ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Amber Case - Cyborg Anthropologist
Amber Case studies the symbiotic interactions between humans and machines -- and considers how our values and culture are being shaped by living lives increasingly mediated by high technology.

Why you should listen

Amber Case is a cyborg anthropologist, examining the way humans and technology interact and evolve together. Like all anthropologists, Case watches people, but her fieldwork involves observing how they participate in digital networks, analyzing the various ways we project our personalities, communicate, work, play, share ideas and even form values. Case founded Geoloqi.com, a private location-sharing application, out of a frustration with existing social protocols around text messaging and wayfinding.

Case, who predicts that intensification of the human-technology interface will quickly reduce the distance between individual and community, believes that the convergence of technologies will bring about unprecedented rapid learning and communication. Dubbed a digital philosopher, Case applies her findings to such fields as information architecture, usability and online productivity. She’s currently working on a book about using anthropological techniques to understand industry ecosystems.

More profile about the speaker
Amber Case | Speaker | TED.com
TEDWomen 2010

Amber Case: We are all cyborgs now

安柏·凯斯Amber Case: 我们现在都是半机器人

Filmed:
1,853,478 views

安柏·凯斯Amber Case说技术正在将我们进化成一种盯着荧屏,点击按钮的新新人类。我们现在依靠“外部大脑”(例如手机和计算机)来交流,记忆,甚至生活在第二人生。但是这些机器会最终把我们联系在一起还是征服我们呢?凯斯Case对我们自身半机器人化提供了出人意料的见解。
- Cyborg Anthropologist
Amber Case studies the symbiotic interactions between humans and machines -- and considers how our values and culture are being shaped by living lives increasingly mediated by high technology. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
I would like to tell you all
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我想告诉你们大家
00:17
that you are all actually其实 cyborgs半机器人,
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你们其实都是半机器人,
00:21
but not the cyborgs半机器人 that you think.
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不是你们想象的那种半机器人。
00:23
You're not RoboCop机械战警, and you're not Terminator终结者,
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你们不是机器战警, 也不是魔鬼终结者,
00:26
but you're cyborgs半机器人 every一切 time you look at a computer电脑 screen屏幕
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但是你每次看着电脑屏幕
00:28
or use one of your cell细胞 phone电话 devices设备.
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或者使用手机时你就是个半机器人。
00:31
So what's a good definition定义 for cyborg半机械人?
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所以什么是半机器人的定义呢?
00:33
Well, traditional传统 definition定义 is "an organism生物
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传统的定义是一个生物体
00:35
to which哪一个 exogenous外源性 components组件 have been added添加
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“为了适应环境而被
00:37
for the purpose目的 of adapting适应 to new environments环境."
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加入外源成分。”
00:39
That came来了 from a 1960 paper on space空间 travel旅行,
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这是从1960年一篇太空旅行的文章中摘录的。
00:42
because, if you think about it, space空间 is pretty漂亮 awkward尴尬.
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因为你想, 空间是很可怕的;
00:44
People aren't supposed应该 to be there.
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人类本不会去那里。
00:46
But humans人类 are curious好奇, and they like to add things to their bodies身体
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但是人类很好奇, 他们很可能会给他们身体里加东西
00:49
so they can go to the Alps阿尔卑斯山 one day
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所以他们有一天可以去阿尔卑斯山
00:51
and then become成为 a fish in the sea the next下一个.
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然后另一天又变成海里的一条鱼。
00:53
So let's look at the concept概念 of traditional传统 anthropology人类学.
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所以让我们看看传统的人类学观点。
00:56
Somebody goes to another另一个 country国家,
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有人到另一个国家
00:58
says, "How fascinating迷人 these people are, how interesting有趣 their tools工具 are,
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说:“这些人多么神奇啊, 他们的工具是多么有趣
01:01
how curious好奇 their culture文化 is."
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他们的文化是多么奇特啊!”
01:03
And then they write a paper, and maybe a few少数 other anthropologists人类学家 read it,
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然后他们写文章, 也许有少数几个其他人类学家读了,
01:06
and we think it's very exotic异国情调.
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我们觉得它特别有异国情调。
01:08
Well, what's happening事件
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而正在发生的是
01:11
is that we've我们已经 suddenly突然 found发现 a new species种类.
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我们突然发现了一个新的物种。
01:14
I, as a cyborg半机械人 anthropologist人类学家, have suddenly突然 said,
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我作为一个半机器人的人类学家, 突然说:
01:16
"Oh, wow. Now suddenly突然 we're a new form形成 of Homo智人 sapiens智人,
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“噢, 我们突然就成了一种新新人类。
01:19
and look at these fascinating迷人 cultures文化,
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过来看看这些魅力十足的文化。
01:21
and look at these curious好奇 rituals仪式
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过来看看这令人好奇的仪式
01:23
that everybody's每个人的 doing around this technology技术.
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每个人都环绕着技术行事。
