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Sam Rodriques: What we'll learn about the brain in the next century
萨姆 · 罗德里克: 下一个世纪，我们将更了解大脑
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在这个充满想象力的演讲中，神经工程专家萨姆 · 罗德里克将 带领我们畅游脑科学的未来100年。他设想了一些奇怪的（有些是吓人的）创新，而这些创新可能是理解和治疗大脑疾病的关键——比如在人的头骨上钻小孔，让探针去研究神经元的电活动。
Sam Rodriques - Neuroengineer
Sam Rodriques invents new technologies to help neuroscientists understand how the brain works. Full bio
Sam Rodriques invents new technologies to help neuroscientists understand how the brain works. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
I want to tell you guys
something about neuroscience.
something about neuroscience.
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我想跟各位聊一聊神经科学。
00:16
I'm a physicist by training.
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我是物理学家，科班出身。
00:18
About three years ago, I left physics
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大约三年前，我离开了物理学领域，
转行到神经科学，试图了解
大脑是如何工作的。
大脑是如何工作的。
00:20
to come and try to understand
how the brain works.
how the brain works.
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我发现，
00:22
And this is what I found.
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很多人都在研究抑郁症。
00:24
Lots of people are working on depression.
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这非常好，
00:26
And that's really good,
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我们的确特别想了解抑郁症。
00:27
depression is something
that we really want to understand.
that we really want to understand.
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但研究是这样进行的：
00:30
Here's how you do it:
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拿个罐子，装上大约半罐的水。
00:31
you take a jar and you fill it up,
about halfway, with water.
about halfway, with water.
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然后找一只老鼠，把它放进罐子里。
00:35
And then you take a mouse,
and you put the mouse in the jar, OK?
and you put the mouse in the jar, OK?
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老鼠四处游了一会儿，
00:39
And the mouse swims around
for a little while
for a little while
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00:42
and then at some point,
the mouse gets tired
the mouse gets tired
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到某一时刻，老鼠累了，
决定不游了。
00:44
and decides to stop swimming.
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它一旦不游了，就是得了抑郁症。
00:46
And when it stops swimming,
that's depression.
that's depression.
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00:50
OK?
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对吗？
00:52
And I'm from theoretical physics,
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我以前是学理论物理的，
所以我习惯了
用非常复杂的数学模型
用非常复杂的数学模型
00:55
so I'm used to people making
very sophisticated mathematical models
very sophisticated mathematical models
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来精确描述物理现象，
00:59
to precisely describe physical phenomena,
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所以当我看到抑郁症的
模型是这个样子时，
模型是这个样子时，
01:02
so when I saw that this
is the model for depression,
is the model for depression,
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我心想，“天呐，
要做的工作还多着呢。”
要做的工作还多着呢。”
01:04
I though to myself, "Oh my God,
we have a lot of work to do."
we have a lot of work to do."
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（笑声）
01:07
(Laughter)
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但这问题在神经科学中
几乎普遍存在。
几乎普遍存在。
01:09
But this is a kind of general
problem in neuroscience.
problem in neuroscience.
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比如说，以情绪为例。
01:12
So for example, take emotion.
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很多人想理解情绪。
01:14
Lots of people want to understand emotion.
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01:17
But you can't study emotion
in mice or monkeys
in mice or monkeys
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但是，在老鼠或猴子身上
没法研究情绪，
没法研究情绪，
因为你不能问它们
01:20
because you can't ask them
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感觉如何或正在经历什么。
01:21
how they're feeling
or what they're experiencing.
or what they're experiencing.
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所以，想要理解情绪的人
01:24
So instead, people who want
to understand emotion,
to understand emotion,
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通常变成研究所谓的行为激励法，
01:26
typically end up studying
what's called motivated behavior,
what's called motivated behavior,
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这个术语的意思是“老鼠
特别特别想要奶酪时会做什么”。
特别特别想要奶酪时会做什么”。
01:29
which is code for "what the mouse does
when it really, really wants cheese."
when it really, really wants cheese."
