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SebastianSeung_2010G-_我是我的连接体_
We live in in a remarkable time, the age of genomics . 我们生活在一个伟大的时代 基因组学时代
remarkable:adj.卓越的;非凡的;值得注意的; genomics:n.基因组学;基因体学;
Your genome is the entire sequence of your DNA. 基因组是你的整套DNA序列
genome:n.基因组;染色体组; sequence:n.顺序; v.按顺序排列;
Your sequence and mine are slightly different. 你我的序列稍有不同
slightly:adv.些微地,轻微地;纤细地;
That's why we look different. 所以我们看上去不太一样
I've got brown eyes; you might have blue or gray. 我的眼睛是棕色的 你的眼睛可能是蓝色或灰色的
But it's not just skin-deep . 但这序列的作用可没这么肤浅
skin-deep:adj.肤浅的;表面的;轻微的;
The headlines tell us that genes can give us scary diseases , maybe even shape our personality , or give us mental disorders . 新闻头条告诉我们 基因可能产生可怕的疾病, 甚至可能决定了我们的性格 让我们神经错乱
genes:n.基因;(gene的复数) diseases:n.[医]病(disease的复数);[医]疾病;[植保]病害;疾病种类; personality:n.性格;个性;人格;魅力;气质;名人;特色; mental:adj.精神的;脑力的;疯的;n.精神病患者; disorders:n.无秩序,混乱; v.[电子]扰乱(disorder的单三形式);
Our genes seem to have awesome power over our destinies . 我们的基因似乎有着 主宰我们命运的神奇力量
awesome:adj.令人敬畏的;使人畏惧的;可怕的;极好的; destinies:n.命运,定数,天命;
And yet, I would like to think that I am more than my genes. 但是, 我希望 我胜过我的基因。
What do you guys think? 你们怎么想？
Are you more than your genes? 你们认为你们胜过自己的基因吗？
(Audience: Yes.) Yes? （观众:是的）是吗？
I think some people agree with me. 我看有一些人同意我的观点
I think we should make a statement . 我觉得我们应该做个声明
statement:n.声明;陈述,叙述;报表,清单;
I think we should say it all together. 我们应该一起大声喊
All right: "I'm more than my genes" -- all together. 来吧:“我胜过我的基因”－预备起
Everybody: I am more than my genes. 众人:我胜过我的基因。
(Cheering) （众人欢呼）
Sebastian Seung: What am I? Sebastian Seung:那我是什么？
(Laughter) （众人笑）
I am my connectome. 我是我的连接体
Now, since you guys are really great, maybe you can humor me and say this all together too. 现在,既然大家万众一心 那么你们一起说这一句话,让我开开心
humor:n.幽默;心情;情绪;脾气;v.迎合;迁就;
(Laughter) （众人笑）
Right. All together now. 来吧,预备起
Everybody: I am my connectome. 众人:我是我的连接体
SS: That sounded great. Sebastian Seung:太棒了！
You know, you guys are so great, you don't even know what a connectome is, and you're willing to play along with me. 你们真是太合作了,你们连什么是连接体都不知道 就愿意听从我的指挥
play along:合作;焦虑地等待;
I could just go home now. 我现在就可以回家歇着了
Well, so far only one connectome is known, that of this tiny worm . 目前我们仅认识了一个连接体 就是这条小虫
worm:n.蠕虫;蠕虫病毒寄生虫;肠虫;v.曲折行进
Its modest nervous system consists of just 300 neurons. 它简单的神经系统 仅由300个神经元组成
modest:adj.些许的;谦虚的; nervous system:n.神经系统; consists:v.由…构成;由…组成(consist的三单形式);
And in the 1970s and '80s, a team of scientists mapped all 7,000 connections between the neurons. 二十世纪七八十年代 一群科学家 绘制了神经元之间的 7000个连接
In this diagram, every node is a neuron , and every line is a connection. 在这幅图里,每个结都是一个神经元 每一条线都是一个连接
node:n.节点;结点;茎节;(根或枝上的)节; neuron:n.[解剖]神经元,神经单位;
This is the connectome of the worm C. elegans . 这就是线虫的 连接体
elegans:n.线虫;
Your connectome is far more complex than this because your brain contains 100 billion neurons and 10,000 times as many connections. 你的连接体比这复杂多了 因为你的大脑 由一千亿个神经元组成 连接数是线虫的一万倍
complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施;
There's a diagram like this for your brain, but there's no way it would fit on this slide. 人脑也有类似的一张图 但是这张幻灯片可放不下
Your connectome contains one million times more connections than your genome has letters. 你连接体中的连接数比你基因组中的字母 还要多100万倍
That's a lot of information. 信息量非常大
What's in that information? 里面的信息有什么意义？
We don't know for sure, but there are theories. 我们还不得而知,但是有一些相关理论
