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

今天，我想和大家一探 大腦的奧秘，

Just think about this problem for a second.

我在加州大 學做相關研究。

Here is a lump of flesh, about three pounds,

試著思考一下這 個問題。

which you can hold in the palm of your hand.

這裏有一堆肉， 大概重三磅左右，

But it can contemplate the vastness of interstellar space.

可以用一掌來 握住。

It can contemplate the meaning of infinity,

但它卻可以探 究浩瀚的星際空間；

ask questions about the meaning of its own existence,

可以探究無限 的意義；

about the nature of God.

可以探究自身 存在的意義；

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

可以探究上帝 的本質。

It's the greatest mystery confronting human beings:

這是世界上最 不可思議之事。

How does this all come about?

這是人類面臨 的最大難題之一。

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

這一切是怎麼 來的？

We're looking at neurons here.

正如你們所 知，腦組織是由神經元所組成的。

There are 100 billion neurons in the adult human brain.

這就是神經 元。

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

成人腦組織裏 含有一千億個神經元。

with other neurons in the brain.

每個神經元與 其他神經元的

And based on this, people have calculated

交接點約有一 千至一萬處。

that the number of permutations and combinations of brain activity

基於此，人們 對之進行了計算，

exceeds the number of elementary particles in the universe.

並得出各種大 腦活動的組合總量

So, how do you go about studying the brain?

超過了宇宙中 基本粒子的數量。

One approach is to look at patients who had lesions

所以，我們應 該如何研究大腦？

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

一種方法是觀 察那些有受過腦部 損傷的人，

This is what I spoke about in the last TED.

以 來研究他們行為的變遷。

Today I'll talk about a different approach,

這是我於上次 TED大會上所講的內容。

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

今天我將講述 一種新的方法。

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

這種方法是將 電極線置放於大腦的不同部位，

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

以記錄單個神 經細胞的活動性。

Now, one recent discovery that has been made

頗類似於竊聽 神經細胞在大腦內的活動。

by researchers in Italy, in Parma,

最近，義大利 帕爾馬的

by Giacomo Rizzolatti and his colleagues,

研究人員們，

is a group of neurons called mirror neurons,

亦就是裏左拉蒂與其同事們

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

在大腦前額葉 發現了一組神 經元，

Now, it turns out there are neurons

這組神經元被 他們稱作鏡像神經元。

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

此外，大腦裏 面還有一組神經元，

which have been known for over 50 years.

稱作運動神經 元，也位於大腦的前半部分，

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

這組神經元是 50年前的發現。

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

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。

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

例如，假若我 這樣做，我向前屈伸，然後抓住一隻蘋果，

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

一個運動神經 元則會[向我的手]發射一組資訊。

commanding me to pull that object.

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

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

以控制我的行動。

But what Rizzolatti found was

很早以前， 這些運動神經元就被發現了。

a subset of these neurons,

不過，裏佐 拉蒂他們發現

maybe about 20 percent of them, will also fire

這組神經元 中包含著另外一組神經元，

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

大約百分之 二十左右。

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

這些神經元是會當我觀看他人 行動時，

but it also fires when I watch Joe reaching and grabbing 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，

And this is truly astonishing.

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。

Because it's as though this neuron is adopting

這實在是令 人震驚。

the other person's point of view.

因為這表 明，神經元也會

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

採納別人的 觀點。

of the other person's action.

幾乎就是模 仿了他人的動作，

Now, what is the significance of these mirror neurons?

有如虛擬現 實仿真。

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

那麼，這些 鏡像神經元有何存在意義呢？

Because to imitate a complex act

這裏我必須 引入模仿和仿真的概念。

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

假使我們要 模仿一種複雜的行為，

So, this is important for imitation and emulation.

那麼我們的 大腦則需要採納他人的行為觀點。

Well, why is that important?

因此模仿和 仿真是非常重要的。

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

好了，它們 為什麼重要呢？

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

讓我們看看 下一張幻燈片。

Mirror neurons and imitation, emulation.

