A powerful way to unleash your natural creativity | Tim Harford

Transcriber: Ivana Korom Reviewer: Joanna Pietrulewicz

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Congmei Han

"To do two things at once is to do neither."

「同時做兩件事， 等於什麼都沒做。」

It's a great smackdown of multitasking, isn't it,

這是直接打了「多工」 一巴掌，對吧，

often attributed to the Roman writer Publilius Syrus,

通常，這句話被認為出自 羅馬作家普布里烏斯西魯斯，

although you know how these things are, he probably never said it.

不過你也知道這類資訊就是這樣， 他很可能沒有說過這句話。

What I'm interested in, though, is -- is it true?

不過，我感興趣的是—— 這句話說的是真的嗎？

I mean, it's obviously true for emailing at the dinner table

我是指，很顯然在飯桌上 寫電子郵件時的確是如此，

or texting while driving or possibly for live tweeting at TED Talk, as well.

或者開車時傳簡訊，

或是在 TED 演說中 即時發推特訊息可能也是。

But I'd like to argue that for an important kind of activity,

但我想要談的是， 對一種很重要的活動來說，

doing two things at once -- or three or even four --

同時做兩件事，或三、四件事，

is exactly what we should be aiming for.

正是我們想要做到的目標。

Look no further than Albert Einstein.

看看愛因斯坦就好。

In 1905, he published four remarkable scientific papers.

1905 年，他發表了 四篇很驚人的科學論文。

One of them was on Brownian motion,

其中一篇是談布朗運動，

it provided empirical evidence that atoms exist,

該論文提出經驗證據， 說明原子存在，

and it laid out the basic mathematics behind most of financial economics.

它展示出了大部分財務經濟 背後的基礎數學。

Another one was on the theory of special relativity.

另一篇是談到狹義相對論。

Another one was on the photoelectric effect,

還有一篇是光電效應，

that's why solar panels work, it's a nice one.

太陽能板能夠實現就是 靠它，很棒的論文。

Gave him the Nobel prize for that one.

他因為那篇研究得到諾貝爾獎。

And the fourth introduced an equation you might have heard of:

第四篇則提出了一條方程式， 你們可能聽過：

E equals mc squared.

E = mc 平方。

So, tell me again how you shouldn't do several things at once.

所以，再跟我說一次， 為何你不該同時做好幾件事？

Now, obviously, working simultaneously

很顯然，同時研究

on Brownian motion, special relativity and the photoelectric effect --

布朗運動、相對論， 以及光電效應——

it's not exactly the same kind of multitasking

這和一邊看《西方極樂園》

as Snapchatting while you're watching "Westworld."

一邊上社交平台的 那種多工不太一樣。

Very different.

非常不一樣。

And Einstein, yeah, well, Einstein's -- he's Einstein,

而愛因斯坦，嗯，是啊， 愛因斯坦就是愛因斯坦，

he's one of a kind, he's unique.

他是獨一無二的。

But the pattern of behavior that Einstein was demonstrating,

但愛因斯坦所展現出的行為模式，

that's not unique at all.

一點也不獨特。

It's very common among highly creative people,

在非常有創意的人身上 就很常看到這種模式，

both artists and scientists,

藝術家和科學家都是，

and I'd like to give it a name:

而我想給它取個名字：

slow-motion multitasking.

慢動作多工。

Slow-motion multitasking feels like a counterintuitive idea.

慢動作多工感覺 像是種反直覺的想法。

What I'm describing here

我在這裡要描述的，

is having multiple projects on the go at the same time,

是同時有多個專案計畫在進行中，

and you move backwards and forwards between topics as the mood takes you,

而你在各主題之間 來來回回，就看心情如何，

or as the situation demands.

或是看狀況需要你怎麼做。

But the reason it seems counterintuitive

但，它之所以會看似反直覺的原因

is because we're used to lapsing into multitasking out of desperation.

是因為我們很習慣 陷入拼命不顧一切的多工。

We're in a hurry, we want to do everything at once.

我們在趕時間， 想要一次搞定所有事情。

If we were willing to slow multitasking down,

如果我們願意把多工給慢下來，

we might find that it works quite brilliantly.

