TED2011
Antonio Damasio: The quest to understand consciousness
安东尼奥 达马西欧：了解意识的一次探索
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每天早上我们醒过来并恢复意识——这是一个不可思议的事实——但是我们恢复的到底是什么？神经系统科学家安东尼奥·达马西欧通过这个简单的问题向我们粗略展示了大脑是怎样创造自身意识的。
Antonio Damasio - Neuroscientist
Antonio Damasio's research in neuroscience has shown that emotions play a central role in social cognition and decision-making. His work has had a major influence on current understanding of the neural systems, which underlie memory, language, consciousness. Full bio
Antonio Damasio's research in neuroscience has shown that emotions play a central role in social cognition and decision-making. His work has had a major influence on current understanding of the neural systems, which underlie memory, language, consciousness. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
I'm here to talk about
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在这里我想跟大家谈谈
00:17
the wonder and the mystery
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大脑意识
00:20
of conscious minds.
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的奇妙和神秘之处。
00:23
The wonder is about the fact
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奇妙之处在于
00:25
that we all woke up this morning
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我们大家每天早上醒来
00:27
and we had with it
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我们的大脑会神奇地重新获得
00:29
the amazing return of our conscious mind.
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意识。
00:32
We recovered minds with a complete sense of self
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我们会完全重获自我意识
00:35
and a complete sense of our own existence,
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以及自身的存在感，
00:38
yet we hardly ever pause to consider this wonder.
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但是我们几乎从来没有停下来思考过这个神奇的事情。
00:40
We should, in fact,
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事实上，我们应该这么做
00:42
because without having this possibility of conscious minds,
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因为如果没有大脑意识，
00:46
we would have no knowledge whatsoever
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我们不会有任何
00:48
about our humanity;
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关于人类的知识；
00:50
we would have no knowledge whatsoever about the world.
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我们也不会懂得任何有关世界的知识。
00:53
We would have no pains, but also no joys.
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我们将不会有痛苦，但同时也不会有欢乐
00:55
We would have no access to love
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我们将没有得到爱的机会
00:58
or to the ability to create.
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或者创造爱的能力。
01:01
And of course, Scott Fitzgerald said famously
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当然，斯科特·菲茨杰拉德有一句名言
01:04
that "he who invented consciousness
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“创造了意识的人
01:07
would have a lot to be blamed for."
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应该被狠狠的责备。”
01:10
But he also forgot
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但是他也忘了
01:12
that without consciousness,
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如果没有意识
01:14
he would have no access to true happiness
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他将不能感受到真实的幸福
01:17
and even the possibility of transcendence.
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甚至没有成就卓越的可能。
01:19
So much for the wonder, now for the mystery.
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大脑意识的奇妙之处就说到这，现在我们来谈谈其神秘之处。
01:22
This is a mystery
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这种神秘之处
01:24
that has really been extremely hard to elucidate.
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确实极难阐述清楚。
01:27
All the way back into early philosophy
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从早期的哲学发展到现在，
01:30
and certainly throughout the history of neuroscience,
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当然包括整个神经科学的发展历史，
01:33
this has been one mystery
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这都是一个难以阐述清楚
01:36
that has always resisted elucidation,
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的迷，
01:38
has got major controversies.
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并且引起了很多的争论。
01:40
And there are actually many people
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事实上有很多人
01:42
that think we should not even touch it;
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认为我们甚至一点都不了解它，
01:44
we should just leave it alone, it's not to be solved.
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我们应该放弃它，这个迷是不会被解决的。
01:46
I don't believe that,
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我并不相信，
01:48
and I think the situation is changing.
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我认为情况正在改变。
01:50
It would be ridiculous to claim
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如果声称我们知道在大脑中
01:52
that we know how we make consciousness
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意识是怎样产生的
01:55
in our brains,
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是很可笑的，
01:57
but we certainly can begin
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但是我们确实可以开始
01:59
to approach the question,
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探寻这个问题，
02:01
and we can begin to see the shape of a solution.
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并且我们已经开始看到答案的雏形了。
02:04
And one more wonder to celebrate
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另一个值得庆祝的奇迹是
02:07
is the fact that we have imaging technologies
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我们有成像技术
02:11
that now allow us to go inside the human brain
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让我们可以进入人脑内部
02:15
and be able to do, for example,
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来做一些事，例如，
02:17
what you're seeing right now.