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01:33
OK, I could go on and on.
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我可以没完没了地说下去。
我的意思是，关键在于，
NIH每年花费大约55亿美元
NIH每年花费大约55亿美元
01:35
I mean, the point is, the NIH
spends about 5.5 billion dollars a year
spends about 5.5 billion dollars a year
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用于神经科学研究。
01:41
on neuroscience research.
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然而，在过去40年中，
对脑病患者的治疗效果
对脑病患者的治疗效果
01:43
And yet there have been almost
no significant improvements in outcomes
no significant improvements in outcomes
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01:47
for patients with brain diseases
in the past 40 years.
in the past 40 years.
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几乎没有获得任何显著的进步。
01:51
And I think a lot of that
is basically due to the fact
is basically due to the fact
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我认为，这在很大程度上是由于
老鼠也许能做癌症
或糖尿病的模型，
或糖尿病的模型，
01:53
that mice might be OK as a model
for cancer or diabetes,
for cancer or diabetes,
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但是老鼠的大脑却不够复杂，
01:57
but the mouse brain
is just not sophisticated enough
is just not sophisticated enough
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无法复制人类的心理
或人类的脑部疾病。
或人类的脑部疾病。
02:00
to reproduce human psychology
or human brain disease.
or human brain disease.
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02:04
OK?
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对吧？
那么，既然老鼠模型那么差，
为什么我们还在用它？
为什么我们还在用它？
02:05
So if the mouse models are so bad,
why are we still using them?
why are we still using them?
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02:10
Well, it basically boils down to this:
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原因大致是这样的：
大脑是由神经元组成的，
02:12
the brain is made up of neurons
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这些神经元是相互发送
电信号的小细胞。
电信号的小细胞。
02:14
which are these little cells that send
electrical signals to each other.
electrical signals to each other.
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02:18
If you want to understand
how the brain works,
how the brain works,
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如果你想了解大脑是如何工作的，
就必须能够测量
这些神经元的电活动。
这些神经元的电活动。
02:20
you have to be able to measure
the electrical activity of these neurons.
the electrical activity of these neurons.
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02:25
But to do that, you have to get
really close to the neurons
really close to the neurons
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但要做到这一点，你必须
02:28
with some kind of electrical
recording device or a microscope.
recording device or a microscope.
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用某种电记录设备或显微镜
来真正接近神经元。
来真正接近神经元。
这个可以在老鼠身上做，
也可以在猴子身上做，
也可以在猴子身上做，
02:31
And so you can do that in mice
and you can do it in monkeys,
and you can do it in monkeys,
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因为你可以真正地把
设备放进它们的大脑，
设备放进它们的大脑，
02:34
because you can physically
put things into their brain
put things into their brain
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但是由于某些原因，我们
还不能在人类身上这样做，对吧？
还不能在人类身上这样做，对吧？
02:36
but for some reason we still
can't do that in humans, OK?
can't do that in humans, OK?
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02:40
So instead, we've invented
all these proxies.
all these proxies.
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所以，我们发明了各种替代工具。
最流行的应该是这个，
02:43
So the most popular one is probably this,
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功能性磁共振成像，fMRI，
02:46
functional MRI, fMRI,
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它可以做出这样的美丽图片，
02:48
which allows you to make these
pretty pictures like this,
pretty pictures like this,
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显示当你从事不同的活动时，
02:51
that show which parts
of your brain light up
of your brain light up
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02:53
when you're engaged
in different activities.
in different activities.
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大脑的哪个部分会发光。
但这只是一个替代工具。
02:55
But this is a proxy.
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你实际上并不是在测量神经活动。
02:57
You're not actually measuring
neural activity here.
neural activity here.
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你是在测量大脑中的
03:01
What you're doing
is you're measuring, essentially,
is you're measuring, essentially,
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血液流动。
03:03
like, blood flow in the brain.