我們可能會發現它很成功。

Sixty years ago, a young psychologist by the name of Bernice Eiduson

六十年前，年輕的 心理學家伯尼斯艾杜生

began a long research project

開始進行一項漫長的研究計畫，

into the personalities and the working habits

研究的是四十位頂尖科學家的

of 40 leading scientists.

個性和工作習慣。

Einstein was already dead,

愛因斯坦已經過世了，

but four of her subjects won Nobel prizes,

但她的研究對象中 有四位都得過諾貝爾獎，

including Linus Pauling and Richard Feynman.

包括萊納斯鮑林和理察費曼。

The research went on for decades,

這項研究進行了數十年，

in fact, it continued even after professor Eiduson herself had died.

事實上，到了艾杜生教授死後， 該研究都還在持續進行。

And one of the questions that it answered

它回答了一個問題：

was, "How is it that some scientists are able to go on producing important work

「為什麼有些科學家一生中能夠

一直產出重要的研究？」

right through their lives?"

What is it about these people?

這些人有什麼特別之處？

Is it their personality, is it their skill set,

是他們的人格？他們的各種技巧？

their daily routines, what?

他們的日常慣例？是什麼？

Well, a pattern that emerged was clear, and I think to some people surprising.

有一個模式清楚顯現出來， 我想，它讓一些人很吃驚。

The top scientists kept changing the subject.

頂尖的科學家會不斷改變主題。

They would shift topics repeatedly

在他們發表前一百篇 研究論文的這段期間，

during their first 100 published research papers.

他們會反覆地轉變題目。

Do you want to guess how often?

你們想猜猜看有多頻繁嗎？

Three times?

三次？

Five times?

五次？

No. On average, the most enduringly creative scientists

不。平均來說， 創造力最持久的科學家，

switched topics 43 times in their first 100 research papers.

在他們的前一百篇研究論文期間， 會換四十三次題目。

Seems that the secret to creativity is multitasking

似乎，創意的秘密

就是慢動作的多工。

in slow motion.

Eiduson's research suggests we need to reclaim multitasking

艾杜生的研究指出， 我們得要改正多工，

and remind ourselves how powerful it can be.

並提醒我們自己，它能夠多強大。

And she's not the only person to have found this.

發現這一點的人並不只有她。

Different researchers,

不同的研究者，用不同的方法，

using different methods to study different highly creative people

研究不同的高度創意人才，

have found that very often they have multiple projects in progress

都發現，他們手邊常常 有多項計畫同時在進行，

at the same time,

and they're also far more likely than most of us to have serious hobbies.

且比起我們大部分人，他們有 嚴肅嗜好的可能性高出許多。

Slow-motion multitasking among creative people is ubiquitous.

有創意的人幾乎 普遍地會做慢動作多工。

So, why?

為什麼會這樣？

I think there are three reasons.

我認為有三個理由。

And the first is the simplest.

第一個理由最簡單。

Creativity often comes when you take an idea from its original context

通常當你把一個想法 從它原本的情境中移出來，

移入其他地方時，創意就會出現。

and you move it somewhere else.

It's easier to think outside the box

如果你大部分的時間都在 從一個盒子爬到另一個，

if you spend your time clambering from one box into another.

就比較容易跳脫盒子思考。

For an example of this, consider the original eureka moment.

試想最原始的「我發現了！」時刻 就是這方面的例子。

Archimedes -- he's wrestling with a difficult problem.

阿基米德在努力解決 一個困難的問題。

And he realizes, in a flash,

一瞬間，他發現，

he can solve it, using the displacement of water.

他可以用排掉的水 來解決這個問題，

And if you believe the story,

如果你相信這個故事，

this idea comes to him as he's taking a bath,

他想到這個點子的時候， 是在洗澡的時候，

lowering himself in, and he's watching the water level rise and fall.

讓他自己下沉時， 他觀察到水面會升降。

And if solving a problem while having a bath isn't multitasking,

如果一邊洗澡一邊解題不算是多工，

I don't know what is.

那我也不知道多工是什麼了。

The second reason that multitasking can work

多工可以成功的第二個理由，

is that learning to do one thing well

是因為學習把一件事做好，

can often help you do something else.

通常可以協助你做其他事。

Any athlete can tell you about the benefits of cross-training.