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你现在所看到的。
02:19
These are images that come from Hanna Damasio's lab,
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这些是来自汉娜·达玛西欧的实验室的图像，
02:22
and which show you, in a living brain,
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现在给你们展示的是在一个有生命的大脑里，
02:25
the reconstruction of that brain.
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重现真实的大脑内部环境。
02:27
And this is a person who is alive.
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这是一个有生命的人。
02:29
This is not a person
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这不是一个
02:31
that is being studied at autopsy.
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正在被进行尸检研究的人。
02:34
And even more --
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甚至——
02:36
and this is something that one can be really amazed about --
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这是一件真正令人吃惊的事情——
02:39
is what I'm going to show you next,
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我接下来要给你们展示的
02:41
which is going underneath the surface of the brain
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是进入到大脑表层下面，
02:44
and actually looking in the living brain
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并且看看有生命的大脑中
02:47
at real connections, real pathways.
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各个真实的连接和路径。
02:50
So all of those colored lines
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所有那些染了色的线
02:53
correspond to bunches of axons,
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都代表了一束束的轴突，
02:56
the fibers that join cell bodies
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这些纤维进入细胞体
02:58
to synapses.
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形成突触。
03:01
And I'm sorry to disappoint you, they don't come in color.
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很非常抱歉让你们失望了，它们是无色的。
03:03
But at any rate, they are there.
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但是无论如何，他们是存在的。
03:06
The colors are codes for the direction,
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这些颜色是方向的代码，
03:08
from whether it is back to front
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从后到前
03:10
or vice versa.
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或者从前到后。
03:12
At any rate, what is consciousness?
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无论如何，什么是意识？
03:15
What is a conscious mind?
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什么是大脑的意识？
03:17
And we could take a very simple view
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我们可以简单观察一下
03:19
and say, well, it is that which we lose
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然后说，好吧，它就是那些当我们陷入深度睡眠
03:23
when we fall into deep sleep without dreams,
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并且不做梦的时候失去的，
03:28
or when we go under anesthesia,
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或者当我们麻木的时候丢掉的，
03:30
and it is what we regain
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但是当我们睡醒
03:32
when we recover from sleep
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或者从麻木状态中回复过来时
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or from anesthesia.
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我们又会重获意识。
03:36
But what is exactly that stuff that we lose under anesthesia,
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但是我们在麻木状态下，或者当我们进入深度睡眠并不做梦的时候，
03:40
or when we are in deep, dreamless sleep?
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我们失去的到底是什么呢？
03:42
Well first of all,
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首先，
03:44
it is a mind,
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它是一种思维，
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which is a flow of mental images.
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是一组源源不断的精神图像。
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And of course consider images
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当然想想
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that can be sensory patterns,
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那些可以被感知的图像，
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visual, such as you're having right now
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那些可视的图像，例如你现在
03:54
in relation to the stage and me,
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与我和这个讲台的关系，
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or auditory images,
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或者听觉的图像，
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as you are having now in relation to my words.
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就像你现在与我说的话的关系。
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That flow of mental images
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这些源源不断的精神图像
04:02
is mind.
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就是思维。
04:04
But there is something else
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但是还有一些其他的东西
04:06
that we are all experiencing in this room.
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是我们所有在这间屋子里的人正在经历的。
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We are not passive exhibitors
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我们并不是
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of visual or auditory
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视觉或者听觉
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or tactile images.
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或触觉图像的被动展出者。
04:15
We have selves.
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我们拥有自我。
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We have a Me
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我们有一个“自己”
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that is automatically present
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现在自动呈现
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in our minds right now.
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在我们的意识中
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We own our minds.
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我们拥有自己的思维。
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And we have a sense that it's everyone of us
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我们知道我们每一个人
04:28
that is experiencing this --
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都在经历这些——
04:30
not the person who is sitting next to you.
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而不只是坐在你旁边的人
04:33
So in order to have a conscious mind,
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所以为了有大脑的意识，
04:36
you have a self within the conscious mind.
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在你的大脑意识中有一个自我。
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So a conscious mind is a mind with a self in it.