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看哪里的含血量更高。
03:05
Where there's more blood.
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其实是看哪里氧气多，
但你懂我意思了，对吧？
但你懂我意思了，对吧？
03:07
It's actually where there's more oxygen,
but you get the idea, OK?
but you get the idea, OK?
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另一种方法是这个——
03:10
The other thing that you can do
is you can do this --
is you can do this --
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脑电图——可以把
这些电极放在你的头上，
这些电极放在你的头上，
03:12
electroencephalography -- you can put
these electrodes on your head, OK?
these electrodes on your head, OK?
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然后可以测量你的脑电波。
03:16
And then you can measure your brain waves.
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03:19
And here, you're actually measuring
electrical activity.
electrical activity.
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而这实际上是在测量电活动。
而不是在测量神经元的活动。
03:22
But you're not measuring
the activity of neurons.
the activity of neurons.
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03:24
You're measuring
these electrical currents,
these electrical currents,
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你测量的是这些电流，
在你的大脑中来回流动的电流。
03:27
sloshing back and forth in your brain.
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03:30
So the point is just
that these technologies that we have
that these technologies that we have
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所以问题是，我们所拥有的这些技术
实际上是在测量错误的东西。
03:32
are really measuring the wrong thing.
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因为，对于我们想了解的
大多数疾病——
大多数疾病——
03:35
Because, for most of the diseases
that we want to understand --
that we want to understand --
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比如帕金森症就是典型的例子。
03:38
like, Parkinson's is the classic example.
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对于帕金森症，大脑深处
有一种特殊的神经元
有一种特殊的神经元
03:40
In Parkinson's, there's one particular
kind of neuron deep in your brain
kind of neuron deep in your brain
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03:44
that is responsible for the disease,
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对这种疾病负责，
而现有的这些技术还没有办法
03:45
and these technologies just don't have
the resolution that you need
the resolution that you need
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检测这些神经元。
03:49
to get at that.
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所以这就是为什么
我们仍然在用动物。
我们仍然在用动物。
03:50
And so that's why
we're still stuck with the animals.
we're still stuck with the animals.
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谁也不是真的想
03:54
Not that anyone wants
to be studying depression
to be studying depression
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用罐子里的老鼠
来研究抑郁症，对吧？
来研究抑郁症，对吧？
03:57
by putting mice into jars, right?
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只是有一种共识告诉我们，
03:59
It's just that there's this pervasive
sense that it's not possible
sense that it's not possible
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04:03
to look at the activity of neurons
in healthy humans.
in healthy humans.
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不可能观察到
健康人的神经元活动。
健康人的神经元活动。
04:08
So here's what I want to do.
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那么，接下来，
04:09
I want to take you into the future.
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我想带你们进入未来。
看一看我认为有可能的一种方式。
04:12
To have a look at one way in which
I think it could potentially be possible.
I think it could potentially be possible.
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04:17
And I want to preface this by saying,
I don't have all the details.
I don't have all the details.
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首先我想说，我没有完善的细节。
04:21
So I'm just going to provide you
with a kind of outline.
with a kind of outline.
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所以我只提供大概的介绍。
我们要去的是2100年。
04:24
But we're going to go the year 2100.
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04:27
Now what does the year 2100 look like?
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2100年是什么样子呢？
首先，气候比你习惯的暖和一点。
04:30
Well, to start with, the climate
is a bit warmer that what you're used to.
is a bit warmer that what you're used to.
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04:33
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
你了解并喜爱的机器人真空吸尘器
04:37
And that robotic vacuum cleaner
that you know and love
that you know and love
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进化了好几代，
04:42
went through a few generations,
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04:43
and the improvements
were not always so good.
were not always so good.
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但进化的结果不怎么样。
04:46
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
04:48
It was not always for the better.
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并不总是越来越好。
04:52
But actually, in the year 2100
most things are surprisingly recognizable.
most things are surprisingly recognizable.