運動員可以告訴你 交叉訓練的益處。

It's possible to cross-train your mind, too.

你的大腦也可以被交叉訓練。

A few years ago, researchers took 18 randomly chosen medical students

幾年前，研究者隨機選了 十八位醫學院學生，

and they enrolled them in a course at the Philadelphia Museum of Art,

他們讓這些學生參與 費城藝術博物館的一堂課，

where they learned to criticize and analyze works of visual art.

他們在那堂課學如何評論 和分析視覺藝術作品。

And at the end of the course,

在課程尾聲，

these students were compared with a control group

這些學生被拿來和對照組做比較， 對照組是其他醫學院學生。

of their fellow medical students.

And the ones who had taken the art course

有上藝術課的學生

had become substantially better at performing tasks

能把工作任務做得好很多，

such as diagnosing diseases of the eye by analyzing photographs.

比如透過分析照片 來診斷眼睛疾病。

They'd become better eye doctors.

他們成為比較好的眼科醫生。

So if we want to become better at what we do,

所以，如果我們想要把 我們在做的事做得更好，

maybe we should spend some time doing something else,

也許我們應該花點 時間做其他的事，

even if the two fields appear to be as completely distinct

即便兩個領域看似完全不相關，

as ophthalmology and the history of art.

就像眼科學和藝術史。

And if you'd like an example of this,

如果你想要聽一個例子，

should we go for a less intimidating example than Einstein? OK.

我們來講個不像愛因斯坦 那麼嚇人的例子吧？

Michael Crichton, creator of "Jurassic Park" and "E.R."

麥可克萊頓，《侏羅紀公園》 和《急診室的春天》的原著作者。

So in the 1970s, he originally trained as a doctor,

七○年代時，他受的訓練 本來是要成為醫生，

but then he wrote novels

但接著他去寫小說，

and he directed the original "Westworld" movie.

接著他導了原始的 《鑽石宮》電影。

But also, and this is less well-known,

但，還有一點是較少人知道的， 他也會寫非小說類的書，

he also wrote nonfiction books,

about art, about medicine, about computer programming.

內容包括藝術、醫學、 電腦程式設計。

So in 1995, he enjoyed the fruits of all this variety

1995 年，他享受到了 這種多樣性所結的果實，

by penning the world's most commercially successful book.

寫出了世上最暢銷的書籍， （The Lost World)

And the world's most commercially successful TV series.

世上收視率最高的電視影集， （急診室的春天）

And the world's most commercially successful movie.

還有世上最賣座的電影。 （剛果驚魂）

In 1996, he did it all over again.

1996 年，他再創佳績。

There's a third reason

還有第三個理由，

why slow-motion multitasking can help us solve problems.

說明為什麼慢動作多工 能協助我們解決問題。

It can provide assistance when we're stuck.

當我們卡住的時候， 它能提供協助。

This can't happen in an instant.

這不會馬上發生。

So, imagine that feeling of working on a crossword puzzle

所以，想像一下在解 縱橫填字謎的感覺，

and you can't figure out the answer,

你想不出答案，

and the reason you can't is because the wrong answer is stuck in your head.

你想不出來是因為 錯的答案卡在你的腦袋裡。

It's very easy -- just go and do something else.

很簡單——只管去做些別的事。

You know, switch topics, switch context,

你們知道的， 換一下主題，換一下情境，

you'll forget the wrong answer

你就會把錯的答案忘掉，

and that gives the right answer space to pop into the front of your mind.

這樣就會有空間，讓對的答案 能在你的腦袋中跳出來。

But on the slower timescale that interests me,

但在我感興趣的慢速時間尺度上，

being stuck is a much more serious thing.

被卡住是更嚴重的狀況。

You get turned down for funding.

你申請的資金會被駁回。

Your cell cultures won't grow, your rockets keep crashing.

你的細胞培養不會成長， 你的火箭不斷墜毀。

Nobody wants to publish you fantasy novel about a school for wizards.

沒有人想要出版你的 巫師學校奇幻小說。

Or maybe you just can't find the solution to the problem that you're working on.

或者，也許你就是無法為 手上的問題找到解決方案。

And being stuck like that means stasis, stress,

像這類卡住的狀況，就意味著

停滯、壓力，甚至可能造成憂鬱。

possibly even depression.

