ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Steven Johnson - Writer
Steven Berlin Johnson examines the intersection of science, technology and personal experience.

Why you should listen

Steven Johnson is a leading light of today's interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to innovation. His writings have influenced everything from cutting-edge ideas in urban planning to the battle against 21st-century terrorism. Johnson was chosen by Prospect magazine as one of the top ten brains of the digital future, and The Wall Street Journal calls him "one of the most persuasive advocates for the role of collaboration in innovation."

Johnson's work on the history of innovation inspired the Emmy-nominated six-part series on PBS, "How We Got To Now with Steven Johnson," which aired in the fall of 2014. The book version of How We Got To Now was a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His new book, Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World, revolves around the creative power of play and delight: ideas and innovations that set into motion many momentous changes in science, technology, politics and society. 

Johnson is also the author of the bestselling Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, one of his many books celebrating progress and innovation. Others include The Invention of Air and The Ghost Map. Everything Bad Is Good For You, one of the most discussed books of 2005, argued that the increasing complexity of modern media is training us to think in more complex ways. Emergence and Future Perfect explore the power of bottom-up intelligence in both nature and contemporary society.

An innovator himself, Johnson has co-created three influential sites: the pioneering online magazine FEED, the Webby-Award-winning community site, Plastic.com, and the hyperlocal media site outside.in, which was acquired by AOL in 2011.

Johnson is a regular contributor to WIRED magazine, as well as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other periodicals. He has appeared on many high-profile television programs, including "The Charlie Rose Show," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."


More profile about the speaker
Steven Johnson | Speaker | TED.com
TED Studio

Steven Johnson: The playful wonderland behind great inventions

史蒂文·约翰逊: 娱乐是如何引领伟大发明的

Filmed:
1,351,401 views

必要需求是发明之母,是吗?嗯,其实并不总是。史蒂文·约翰逊向我们展示了一些最具变革性的思想和技术,例如计算机,并非来自必要需求,而是来自娱乐中不寻常的乐趣。他分享了他对于这迷人的,引人深思的世界发明历史的探索经历。他要告诉你,你会在人类最具娱乐性的地方预见未来。
- Writer
Steven Berlin Johnson examines the intersection of science, technology and personal experience. Full bio