Since the 19th century, neuroscientists have speculated that maybe your memories -- the information that makes you, you -- maybe your memories are stored in the connections between your brain's neurons. 自十九世纪以来,神经元学家们就开始推测 或许你的记忆－ 那决定你是谁的信息－ 也许你的记忆就储存在 你大脑神经元之间的连接里
neuroscientists:n.神经系统科学家; speculated:v.推测;猜测;推断;投机;做投机买卖;(speculate的过去分词和过去式)
And perhaps other aspects of your personal identity -- maybe your personality and your intellect -- maybe they're also encoded in the connections between your neurons. 也许你个人身份的其它方面－ 你的个性与智力－ 或许它们 也被编译在你神经元的连接里
aspects:n.方面;相位;面貌(aspect的复数); identity:n.身份;同一性,一致;特性;恒等式; intellect:n.智力,理解力;知识分子;思维逻辑领悟力;智力高的人; encoded:adj.[计]编码的;v.把…编码(encode的过去分词);
And so now you can see why I proposed this hypothesis : 现在你们明白我为什么提出这个假设了:
proposed:adj.建议的;推荐的;v.提议;建议;计划;求婚;(propose的过去分词和过去式) hypothesis:n.假设;
I am my connectome. 我是我的连接体
I didn't ask you to chant it because it's true; 我让大家一起喊并不是因为这是事实
chant:v.吟唱;歌颂;赞扬;卖唱;n.颂歌;单调的歌;吟诵语调;呆板无味;
I just want you to remember it. 我只是想让你们记住这句话
And in fact, we don't know if this hypothesis is correct, because we have never had technologies powerful enough to test it. 事实上,我们不知道这假设是否正确 因为我们的技术还没有发展到 足以测试其正确与否的程度
technologies:n.技术;科技(technology的复数);
Finding that worm connectome took over a dozen years of tedious labor. 光是找出那条小虫的连接体 就花了十几年的艰苦劳动
tedious:adj.沉闷的;冗长乏味的;
And to find the connectomes of brains more like our own, we need more sophisticated technologies, that are automated , that will speed up the process of finding connectomes. 而找到人脑的连接体 我们需要更加精尖的自动化技术 以提高寻找连接体的速度
sophisticated:adj.复杂的;老练的;见多识广的;水平高的; automated:adj.自动化的;v.(使)自动化;(automate的过去式和过去分词) process:v.处理;加工;列队行进;n.过程,进行;方法,adj.经过特殊加工(或处理)的;
And in the next few minutes, I'll tell you about some of these technologies, which are currently under development in my lab and the labs of my collaborators . 下面的几分钟里,我将向大家介绍其中一些技术 这些技术尚处于研发状态 在我和我同事的实验室里进行
currently:adv.当前;一般地; labs:n.实验室;实验大楼;(lab的复数) collaborators:n.[劳经]合作者;投敌者(collaborator的复数);
Now you've probably seen pictures of neurons before. 你们可能已经见过神经元的照片
You can recognize them instantly by their fantastic shapes. 你们可以通过它们奇特的形状 一眼就认出它们
recognize:v.认识;认出;辨别出;承认;意识到; fantastic:奇异的,空想的
They extend long and delicate branches, and in short, they look like trees. 它们延伸出长而纤细的枝条 简单说,它们看起来像树一样
extend:vt.延伸; vi.延伸; delicate:adj.精致的,微妙的,脆弱的,熟练的,柔和的;
But this is just a single neuron. 而这只是一个神经元
In order to find connectomes, we have to see all the neurons at the same time . 想找到连接体 我们必须同时看到所有神经元
at the same time:同时;另一方面;与此同时;
So let's meet Bobby Kasthuri, who works in the laboratory of Jeff Lichtman at Harvard University. 下面我们请出波比. 卡斯特里 他在哈佛大学 利希曼实验室工作
Bobby:警察 laboratory:n.实验室,研究室; Harvard:n.哈佛大学;哈佛大学学生;
Bobby is holding fantastically thin slices of a mouse brain. 波比拿在手里的是一片极薄的 小鼠大脑切片
fantastically:adv.想像中地;奇特地;难以置信地; slices:n.切片,切割(slice的复数形式);v.切成薄片(slice的三单形式);
And we're zooming in by a factor of 100,000 times to obtain the resolution , so that we can see the branches of neurons all at the same time. 我们把它放大了十万倍 达到所需分辨率 这样我们就可以同时看到所有神经元的分枝
factor:n.因素;要素;[物]因数;代理人;v.做代理商;v.把…作为因素计入; obtain:vi.获得;流行;vt.获得; resolution:n.解决;分辨;解析;决议;
Except, you still may not really recognize them, and that's because we have to work in three dimensions . 但是,你可能还是无法真正识别它们 我们必须在三维的效果下进行工作
dimensions:n.规模,大小;
If we take many images of many slices of the brain and stack them up, we get a three-dimensional image. 如果我们给许多大脑切片拍照 再把它们叠在一起 我们会得到一个三维图像
images:n.印象;声誉;形象;画像;雕像;(image的第三人称单数和复数) stack:n.堆栈;一摞;大量;许多;v.(使)放成整齐的一叠(或一摞,一堆); three-dimensional:adj.三维的;立体的;真实的;
