ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Greg Gage - Neuroscientist
TED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards.

Why you should listen

As half of Backyard Brains, neuroscientist and engineer Greg Gage builds the SpikerBox -- a small rig that helps kids understand the electrical impulses that control the nervous system. He's passionate about helping students understand (viscerally) how our brains and our neurons work, because, as he said onstage at TED2012, we still know very little about how the brain works -- and we need to start inspiring kids early to want to know more.

Before becoming a neuroscientist, Gage worked as an electrical engineer making touchscreens. As he told the Huffington Post: "Scientific equipment in general is pretty expensive, but it's silly because before [getting my PhD in neuroscience] I was an electrical engineer, and you could see that you could make it yourself. So we started as a way to have fun, to show off to our colleagues, but we were also going into classrooms around that time and we thought, wouldn't it be cool if you could bring these gadgets with us so the stuff we were doing in advanced Ph.D. programs in neuroscience, you could also do in fifth grade?" His latest pieces of gear: the Roboroach, a cockroach fitted with an electric backpack that makes it turn on command, and BYB SmartScope, a smartphone-powered microscope.

More profile about the speaker
Greg Gage | Speaker | TED.com
TED2015

Greg Gage: How to control someone else's arm with your brain

Greg Gage: Como controlar o brazo doutra persoa co teu cerebro

Filmed:
9,669,307 views

Greg Gage ten a misión de facer accesible para todo o mundo a neurociencia. Nesta divertida e un pouco terrorífica demostración, o neurocientífico e membro destacado de TED usa un kit doméstico simple e asequible para quitarlle a liberdade de decisión a unha persoa do público. Non é ningún truco; funciona. Tes que velo para crelo.
- Neuroscientist
TED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards. Full bio