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

00:12
(Music音乐)
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(音乐)
大概在43000年以前,
00:16
Roughly大致 43,000 years年份 ago,
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一只年轻的洞熊
死于起伏的山峦之中,
00:19
a young年轻 cave洞穴 bear
died死亡 in the rolling压延 hills丘陵
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位于现在的斯洛文尼亚的西北边界。
00:22
on the northwest西北 border边境
of modern现代 day Slovenia斯洛文尼亚.
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又过了一千年,
一头猛犸象死于德国南部。
00:25
A thousand years年份 later后来,
a mammoth长毛象 died死亡 in southern南部的 Germany德国.
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几个世纪过后,一只兀鹫
00:29
A few少数 centuries百年 after that,
a griffon格里芬 vulture秃鹫 also died死亡
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也在附近死去。
00:33
in the same相同 vicinity附近.
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我们对于这些动物的
死亡原因几乎一无所知,
00:35
And we know almost几乎 nothing
about how these animals动物 met会见 their deaths死亡,
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但是跨越时空的不同物种
00:39
but these different不同 creatures生物
dispersed分散 across横过 both time and space空间
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分享了同一个惊人命运。
00:43
did share分享 one remarkable卓越 fate命运.
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在它们死后,他们身上各有一块骨头
00:46
After their deaths死亡,
a bone from each of their skeletons骷髅
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被人类手工制作成了
00:50
was crafted精雕细琢 by human人的 hands
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长笛。
00:52
into a flute长笛.
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想一下这件事。
00:54
Think about that for a second第二.
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想像自己是一个
40000年前的洞穴人。
00:56
Imagine想像 you're a caveman穴居人,
40,000 years年份 ago.
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你掌握了火的使用。
00:59
You've mastered掌握 fire.
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你制造了狩猎的简易工具。
01:00
You've built内置 simple简单 tools工具 for hunting狩猎.
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你学会了如何用动物皮毛制作衣服
01:02
You've learned学到了 how to craft手艺
garments服装 from animal动物 skins
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在冬天为自己保暖。
01:05
to keep yourself你自己 warm in the winter冬季.
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下一步你会选择发明什么?
01:07
What would you choose选择 to invent发明 next下一个?
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选择发明笛子会看起来很荒谬,
01:10
It seems似乎 preposterous荒谬
that you would invent发明 the flute长笛,
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一种能够产生无用的
空气分子震动的工具。
01:13
a tool工具 that created创建
useless无用 vibrations振动 in air空气 molecules分子.
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但事实上,这就是我们的祖先做的。
01:17
But that is exactly究竟
what our ancestors祖先 did.
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但是,在发明创造史当中,
01:21
Now this turns out
to be surprisingly出奇 common共同
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这却出乎意料的常见。
01:24
in the history历史 of innovation革新.
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有时人们发明工具,
01:26
Sometimes有时 people invent发明 things
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是因为他们想要存活下来,
或者喂养他们的孩子们,
01:28
because they want to stay alive
or feed饲料 their children孩子
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或者是攻占隔壁村庄。
01:31
or conquer征服 the village next下一个 door.
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但是很多情况下,
01:33
But just as often经常,
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新想法之所以会产生,
01:34
new ideas思路 come into the world世界
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仅仅是因为它们很有趣。
01:36
simply只是 because they're fun开玩笑.
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更加奇怪的是:
01:39
And here's这里的 the really strange奇怪 thing:
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很多用于玩乐的,
看似琐碎的发明,
01:41
many许多 of those playful调皮
but seemingly似乎 frivolous轻浮 inventions发明
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最后却在科学,政治和社会界
01:45
ended结束 up sparking火花
momentous重大 transformations转换
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引起了重大变革。
01:47
in science科学, in politics政治 and society社会.
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举一个当今时代
最重要的发明的例子:
01:51
Take what may可能 be the most
important重要 invention发明 of modern现代 times:
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编程计算机。
01:54
programmable可编程的 computers电脑.
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标准的故事版本是这样的:
计算机起源于军用科技,
01:56
Now, the standard标准 story故事 is that computers电脑
descend降落 from military军事 technology技术,
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因为很多早期电脑都是专用于
02:01
since以来 many许多 of the early computers电脑
were designed设计 specifically特别
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攻克战时密码
或计算火箭运载轨道。
02:04
to crack裂纹 wartime战时 codes代码
or calculate计算 rocket火箭 trajectories轨迹.
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但是事实上,现代电脑的起源
02:07
But in fact事实, the origins起源
of the modern现代 computer电脑
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和你想象中相比
02:11
are much more playful调皮,
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更具娱乐性,
02:12
even musical音乐,
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甚至更具音乐性。
02:14
than you might威力 imagine想像.
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长笛背后的想法,
02:15
The idea理念 behind背后 the flute长笛,
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那种推动空气通过管道发声的想法,
02:16
of just pushing推动 air空气 through通过 tubes
to make a sound声音,
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最终被修改并制成了两千多年前的
02:19
was eventually终于 modified改性
to create创建 the first organ器官
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第一套管风琴。
02:22
more than 2,000 years年份 ago.
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有人想出了一个制造声音的绝妙主意,
02:24
Someone有人 came来了 up with the brilliant辉煌 idea理念
of triggering触发 sounds声音
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即通过我们的手指按动小杆发声,
02:27
by pressing紧迫 small levers杠杆 with our fingers手指,
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从此发明了我们的第一样按键乐器。
02:30
inventing发明了 the first musical音乐 keyboard键盘.