And still, you may not see the branches. 然而,你可能还是看不到那些分枝
So we start at the top, and we color in the cross-section of one branch in red, and we do that for the next slice and for the next slice. 我们从上至下 把一个分枝的交叉部位涂成红色 我们对下一张切片进行同样处理 接着再下一张
cross-section:n.横截面;横断面;
And we keep on doing that, slice after slice. 我们持续这么处理 一张接着一张
If we continue through the entire stack, we can reconstruct the three-dimensional shape of a small fragment of a branch of a neuron. 如果对一整叠切片进行处理 我们就能重塑这一小段 神经元分枝的三维图形
reconstruct:vt.重建;改造;修复;重现; fragment:n.片段;破片;弹片;小块;v.分割;使成碎片;
And we can do that for another neuron in green. 我们还可以把另一个神经元涂成绿色
And you can see that the green neuron touches the red neuron at two locations , and these are what are called synapses . 你们可以看到绿色神经元与红色神经元 在两处接触了 这两个就是神经突触
locations:n.地方;地点;位置;定位(location的复数) synapses:n.(神经元的)突触(synapse的复数;synapsis的复数)
Let's zoom in on one synapse, and keep your eyes on the interior of the green neuron. 我们把一个神经突触放大 大家注意看绿色的内部
interior:n.内部;内陆;内地;里面;adj.内部的;里面的;
You should see small circles -- these are called vesicles . 你们可以看到一些小圆圈 这些被称为囊泡
vesicles:n.囊泡;小水泡(vesicle的复数);
They contain a molecule know as a neurotransmitter . 它们包含了被称为神经递质的分子
molecule:n.[化学]分子;微小颗粒,微粒; neurotransmitter:n.[生理]神经递质;[生理]神经传递素;
And so when the green neuron wants to communicate, it wants to send a message to the red neuron, it spits out neurotransmitter. 当绿色神经元想进行沟通 想给红色神经元发送信息 它就释放出神经递质
At the synapse, the two neurons are said to be connected like two friends talking on the telephone. 在神经突触处,这两个神经元 被认为是相互连接起来 就像两个朋友通过电话聊天
So you see how to find a synapse. 你们了解了如何找到一个神经突触
How can we find an entire connectome? 那么我们怎么找到整个完整的连接体呢？
Well, we take this three-dimensional stack of images and treat it as a gigantic three-dimensional coloring book. 我们把这个图形重叠形成的三维图像 处理成一本巨大的三维填图
treat:v.治疗;处理;招待;款待;n.款待;乐事;乐趣; gigantic:adj.巨大的,庞大的;
We color every neuron in, in a different color, and then we look through all of the images, find the synapses and note the colors of the two neurons involved in each synapse. 我们把每一个神经元涂成一种颜色 接着从所有图像中 找到神经突触 记录下任意两个组成神经突触的神经元的颜色,
look through:浏览,温习;看穿,识破;从…中显露; involved:adj.有关的; v.涉及; (involve的过去式和过去分词)
If we can do that throughout all the images, we could find a connectome. 如果我们可以对所有图像进行这样的处理 我们就能找到整个连接体
throughout:adv.自始至终,到处;全部;prep.贯穿,遍及;
Now, at this point, you've learned the basics of neurons and synapses. 到目前为止 大家已经对神经元和神经突触有了基本了解
And so I think we're ready to tackle one of the most important questions in neuroscience : how are the brains of men and women different? 我想我们已经可以解决 神经学上最重要的问题: 男性与女性的大脑有何不同？
tackle:v.处理; n.用具; neuroscience:n.神经系统科学(指神经病学,神经化学等);
(Laughter) （众人笑）
According to this self-help book, guys brains are like waffles; they keep their lives compartmentalized in boxes. 这本自学书上说 男性的大脑像华孚饼 他们把自己的生活分别独立包装在盒子里
According to:根据,据说; self-help:n.自助;自救;自立;adj.自助的; compartmentalized:v.区划,区分(compartmentalize的过去分词形式);把…分成各自独立的几部分;
Girls' brains are like spaghetti; everything in their life is connected to everything else. 而女性的大脑像意大利面 她们生活中的一切与其它所有东西都联系在一起
(Laughter) （众人笑）
You guys are laughing, but you know, this book changed my life. 大家都笑了 但是,你们知道吗,这本书改变了我一生
(Laughter) （众人笑）
But seriously, what's wrong with this? 说正经的,这错在哪里？
You already know enough to tell me -- what's wrong with this statement? 你们已经足以回答这个问题了。这个说法错在哪里？
It doesn't matter whether you're a guy or girl, everyone's brains are like spaghetti . 不管你是男是女 所有人的大脑都像意大利面