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所以大脑意识是一个有着自我存在的意识。
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The self introduces the subjective perspective in the mind,
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这个自我将主观视角引入意识
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and we are only fully conscious
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而且我们只有在意识中有自我的时候
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when self comes to mind.
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才会达到完全有意识的状态
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So what we need to know to even address this mystery
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所以要弄清这个关于意识的谜我们需要知道的是
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is, number one, how are minds are put together in the brain,
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第一，思维在大脑中是怎样连接在一起的，
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and, number two, how selves are constructed.
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第二，自我是怎样构造的。
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Now the first part, the first problem,
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现在我们来说第一部分，第一个问题
05:03
is relatively easy -- it's not easy at all --
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这相对来说比较简单——但是它一点都不简单——
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but it is something that has been approached gradually in neuroscience.
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但是在神经系统科学中它正在被慢慢解决。
05:10
And it's quite clear that, in order to make minds,
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很明显，为了产生意识
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we need to construct neural maps.
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我们需要构造神经地图。
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So imagine a grid, like the one I'm showing you right now,
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所以想象一个网格，就像我现在正展示给你们的这个，
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and now imagine, within that grid,
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想象在那个网格中，
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that two-dimensional sheet,
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那个二维的薄片中，
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imagine neurons.
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有一些神经元。
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And picture, if you will,
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如果你愿意，想象一块广告牌，
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a billboard, a digital billboard,
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一个数字广告牌，
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where you have elements
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在那上面有既可以被点亮，
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that can be either lit or not.
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又可以不点亮的元素。
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And depending on how you create the pattern
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而且根据你如何创造
05:36
of lighting or not lighting,
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亮着的或不亮的的类型，
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the digital elements,
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这些数字元素，
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or, for that matter, the neurons in the sheet,
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或者，就此而言，这个薄片上的神经元，
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you're going to be able to construct a map.
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你就可以构造一个地图。
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This, of course, is a visual map that I'm showing you,
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当然，我正给你展示的这个是一个可视的地图，
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but this applies to any kind of map --
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但是这个可以应用于任何类型的地图——
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auditory, for example, in relation to sound frequencies,
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例如，听觉地图，与声音频率有关的，
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or to the maps that we construct with our skin
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或者用我们的皮肤构成的地图
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in relation to an object that we palpate.
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与我们的触觉有关。
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Now to bring home the point
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现在我要证明
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of how close it is --
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这是多么的相似——
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the relationship between the grid of neurons
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布满神经元的网格和
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and the topographical arrangement
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神经元活动的
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of the activity of the neurons
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地形布局之间的关系
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and our mental experience --
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和我们的精神经历——
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I'm going to tell you a personal story.
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下面我讲讲我个人的体会。
06:14
So if I cover my left eye --
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如果我盖住我的左眼——
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I'm talking about me personally, not all of you --
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我说的是我个人，并不是你们每个人——
06:19
if I cover my left eye,
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如果我盖住我的左眼，
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I look at the grid -- pretty much like the one I'm showing you.
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我看这个网格——和我现在展示给你们的这个非常相似。
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Everything is nice and fine and perpendicular.
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所有的线条都很好，漂亮并且垂直。
06:27
But sometime ago, I discovered
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但是有一次，我发现
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that if I cover my left eye,
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如果我盖住我的左眼，
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instead what I get is this.
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我看到的是这样的图像。
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I look at the grid and I see a warping
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我看到
06:37
at the edge of my central-left field.
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在中央偏左的地方的边缘有一个弯曲。
06:40
Very odd -- I've analyzed this for a while.
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非常奇怪——我对这个现象分析了好久。
06:42
But sometime ago,
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但是有一次，
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through the help of an opthamologist colleague of mine,
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我的眼科同事
06:48
Carmen Puliafito,
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卡门·佩拉法特，
06:50
who developed a laser scanner of the retina,
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她开发了一个视网膜的激光扫描仪，
06:53
I found out the the following.
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在她的帮助下我发现了下面的问题。
06:55
If I scan my retina
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如果我通过那个小角落里的水平面来
06:57
through the horizontal plane that you see there in the little corner,
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扫描我的视网膜，
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what I get is the following.