01:25
They're clicking点击 on things and staring凝视 at screens屏幕."
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他们点击着东西, 关注着荧屏。”
01:28
Now there's a reason原因 why I study研究 this,
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我之所以研究这个
01:30
versus traditional传统 anthropology人类学.
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而不是传统的人类学是有原因的。
01:32
And the reason原因 is that tool工具 use,
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因为工具的使用
01:34
in the beginning开始 -- for thousands数千 and thousands数千 of years年份,
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从一开始, 经历了成千上万年,
01:37
everything has been a physical物理 modification修改 of self.
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一切都是对人类的一种自身改造。
01:40
It has helped帮助 us to extend延伸 our physical物理 selves自我,
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它帮助我们超越我们自身的体能,
01:42
go faster更快, hit击中 things harder更难,
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让我们走得更远, 敲打起来更有力,
01:44
and there's been a limit限制 on that.
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而这些方面也是有限的。
01:46
But now what we're looking at is not an extension延期 of the physical物理 self,
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但是现在我们看到的不是人类自身体能的延伸,
01:49
but an extension延期 of the mental心理 self,
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而是心智的延伸。
01:51
and because of that, we're able能够 to travel旅行 faster更快,
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因此,我们可以更快地旅行
01:53
communicate通信 differently不同.
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用不同的方式交流。
01:55
And the other thing that happens发生
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另一件正在发生的事情是
01:57
is that we're all carrying携带 around little Mary玛丽 Poppins满人间 technology技术.
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我们都挟带着小Mary Poppins的魔法技术。
02:00
We can put anything we want into it, and it doesn't get heavier较重,
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我们可以把任何东西都装进去, 而它却不会变重,
02:03
and then we can take anything out.
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然后我们又可以把任何东西都从里面取出来。
02:05
What does the inside of your computer电脑 actually其实 look like?
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你计算机里面到底有什么?
02:07
Well, if you print打印 it out, it looks容貌 like a thousand pounds英镑 of material材料
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如果你把所有信息印出来,这就好比
02:10
that you're carrying携带 around all the time.
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你会不断地接受上千磅重的信息材料。
02:12
And if you actually其实 lose失去 that information信息,
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而如果你真失去了这些信息,
02:15
it means手段 that you suddenly突然 have this loss失利 in your mind心神,
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这意味着你心里感觉失去了它,
02:18
that you suddenly突然 feel like something's什么是 missing失踪,
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你会突然感到少了什么,
02:21
except you aren't able能够 to see it, so it feels感觉 like a very strange奇怪 emotion情感.
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只是你看不见, 你有一种非常奇怪的感觉。
02:24
The other thing that happens发生 is that you have a second第二 self.
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另一件发生的事情是你拥有了第二个自我。
02:27
Whether是否 you like it or not, you're starting开始 to show显示 up online线上,
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无论你是否喜欢, 你开始在网上出现,
02:29
and people are interacting互动 with your second第二 self
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当你不在那里的时候, 人们跟你网上的
02:31
when you're not there.
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第二自我交流。
02:33
And so you have to be careful小心
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所以你得小心
02:35
about leaving离开 your front面前 lawn草坪 open打开,
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别把朋友圈的第一道防线都开放,
02:37
which哪一个 is basically基本上 your FacebookFacebook的 wall,
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也就是你脸书的墙头,
02:39
so that people don't write on it in the middle中间 of the night --
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别让人家半夜里随便在上面涂写
02:41
because it's very much the equivalent当量.
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因为它的效果跟现实生活是几乎等同的。
02:43
And suddenly突然 we have to start开始 to maintain保持 our second第二 self.
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所以突然我们要维护我们的第二自我。
02:46
You have to present当下 yourself你自己 in digital数字 life
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你要在电子生活里展示自己
02:48
in a similar类似 way that you would in your analog类似物 life.
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跟你在现实生活中要做的差不多。
02:51
So, in the same相同 way that you wake唤醒 up, take a shower淋浴 and get dressed连衣裙的,
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跟你醒来, 冲淋浴,穿衣服一样,
02:54
you have to learn学习 to do that for your digital数字 self.
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你要学习怎样在你的电子生活中做这些事。
02:56
And the problem问题 is that a lot of people now,
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问题是现在很多人
02:58
especially特别 adolescents青少年,
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特别是青少年
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have to go through通过 two adolescencesadolescences.
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要经历两个青春期。
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They have to go through通过 their primary one, that's already已经 awkward尴尬,
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他们要经历他们主要的那个,那已经是很不容易了,
03:05
and then they go through通过 their second第二 self's自我的 adolescence青春期,