spaghetti:n.意大利式细面条;
Or maybe really, really fine capellini with branches. 或者说像非常非常优质的、带枝条的细面条
capellini:n.天使细面(意大利面的一种);
Just as one strand of spaghetti contacts many other strands on your plate, one neuron touches many other neurons through their entangled branches. 正如一条意大利面 连接着你盘子里的其它面条一样 一个神经元与许多其它神经元 通过它们缠绕的枝条相互接触
contacts:v.联系,联络;(contact的第三人称单数) strands:n.线; v.搁浅; entangled:adj.卷入的;被缠住的;v.卷入;使…混乱;使…纠缠;
One neuron can be connected to so many other neurons, because there can be synapses at these points of contact. 一个神经元能够与其它众多神经元连接在一起 是因为在它们的接触点上 形成神经突触
By now, you might have sort of lost perspective on how large this cube of brain tissue actually is. 现在你们对这个大脑组织块的实际大小 可能已经摸不着头脑了
perspective:n.观点;远景;透视图;adj.透视的; tissue:n.纸巾,手巾纸;(人、动植物细胞的)组织;
And so let's do a series of comparisons to show you. 那么我们通过一系列对比给你们做展示
series:n.系列,连续;[电]串联;级数;丛书; comparisons:n.比较;类似(comparison的复数形式);处于对比状态;
I assure you, this is very tiny. It's just six microns on a side. 我保证,这非常微小,边长仅为6微米
assure:vt.保证;担保;使确信;弄清楚; microns:n.微米(micron的复数);
So, here's how it stacks up against an entire neuron. 看,这就是它与一个完整神经元的对比
stacks:n.堆叠;[图情]书库(stack的复数);进程堆栈应用;
And you can tell that, really, only the smallest fragments of branches are contained inside this cube. 你们可以看到,真的,只有分枝最小的部分 被包含在这个方块里
fragments:n.碎片(fragment的复数);片断;[计]分段;v.破碎(fragment的三单形式);打碎;
And a neuron, well, that's smaller than brain. 而一个神经元,比大脑要小多了
And that's just a mouse brain -- it's a lot smaller than a human brain. 而这还只是一只小鼠的脑 比人类的脑小多了
So when show my friends this, sometimes they've told me, "You know, Sebastian, you should just give up. 当我给朋友看这张图 他们有时会劝我 “我说, Sebastian,你应该放弃了
Neuroscience is hopeless." 神经科学是没有出路的。”
Because if you look at a brain with your naked eye, you don't really see how complex it is, but when you use a microscope , finally the hidden complexity is revealed . 如果你只用肉眼来看一个大脑 你看不到它有多复杂 但是,在显微镜之下 那隐藏的复杂性就最终显现出来了
naked:adj.裸体的;无装饰的;无证据的;直率的; microscope:n.显微镜; finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地; complexity:n.复杂性;难以理解的局势 revealed:v.揭示;显示;露出;(reveal的过去分词和过去式)
In the 17th century, the mathematician and philosopher , Blaise Pascal , wrote of his dread of the infinite , his feeling of insignificance at contemplating the vast reaches of outer space. 在十七世纪 数学家兼哲学家布莱士. 帕斯卡 在冥想浩瀚的外太空时 写下了他对无限性的恐惧 以及自身的微不足道
mathematician:n.数学家;善作数字计算的人; philosopher:n.哲学家;深思的人;善于思考的人; Pascal:n.帕斯卡(压力的单位); dread:n.恐惧;可怕的人(或物);vi.惧怕;担心;vt.惧怕;担心;adj.可怕的; infinite:adj.无限的,无穷的; n.无限; insignificance:n.无意义;不重要;无价值; contemplating:v.考虑;思量;考虑接受;深思熟虑;沉思;(contemplate的现在分词) outer:adj.外面的,外部的;远离中心的;n.环外命中;
And, as a scientist, 而,作为一个科学家
I'm not supposed to talk about my feelings -- too much information, professor. 我不应该谈论我的感受 太多隐私啊,教授
supposed:adj.误信的;所谓的;v.认为;假设;设想;(suppose的过去分词和过去式)
(Laughter) （众人笑）
But may I? 还是让我说说吧？
(Laughter) （众人笑）
(Applause) （众人鼓掌）
I feel curiosity , and I feel wonder, but at times I have also felt despair . 我感觉好奇 我感觉迷惑, 但我也常常感觉绝望
curiosity:n.好奇,好奇心;珍品,古董,古玩; despair:v.绝望;失去希望;丧失信心;n.绝望;
Why did I choose to study this organ that is so awesome in its complexity that it might well be infinite? 为什么我会选择 学习这个复杂到绝美 但也复杂到无限的器官呢？
organ:n.[生物]器官;机构;风琴;管风琴;嗓音;
It's absurd . 太荒唐了
absurd:adj.荒谬的;可笑的;n.荒诞;荒诞作品;
How could we even dare to think that we might ever understand this? 我们怎敢想像 有一天我们能把大脑了解清楚
And yet, I persist in this quixotic endeavor . 但是,我坚持进行这项愚侠的事业
persist in:坚持;固执于; quixotic:adj.唐吉诃德式的;狂想家的;愚侠的; endeavor:n.v.努力;尽力;试图;