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我发现下面的情况
07:02
On the right side, my retina is perfectly symmetrical.
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在右边，我的视网膜是非常匀称的。
07:05
You see the going down towards the fovea
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你通过这个小凹向下可以看到
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where the optic nerve begins.
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眼睛神经的开端。
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But on my left retina there is a bump,
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但是在我左边的视网膜上有一个肿块，
07:12
which is marked there by the red arrow.
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在这里用红色的箭头标记出来。
07:14
And it corresponds to a little cyst
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它和那下面的
07:16
that is located below.
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一个小囊肿相呼应。
07:18
And that is exactly what causes
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这正是引起我的视觉图像
07:21
the warping of my visual image.
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弯曲的原因。
07:24
So just think of this:
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所以想一想：
07:26
you have a grid of neurons,
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你有一个神经元网格，
07:28
and now you have a plane mechanical change
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在这个网格的位置
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in the position of the grid,
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有一个水平面力的改变，
07:34
and you get a warping of your mental experience.
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然后你的精神体验有了一个弯曲。
07:36
So this is how close
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这说明
07:38
your mental experience
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你的精神体验
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and the activity of the neurons in the retina,
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和视网膜中神经元的活动关系有多密切，
07:43
which is a part of the brain located in the eyeball,
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视网膜是位于眼球中的大脑的一部分，
07:46
or, for that matter, a sheet of visual cortex.
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或者，就此而论，视觉皮层。
07:49
So from the retina
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所以从视网膜中
07:51
you go onto visual cortex.
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你了解到视觉皮层。
07:53
And of course, the brain adds on
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当然，大脑给
07:55
a lot of information
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来自于视网膜的信号
07:57
to what is going on
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增加了
07:59
in the signals that come from the retina.
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许多信息
08:01
And in that image there,
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在那个图像中，
08:03
you see a variety of islands
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你可以看到各种岛
08:05
of what I call image-making regions in the brain.
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我把这叫做大脑中的图像生成区域。
08:08
You have the green for example,
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用这个绿色的做例子，
08:10
that corresponds to tactile information,
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它与触觉的信息相呼应，
08:12
or the blue that corresponds to auditory information.
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或者这个蓝色的部分与听觉信息相呼应。
08:15
And something else that happens
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另外
08:17
is that those image-making regions
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那些图像生成区域中
08:20
where you have the plotting
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还进行所有的神经地图
08:22
of all these neural maps,
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的绘制，
08:24
can then provide signals
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同时还可以给
08:26
to this ocean of purple that you see around,
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你看到的这周围的紫色的海洋提供信号，
08:29
which is the association cortex,
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这些紫色部分是是连接皮层，
08:31
where you can make records of what went on
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在这里你可以记录在那些小岛上
08:34
in those islands of image-making.
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图像生成的进程。
08:36
And the great beauty
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而且最美妙的是
08:38
is that you can then go from memory,
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你可以凭着记忆走出
08:41
out of those association cortices,
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这些连接皮层，
08:43
and produce back images
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在有感知的相似区域
08:46
in the very same regions that have perception.
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产生过去的图像
08:49
So think about how wonderfully convenient and lazy
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所以想想大脑是
08:52
the brain is.
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多么的省事和懒惰啊。
08:54
So it provides certain areas
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它在特定的区域
08:56
for perception and image-making.
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产生知觉并生成图像。
08:58
And those are exactly the same
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当我们回忆信息的时候，
09:00
that are going to be used for image-making
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这些区域恰恰是我们用来
09:03
when we recall information.
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生成图像的地方
09:06
So far the mystery of the conscious mind
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到目前为止，大脑意识的迷幻之处
09:09
is diminishing a little bit
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减少了一点
09:11
because we have a general sense
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因为我们对于我们怎样生成这些图像
09:13
of how we make these images.
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有了大概的了解。
09:15
But what about the self?
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但是有关自我呢？
09:17
The self is really the elusive problem.
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自我确实是一个难以捉摸的问题。
09:20
And for a long time,
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长时间以来，
09:22
people did not even want to touch it,
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人们甚至没有触及到它，
09:24
because they'd say,
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因为他们说，
09:26
"How can you have this reference point, this stability,
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你怎么能找到这个参照点？这是一个稳固的点，
09:29
that is required to maintain
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需要我们
09:31
the continuity of selves day after day?"