你怎樣進行 模仿？模仿為什麼重要？

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

鏡像神經 元，模仿和仿真。

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

現在，讓我 們從人類文化方面入手。

let's look at human evolution, it turns out

讓我們回到 七萬五千年至十萬年前時，

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

我們來觀測 下人類進化的過程，結果發現

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

于七萬五千 年前左右，一件重大事件影響了人類的發展。

of a number of skills that are unique to human beings

那就是，各 種獨特的“人類”技巧

like tool use,

突然出現以 及迅速傳播。這些技巧包括

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

工具的使 用、

and the ability to read somebody else's mind

火的使用、 房屋的出現和語言交流，

and interpret that person's behavior.

以及讀取他 人心思的能力和

All of that happened relatively quickly.

理解他人的 行為。

Even though the human brain had achieved its present size

這一切都相 對地較快發生。

almost three or four hundred thousand years ago,

原始人類的 大腦形狀大約于四至五十萬年前

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

就已經發育 至今人的形狀，

And I claim that what happened was

不過這些事 件則是十萬年前才快速地發生。

the sudden emergence of a sophisticated mirror neuron system,

我認為這些 事件的產生是

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

源于先進的 鏡像神經元系統的突然浮現，

So that when there was a sudden accidental discovery

這些神經元 將允許你模仿他人的行為

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

所以當氏族 的某一成員偶然

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

發現，火的 使用，

this spread rapidly, horizontally across the population,

而非凋零消 亡，

or was transmitted vertically, down the generations.

這種方法將會橫向傳播於氏族中，

So, this made evolution suddenly Lamarckian,

或者代代縱 向傳播。

instead of Darwinian.

所以，這是 一種拉馬克式進化，

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

而非達爾文 式。

A polar bear, to evolve a coat,

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。

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

若要使一隻 北極熊進化出一件外衣，

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

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。

kill another polar bear,

一個人類小 孩，則僅需觀看他的父母

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

如何屠殺另 一隻北極熊，

and learn it in one step. What the polar bear

將其剝皮拆 骨，用來製造外衣。

took 100,000 years to learn,

小孩因此可 以快速掌握這一技能。

it can learn in five minutes, maybe 10 minutes.

北極熊需要 十萬年才得以進化出外衣，

And then once it's learned this it spreads

人類小孩僅 僅要五分鐘或者十分鐘就學會了。

in geometric proportion across a population.

當他們學會 之後，這項技能將以

This is the basis. The imitation of complex skills

燎原之勢散 播於他們的氏族當中。

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

這就是本 源。文化就是模仿

Now there is another kind of mirror neuron,

複雜的行為 活動，而文明則產於此。

which is involved in something quite different.

現在我將講 到另外一種鏡像神經元，

And that is, there are mirror neurons,

擔負另外的 功能。

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

有些鏡像神 經元

In other words, if somebody touches me,

只管活動，

my hand, neuron in the somatosensory cortex

換句話來 說，假如某人觸碰了我，

in the sensory region of the brain fires.

我的手，位 於軀體感覺皮層的神經元

But the same neuron, in some cases, will fire

將會發出一 組資訊。

when I simply watch another person being touched.

但同一個神 經元，在某些情況下，

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

當我觀看他 人被觸碰時，也會發出資訊。

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

注意，我是 說他人被觸碰。

in different locations. Different neurons for different locations.

大多數的神 經元都會於我被觸碰時

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

發出資訊。 不同的神經元負責不同的身體區域。

being touched in the same location.

偏偏有小部 分的神經元在我觀看他人被觸碰時

So, here again you have neurons

也會發出相 同的資訊。

which are enrolled in empathy.

因此，這裏 又有一群神經元

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

參與進了你 與他人之間的共鳴。

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

不過問題 是：假如我只觀看他人被觸碰，

merely by watching somebody being touched?