And indeed, these days I harbor new hopes. 而实际上,这些天我见到了一些新希望
harbor:n.港口;港湾;(比喻)避难所;[军]坦克掩蔽场;v.停泊;包含;隐匿;怀抱(恶意);
Someday, a fleet of microscopes will capture every neuron and every synapse in a vast database of images. 总有一天 会有一大批显微镜 能够捕捉到每一个神经元与每一个神经突触 得到一个巨大的图像数据库
fleet:n.舰队; v.浅; v.掠过; adj.跑得快的; microscopes:n.[光]显微镜(microscope的复数); capture:v.俘虏;捕获;攻占;夺得;刻画,描述;n.(被)捕获;(被)俘获
And some day, artificially intelligent supercomputers will analyze the images without human assistance to summarize them in a connectome. 总有一天,人工智能超级计算机 能够对这些图像进行自主分析 把它们总结成连接体
artificially:adv.人工地;人为地;不自然地; intelligent:adj.有才智的;悟性强的;聪明的;有智力的 supercomputers:n.[计]巨型计算机,超级计算机; analyze:v.对…进行分析,分解(等于analyse); summarize:v.总结;概述;概括;归纳;
I do not know, but I hope that I will live to see that day, because finding an entire human connectome is one of the greatest technological challenges of all time. 我不知道,但我希望我能在有生之年看到那一天 因为,找到一个完整的人类连接体 是历史上最重大的技术挑战之一
technological:adj.技术[工程](上)的;因工艺技术高度发展而引起的;
It will take the work of generations to succeed. 这要求许多代人的共同努力才能完成
At the present time, my collaborators and I, what we're aiming for is much more modest -- just to find partial connectomes of tiny chunks of mouse and human brain. 在现今,我和我的同事们 我们的奋斗目标没有那么远大－ 只是力求找到在小鼠大脑 和人类大脑微小切片中的部分连接体
partial:adj.部分的;不完整的;片面的;有偏见的; chunks:n.厚块;大块;相当大的量;组块;(chunk的复数)
But even that will be enough for the first tests of this hypothesis that I am my connectome. 而这已经足够用来进行“我是我的连接体” 这个假设的初期测试
For now, let me try to convince you of the plausibility of this hypothesis, that it's actually worth taking seriously. 到此,我想告诉大家这个假设的合理性 这是值得严肃对待的
convince:v.使确信;使相信;说服,劝说; plausibility:n.善辩;似乎有理;貌似可信;
As you grow during childhood and age during adulthood , your personal identity changes slowly. 你在童年时成长 在成年之后逐渐变老 你个人身份慢慢地变化
childhood:n.童年;幼年;孩童时期 adulthood:n.成年;成人期;
Likewise , every connectome changes over time. 同理,每个连接体 都会随着时间而变化
Likewise:adv.同样地;也;
What kinds of changes happen? 发生什么样的变化呢？
Well, neurons, like trees, can grow new branches, and they can lose old ones. 神经元,像树 能够长出新的枝条 也会换下旧的枝条
Synapses can be created, and they can be eliminated . 神经突触会产生 也会消失
eliminated:v.排除;清除;消除;(比赛中)淘汰;消灭;(eliminate的过去式和过去分词)
And synapses can grow larger, and they can grow smaller. 神经突触能够长大 也能变小
Second question: what causes these changes? 第二个问题: 是什么促成了这些变化？
Well, it's true. 如人所说,
To some extent , they are programmed by your genes. 在某种程度上,它们是由你的基因决定的
extent:n.程度;范围;长度;
But that's not the whole story, because there are signals, electrical signals, that travel along the branches of neurons and chemical signals that jump across from branch to branch. 但并不完全如此 因为有许多信号,电子信号 沿着神经元的枝条游动 还有化学信号 在枝条的交界处跳跃
electrical:adj.有关电的;电气科学的; chemical:n.化学制品,化学药品;adj.化学的;
These signals are called neural activity. 这些信号被称为神经活动
neural:adj.神经的;神经系统的;背的;神经中枢的;
And there's a lot of evidence that neural activity is encoding our thoughts, feelings and perceptions , our mental experiences. 有许多证据证明 神经活动 决定了我们的思想,感受与知觉 还有我们的精神经历
evidence:n.证据,证明;迹象;明显;v.证明; encoding:n.[计]编码;v.[计]编码(encode的ing形式); perceptions:n.认知;观念(perception的复数);理解;
And there's a lot of evidence that neural activity can cause your connections to change. 还有很多证据证明神经活动 能够促使你的连接体发生变化
And if you put those two facts together, it means that your experiences can change your connectome. 如果你把两个因素放在一起 它就意味着你的经历 能够改变你的连接体
And that's why every connectome is unique , even those of genetically identical twins. 这就是为什么每个人的连接体都是独一无二的 即使是同卵双胞胎也不例外