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每天不断坚持自我
09:34
And I thought about a solution to this problem.
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我对这个问题的答案进行了思考。
09:37
It's the following.
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是这样的
09:39
We generate brain maps
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我们生成身体内部
09:41
of the body's interior
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的大脑地图
09:43
and use them as the reference for all other maps.
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并且把它们当作其他所有地图的参考。
09:46
So let me tell you just a little bit about how I came to this.
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让我来简单告诉你们我是如何想到这个的。
09:49
I came to this because,
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我想到这个是因为
09:51
if you're going to have a reference that we know as self --
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如果你们想找到一个被我们认为是自我的参照点——
09:55
the Me, the I
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比如宾格的我，主格的我
09:57
in our own processing --
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在我们的处理过程中——
10:00
we need to have something that is stable,
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我们需要一些稳定的东西，
10:02
something that does not deviate much
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一些随着日子增长
10:05
from day to day.
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并不脱离的东西。
10:07
Well it so happens that we have a singular body.
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恰好我们有一个单独的形体。
10:09
We have one body, not two, not three.
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我们有一个身体，不是两个，也不是三个。
10:12
And so that is a beginning.
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这就是开端。
10:14
There is just one reference point, which is the body.
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这只有一个参照点，是身体。
10:16
But then, of course, the body has many parts,
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当然，身体有许多部分，
10:19
and things grow at different rates,
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这些部分以不同的速率成长，
10:21
and they have different sizes and different people;
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他们大小不同，每个人也不同；
10:23
however, not so with the interior.
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但是，身体内部就不是这样了。
10:26
The things that have to do
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与我们内在环境
10:28
with what is known as our internal milieu --
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有关的事——
10:30
for example, the whole management
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打个比方，
10:32
of the chemistries within our body
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我们身体内整个化学反应的管理
10:34
are, in fact, extremely maintained
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事实上，被日日充分维持着
10:36
day after day
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是有一个
10:38
for one very good reason.
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非常好的理由的
10:40
If you deviate too much
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如果你偏离
10:42
in the parameters
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那些接近生命存活范围中线的
10:44
that are close to the midline
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参数
10:46
of that life-permitting survival range,
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太多
10:49
you go into disease or death.
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你就会生病或死亡。
10:51
So we have an in-built system
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所以我们有一个内建的系统
10:54
within our own lives
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存在于我们自己的生命里
10:56
that ensures some kind of continuity.
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这个系统可以保证某种程度的延续性。
10:59
I like to call it an almost infinite sameness from day to day.
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我想称之为几乎毫无止境的千篇一律。
11:02
Because if you don't have that sameness, physiologically,
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如果你没有这个生理上的千篇一律，
11:06
you're going to be sick or you're going to die.
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你就会生病或是死亡。
11:08
So that's one more element for this continuity.
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所以那是这延续性的另一个元素。
11:11
And the final thing
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最后
11:13
is that there is a very tight coupling
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就是大脑内部控制身体的部分和身体本身之间
11:15
between the regulation of our body within the brain
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有一个非常紧密的
11:19
and the body itself,
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连接
11:21
unlike any other coupling.
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这跟其他的连接都不一样。
11:24
So for example, I'm making images of you,
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举例来说，我正在做一个你的影像，
11:26
but there's no physiological bond
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但是在我把你当做观众看到的影像
11:29
between the images I have of you as an audience
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和我大脑之间
11:32
and my brain.
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没有生理上的连接
11:34
However, there is a close, permanently maintained bond
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然而，在我大脑中控制身体的部分
11:38
between the body regulating parts of my brain
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和我自己的身体之间
11:41
and my own body.
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有一个紧密、永恒的连接
11:43
So here's how it looks. Look at the region there.
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这就是这个连接的样子，看那边那个区域
11:46
There is the brain stem in between the cerebral cortex
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脑干在大脑皮层
11:49
and the spinal cord.
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和脊髓之间。
11:51
And it is within that region
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我现在要强调的是
11:53
that I'm going to highlight now
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正是在那个区域里
11:55
that we have this housing
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我们有一个小屋子
11:58
of all the life-regulation devices
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用来存储所有的身体中的
12:01
of the body.