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现在,按键乐器已经从风琴
发展到敲弦古钢琴,再到拨弦古钢琴,
02:33
Now, keyboards键盘 evolved进化
from organs器官 to clavichordsclavichords to harpsichords拨弦古钢琴
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再到钢琴。
02:37
to the piano钢琴,
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直到19世纪中期,
02:38
until直到 the middle中间 of the 19th century世纪,
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一群发明家终于想到
02:41
when a bunch of inventors发明家
finally最后 hit击中 on the idea理念
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用按键去触发字母而非声音。
02:44
of using运用 a keyboard键盘
to trigger触发 not sounds声音 but letters.
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事实上,第一台打字机
02:48
In fact事实, the very first typewriter打字机
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原名就是“写字敲弦琴”。
02:50
was originally本来 called
"the writing写作 harpsichord大键琴."
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长笛和音乐还带来了
更强大的突破。
02:55
Flutes长笛 and music音乐 led
to even more powerful强大 breakthroughs突破.
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大约一千年以前,
02:59
About a thousand years年份 ago,
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在伊斯兰复兴运动的高潮期间,
03:01
at the height高度 of the Islamic清真 Renaissance再生,
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在巴格达的三兄弟设计了一个
03:03
three brothers兄弟 in Baghdad巴格达
designed设计 a device设备
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自动发声的风琴。
03:05
that was an automated自动化 organ器官.
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他们把它称为“自己奏乐的乐器”。
03:08
They called it "the instrument仪器
that plays播放 itself本身."
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03:11
Now, the instrument仪器
was basically基本上 a giant巨人 music音乐 box.
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在当时,那个乐器
基本上就是一个巨型音箱。
那个乐器可根据旋转筒柱上的
突起所组成的乐谱
03:15
The organ器官 could be trained熟练 to play
various各个 songs歌曲 by using运用 instructions说明
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来播放不同的曲目。
03:19
encoded编码 by placing配售 pins
on a rotating旋转 cylinder圆筒.
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03:23
And if you wanted the machine
to play a different不同 song歌曲,
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如果你想让机器换一首曲子,
你只需要换上一个
有着不同突起的筒柱就行了。
03:26
you just swapped a new cylinder圆筒 in
with a different不同 code on it.
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这个乐器是同类型中的第一个,
03:29
This instrument仪器 was the first of its kind.
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它是可编码的。
03:33
It was programmable可编程的.
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现在,从概念上来说,
这是一个巨大的飞跃。
03:35
Now, conceptually概念,
this was a massive大规模的 leap飞跃 forward前锋.
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整个硬件和软件的想法,
03:38
The whole整个 idea理念 of hardware硬件 and software软件
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因为这个发明,
第一次变成了可能。
03:41
becomes thinkable能想到的 for the first time
with this invention发明.
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那个难以置信的强大概念,
03:44
And that incredibly令人难以置信 powerful强大 concept概念
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并没有作为一种
战争或征服武器出现,
03:47
didn't come to us as an instrument仪器
of war战争 or of conquest征服,
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也不是作为必需品出现。
03:50
or necessity必要性 at all.
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它来自观看机器
播放音乐时异样的乐趣。
03:52
It came来了 from the strange奇怪 delight
of watching观看 a machine play music音乐.
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事实上,可编码机器的理念
03:57
In fact事实, the idea理念 of programmable可编程的 machines
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在700年间,都是完全
存在于音乐世界中的。
04:00
was exclusively kept不停 alive by music音乐
for about 700 years年份.
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在18世纪,各种乐器
04:05
In the 1700s, music-making音乐制作 machines
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成为了巴黎精英们的玩物。
04:07
became成为 the playthings玩具
of the Parisian巴黎的 elite原种.
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杂耍艺人使用相同的编码筒柱,
04:11
ShowmenShowmen used the same相同 coded编码 cylinders汽缸
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去控制一种名叫
自动机的东西的运动,
04:14
to control控制 the physical物理 movements运动
of what were called automata自动机,
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那就是机器人的早期雏形。
04:18
an early kind of robot机器人.
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这些机器中最著名的,
04:20
One of the most famous著名 of those robots机器人
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04:22
was, you guessed it,
an automated自动化 flute长笛 player播放机
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你猜是什么,是一个自动发声长笛,
04:25
designed设计 by a brilliant辉煌 French法国 inventor发明者
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由杰出的法国发明家
Jacques de Vaucanson 所设计。
04:27
named命名 Jacques雅克· de VaucansonVaucanson.
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04:30
And as de VaucansonVaucanson
was designing设计 his robot机器人 musician音乐家,
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当de Vaucanson
设计他的机器人音乐家时,
04:33
he had another另一个 idea理念.
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他萌生了另一个想法。
如果你可以通过编码
使一个机器产生悠扬的音乐,
04:35
If you could program程序 a machine
to make pleasing愉快 sounds声音,
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为什么不能通过编码使它
在布料上编织出色彩斑斓的图案呢?
04:39
why not program程序 it to weave编织
delightful愉快 patterns模式 of color颜色 out of cloth?
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用筒柱突起,代表各色的线,
04:44
Instead代替 of using运用 the pins of the cylinder圆筒
to represent代表 musical音乐 notes笔记,
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而非乐符。
04:49
they would represent代表
threads线程 with different不同 colors颜色.
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如果你需要编织一种新的图案,
04:52
If you wanted a new pattern模式
for your fabric,
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你只需要编码一个新的筒柱。
04:54
you just programmed程序 a new cylinder圆筒.
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这就是第一台可编码式的织布机。
04:57
This was the first programmable可编程的 loom织布机.
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不过这种筒柱价格高昂,
制造过程很耗时,
05:00
Now, the cylinders汽缸 were too expensive昂贵
and time-consuming耗时的 to make,