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但实际上，在2100年，
我们居然还能认出大部分的事物，
我们居然还能认出大部分的事物，
04:57
It's just the brain is totally different.
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只是大脑完全不同了。
05:00
For example, in the year 2100,
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例如，在2100年，
我们了解了阿尔茨海默症的病源。
05:03
we understand the root causes
of Alzheimer's.
of Alzheimer's.
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所以我们可以在
大脑功能退化开始之前，
大脑功能退化开始之前，
05:06
So we can deliver targeted
genetic therapies or drugs
genetic therapies or drugs
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提供有针对性的基因治疗
或药物来阻止退化。
或药物来阻止退化。
05:09
to stop the degenerative process
before it begins.
before it begins.
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05:13
So how did we do it?
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那是怎么做到的呢？
05:15
Well, there were essentially three steps.
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基本上有三个步骤。
05:18
The first step was
that we had to figure out
that we had to figure out
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第一步，我们必须想办法
让电信号的连接穿过头骨，
05:21
some way to get electrical
connections through the skull
connections through the skull
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这样我们就可以测量
神经元的电活动。
神经元的电活动。
05:24
so we could measure
the electrical activity of neurons.
the electrical activity of neurons.
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05:28
And not only that,
it had to be easy and risk-free.
it had to be easy and risk-free.
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不仅如此，这一过程还必须
容易操作且无风险。
容易操作且无风险。
它必须是人人都能接受的，
05:32
Something that basically anyone
would be OK with,
would be OK with,
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就像穿个耳洞。
05:35
like getting a piercing.
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05:37
Because back in 2017,
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因为早在2017年，
人们知道的穿过头骨的唯一方法
05:39
the only way that we knew of
to get through the skull
to get through the skull
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就是钻出硬币大小的洞。
05:42
was to drill these holes
the size of quarters.
the size of quarters.
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05:46
You would never let
someone do that to you.
someone do that to you.
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谁都不会接受的。
05:48
So in the 2020s,
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所以在21世纪20年代，
人们开始实验——
不是钻这些巨大的孔，
不是钻这些巨大的孔，
05:51
people began to experiment --
rather than drilling these gigantic holes,
rather than drilling these gigantic holes,
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而是钻出不到一根头发丝
那么厚的微型孔。
那么厚的微型孔。
05:54
drilling microscopic holes,
no thicker than a piece of hair.
no thicker than a piece of hair.
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05:58
And the idea here
was really for diagnosis --
was really for diagnosis --
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这个方法实际是用于诊断——
在脑部疾病的诊断中，有很多时候，
06:00
there are lots of times in the diagnosis
of brain disorders
of brain disorders
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你希望能够看到
颅骨底下的神经活动，
颅骨底下的神经活动，
06:03
when you would like to be able to look
at the neural activity beneath the skull
at the neural activity beneath the skull
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而能够钻这些微小的孔，
06:08
and being able to drill
these microscopic holes
these microscopic holes
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会让病人更容易
接受这种诊断方法。
接受这种诊断方法。
06:11
would make that much easier
for the patient.
for the patient.
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最终，它就像打针。
06:13
In the end, it would be
like getting a shot.
like getting a shot.
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你只要到医院，坐下来，
06:16
You just go in and you sit down
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有个设备降到你的头上，
06:17
and there's a thing
that comes down on your head,
that comes down on your head,
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短暂的一下刺痛，就完事了，
06:20
and a momentary sting and then it's done,
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你可以回去继续忙你的了。
06:22
and you can go back about your day.
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06:24
So we're eventually able to do it
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最终，我们能够用激光钻孔
来实现这种方法。
06:29
using lasers to drill the holes.
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激光又快又非常可靠，
06:32
And with the lasers,
it was fast and extremely reliable,
it was fast and extremely reliable,
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你甚至感觉不到有孔，
06:34
you couldn't even tell
the holes were there,
the holes were there,
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就像感觉不到掉了一根头发一样。
06:37
any more than you could tell
that one of your hairs was missing.
that one of your hairs was missing.