unique:adj.独特的,稀罕的;[数]唯一的;n.独一无二的人或物; genetically:adv.从遗传学角度;从基因方面; identical:adj.同一的;完全相同的;n.完全相同的事物;
The connectome is where nature meets nurture . 连接体是先天与后天的共同产物
nurture:v.养育;培养;养护;支持;
And it might true that just the mere act of thinking can change your connectome -- an idea that you may find empowering . 这很有可能是真的 一个小小的思维动作 就能改变你的连接体—— 你可能感觉这个概念很强势。
mere:adj.仅仅的;只不过的;n.小湖;池塘; empowering:v.授权;给(某人)…的权力;增加(某人的)自主权;(empower的现在分词)
What's in this picture? 这幅图是什么？
A cool and refreshing stream of water, you say. 你会说是一条清凉的溪流
What else is in this picture? 图上还有什么？
Do not forget that groove in the Earth called the stream bed. 别忘了那地表的深漕 我们叫它河床
groove:n.槽;沟;辙;纹;v.在…作槽;在…挖沟;使感到愉快;(美俚)灌(唱片);
Without it, the water would not know in which direction to flow. 没有了它,水就不知道往那个方向流了
And with the stream, 对于溪流
I would like to propose a metaphor for the relationship between neural activity and connectivity . 我想做一个暗喻 来形容神经活动与连接体活动 之间的关系
metaphor:n.暗喻,隐喻;比喻说法; connectivity:n.[数]连通性;
Neural activity is constantly changing. 神经活动不停地在变化
constantly:adv.不断地;时常地;
It's like the water of the stream; it never sits still. 就像溪流一样;永不停息
The connections of the brain's neural network determines the pathways along which neural activity flows. 而脑部神经网络的 连接处 决定了神经活动 流动的路线
neural network:n.神经网络; determines:v.查明;测定;准确算出;决定;裁决;安排;(determine的第三人称单数) pathways:n.小路;小径(pathway的复数);
And so the connectome is like bed of the stream; but the metaphor is richer than that, because it's true that the stream bed guides the flow of the water, but over long timescales , the water also reshapes the bed of the stream. 所以,连接体就像河床一样 但这暗喻的内容比这丰富得多 因为尽管河床 是流水的导向 但经过很长的时期 流水也会对河床进行重塑
timescales:n.时标;时间量程(timescale的复数); reshapes:vt.改造;再成形;
And as I told you just now, neural activity can change the connectome. 我刚才说过 神经活动能够改变连接体
And if you'll allow me to ascend to metaphorical heights, 如果大家允许我 更进一步使用暗喻
ascend:vi.上升;登高;追溯;vt.攀登,上升; metaphorical:adj.比喻性的,隐喻性的;
I will remind you that neural activity is the physical basis -- or so neuroscientists think -- of thoughts, feelings and perceptions. 我会提醒大家,神经活动 至少神经学家是这么认为的－ 是思想,感受以及感知的生理基础
remind:v.提醒;使想起; physical:adj.[物]物理的;身体的;物质的;符合自然法则的;n.体格检查;
And so we might even speak of the stream of consciousness . 这样我们甚至可以探讨 意识的溪流
stream of consciousness:n.意识流文学;
Neural activity is its water, and the connectome is its bed. 神经活动是水 连接体是河床
So let's return from the heights of metaphor and return to science. 我们从暗喻中 回到科学上
Suppose our technologies for finding connectomes actually work. 假设我们寻找连接体的技术 起到了作用
How will we go about testing the hypothesis "I am my connectome?" 我们如何对假设进行测试 证明“我是我的连接体”呢？
Well, I propose a direct test. 我提出一个直接的测试
Let us attempt to read out memories from connectomes. 我们尝试 通过连接体来解读记忆
attempt:n.企图,试图;攻击;v.企图,试图;尝试;
Consider the memory of long temporal sequences of movements, like a pianist playing a Beethoven sonata . 记忆是 长期有序发生的动作 就像一个在弹奏贝多芬奏鸣曲的钢琴家
temporal:adj.暂时的;当时的;现世的;n.世间万物;暂存的事物; sequences:n.[数][计]序列,顺序;继起的事(sequence的复数形式); Beethoven:n.贝多芬(德国作曲家); sonata:n.奏鸣曲;
According to a theory that dates back to the 19th century, such memories are stored as chains of synaptic connections inside your brain. 根据十九世纪时提出的理论 这些记忆以神经键链条的形式 被储存在你的大脑里
synaptic:adj.突触的;(染色体)联合的;
Because, if the first neurons in the chain are activated , through their synapses they send messages to the second neurons, which are activated , and so on down the line, like a chain of falling dominoes . 因为,如果链条中第一批神经元被激活 它们会通过神经突触向第二批被激活的神经元发出信息 以此类推,一直往下 就像是一路倒下的多米诺骨牌