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但半个世纪之后,
05:04
but a half century世纪 later后来,
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另一个名叫Jacquard的
法国发明家
05:06
another另一个 French法国 inventor发明者 named命名 Jacquard提花
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想到了一个极妙的点子,
那就是用穿孔的纸张,
05:08
hit击中 upon the brilliant辉煌 idea理念
of using运用 paper-punched纸打孔 cards
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代替金属筒柱。
05:13
instead代替 of metal金属 cylinders汽缸.
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结果表明,
纸张作为一种编程装置,
05:15
Paper turned转身 out to be
much cheaper便宜 and more flexible灵活
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更便宜,更灵活。
05:18
as a way of programming程序设计 the device设备.
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那种穿孔卡片系统启发了
维多利亚时期的发明家查尔斯·巴贝奇
05:20
That punch冲床 card system系统 inspired启发
Victorian维多利亚时代 inventor发明者 Charles查尔斯 Babbage巴贝奇
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建造出他的分析引擎(差分机),
05:25
to create创建 his analytical分析 engine发动机,
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历史上第一台真正的
05:27
the first true真正 programmable可编程的 computer电脑
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可编程计算机。
05:30
ever designed设计.
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直到20世纪70年代末,
这些穿孔卡片
05:31
And punch冲床 cards were used
by computer电脑 programmers程序员
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仍被计算机程序员所使用。
05:34
as late晚了 as the 1970s.
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所以,问自己这个问题:
05:37
So ask yourself你自己 this question:
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究竟是什么动力
使现代计算机成为可能?
05:39
what really made制作
the modern现代 computer电脑 possible可能?
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是的,军事介入的确
是故事的一个重要组成部分,
05:43
Yes, the military军事 involvement参与
is an important重要 part部分 of the story故事,
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但发明一台电脑
还需要其他必备要素:
05:47
but inventing发明了 a computer电脑
also required需要 other building建造 blocks:
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音乐箱,
05:51
music音乐 boxes盒子,
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玩具长笛演奏器,
05:52
toy玩具 robot机器人 flute长笛 players玩家,
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按键式古琴,
05:54
harpsichord大键琴 keyboards键盘,
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彩色图案编织,
05:55
colorful华美 patterns模式 woven编织 into fabric,
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这只是故事的一小部分。
05:58
and that's just a small part部分 of the story故事.
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有一大批的改变世界的想法和技术
06:01
There's a long list名单 of world-changing改变世界的
ideas思路 and technologies技术
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都来自于娱乐:
06:04
that came来了 out of play:
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公共博物馆,橡胶,
06:06
public上市 museums博物馆, rubber橡胶,
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概率论,保险业务,
06:08
probability可能性 theory理论, the insurance保险 business商业
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还有很多。
06:10
and many许多 more.
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所以必要需求并非总是发明之母。
06:11
Necessity必要性 isn't always
the mother母亲 of invention发明.
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娱乐的思想状态
在根本上是探索性的,
06:15
The playful调皮 state of mind心神
is fundamentally从根本上 exploratory探索,
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我们在周围的世界里,
追寻那些新的可能性。
06:19
seeking out new possibilities可能性
in the world世界 around us.
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而那种追寻就是为什么
在那么多经历中,
06:22
And that seeking
is why so many许多 experiences经验
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开始时简单的快乐和娱乐,
06:26
that started开始 with simple简单
delight and amusement娱乐
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最终却导致我们成就深度突破。
06:29
eventually终于 led us
to profound深刻 breakthroughs突破.
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2760
我认为,这会告诉我们
如何在学校教育孩子,
06:33
Now, I think this has implications启示
for how we teach kids孩子 in school学校
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4216
如何在我们的办公场所鼓励创新,
06:37
and how we encourage鼓励 innovation革新
in our workspaces工作区,
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但是,当我们这样
认识娱乐和愉悦的时候,
06:40
but thinking思维 about play
and delight this way
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也会帮助我们预测
接下来会发生的事。
06:43
also helps帮助 us detect检测 what's coming未来 next下一个.
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想象一下:如果你
正坐在1750年的时空里,
06:47
Think about it: if you were
sitting坐在 there in 1750
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尝试去猜想未来社会的巨大变革,
06:49
trying to figure数字 out
the big changes变化 coming未来 to society社会
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3536
猜想19世纪,20世纪,
06:53
in the 19th, the 20th centuries百年,
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1896
那些自动机器,计算机,
06:55
automated自动化 machines, computers电脑,
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人工智能,
06:57
artificial人造 intelligence情报,
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1936
一个用于娱乐巴黎上等社会的
06:59
a programmable可编程的 flute长笛
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1816
可编码的长笛,
07:00
entertaining娱乐 the Parisian巴黎的 elite原种
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就会成为一个在当时
十分强有力的线索。
07:03
would have been as powerful强大 a clue线索
as anything else其他 at the time.
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3800
它看上去只适用于娱乐,
07:07
It seemed似乎 like an amusement娱乐 at best最好,
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没有什么正经的用处,
07:10
not useful有用 in any serious严重 way,
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但它确实成为了改变世界的
07:13
but it turned转身 out to be
the beginning开始 of a tech高科技 revolution革命
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技术革命的开端。
07:17
that would change更改 the world世界.
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你会在人类
07:18
You'll你会 find the future未来
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最具娱乐性的地方预见未来的。
07:20
wherever哪里 people are having the most fun开玩笑.
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2000
Translated by Junyi Sha
Reviewed by Yishan Yue