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生命调节设备
12:03
This is so specific that, for example,
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他们都有各自具体的功能，比如，
12:06
if you look at the part that is covered in red
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如果你看一下脑干上半部
12:09
in the upper part of the brain stem,
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的红色部分
12:11
if you damage that as a result of a stroke, for example,
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如果你因为中风而损坏这个区域，
12:14
what you get is coma
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那你就会昏迷
12:16
or vegetative state,
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或是陷入植物人的状态，
12:18
which is a state, of course,
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当然，在这种状态下
12:20
in which your mind disappears,
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你的思维就消失了
12:22
your consciousness disappears.
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你的意识消失了。
12:25
What happens then actually
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接下来发生的
12:27
is that you lose the grounding of the self,
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是你丧失了自我的基础
12:30
you have no longer access to any feeling of your own existence,
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你不再能感觉到自我的存在，
12:33
and, in fact, there can be images going on,
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而事实是，那里还是有影像存在，
12:36
being formed in the cerebral cortex,
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在大脑皮层中形成，
12:38
except you don't know they're there.
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只是你不知道他们在那里。
12:40
You have, in effect, lost consciousness
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当你损坏脑干中的红色部分时
12:43
when you have damage to that red section of the brain stem.
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结果是你失去了意识
12:47
But if you consider the green part of the brain stem,
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但如果你看看脑干中绿色的部分，
12:50
nothing like that happens.
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没有发生像那样的事情。
12:52
It is that specific.
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他们的功能就是那么具体。
12:54
So in that green component of the brain stem,
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脑干中绿色的结构，
12:57
if you damage it, and often it happens,
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如果你损坏，而且这经常发生，
13:00
what you get is complete paralysis,
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你就会完全瘫痪，
13:02
but your conscious mind is maintained.
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但是你的意识可以保留下来
13:05
You feel, you know, you have a fully conscious mind
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你有感觉，你也知道，你有完整的意识
13:08
that you can report very indirectly.
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你可以把自己的意识间接表达出来
13:11
This is a horrific condition. You don't want to see it.
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这是个很可怕的情形。你不会想看到。
13:14
And people are, in fact, imprisoned
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这些人都被囚禁在
13:16
within their own bodies,
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他们自己的身体里。
13:18
but they do have a mind.
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但他们是有意识的。
13:20
There was a very interesting film,
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有一个很有趣的影片，
13:22
one of the rare good films done
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是一个难得的好电影
13:24
about a situation like this,
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讲述的是像这样的情形，
13:26
by Julian Schnabel some years ago
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是朱利安·舒纳伯几年前拍的
13:28
about a patient that was in that condition.
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影片里一个病人碰上这样的问题。
13:31
So now I'm going to show you a picture.
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现在我要让你看一张照片。
13:33
I promise not to say anything about this,
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我保证不会说任何跟这有关的事，
13:35
except this is to frighten you.
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免得吓到你们。
13:37
It's just to tell you
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这只是要告诉你
13:39
that in that red section of the brain stem,
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在脑干红色的区域，
13:42
there are, to make it simple,
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简单说，
13:44
all those little squares that correspond to modules
328
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有一些与制作脑地图的分子相呼应的
13:47
that actually make brain maps
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小方块
13:50
of different aspects of our interior,
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这些脑地图包括我们身体内部的各个方面
13:53
different aspects of our body.
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以及身体本身的各个方面
13:55
They are exquisitely topographic
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它们的空间性很强
13:58
and they are exquisitely interconnected
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而且以一种重复的模式
14:00
in a recursive pattern.
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完全相互连接。
14:02
And it is out of this and out of this tight coupling
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正是通过这里以及脑干和身体之间
14:05
between the brain stem and the body
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的紧密连接
14:07
that I believe -- and I could be wrong,
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我认为——但是我也可能是错的。
14:09
but I don't think I am --
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不过我不认为我错了——
14:11
that you generate this mapping of the body
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人们制造这个身体的地图
14:14
that provides the grounding for the self
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可以为我们提供自我认识的基础
14:17
and that comes in the form of feelings --
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它以感觉的形式存在——
14:19
primordial feelings, by the way.