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他们还要经历他们的第二自我的青春期。
03:07
and that's even more awkward尴尬
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那更难
03:09
because there's an actual实际 history历史
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因为在这个实实在在的网络历史中
03:12
of what they've他们已经 gone走了 through通过 online线上.
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他们的网络经历都被记录。
03:14
And anybody任何人 coming未来 in new to technology技术
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现在每个新接触技术的人
03:16
is an adolescent青少年 online线上 right now,
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在网上都算是网络青少年。
03:18
and so it's very awkward尴尬,
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所以这是很尴尬的
03:20
and it's very difficult for them to do those things.
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让他们做这些事情很难。
03:23
So when I was little, my dad would sit me down at night and he would say,
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所以当我还小的时候,晚上我爸爸会让我坐下对我说,
03:25
"I'm going to teach you about time and space空间 in the future未来."
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“我来教你未来的时间和空间问题。”
03:27
And I said, "Great."
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我说:“好。”
03:29
And he said one day, "What's the shortest最短 distance距离 between之间 two points?"
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有一天他说:“两点间的最短的距离是什么?”
03:31
And I said, "Well, that's a straight直行 line线. You told me that yesterday昨天."
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我说:“是直线,这个你昨天已经告诉我了。
03:34
I thought I was very clever聪明.
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我觉得自己很聪明。”
03:36
He said, "No, no, no. Here's这里的 a better way."
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他说:“不是,不是, 这儿有一个更好的办法。”
03:39
He took a piece of paper,
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他拿了一张纸,
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drew德鲁 A and B on one side and the other
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在一面画了A在另一面画了B
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and folded折叠 them together一起 so where A and B touched感动.
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然后把纸头折叠起来,让A和B碰在一起。
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And he said, "That is the shortest最短 distance距离 between之间 two points."
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然后他说:“这是两点间最短的距离。”
03:49
And I said, "Dad, dad, dad, how do you do that?"
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我说:“爸爸,爸爸,你怎么做到的?”
03:51
He said, "Well, you just bend弯曲 time and space空间,
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他说:“你就这样把时间和空间弯曲了,
03:53
it takes an awful可怕 lot of energy能源,
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这需要花很大的能量,
03:55
and that's just how you do it."
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这就是你要做的。”
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And I said, "I want to do that."
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我说:“我想要这样做。”
03:59
And he said, "Well, okay."
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他说:“好啊。”
04:01
And so, when I went to sleep睡觉 for the next下一个 10 or 20 years年份,
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于是, 之后的10,20年,我晚上去睡觉
04:04
I was thinking思维 at night,
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总是想,
04:06
"I want to be the first person to create创建 a wormhole虫洞,
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“我要成为创造虫洞-时光隧道的人
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to make things accelerate加速 faster更快.
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让事物加速。
04:10
And I want to make a time machine."
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我想做一个时间机器。”
04:12
I was always sending发出 messages消息 to my future未来 self
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我总是用录音带给未来的我
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using运用 tape胶带 recorders录像机.
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传递信息。
04:19
But then what I realized实现 when I went to college学院
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但是当我进了大学后发现
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is that technology技术 doesn't just get adopted采用
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技术不是因为它有用,所以人们
04:23
because it works作品.
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才接纳它;
04:25
It gets得到 adopted采用 because people use it
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技术是在人们的应用过程中被接纳的
04:27
and it's made制作 for humans人类.
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它是为人类的应用需求而产生的。
04:29
So I started开始 studying研究 anthropology人类学.
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所以我开始学习人类学。
04:31
And when I was writing写作 my thesis论文 on cell细胞 phones手机,
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而当我在写关于手机的论文时,
04:33
I realized实现 that everyone大家 was carrying携带 around wormholes虫洞 in their pockets口袋.
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我认识到每个人的口袋里都装着虫洞-时光隧道。
04:36
They weren't physically物理 transporting传输 themselves他们自己;
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这虫洞-时光隧道不是通过身体接触来传递信息,
04:38
they were mentally精神上 transporting传输 themselves他们自己.
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它们其实是在心智上传递信息。
04:40
They would click点击 on a button按键,
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人们按一下按钮,
04:42
and they would be connected连接的 as A to B immediately立即.