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Steven Johnson - Writer
Steven Berlin Johnson examines the intersection of science, technology and personal experience.

Why you should listen

Steven Johnson is a leading light of today's interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to innovation. His writings have influenced everything from cutting-edge ideas in urban planning to the battle against 21st-century terrorism. Johnson was chosen by Prospect magazine as one of the top ten brains of the digital future, and The Wall Street Journal calls him "one of the most persuasive advocates for the role of collaboration in innovation."

Johnson's work on the history of innovation inspired the Emmy-nominated six-part series on PBS, "How We Got To Now with Steven Johnson," which aired in the fall of 2014. The book version of How We Got To Now was a finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His new book, Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World, revolves around the creative power of play and delight: ideas and innovations that set into motion many momentous changes in science, technology, politics and society. 

Johnson is also the author of the bestselling Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation, one of his many books celebrating progress and innovation. Others include The Invention of Air and The Ghost Map. Everything Bad Is Good For You, one of the most discussed books of 2005, argued that the increasing complexity of modern media is training us to think in more complex ways. Emergence and Future Perfect explore the power of bottom-up intelligence in both nature and contemporary society.

An innovator himself, Johnson has co-created three influential sites: the pioneering online magazine FEED, the Webby-Award-winning community site, Plastic.com, and the hyperlocal media site outside.in, which was acquired by AOL in 2011.

Johnson is a regular contributor to WIRED magazine, as well as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other periodicals. He has appeared on many high-profile television programs, including "The Charlie Rose Show," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."


More profile about the speaker
Steven Johnson | Speaker | TED.com