activated:v.使活动;激活;使活化;(activate的过去式和过去分词) dominoes:n.多米诺骨牌(效应);牙齿;骰子(domino的复数);
And this sequence of neural activation is hypothesized to be the neural basis of those sequence of movements. 这有序的神经激活 被猜想为那些有序动作的 神经基础
activation:n.[电子][物]激活;活化作用; hypothesized:v.假定,假设,猜测(hypothesize的过去式);
So one way of trying to test the theory is to look for such chains inside connectomes. 所以,检验这一理论的一种途径 就是在连接体中 寻找这样的链条
But it won't be easy, because they're not going to look like this. 但这并非易事,因为它们可不像这样
They're going to be scrambled up. 它们会相互纠结成一团
scrambled:v.爬,攀登;争抢;抢占;争夺;(scramble的过去式和过去分词)
So we'll have to use our computers to try to unscramble the chain. 所以我们就必须使用我们的计算机 把这些链条解开
unscramble:vt.整理;使恢复原状;译出密码;
And if we can do that, the sequence of the neurons we recover from that unscrambling will be a prediction of the pattern of neural activity that is replayed in the brain during memory recall . 如果我们成功了 我们解开的神经元序列 能够预测大脑中记忆回放时 神经活动的模式
unscrambling:v.整理(unscramble的ing形式); prediction:n.预报;预言; replayed:vt.重放;重演;重新比赛;n.重赛;重播;重演; recall:v.记起;回想起;使想到;勾起;召回;n.记忆力;记性;回归请求;回收令;
And if that were successful, that would be the first example of reading a memory from a connectome. 如果成功了 这将是由连接体读取记忆的第一例
(Laughter) （众人笑）
What a mess -- have you ever tried to wire up a system as complex as this? 真复杂 你们有没有尝试过 连接一个类似的复杂系统？
mess:n.混乱;餐厅;杂乱;肮脏;v.使不整洁;弄脏;弄乱;随地便溺;
I hope not. 但愿没有
But if you have, you know it's very easy to make a mistake. 但是如果尝试过,你知道这很容易出错
The branches of neurons are like the wires of the brain. 神经元的枝条就像是大脑的电线一样
Can anyone guess: what's the total length of wires in your brain? 谁能猜一猜:你大脑里神经元的总长有多少？
I'll give you a hint . It's a big number. 给你一个提示:这个数字很大
hint:n.提示;暗示;迹象;窍门;v.暗示;透露;示意;
(Laughter) （众人笑）
I estimate , millions of miles, all packed in your skull . 我估计,有几百万英里 全部装在你头颅里
estimate:v.估计;估算;估价;n.估价;(对大小、数量、成本等的)估计;估计的成本; skull:n.头盖骨,脑壳;
And if you appreciate that number, you can easily see there is huge potential for mis-wiring of the brain. 如果你惊叹于这个数字 你不难看到 大脑中接错线的可能性极大
appreciate:v.欣赏;感激;感谢;理解; potential:n.潜能;可能性;[电]电势;adj.潜在的;可能的;势的;
And indeed, the popular press loves headlines like, " Anorexic brains are wired differently," 确实,大众媒体特别青睐这样的头版头条 “”厌食症患者大脑结构与众不同
Anorexic:n.患厌食症的人;adj.厌食的;
or " Autistic brains are wired differently." 或者“孤独症患者大脑结构与众不同”
Autistic:adj.[心理][内科]孤独症的;孤僻的;n.孤独症患者(常指儿童);
These are plausible claims , but in truth, we can't see the brain's wiring clearly enough to tell if these are really true. 这听起来似乎有道理 但事实上 我们不能够清楚地看到大脑中的连接情况 来证实这些说法正确与否
plausible:adj.貌似可信的,花言巧语的;貌似真实的,貌似有理的; claims:v.宣称; n.声明; (claim的第三人称单数和复数)
And so the technologies for seeing connectomes will allow us to finally read mis-wiring of the brain, to see mental disorders in connectomes. 因此,显示连接体的科技 最终能够让我们 解读大脑中的连接错误 看到连接体中的精神错乱
Sometimes the best way to test a hypothesis is to consider its most extreme implication . 有时候,检验假设的最佳方式 是考虑最极端的情况
extreme:adj.极端的;极度的;偏激的;尽头的;n.极端;末端;最大程度;极端的事物; implication:n.含意;可能的影响(或作用、结果);暗指;(被)牵连;
Philosophers know this game very well. 哲学家对这一招特别在行
Philosophers:n.哲学家(philosopher的复数);
If you believe that I am my connectome, 如果你相信我是我的连接体
I think you must also accept the idea that death is the destruction of your connectome. 我认为你就必须接受这个观点 那就是:死亡就是 你连接体的消亡
destruction:n.破坏,毁灭;摧毁;
I mention this because there are prophets today who claim that technology will fundamentally alter the human condition and perhaps even transform the human species . 我提出这一点是因为现今有一些预言家 声称科技 将会从根本上改变人类的身体条件 甚至使人类发生变异