那麼為什麼 我不會

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

有那種被觸 碰的感覺呢？

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

我與那人產 生共鳴，但我並未產生觸碰感。

touch and pain receptors, going back into your brain

那是因為我 們皮膚上有感受器，

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

一種痛感受 器，它會向大腦

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

回饋道： “切莫擔心，你還未被觸碰呢。

but do not actually experience the touch,

注意，是另 外一個人被觸碰呢，

otherwise you'll get confused and muddled."

而不是我們 自己呀。

Okay, so there is a feedback signal

要不我們自 己則會搞混呢。”

that vetoes the signal of the mirror neuron

所以，這裏 會有一種回饋信號

preventing you from consciously experiencing that touch.

以阻止鏡像 神經元所發出的信號，

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

從而使你避 免感覺到那股錯誤的觸碰感。

so you put an injection into my arm,

然而，當你 移除你的手臂時，

anesthetize the brachial plexus, so the arm is numb,

或者向你的 手臂注射麻醉劑，

and there is no sensations coming in,

從而麻醉臂 叢神經

if I now watch you being touched,

使你無法感 覺到你的手臂的時候，

I literally feel it in my hand.

假如你現在 觀看他人手掌被觸碰，

In other words, you have dissolved the barrier

你的手掌也 會有被觸碰的感覺。

between you and other human beings.

換句話說， 你將你與他人之間的

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

隔膜溶解 了。

(Laughter)

因此，我稱 他們為甘地神經元，或者是共鳴神經元。

And this is not in some abstract metaphorical sense.

(笑聲)

All that's separating you from him,

這並不是種 抽象的道理，

from the other person, is your skin.

將你與他人 隔開的

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

就是你的皮 膚。

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

移除你的皮 膚，你將會與他人感同身受。

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

你將你與他 人之間的隔膜溶解了。

and that is there is no real independent self,

這些當然就 是大部分東方哲學的基礎。

aloof from other human beings, inspecting the world,

那就是沒有 真實獨立的自我

inspecting other people.

將你與他人 隔開，從而以審視這個世界，

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

審視他人。

you're actually quite literally connected by your neurons.

事實上，我 們與他人交結並不只是通過Facebook或是網路，

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

而是各式各 樣的神經元。

And there is no real distinctiveness

在這間大廳 裏，有一群的神經元正互相交談著呢。

of your consciousness from somebody else's consciousness.

你與他人的 意識

And this is not mumbo-jumbo philosophy.

並沒有任何 真正的差異。

It emerges from our understanding of basic neuroscience.

這並不是晦 澀難懂的哲學。

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

這是由基礎 神經學所引申出來的。

and you have a phantom, and you watch somebody else

當你接診一 位有幻肢的病人時，幻肢即是

being touched, you feel it in your phantom.

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

Now the astonishing thing is,

被觸碰時， 他也會有此感。

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

令人震驚的 是，

massage the other person's hand,

當你患有幻 肢痛時，你對他人的手掌

that relieves the pain in your phantom hand,

進行按摩 時，

almost as though the neuron

你的疼痛感 便會減輕。

were obtaining relief from merely

這是因為你 的神經元

watching somebody else being massaged.

正獲取他人 被按摩時

So, here you have my last slide.

所獲得的舒 適感。

For the longest time people have regarded science

這是我最後 一張幻燈片。

and humanities as being distinct.

長期以來， 人們都將科學與

C.P. Snow spoke of the two cultures:

人文學科分 開，

science on the one hand, humanities on the other;

C.P.斯 諾指出兩種文化：

never the twain shall meet.

一種是科 學，一種是人文；

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

將永不相 見。

allowing you to rethink about issues like consciousness,

而我則認為 鏡像神經元系統將再次引起

representation of self,

一場思潮， 將使你重新思考什麼是意識，

what separates you from other human beings,

什麼代表自 我，

what allows you to empathize with other human beings,

什麼將你于 他人區分開，

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

什麼使你與 他人產生共鳴，

which is unique to human beings. Thank you.

什麼使文化 與文明產生，

(Applause)

什麼才是人 類所獨有的事物。謝謝。