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人们就把A和B立刻联系起来了。
04:45
And I thought, "Oh, wow. I found发现 it. This is great."
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我想:“噢, 哇, 我找到了, 这太棒了。”
04:47
So over time, time and space空间
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所以随着时间的推移, 时间和空间
04:49
have compressed压缩 because of this.
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都因此被压缩联系在一起。
04:51
You can stand on one side of the world世界,
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你可以站在世界的这一头低语,
04:53
whisper耳语 something and be heard听说 on the other.
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而世界的另一端就能听到了。
04:55
One of the other ideas思路 that comes around
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而我另外想到的是
04:57
is that you have a different不同 type类型 of time on every一切 single device设备 that you use.
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你用的每个设备都给你一个不同类型的时间。
05:00
Every一切 single browser浏览器 tab标签 gives you a different不同 type类型 of time.
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每个网页都给你一个不同的时间轴。
05:03
And because of that, you start开始 to dig around
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你因此而到处挖掘
05:05
for your external外部 memories回忆 -- where did you leave离开 them?
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你延伸的记忆, 你把它们存在哪里了呢?
05:07
So now we're all these paleontologists古生物学家
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所以现在我们都成了古生物学家
05:09
that are digging挖掘 for things that we've我们已经 lost丢失
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挖掘我们遗失了的东西
05:11
on our external外部 brains大脑 that we're carrying携带 around in our pockets口袋.
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我们将我们延伸的外部大脑揣在口袋里。
05:14
And that incites煽动 a sort分类 of panic恐慌 architecture建筑 --
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这会促发某种恐慌。
05:16
"Oh no, where's哪里 this thing?"
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不行, 这东西到底存在哪里?
05:18
We're all "I Love Lucy露西" on a great assembly部件 line线 of information信息,
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在信息爆炸前,我们都跟我爱露西电视里演的那样措手不及,
05:21
and we can't keep up.
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我们跟不上信息的脚步。
05:24
And so what happens发生 is,
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因此
05:26
when we bring带来 all that into the social社会 space空间,
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我们把这些都带到社交空间,
05:28
we end结束 up checking检查 our phones手机 all the time.
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结果我们每时每刻都在查看电话。
05:30
So we have this thing called ambient周围 intimacy亲密关系.
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所以我们把这个东西称为亲密环境。
05:32
It's not that we're always connected连接的 to everybody每个人,
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我们不是跟每个人时刻都联系着,
05:34
but at anytime任何时候 we can connect to anyone任何人 we want.
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但是我们在任何时候可以和任何人交流。
05:37
And if you were able能够 to print打印 out everybody每个人 in your cell细胞 phone电话,
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如果你可以把你手机上的人都打印出来,
05:39
the room房间 would be very crowded.
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那个屋子一定十分拥挤。
05:41
These are the people that you have access访问 to right now, in general一般 --
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一般而言,这些就是你能联系到的人
05:44
all of these people, all of your friends朋友 and family家庭 that you can connect to.
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和你有联系的所有朋友, 家人
05:47
And so there are some psychological心理 effects效果 that happen发生 with this.
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这也会随之带来一些心理影响。
05:50
One I'm really worried担心 about
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其实我担心的一个是
05:52
is that people aren't taking服用 time for mental心理 reflection反射 anymore,
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人们不再花时间停下来内心反省,
05:55
and that they aren't slowing减缓 down and stopping停止,
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人们不再放慢速度和停下来,
05:57
being存在 around all those people in the room房间 all the time
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人们时刻和屋里的所有的人在一起
05:59
that are trying to compete竞争 for their attention注意
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在同一时间界面
06:01
on the simultaneous同时 time interfaces接口,
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要争取所有人的注意力
06:03
paleontology古生物学 and panic恐慌 architecture建筑.
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仿佛我们生活在研究古生物学和面对恐慌的构架中。
06:05
They're not just sitting坐在 there.
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他们并不只是坐在那里。
06:07
And really, when you have no external外部 input输入,
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真的, 当你没有外来影响时
06:10
that is a time when there is a creation创建 of self,
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就保留了一段创造自我的时间
06:12
when you can do long-term长期 planning规划,
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你可以用来制定长远的计划
06:14
when you can try and figure数字 out who you really are.
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来试着发现你自己到底是什么样一个人。
06:17
And then, once一旦 you do that, you can figure数字 out
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而一旦你这么做了,你就能弄清楚
06:19
how to present当下 your second第二 self in a legitimate合法 way,
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怎样合理地展示你的第二自我
06:21
instead代替 of just dealing交易 with everything as it comes in --
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而不是等着每件事发生,然后临阵应付
06:23