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具体说，是最原始的感觉。
14:21
So what is the picture that we get here?
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这个图像说明什么呢？
14:23
Look at "cerebral cortex," look at "brain stem,"
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看看这里的“大脑”，看看这里的“脑干”，
14:25
look at "body,"
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看看这个“身体”。
14:27
and you get the picture of the interconnectivity
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你会看到一个互相连接的图像
14:30
in which you have the brain stem providing the grounding for the self
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这里脑干与身体相互联系紧密
14:34
in a very tight interconnection with the body.
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并为自我提供基础
14:37
And you have the cerebral cortex
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而大脑皮层
14:39
providing the great spectacle of our minds
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通过大量影像
14:42
with the profusion of images
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成就了意识的宏大壮观
14:44
that are, in fact, the contents of our minds
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这些影像其实就是意识的组成部分
14:47
and that we normally pay most attention to,
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而且也是我们最关注的部分
14:50
as we should, because that's really
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这是必然的，
14:52
the film that is rolling in our minds.
355
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因为这是在我们意识中真实存在的场景
14:54
But look at the arrows.
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现在请大家看看这些箭头
14:56
They're not there for looks.
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它们可不是为了好看才放在那的
14:58
They're there because there's this very close interaction.
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而是因为那里有非常紧密的互动
15:01
You cannot have a conscious mind
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如果大脑皮层和脑干之间
15:03
if you don't have the interaction
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没有互动的话
15:05
between cerebral cortex and brain stem.
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你就不会有意识
15:07
You cannot have a conscious mind
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如果脑干和身体之间
15:09
if you don't have the interaction
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没有互动的话
15:11
between the brain stem and the body.
364
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你也不会有意识
15:13
Another thing that is interesting
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另一个有意思的地方
15:15
is that the brain stem that we have
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是我们的脑干
15:17
is shared with a variety of other species.
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也存在于其他很多物种中
15:19
So throughout vertebrates,
368
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所有脊椎动物的
15:21
the design of the brain stem is very similar to ours,
369
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脑干构造与我们的是非常相似的，
15:24
which is one of the reasons why I think
370
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这也是为什么我觉得
15:26
those other species have conscious minds like we do.
371
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其他物种也像我们一样有意识的原因之一
15:29
Except that they're not as rich as ours,
372
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只不过它们的意识不如我们这么丰富
15:32
because they don't have a cerebral cortex like we do.
373
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因为它们不像我们有大脑皮层
15:34
That's where the difference is.
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这就是差异所在
15:36
And I strongly disagree with the idea
375
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我非常反对那种
15:39
that consciousness should be considered
376
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认为意识是
15:42
as the great product of the cerebral cortex.
377
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大脑皮层伟大产物的观点
15:44
Only the wealth of our minds is,
378
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只是因为我们有丰富的意识
15:46
not the very fact that we have a self
379
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而不仅仅是因为我们有自我
15:49
that we can refer
380
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我们才能认识到
15:51
to our own existence,
381
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自己的存在
15:53
and that we have any sense of person.
382
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才能有作为人类的感觉
15:57
Now there are three levels of self to consider --
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自我有三个层次
16:00
the proto, the core and the autobiographical.
384
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原始层，核心层，及自传层。
16:03
The first two are shared
385
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前两层也同样适用于
16:05
with many, many other species,
386
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其他很多物种
16:07
and they are really coming out
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它们主要来自于
16:09
largely of the brain stem
388
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脑干
16:11
and whatever there is of cortex in those species.
389
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3000
以及其他物种皮层中存在的物质
16:14
It's the autobiographical self
390
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我认为那是一些物种
16:16
which some species have, I think.
391
961000
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的自传层自我
16:18
Cetaceans and primates have also
392
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3000
鲸类和灵长类动物也都有
16:21
an autobiographical self to a certain degree.
393
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某种程度上的自传层自我。
16:23
And everybody's dogs at home
394
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家里养的狗
16:25
have an autobiographical self to a certain degree.
395
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3000
也都有某种程度的自传层自我。
16:28
But the novelty is here.
396
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但是有一点新奇的是
16:30
The autobiographical self is built
397
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自传层的自我是构建
16:32
on the basis of past memories
398
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在过去记忆的基础上
16:34
and memories of the plans that we have made;
399
979000
3000
还有我们所做计划的记忆上；
16:37
it's the lived past and the anticipated future.