But if you have another exciting, challenging project to work on,

但如果你手上還有另一個讓你興奮 且很有挑戰的計畫在進行中，

being stuck on one is just an opportunity to do something else.

在一個計畫上被卡住， 只代表有機會去做其他事。

We could all get stuck sometimes, even Albert Einstein.

我們所有人都可能在某個時點 被卡住，愛因斯坦也不例外。

Ten years after the original, miraculous year that I described,

我剛才描述的是愛因斯坦 很有獨創性、很不凡的一年，

Einstein was putting together the pieces of his theory of general relativity,

在那十年之後，他絞盡腦汁要把 廣義相對論的各片段拼湊起來，

his greatest achievement.

那是他最偉大的成就。

And he was exhausted.

而他累壞了。

And so he turned to an easier problem.

所以他轉向一個比較簡單的問題。

He proposed the stimulated emission of radiation.

他提出了受激輻射。

Which, as you may know, is the S in laser.

你們可能知道，雷射的全名就是 「『受激輻射』式光波放大」。

So he's laying down the theoretical foundation for the laser beam,

他為雷射光束奠定了理論基礎，

and then, while he's doing that,

接著，當他在做這件事時，

he moves back to general relativity, and he's refreshed.

他回到廣義相對論， 他重新充電過了。

He sees what the theory implies --

他看出該理論的意涵——

that the universe isn't static.

宇宙不是靜態的。

It's expanding.

宇宙在擴張。

It's an idea so staggering,

這個想法令人難以相信，

Einstein can't bring himself to believe it for years.

多年來愛因斯坦 自己都無法相信它。

Look, if you get stuck

聽著，如果你卡住了，

and you get the ball rolling on laser beams,

而你在雷射光束上有進展，

you're in pretty good shape.

那你的情況是很好的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So, that's the case for slow-motion multitasking.

那就是慢動作多工的狀況。

And I'm not promising that it's going to turn you into Einstein.

我並不是在保證這個方式 能把你變成愛因斯坦。

I'm not even promising it's going to turn you into Michael Crichton.

我甚至無法保證它會 把你變成麥可克萊頓。

But it is a powerful way to organize our creative lives.

但它是一種很強大的方式， 可以用來整理你的創意生活。

But there's a problem.

但，有一個問題。

How do we stop all of these projects becoming completely overwhelming?

我們要如何避免這些專案計畫 變得讓人無法招架？

How do we keep all these ideas straight in our minds?

我們要如何把這些點子 留在我們的腦袋裡？

Well, here's a simple solution, a practical solution

嗯，有一個簡單的解決方案， 一個實際的解決方案，

from the great American choreographer, Twyla Tharp.

來自美國的編舞家，崔拉莎普。

Over the last few decades,

在過去數十年間，

she's blurred boundaries, mixed genres, won prizes,

她讓界線變模糊， 混合了各種類別，贏了許多獎，

danced to the music of everybody, from Philip Glass to Billy Joel.

配合任何人的音樂來舞蹈， 從菲利普葛拉斯到比利喬。

She's written three books.

她寫過三本書。

I mean, she's a slow-motion multitasker, of course she is.

她就是個慢動作多工的人，當然囉。

She says, "You have to be all things.

她說：「你必須要成為所有一切。

Why exclude?

為什麼要排除？

You have to be everything."

你必須要成為一切。」

And Tharp's method

莎普有個方法可以預防

for preventing all of these different projects from becoming overwhelming

所有這些不同的計畫 變得讓她無法招架，

is a simple one.

這個方法很簡單。

She gives each project a big cardboard box,

她給予每個計畫一個大紙箱，

writes the name of the project on the side of the box.

在箱子的側邊寫上計畫的名字。

And into it, she tosses DVDs and books, magazine cuttings,

她丟到箱子中的東西包括 DVD、書籍、雜誌剪報、

theater programs, physical objects,

劇院節目單、實體物件，

really anything that's provided a source of creative inspiration.

什麼都有，只要能提供 創意靈感的來源就放進去。

And she writes,

她會寫：

"The box means I never have to worry about forgetting.

