回饋道： “切莫擔心，你還未被觸碰呢。

So, empathize, by all means, with the other person,

注意，是另 外一個人被觸碰呢，

but do not actually experience the touch,

而不是我們 自己呀。

otherwise you'll get confused and muddled."

要不我們自 己則會搞混呢。”

Okay, so there is a feedback signal

所以，這裏 會有一種回饋信號

that vetoes the signal of the mirror neuron

以阻止鏡像 神經元所發出的信號，

preventing you from consciously experiencing that touch.

從而使你避 免感覺到那股錯誤的觸碰感。

But if you remove the arm, you simply anesthetize my arm,

然而，當你 移除你的手臂時，

so you put an injection into my arm,

或者向你的 手臂注射麻醉劑，

anesthetize the brachial plexus, so the arm is numb,

從而麻醉臂 叢神經

and there is no sensations coming in,

使你無法感 覺到你的手臂的時候，

if I now watch you being touched,

假如你現在 觀看他人手掌被觸碰，

I literally feel it in my hand.

你的手掌也 會有被觸碰的感覺。

In other words, you have dissolved the barrier

換句話說， 你將你與他人之間的

between you and other human beings.

隔膜溶解 了。

So, I call them Gandhi neurons, or empathy neurons.

因此，我稱 他們為甘地神經元，或者是共鳴神經元。

(Laughter)

(笑聲)

And this is not in some abstract metaphorical sense.

這並不是種 抽象的道理，

All that's separating you from him,

將你與他人 隔開的

from the other person, is your skin.

就是你的皮 膚。

Remove the skin, you experience that person's touch in your mind.

移除你的皮 膚，你將會與他人感同身受。

You've dissolved the barrier between you and other human beings.

你將你與他 人之間的隔膜溶解了。

And this, of course, is the basis of much of Eastern philosophy,

這些當然就 是大部分東方哲學的基礎。

and that is there is no real independent self,

那就是沒有 真實獨立的自我

aloof from other human beings, inspecting the world,

將你與他人 隔開，從而以審視這個世界，

inspecting other people.

審視他人。

You are, in fact, connected not just via Facebook and Internet,

事實上，我 們與他人交結並不只是通過Facebook或是網路，

you're actually quite literally connected by your neurons.

而是各式各 樣的神經元。

And there is whole chains of neurons around this room, talking to each other.

在這間大廳 裏，有一群的神經元正互相交談著呢。

And there is no real distinctiveness

你與他人的 意識

of your consciousness from somebody else's consciousness.

並沒有任何 真正的差異。

And this is not mumbo-jumbo philosophy.

這並不是晦 澀難懂的哲學。

It emerges from our understanding of basic neuroscience.

這是由基礎 神經學所引申出來的。

So, you have a patient with a phantom limb. If the arm has been removed

當你接診一 位有幻肢的病人時，幻肢即是

and you have a phantom, and you watch somebody else

截肢或殘廢 的患者仍感到自己有該肢體的存在，當他觀察他人

being touched, you feel it in your phantom.

被觸碰時， 他也會有此感。

Now the astonishing thing is,

令人震驚的 是，

if you have pain in your phantom limb, you squeeze the other person's hand,

當你患有幻 肢痛時，你對他人的手掌

massage the other person's hand,

進行按摩 時，

that relieves the pain in your phantom hand,

你的疼痛感 便會減輕。

almost as though the neuron

這是因為你 的神經元

were obtaining relief from merely

正獲取他人 被按摩時

watching somebody else being massaged.

所獲得的舒 適感。

So, here you have my last slide.

這是我最後 一張幻燈片。

For the longest time people have regarded science

長期以來， 人們都將科學與

and humanities as being distinct.

人文學科分 開，

C.P. Snow spoke of the two cultures:

C.P.斯 諾指出兩種文化：

science on the one hand, humanities on the other;

一種是科 學，一種是人文；

never the twain shall meet.

將永不相 見。

So, I'm saying the mirror neuron system underlies the interface

而我則認為 鏡像神經元系統將再次引起

allowing you to rethink about issues like consciousness,

一場思潮， 將使你重新思考什麼是意識，

representation of self,

什麼代表自 我，

what separates you from other human beings,

什麼將你于 他人區分開，

what allows you to empathize with other human beings,

什麼使你與 他人產生共鳴，

and also even things like the emergence of culture and civilization,

什麼使文化 與文明產生，

which is unique to human beings. Thank you.

什麼才是人 類所獨有的事物。謝謝。

(Applause)

(鼓掌)