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

00:14
The brain is an amazing and complex organ.
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O cerebro é un órgano asombroso
e complexo.
E aínda que a algunhas persoas
lles fascina o cerebro,
00:17
And while many people
are fascinated by the brain,
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non poden dicir moito
sobre as súas propiedades,
00:20
they can't really tell you that much
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00:21
about the properties
about how the brain works
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sobre como traballa
porque a neurociencia
non se ensina nas escolas.
00:24
because we don't teach
neuroscience in schools.
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E unha das razóns
polas que isto ocorre
00:26
And one of the reasons
why is that the equipment
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é que o equipamento
é tan complexo e tan caro
00:28
is so complex and so expensive
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que só se emprega nas grandes
universidades e institucións.
00:31
that it's really only done at major
universities and large institutions.
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00:35
And so in order to be able
to access the brain,
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Así que, para poder acceder ao cerebro,
00:37
you really need to dedicate your life
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precisas dedicar a túa vida
00:39
and spend six and a half years
as a graduate student
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e pasar seis anos e medio
como estudante de posgrao
00:42
just to become a neuroscientist
to get access to these tools.
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para ser neurocientífico
e ter acceso a estas ferramentas.
E iso é unha pena xa que
unha de cada cinco persoas,
00:45
And that's a shame
because one out of five of us,
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00:47
that's 20 percent of the entire world,
will have a neurological disorder.
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o 20% de todo o mundo,
padecerá unha enfermidade neurolóxica.
00:51
And there are zero cures
for these diseases.
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E non existen curas
para estas enfermidades.
Por iso, ó mellor
o que deberiamos facer
00:54
And so it seems that
what we should be doing
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00:57
is reaching back earlier
in the eduction process
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é comezar antes
o proceso de educación
00:59
and teaching students about neuroscience
so that in the future,
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e ensinarlles neurociencia aos estudantes
para que no futuro
01:04
they may be thinking about possibly
becoming a brain scientist.
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poidan pensar na posibilidade
de converterse en neurocientíficos.
01:08
When I was a graduate student,
my lab mate Tim Marzullo and myself,
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Cando era estudante de posgrao,
o meu compañeiro Tim Marzullo e eu
pensamos que deberiamos coller
este complexo equipamento que tiñamos
01:11
decided that what if we took
this complex equipment that we have
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01:15
for studying the brain and made it simple
enough and affordable enough
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para estudar o cerebro
e simplificalo e abaratalo o suficiente
01:19
that anyone that you know, an amateur
or a high school student,
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como para que calquera afeccionado
ou un estudante de ensino medio,
01:22
could learn and actually participate
in the discovery of neuroscience.
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puidese aprender e participar
no descubrimento da neurociencia.
01:25
And so we did just that.
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E así o fixemos.
01:27
A few years ago, we started
a company called Backyard Brains
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Hai uns anos, fundamos unha compañía
chamada Backyard Brains
que ofrece uns kits domésticos de
equipamento neurocientífico
01:30
and we make DIY neuroscience equipment
and I brought some here tonight,
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que trouxen hoxe aquí
para facer algunhas demostracións.
01:34
and I want to do some demonstrations.
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01:37
You guys want to see some?
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Querédelos ver?
01:38
So I need a volunteer.
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Necesito un voluntario.
01:41
So right before -- what is your name?
(Applause)
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Antes de nada-- cal é o teu nome?
(Aplausos)
01:44
Sam Kelly: Sam.
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Sam Kelly: Sam.
01:45
Greg Gage: All right, Sam, I'm going
to record from your brain.
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Greg Gage: Vale, Sam,
vou gravar o teu cerebro.
01:48
Have you had this before?
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Fixéchelo algunha vez?
01:49
SK: No.
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SK: Non.
01:50
GG: I need you to stick out
your arm for science,
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GG: Necesito que ergas o brazo
para a ciencia,
01:53
roll up your sleeve a bit,
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refúcete un pouco.
01:54
So what I'm going to do,
I'm putting electrodes on your arm,
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O que vou facer
é pórche eléctrodos no brazo,
e ti preguntaraste,
01:57
and you're probably wondering,
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dixeches que me ías gravar o cerebro,
que fas co meu brazo?
01:59
I just said I'm going to record from your
brain, what am I doing with your arm?
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Tes uns oitenta mil millóns de neuronas
no cerebro agora mesmo.
02:02
Well, you have about 80 billion neurons
inside your brain right now.
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02:06
They're sending electrical messages
back and forth, and chemical messages.
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Están mandando dun lado para outro
mensaxes eléctricas e químicas.
Pero algunhas das túas neuronas
situadas no teu córtex motor
02:09
But some of your neurons
right here in your motor cortex
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02:12
are going to send messages down
when you move your arm like this.
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enviarán mensaxes