「這個箱子表示我永遠 不用擔心會忘記。

One of the biggest fears for a creative person

創意人最大的恐懼之一，

is that some brilliant idea will get lost

就是失去很棒的點子，

because you didn't write it down and put it in a safe place.

只因為沒寫下來並放到 安全的地方，就這麼忘記了。

I don't worry about that.

我不擔心這一點。

Because I know where to find it.

因為我知道要到哪裡找它。

It's all in the box."

全都在箱子裡。」

You can manage many ideas like this,

你可以用這種方式 來管理許多點子，

either in physical boxes or in their digital equivalents.

不論是放在實體的箱子， 或是在數位的分類中。

So, I would like to urge you

所以，我想鼓勵各位，

to embrace the art of slow-motion multitasking.

擁抱慢動作多工的藝術。

Not because you're in a hurry,

並不是因為你在趕時間，

but because you're in no hurry at all.

而是因為你完全不趕時間。

And I want to give you one final example,

我想舉最後一個例子，

my favorite example.

我最愛的例子，

Charles Darwin.

查爾斯達爾文。

A man whose slow-burning multitasking is so staggering,

他那慢慢燃燒的多工實在很驚人，

I need a diagram to explain it all to you.

我需要用圖才能夠向各位說明。

We know what Darwin was doing at different times,

我們知道達爾文 在不同時期做了什麼，

because the creativity researchers Howard Gruber and Sara Davis

那是因為創意研究者 霍華德格魯貝和莎菈戴維斯

have analyzed his diaries and his notebooks.

分析過他的日記和筆記。

So, when he left school, age of 18,

所以，當他在十八歲離開學校時，

he was initially interested in two fields,

他最初感興趣的是兩個領域：

zoology and geology.

動物學和地質學。

Pretty soon, he signed up to be the onboard naturalist on the "Beagle."

沒多久，他報名擔任 「獵犬號」上的隨船博物學家。

This is the ship that eventually took five years

這艘船最後花了五年時間

to sail all the way around the southern oceans of the Earth,

航行過地球南邊的海洋，

stopping at the Galápagos, passing through the Indian ocean.

在科隆群島停靠，穿過印度洋。

While he was on the "Beagle," he began researching coral reefs.

當他在「獵犬號」上時， 他開始研究珊瑚礁。

This is a great synergy between his two interests

這是將他的兩項興趣 做了很好的整合，

in zoology and geology,

動物學和地質學。

and it starts to get him thinking about slow processes.

這讓他開始思考慢速的流程。

But when he gets back from the voyage,

但當他航行回來之後，

his interests start to expand even further: psychology, botany;

他的興趣開始進一步擴張： 心理學、植物學；

for the rest of his life,

他接下來的餘生，

he's moving backwards and forwards between these different fields.

就一直在這些不同的 領域中來來回回。

He never quite abandons any of them.

他從來沒有真正拋棄任何一項。

In 1837, he begins work on two very interesting projects.

1837 年，他開始投入 兩項非常有趣的計畫。

One of them: earthworms.

其中一項：蚯蚓。

The other, a little notebook which he titles

另一項：一本小筆記本，他取名為

"The transmutation of species."

《物種的演變》。

Then, Darwin starts studying my field, economics.

接著，達爾文開始研究 我的領域：經濟學。

He reads a book by the economist Thomas Malthus.

他讀了一本由經濟學家 托馬斯馬爾薩斯所寫的書。

And he has his eureka moment.

他的「我發現了！」時刻發生了。

In a flash, he realizes how species could emerge and evolve slowly,

馬上，他就了解到物種如何 能夠很緩慢地出現和演化，

through this process of the survival of the fittest.

透過這個適者生存的過程。

It all comes to him, he writes it all down,

想法湧入腦中，他把它寫下來，

every single important element of the theory of evolution,

演化論的每一個重要元素，

in that notebook.

都寫在那本筆記中。

But then, a new project.

但，接著，一個新計畫。

His son William is born.

他的兒子威廉出生了。

Well, there's a natural experiment right there,

那就是一個自然實驗，

you get to observe the development of a human infant.

你可以觀察人類嬰兒的發展。

So immediately, Darwin starts making notes.

所以，達爾文馬上就開始寫筆記。

Now, of course, he's still working on the theory of evolution

當然，他仍然在研究演化論，

and the development of the human infant.