400
982000
3000
它包括经历过的过去和期待的未来
16:40
And the autobiographical self
401
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自传层的自我
16:42
has prompted extended memory, reasoning,
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还促进了持久的记忆、推理、
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imagination, creativity and language.
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想象、创意及语言的发展。
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And out of that came the instruments of culture --
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而从那得到的，是文化的工具——
16:50
religions, justice,
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宗教、正义、
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trade, the arts, science, technology.
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贸易、艺术、科学、科技。
16:54
And it is within that culture
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正是在这种文化中
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that we really can get --
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我们才能真正获得一些
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and this is the novelty --
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不完全被生理设定好的东西
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something that is not entirely set by our biology.
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这就是新奇的地方
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It is developed in the cultures.
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它在不同的文化中发展
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It developed in collectives of human beings.
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在人类的集合体里发展。
17:10
And this is, of course, the culture
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正是在这种文化里
17:12
where we have developed something that I like to call
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我们发明了一些东西，我想称之为
17:15
socio-cultural regulation.
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“社会文化调节”
17:17
And finally, you could rightly ask,
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最后，你应该想问
17:19
why care about this?
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为什么要关心这个呢？
17:21
Why care if it is the brain stem or the cerebral cortex
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为什么非要搞清楚究竟是脑干还是大脑皮层呢？
17:24
and how this is made?
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为什么要搞清楚这究竟是怎么形成的呢？
17:26
Three reasons. First, curiosity.
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有三个原因。第一，好奇心。
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Primates are extremely curious --
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灵长类动物是特别好奇的——
17:30
and humans most of all.
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而人类更是之最。
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And if we are interested, for example,
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比如说，如果我们关心
17:35
in the fact that anti-gravity
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抗地心引力
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is pulling galaxies away from the Earth,
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将银河拽离地球这个问题，
17:39
why should we not be interested in what is going on
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为什么我们不关心
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inside of human beings?
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人体内部发生的事情呢？
17:44
Second, understanding society and culture.
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第二，了解社会和文化。
17:46
We should look
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我们应该看看
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at how society and culture
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在这个社会文化调节中
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in this socio-cultural regulation
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社会和文化
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are a work in progress.
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究竟发展到什么地步
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And finally, medicine.
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最后，医学。
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Let's not forget that some of the worst diseases
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不要忘了人类
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of humankind
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患的最坏的病
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are diseases such as depression,
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是一些诸如犹豫、
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Alzheimer's disease, drug addiction.
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阿兹海默症、毒瘾这样的疾病。
18:05
Think of strokes that can devastate your mind
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想想那些可以摧毁意识、
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or render you unconscious.
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消除意识的中风
18:10
You have no prayer
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如果你不知道社会文化调节是如何运行的
18:13
of treating those diseases effectively
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你就没有希望
18:16
and in a non-serendipitous way
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用一种并非侥幸的方式
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if you do not know how this works.
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有效治好那些疾病
18:20
So that's a very good reason
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因此那个理由很好，
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beyond curiosity
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超过好奇心这个理由
18:24
to justify what we're doing,
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因为它可以证明我们现在所做的是对的
18:26
and to justify having some interest in what is going on in our brains.
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去证明对我们大脑内部进行的事情进行研究是正确的
18:29
Thank you for your attention.
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谢谢各位
18:31
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Antonio Damasio - NeuroscientistAntonio Damasio's research in neuroscience has shown that emotions play a central role in social cognition and decision-making. His work has had a major influence on current understanding of the neural systems, which underlie memory, language, consciousness.
Why you should listen
Antonio Damasio is a leader in understanding the biological origin of consciousness. He also argues that emotions, far from being barriers to it, are a crucial component of decision-making. He is founder and director of the USC Brain and Creativity Institute, which draws on partners across academic disciplines to use the explosion of new neuroscience results to tackle issues from mental health to societal and global change.
Damasio is the author of Self Comes to Mind: Constructing the Conscious Brain, which was adapted into a musical composition performed by Yo-Yo Ma at the American Museum of Natural History.
Antonio Damasio | Speaker | TED.com