cando movas o brazo deste xeito.
02:15
They're going to go down
across your corpus callosum,
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Baixarán polo teu corpo caloso,
pasando pola medula espiñal
ata a neurona motora inferior
02:17
down onto your spinal cord
to your lower motor neuron
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ata os músculos aquí,
02:20
out to your muscles here,
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e esa descarga eléctrica será recollida
por estes eléctrodos.
02:21
and that electrical discharge
is going to be picked up
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02:24
by these electrodes right here
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02:25
and we're going to be able to listen
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Deste xeito poderemos escoitar
exactamente o que o teu cerebro
estará facendo.
02:27
to exactly what your brain
is going to be doing.
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02:29
So I'm going to turn this on for a second.
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Vou prender isto un momento...
Algunha vez escoitaches
o teu cerebro?
02:31
Have you ever heard
what your brain sounds like?
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SK: Non.
GG: Imos probar.
Aperta o puño.
02:34
SK: No.
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02:35
GG: Let's try it out.
So go ahead and squeeze your hand.
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(Ruído)
02:37
(Rumbling)
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O que estás escoitando
(Ruído)
02:38
So what you're listening to,
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02:40
so this is your motor units
happening right here.
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é a túa unidade motora traballando.
02:44
Let's take a look at it as well.
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Ímoslle botar un ollo.
02:46
So I'm going to stand over here,
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Eu vou quedar aquí,
02:49
and I'm going to open up our app here.
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vou abrir a nosa aplicación.
02:52
So now I want you to squeeze.
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Agora aperta.
(Ruído)
02:53
(Rumbling)
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Estas son as unidades motoras
que xorden da súa medula espiñal
02:54
So right here, these are the motor units
that are happening
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02:57
from her spinal cord
out to her muscle right here,
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ata o seu músculo aquí,
e mentres fai iso,
03:00
and as she's doing it,
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vemos a actividade eléctrica
que se xera.
03:01
you're seeing the electrical activity
that's happening here.
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Ata podemos facer clic
para ver unha delas.
03:04
You can even click here
and try to see one of them.
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Sigue apertando forte.
03:06
So keep doing it really hard.
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Ímonos deter
nun potencial de acción motora
03:08
So now we've paused
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que se está producindo agora mesmo
no teu cerebro.
03:09
on one motor action potential that's
happening right now inside of your brain.
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Queredes ver máis?
03:13
Do you guys want to see some more?
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(Aplausos)
03:15
(Applause)
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Isto foi interesante,
pero vai ser aínda mellor.
03:16
That's interesting,
but let's get it better.
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Preciso outro voluntario.
03:18
I need one more volunteer.
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03:21
What is your name, sir?
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Como te chamas?
Miguel Goncalves: Miguel.
GG: Miguel, de acordo.
03:24
Miguel Goncalves: Miguel.
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03:25
GG: Miguel, all right.
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03:26
You're going to stand right here.
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Vaste colocar aquí.
03:27
So when you're moving your arm like this,
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Cando moves o brazo deste xeito
o teu cerebro está enviando un sinal
aos músculos.
03:29
your brain is sending a signal
down to your muscles right here.
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03:33
I want you to move your arm as well.
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Move ti tamén o brazo.
03:34
So your brain is going to send
a signal down to your muscles.
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O teu cerebro vaille mandar un sinal
aos teus músculos.
03:37
And so it turns out that there is
a nerve that's right here
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E resulta que xusto aquí
hai un nervio
03:41
that runs up here that innervates
these three fingers,
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que baixa por aquí e inerva
estes tres dedos
03:44
and it's close enough to the skin
that we might be able
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e está tan preto da pel
que podemos estimulalo,
03:47
to stimulate that so that what we can do
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o que nos permite copiar os sinais
03:49
is copy your brain signals
going out to your hand
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que van do teu cerebro á túa man
03:52
and inject it into your hand,
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e transferilos á túa man,
03:54
so that your hand will move
when your brain tells your hand to move.
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de xeito que a túa man moverase
cando o teu cerebro llo diga.
03:57
So in a sense, she will take away
your free will
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En certo sentido,
ela quitarache o teu libre albedrío
04:00
and you will no longer have
any control over this hand.
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e non terás ningún control
sobre a túa propia man.
04:03
You with me?
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Estás listo?
04:05
So I just need to hook you up.
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Só teño que conectarte.
04:07
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
04:09
So I'm going to find your ulnar nerve,
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Vou buscar o teu nervio ulnar,
04:11
which is probably right around here.