以及人類嬰兒的發展。

But during all of this,

但，在這期間，

he realizes he doesn't really know enough about taxonomy.

他發現他對分類學的 了解不太足夠。

So he starts studying that.

所以他開始研究分類學。

And in the end, he spends eight years becoming the world's leading expert

最終，他花了八年，

成為世界上最頂尖的 藤壺（甲殼動物）專家。

on barnacles.

Then, "Natural Selection."

接著，《天擇說》。

A book that he's to continue working on for his entire life, he never finishes it.

這是他投入一生在撰寫的書， 他一直沒有完成它。

"Origin of Species" is finally published

《物種起源》終於出版了，

20 years after Darwin set out all the basic elements.

這已經是達爾文提出 所有基礎元素之後的二十年。

Then, the "Descent of Man," controversial book.

接著，很爭議的書 《人類的由來》出版了。

And then, the book about the development of the human infant.

再來出版的是關於 人類嬰兒發展的書。

The one that was inspired when he could see his son, William,

這本書的靈感是來自於他在客廳

看著他的兒子威廉在他面前爬行。

crawling on the sitting room floor in front of him.

When the book was published, William was 37 years old.

這本書出版時， 威廉已經三十七歲。

And all this time,

這段時間，

Darwin's working on earthworms.

達爾文都在研究蚯蚓。

He fills his billiard room with earthworms in pots, with glass covers.

他在他的撞球房裡放滿蚯蚓，

用罐子裝著，加上玻璃蓋。

He shines lights on them, to see if they'll respond.

他對牠們照光， 看牠們是否會有反應。

He holds a hot poker next to them, to see if they move away.

他用熱火鉗靠近牠們， 看牠們是否會遠離。

He chews tobacco and --

他會嚼菸草，且——

(Blows)

（吹氣）

He blows on the earthworms to see if they have a sense of smell.

他會對蚯蚓吹氣， 看牠們是否有嗅覺。

He even plays the bassoon at the earthworms.

他甚至會對蚯蚓演奏巴松管。

I like to think of this great man

我喜歡想想這位偉人，

when he's tired, he's stressed,

當他疲累了，當他倍感壓力，

he's anxious about the reception of his book "The Descent of Man."

當他對他的書《人類的由來》 推出後的反應感到焦慮。

You or I might log into Facebook or turn on the television.

你我可能會上臉書，或打開電視。

Darwin would go into the billiard room to relax

達爾文則會進到撞球室去放鬆，

by studying the earthworms intensely.

放鬆的方式就是認真地研究蚯蚓。

And that's why it's appropriate that one of his last great works

那就是為什麼

《腐植土的產生與蚯蚓的作用》

is the "Formation of Vegetable Mould Through The Action of Worms."

做為他的最後大作之一， 真的很適合。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

He worked upon that book for 44 years.

他投入了四十四年寫那本書。

We don't live in the 19th century anymore.

我們已經不是活在十九世紀了，

I don't think any of us could sit

我不認為有任何人能夠

on our creative or scientific projects for 44 years.

將我們的創意或科學計畫 擱置四十四年之久。

But we do have something to learn from the great slow-motion multitaskers.

但我們確實可以從這些偉大的 慢動作多工者身上學到一些東西。

From Einstein and Darwin to Michael Crichton and Twyla Tharp.

從愛因斯坦與達爾文， 到麥可克萊頓，到崔拉莎普。

The modern world seems to present us with a choice.

現代世界似乎要我們做一個選擇。

If we're not going to fast-twitch from browser window to browser window,

如果我們不打算在視窗 和視窗間快速切換，

we have to live like a hermit,

就得過隱士般的生活，

focus on one thing to the exclusion of everything else.

把焦點放在一樣東西上， 排除所有其他的。

I think that's a false dilemma.

我認為那兩難局面不是真的。

We can make multitasking work for us,

我們可以實現多工，

unleashing our natural creativity.

釋放出我們天生的創造力。

We just need to slow it down.

我們只需要慢下來。

So ...

所以……

Make a list of your projects.

把你手邊的計畫列出來。

Put down your phone.

放下你的手機。

Pick up a couple of cardboard boxes.

拿一些紙箱子。

And get to work.

上工吧。

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）