and oh, I have to do this, and I have to do this, and I have to do this.
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噢,我得做这个, 做这个,做这个
06:26
And so this is very important重要.
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所以这是很重要的。
06:28
I'm really worried担心 that, especially特别 kids孩子 today今天,
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我很担心,特别是今天的孩子,
06:30
they're not going to be dealing交易 with this down-time停机时间,
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他们没有这种停机休息时间,
06:33
that they have an instantaneous瞬间 button-clicking按钮点击 culture文化,
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他们生活在不断点击的文化中,
06:35
and that everything comes to them,
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什么东西都向他们扑面而来,
06:37
and that they become成为 very excited兴奋 about it and very addicted上瘾 to it.
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他们对此非常兴奋,也非常容易上瘾。
06:40
So if you think about it, the world世界 hasn't有没有 stopped停止 either.
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你想么, 世界也不会停下来。
06:43
It has its own拥有 external外部 prosthetic假肢 devices设备,
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它自己也有自己外部修复设备,
06:45
and these devices设备 are helping帮助 us all
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这些设备都在帮助我们
06:47
to communicate通信 and interact相互作用 with each other.
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互相沟通和互动交流。
06:49
But when you actually其实 visualize想象 it,
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如果你现在能看见这些
06:51
all the connections连接 that we're doing right now --
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将我们联系在一起的链接,
06:53
this is an image图片 of the mapping制图 of the Internet互联网 --
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你看见的是一副英特网的地图。
06:56
it doesn't look technological技术性.
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它上去并不是技术化的;
06:58
It actually其实 looks容貌 very organic有机.
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它其实看上去是有机化的。
07:00
This is the first time in the entire整个 history历史 of humanity人性
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这是人类有史以来,我们第一次这样
07:03
that we've我们已经 connected连接的 in this way.
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链接在一起。
07:06
And it's not that machines are taking服用 over.
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这并不是指机器主宰了我们;
07:09
It's that they're helping帮助 us to be more human人的,
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它们只是帮助我们更加人性化,
07:11
helping帮助 us to connect with each other.
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帮助我们互相联系。
07:13
The most successful成功 technology技术 gets得到 out of the way
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最成功的技术帮我们扫清障碍
07:16
and helps帮助 us live生活 our lives生活.
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帮我们生活得更好。
07:18
And really,
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真的,
07:20
it ends结束 up being存在 more human人的 than technology技术,
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最终机器使我们人类比起技术化来说,变得更人性化,
07:23
because we're co-creating共同创造 each other all the time.
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因为我们一直互相合作共同创造。
07:25
And so this is the important重要 point that I like to study研究:
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所以这是我想研究的一个要点:
07:28
that things are beautiful美丽, that it's still a human人的 connection连接 --
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事物是美好的,这还是要归于人类之间的联系;
07:31
it's just doneDONE in a different不同 way.
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只是用了不同的方法。
07:33
We're just increasing增加 our humanness为人
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我们只是增强了我们人类的特性
07:35
and our ability能力 to connect with each other, regardless而不管 of geography地理.
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以及我们不管地理位置的约束互相联系在一起的能力。
07:38
So that's why I study研究 cyborg半机械人 anthropology人类学.
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这就是我研究半机器人类学的原因。
07:40
Thank you.
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谢谢。
07:42
(Applause掌声)
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(掌声)
Translated by Jenny Yang
Reviewed by Angelia King

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Amber Case - Cyborg Anthropologist
Amber Case studies the symbiotic interactions between humans and machines -- and considers how our values and culture are being shaped by living lives increasingly mediated by high technology.

Why you should listen

Amber Case is a cyborg anthropologist, examining the way humans and technology interact and evolve together. Like all anthropologists, Case watches people, but her fieldwork involves observing how they participate in digital networks, analyzing the various ways we project our personalities, communicate, work, play, share ideas and even form values. Case founded Geoloqi.com, a private location-sharing application, out of a frustration with existing social protocols around text messaging and wayfinding.

Case, who predicts that intensification of the human-technology interface will quickly reduce the distance between individual and community, believes that the convergence of technologies will bring about unprecedented rapid learning and communication. Dubbed a digital philosopher, Case applies her findings to such fields as information architecture, usability and online productivity. She’s currently working on a book about using anthropological techniques to understand industry ecosystems.

More profile about the speaker
Amber Case | Speaker | TED.com