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06:40
And I know it might sound crazy,
using lasers to drill holes in your skull,
using lasers to drill holes in your skull,
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我知道用激光在颅骨上钻孔
听起来可能很疯狂，
听起来可能很疯狂，
但早在2017年，
06:45
but back in 2017,
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人们就已经接受外科医生向
他们的眼睛里发射激光了，
他们的眼睛里发射激光了，
06:46
people were OK with surgeons
shooting lasers into their eyes
shooting lasers into their eyes
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就为了做矫正手术，
06:51
for corrective surgery
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06:52
So when you're already here,
it's not that big of a step.
it's not that big of a step.
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所以，有了这个基础，
跨度也就不显得那么大了。
跨度也就不显得那么大了。
06:57
OK?
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对吧？
下一步，发生在2030年代的，
06:58
So the next step,
that happened in the 2030s,
that happened in the 2030s,
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就不仅仅是穿过头骨了。
07:02
was that it's not just about
getting through the skull.
getting through the skull.
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为了测量神经元的活动，
07:05
To measure the activity of neurons,
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你必须真正进入大脑组织本身。
07:07
you have to actually make it
into the brain tissue itself.
into the brain tissue itself.
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而风险是，只要往脑组织里放东西，
07:11
And the risk, whenever
you put something into the brain tissue,
you put something into the brain tissue,
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那基本上就等于在引发中风。
07:14
is essentially that of stroke.
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你会碰到血管并使其破裂，
07:15
That you would hit
a blood vessel and burst it,
a blood vessel and burst it,
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从而导致中风。
07:18
and that causes a stroke.
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07:19
So, by the mid 2030s,
we had invented these flexible probes
we had invented these flexible probes
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所以，到2030年代中期，
我们发明了柔性探针，
我们发明了柔性探针，
它能围绕血管安置，
07:23
that were capable of going
around blood vessels,
around blood vessels,
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而不用穿过血管。
07:25
rather than through them.
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因此，我们可以将
这些探针的巨大电池
这些探针的巨大电池
07:27
And thus, we could put
huge batteries of these probes
huge batteries of these probes
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放入病人的大脑中，
07:33
into the brains of patients
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对成千上万个神经元
进行记录，而不带来风险。
进行记录，而不带来风险。
07:34
and record from thousands of their neurons
without any risk to them.
without any risk to them.
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07:39
And what we discovered,
sort of to our surprise,
sort of to our surprise,
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令人惊讶的是，我们发现，
我们能识别的神经元
07:43
is that the neurons that we could identify
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对想法或情绪之类的东西
并没有做出反应，
并没有做出反应，
07:45
were not responding
to things like ideas or emotion,
to things like ideas or emotion,
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这就与我们所期望的不一样。
07:49
which was what we had expected.
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让它们有反应的是
珍妮弗 · 安妮斯顿、
珍妮弗 · 安妮斯顿、
07:50
They were mostly responding
to things like Jennifer Aniston
to things like Jennifer Aniston
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哈里 · 贝瑞、
07:54
or Halle Berry
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或贾斯汀 · 特鲁多。
07:57
or Justin Trudeau.
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07:58
I mean --
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我的意思是——
（笑声）
07:59
(Laughter)
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事后看来，也不用太惊讶。
08:02
In hindsight, we shouldn't
have been that surprised.
have been that surprised.
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再说，你的神经元
大部分时间想的是什么呢？
大部分时间想的是什么呢？
08:04
I mean, what do your neurons
spend most of their time thinking about?
spend most of their time thinking about?
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（笑声）
08:07
(Laughter)
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但说真的，关键是，
08:09
But really, the point is that
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这项技术使我们能够开始
以个体为单位研究神经科学。
以个体为单位研究神经科学。
08:11
this technology enabled us to begin
studying neuroscience in individuals.
studying neuroscience in individuals.