prophets:n.先知;提倡者(prophet的复数形式); technology:n.技术;工艺;术语; fundamentally:adv.从根本上;基础地;重要地 alter:v.更改;修改(衣服使更合身); transform:v.使改变;使改观;使转换;n.[数]变换式;[化]反式; species:n.[生物]物种;种类;
One of their most cherished dreams is to cheat death by that practice known as cryonics . 他们最崇高的梦想之一 就是躲避死亡 使用一种叫做人体冷冻的做法
cherished:adj.珍爱的;珍视的;珍视;珍爱;珍藏的; cryonics:n.人体冷冻法;
If you pay 100,000 dollars, you can arrange to have your body frozen after death and stored in liquid nitrogen in one of these tanks in an Arizona warehouse , awaiting a future civilization that is advanced to resurrect you. 如果你出十万美元 你就可以安排在你死后把你的身体冷冻起来 储存在液态氮中 装进这样一个罐子里保存在亚利桑那州的一个仓库里 等待未来的先进文明 来为你解冻
arrange:v.安排;排列;整理; nitrogen:n.氮;氮气; Arizona:n.美国亚利桑那州; warehouse:n.仓库,货栈;货仓; awaiting:v.等候;等待;期待;将发生在,将降临到(某人头上);(await的现在分词) civilization:n.文明;文明社会;文明世界;(特定时期和地区的)社会文明; advanced:adj.先进的; v.前进; (advance的过去式和过去分词形式) resurrect:v.使复兴;起死回生;重新应用;使复活;
Should we ridicule the modern seekers of immortality , calling them fools? 我们应对这种寻求永生的现代人嗤之以鼻 叫他们疯子？
ridicule:vt.嘲笑;嘲弄;愚弄;n.嘲笑;笑柄;愚弄; seekers:n.探求者;搜查人; immortality:n.不朽;不朽的声名;不灭;
Or will they someday chuckle over our graves ? 还是他们有朝一日 对着我们的墓碑发笑
chuckle:v.咯咯笑;低声轻笑;n.轻笑声 graves:n.坟墓; adj.重大的; v.对(船底)作清洗并涂上沥青等涂料; v.庄重地; (grave的第三人称单数)
I don't know -- 我不知道
I prefer to test their beliefs, scientifically . 我更想通过科学的方法检验他们的信仰
prefer:v.更喜欢;宁愿;提出;提升; scientifically:adv.系统地;合乎科学地;学问上;
I propose that we attempt to find a connectome of a frozen brain. 我提议我们争取找到 一个冷冻大脑的连接体
We know that damage to the brain occurs after death and during freezing. 我们知道脑部的损伤 是在死后以及冷冻期间发生的
occurs:v.重现(occur的第三人称单数);
The question is: has that damage erased the connectome? 问题是:这种损伤是否已将连接体抹去？
erased:v.清除;消除;消灭;擦掉,抹掉(erase的过去分词和过去式)
If it has, there is no way that any future civilization will be able to recover the memories of these frozen brains. 若果真如此,那么任何未来先进文明 都无法使这些冷冻大脑的记忆复原
Resurrection might succeed for the body, but not for the mind. 复活术也许能对身体奏效 但对思想却无能为力
Resurrection:n.复活;恢复;复兴;
On the other hand , if the connectome is still intact , we cannot ridicule the claims of cryonics so easily. 另一方面,如果连接体依旧完整 我们就不能轻易说人体冷冻术是谬论了
On the other hand:另一方面; intact:adj.完整的;原封不动的;未受损伤的;
I've described a quest that begins in the world of the very small, and propels us to the world of the far future. 我已经描述了 在微观世界开始的探视 并驱使我们去探寻未来的世界
described:v.描述;形容;把…称为;做…运动;(describe的过去分词和过去式) quest:n.追求;寻找;vi.追求;寻找;vt.探索; propels:vt.推进;驱使;激励;驱策;
Connectomes will mark a turning point in human history. 连接体会成为人类历史的转折点
turning point:转折点;
As we evolved from our ape-like ancestors on the African savanna , what distinguished us was our larger brains. 我们是从非洲大草原上的 人猿祖先进化而来的 而我们与他们之间的不同之处在于我们的脑体积更大
evolved:v.(使)逐渐形成;进化;进化形成;(evolve的过去分词和过去式) savanna:n.[生态]热带草原;热带的稀树大草原; distinguished:adj.尊贵的; v.区分;
We have used our brains to fashion ever more amazing technologies. 我们已经利用大脑 创造了更为辉煌的科技成果
Eventually , these technologies will become so powerful that we will use them to know ourselves by deconstructing and reconstructing our own brains. 最后,这些科技的力量变得如此强大 以至于我们能利用它们 来拆析并重组我们的大脑 以此了解我们自身
Eventually:adv.最后,终于; deconstructing:v.解构(deconstruct的现在分词); reconstructing:v.再现,重建;改造(reconstruct的ing形式);
I believe that this voyage of self-discovery is not just for scientists, but for all of us. 我相信这一自我发现的旅程 不仅只为了科学家 更为了我们所有人
voyage:v.航行;远行;(尤指)远航;n.航行;(尤指)航海; self-discovery:n.自我发现;
And I'm grateful for the opportunity to share this voyage with you today. 我很感谢能有这次机会与大家共享这一旅程
Thank you. 感谢大家
(Applause) （热烈鼓掌）