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que debería estar por aquí.
04:14
You don't know what you're signing up for
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Non sabías no que te estabas metendo
cando subiches.
04:16
when you come up.
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04:17
So now I'm going to move away
and we're going to plug it in
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Agora voume apartar
e ímonos conectar á interface
humano-a-humano.
04:20
to our human-to-human interface over here.
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04:24
Okay, so Sam, I want you
to squeeze your hand again.
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Entón, Sam, quero que
apertes a man outra vez.
04:29
Do it again. Perfect.
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Outra vez. Perfecto.
04:31
So now I'm going to hook you up
over here so that you get the --
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Agora voute conectar
para que recibas o--
04:34
It's going to feel
a little bit weird at first,
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É algo raro ó principio,
04:36
this is going to feel like a --
(Laughter)
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é como se--
(Risas)
04:38
You know, when you lose your free will,
and someone else becomes your agent,
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Cando perdes a túa liberdade de decisión,
e outra persoa se converte no teu portavoz
é unha cousa un pouco rara.
04:42
it does feel a bit strange.
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04:44
Now I want you to relax your hand.
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Agora quero que relaxes a man.
04:46
Sam, you're with me?
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Sam, estás lista?
04:47
So you're going to squeeze.
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Aperta a man.
04:48
I'm not going to turn it on yet,
so go ahead and give it a squeeze.
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Non o vou acender aínda,
así que aperta sen medo.
04:52
So now, are you ready, Miguel?
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Estás listo, Miguel?
04:54
MG: Ready as I'll ever be.
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MG: Todo o preparado que poida estar.
04:56
GG: I've turned it on, so go ahead
and turn your hand.
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GG: Acabo de acendelo,
así que aperta a man.
04:59
Do you feel that a little bit?
MG: Nope.
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Sentes algo?
MG: Non.
GG: Vale, dálle outra vez.
MG: Agora un pouco.
05:01
GG: Okay, do it again?
MG: A little bit.
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05:03
GG: A little bit? (Laughter)
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GG: Un pouco?
(Risas)
05:04
So relax.
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Reláxate.
05:05
So hit it again.
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Dobra outra vez.
05:07
(Laughter)
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(Risas).
05:08
Oh, perfect, perfect.
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Perfecto, perfecto.
05:10
So relax, do it again.
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Reláxate, faino outra vez.
05:12
All right, so right now,
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Vale, agora,
(Risas)
05:14
your brain is controlling your arm
and it's also controlling his arm,
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o teu cerebro está controlando o teu brazo
e tamén controla o seu,
05:19
so go ahead and just do it one more time.
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así que dálle unha vez máis.
05:21
All right, so it's perfect. (Laughter)
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Moi ben, está perfecto.
(Risas)
05:23
So now, what would happen
if I took over my control of your hand?
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E agora que pasaría se eu tomara
o control da túa man?
05:27
And so, just relax your hand.
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Ti simplemente relaxa a man.
05:29
What happens?
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Que ocorre?
05:31
Ah, nothing.
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Nada.
05:32
Why not?
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Por que?
05:34
Because the brain has to do it.
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Porque o ten que facer o cerebro.
05:35
So you do it again.
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Así que faino outra vez.
05:37
All right, that's perfect.
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Iso é, perfecto.
05:39
Thank you guys for being
such a good sport.
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Grazas aos dous
pola vosa colaboración.
05:42
This is what's happening
all across the world --
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Isto é o que está pasando
por todo o mundo--
05:44
electrophysiology!
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electrofisioloxía!
Imos conseguir a neurorrevolución.
05:45
We're going to bring on
the neuro-revolution.
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Grazas.
05:48
Thank you.
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05:49
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Greg Gage - Neuroscientist
TED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards.

Why you should listen

As half of Backyard Brains, neuroscientist and engineer Greg Gage builds the SpikerBox -- a small rig that helps kids understand the electrical impulses that control the nervous system. He's passionate about helping students understand (viscerally) how our brains and our neurons work, because, as he said onstage at TED2012, we still know very little about how the brain works -- and we need to start inspiring kids early to want to know more.

Before becoming a neuroscientist, Gage worked as an electrical engineer making touchscreens. As he told the Huffington Post: "Scientific equipment in general is pretty expensive, but it's silly because before [getting my PhD in neuroscience] I was an electrical engineer, and you could see that you could make it yourself. So we started as a way to have fun, to show off to our colleagues, but we were also going into classrooms around that time and we thought, wouldn't it be cool if you could bring these gadgets with us so the stuff we were doing in advanced Ph.D. programs in neuroscience, you could also do in fifth grade?" His latest pieces of gear: the Roboroach, a cockroach fitted with an electric backpack that makes it turn on command, and BYB SmartScope, a smartphone-powered microscope.

More profile about the speaker
Greg Gage | Speaker | TED.com