Perhaps a day of friendly competition will lead us to the answer.

或許為期一天的友誼賽會讓我們找到答案。

Tomorrow's the annual Brain Clash—ten teams of two competing in a decathlon of mental challenges, trivia competitions, and puzzles.

明天是一年一度的 力競賽——十支球隊，兩人一組，參加十項全能的心理挑戰、知識問答和謎題。

I've been training all year.

我已經為此訓練了一整年了。

I'll need to pick the smartest, most capable teammate.

我要挑選最聰明、最有能力的隊員。

I've narrowed down the roster.

我已經把人選範圍縮小了。

First we have Gabriela.

第一位是 Gabriela。

She may only be 8, but don't underestimate her!

她雖然只有八歲，但不要小看她！

She's fluent in two languages and is the ultimate outside-the-box thinker.

她精通兩國語言，而且很會跳出傳統的思維框框，以新的眼光看問題。

Then there's Ama.

接下來是 Ama。

She can recite 100 digits of pi, designs satellites for a living, and bakes a perfect soufflé.

她會背 100 位數的圓周率、設計衛星為生，而且會烤完美的舒芙蕾。

Or I could go with Mr. Taylor.

或是我也可以找泰勒先生。

He's the best chess player in the neighborhood, not to mention he's competed in over 20 Brain Clashes and is a five-time champion!

他是社區裡最厲害的棋手，更不用說他參加了 20 多次智力競賽，而且還得過五次冠軍！

I'm not sure who to pick! Who's the smartest?

我不確定要選誰！誰是最聰明的？

Which of these teammates should Amir choose for tomorrow's contest and why?

阿米爾應該為明天的比賽選擇哪些隊友，又是為什麼呢？

Of course, it depends.

當然，這是要看情況的。

While intelligence is often associated with things like IQ tests, these assessments fail to capture the scope and depth of a person's varied abilities.

雖然智力通常與智商測試等有關聯，但這些評估無法捕捉到一個人各種能力的範圍和深度。

So instead, we'll break down the idea of "smart" into categories like creativity, memory, and learning, and explore when the brain's best at each of them.

因此，我們將把「聰明」的概念分解為創造力、記憶力和學習等類別，並探索大腦何時最擅長這些類別。

Let's start at the very beginning.

我們從最開頭講起。

In the first few years of life, your brain undergoes incredible rapid growth, called synaptogenesis,

在我們人生中的頭幾年，大腦會經歷令人難以置信的快速增長，稱為突觸發生，

where more than one million new neural connections are formed every second.

每秒形成超過一百萬個新的神經連接。

As the brain develops, it goes through a pruning process.

隨著大腦的發育，它會經歷突觸修剪。

Based on your experience and environment, used connections are strengthened and unused connections are removed.

根據自身的經驗和環境，已使用的連結得到加強，未使用的連結被刪除。

Frequently used neuronal pathways are myelinated, wrapped in a layer of insulation, allowing information to travel faster.

經常使用的神經元通路是有髓鞘的，被包裹在一層絕緣層中，使信息能夠更快地傳播。

This creates a more efficient, fine-tuned brain.

這創造了一個更高效、更精細的大腦。

But this brain remodeling happens within and between brain regions at different times, allowing different skills to flourish at different ages.

但這種大腦重塑發生在不同時間的大腦區域內和大腦區域之間，使不同的技能在不同的年齡得到蓬勃發展。

For example, in childhood, brain regions involved in language learning develop quickly,

例如，在孩童時期，有關語言學習的大腦區域發展迅速，

which is why many children can learn and master multiple languages.

這就是為什麼許多孩子可以學習和掌握多種語言的原因。

Yet the prefrontal cortex, a brain region responsible for cognitive control and inhibition, is slower to develop.

然而，負責認知控制和抑制的大腦區域前額葉皮層發育較慢，

As a result, some young children may struggle with strategic games, such as chess or checkers,

因此一些年幼的孩子可能會在國際象棋或跳棋等戰略遊戲中遇到困難，

which require constant concentration, planning, and abstract thought.

因為這需要持續的專注、計劃和抽象思維。

At the same time, children tend to be more flexible, exploration-based learners.

同時，孩子們往往是更靈活、以探索為基礎的學習者。

They often use more creative approaches when finding solutions to riddles and are, on average, less afraid to make mistakes.

在尋找謎題的解決方案時，他們經常使用更有創意的方法，並且平均來說，他們不太害怕犯錯。

But adults have their own unique set of abilities.

但是成年人有自己獨特的能力。

Adults benefit from a well-developed prefrontal cortex, allowing them to better execute skills that require learning, focus, and memory,

成年人受益於發達的前額葉皮層，使他們能夠更好地執行需要學習、專注和記憶的技能，

making them quick and efficient puzzle solvers or crossword masters.

讓他們成為快速高效的解謎者或填字遊戲大師。

Late in adulthood, these same skills may decline as the brain's memory center, known as the hippocampus, shrinks.

在成年後期，這些相同的技能可能會隨著大腦的記憶中心（稱為海馬體）的萎縮而下降。

But there's a reason for the phrase "older and wiser."

但「更老更明智」這句話是有原因的。

After a lifetime of learning, older adults have more knowledge to recall and utilize, making them excellent trivia partners.

經過一生的學習，老年人有更多的知識可以回憶和利用，使他們成為回答知識問答的優秀夥伴。

Other factors that Amir should consider are his own strengths.

其他阿米爾應該考慮的因素是他自己的優勢。

As an adolescent, the prefrontal cortical regions of your brain are more developed than in childhood.

作為青少年，大腦的前額葉皮層區域比兒童時期更發達。

This allows you to better navigate logic and math puzzles.

這讓自己可以更好地導航邏輯和理解數學難題。

Simultaneously, deep inside the brain, regions that are important in motivation and reward are developing even faster,

同時，在大腦深處，對動機和獎勵很重要的區域發展得更快，

driving teenagers like Amir to be curious and adventurous learners.

促使像阿米爾這樣的青少年成為好奇和冒險的學習者。

In many ways, you can think of the teenager as a jack-of-all-trades, with brains wired to seek out new experiences and learn quickly.

在許多方面，你可以將青少年視為多才多藝的人，他們的大腦連接到尋求新經驗並快速學習。

You're at a dynamic stage, where the choices you make and the skills you focus on can actually guide the development of your brain.

青少年正處於一個動態的階段，你所做的選擇和你所關注的技能可以領導你大腦的發展。

So, what's the smartest age?

所以最聰明的年紀是幾歲呢？

There's no single answer.

這沒有固定的答案。

It's 8, 16, 25, 65, and everything in between;

可以是 8歲、16 歲、25 歲、65 歲及所有年齡。

our brains have adapted to prioritize different skills at various ages to meet that stage of life's challenges and demands.

我們的大腦已經適應了優先考慮不同年齡段的不同技能，以滿足該階段生活的挑戰和需求。

So no matter who Amir picks, having an age-diverse team is a good strategy.

所以無論阿米爾選擇誰，擁有一支年齡多元化的隊伍都是一個不錯的策略。