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就像遗传学转化到
单细胞水平的研究，
单细胞水平的研究，
08:15
So much like the transition to genetics,
at the single cell level,
at the single cell level,
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我们开始在单个人类水平上
研究神经科学。
研究神经科学。
08:20
we started to study neuroscience,
at the single human level.
at the single human level.
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08:23
But we weren't quite there yet.
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但这一步也还不够。
08:25
Because these technologies
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因为这些技术
仍然局限于医学应用，
08:27
were still restricted
to medical applications,
to medical applications,
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意味着我们研究的是病态大脑，
而不是健康的大脑。
而不是健康的大脑。
08:30
which meant that we were studying
sick brains, not healthy brains.
sick brains, not healthy brains.
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08:35
Because no matter how safe
your technology is,
your technology is,
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因为不管技术有多安全，
你都不能为了研究目的把东西塞进
08:39
you can't stick something
into someone's brain
into someone's brain
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08:41
for research purposes.
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别人的大脑。
人们必须自己想要这么做。
08:43
They have to want it.
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08:44
And why would they want it?
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那人们为什么想这么做呢？
08:46
Because as soon as you have
an electrical connection to the brain,
an electrical connection to the brain,
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因为一旦大脑通了电，
就可以把人脑连接到电脑上。
08:49
you can use it to hook
the brain up to a computer.
the brain up to a computer.
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08:53
Oh, well, you know, the general public
was very skeptical at first.
was very skeptical at first.
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你知道，公众一开始很怀疑。
谁想把自己的大脑连到电脑上呢？
08:56
I mean, who wants to hook
their brain up to their computers?
their brain up to their computers?
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08:59
Well just imagine being able
to send an email with a thought.
to send an email with a thought.
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那想象一下，你可以
用你的想法来发电邮。
用你的想法来发电邮。
（笑声）
09:04
(Laughter)
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想象一下能用眼睛拍照。
09:06
Imagine being able to take
a picture with your eyes, OK?
a picture with your eyes, OK?
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（笑声）
09:10
(Laughter)
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想象永远不会忘记任何东西，
09:12
Imagine never forgetting anything anymore,
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因为你选择记住的所有事
09:15
because anything
that you choose to remember
that you choose to remember
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都将永久存储在某个硬盘上，
09:17
will be stored permanently
on a hard drive somewhere,
on a hard drive somewhere,
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可以随意回忆。
09:19
able to be recalled at will.
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547912
2029
09:21
(Laughter)
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3366
（笑声）
疯狂与眼界之间的界限
09:25
The line here
between crazy and visionary
between crazy and visionary
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一直不太清晰。
09:28
was never quite clear.
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09:30
But the systems were safe.
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但这些系统是安全的。
09:32
So when the FDA decided to deregulate
these laser-drilling systems, in 2043,
these laser-drilling systems, in 2043,
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因此，当FDA在2043年决定
解除对激光钻孔系统的管制时，
解除对激光钻孔系统的管制时，
商业需求爆发了。
09:37
commercial demand just exploded.
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565919
2357
人们的电邮签名变成，
09:40
People started signing their emails,
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“请原谅我的错别字。
09:42
"Please excuse any typos.
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本文来自我的大脑。”
09:43
Sent from my brain."
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（笑声）
09:44
(Laughter)
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1001
商业系统左右逢源，
09:45
Commercial systems
popped up left and right,
popped up left and right,
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2072
开始提供最新最大的
神经接口技术。
神经接口技术。
09:48
offering the latest and greatest
in neural interfacing technology.
in neural interfacing technology.
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3238
09:51
There were 100 electrodes.
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579792
1753
有百电极规格。
千电极规格。
09:53
A thousand electrodes.
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1911
高速带宽，每月仅99.99。
09:55
High bandwidth for only 99.99 a month.
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（笑声）
09:58
(Laughter)
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很快，大家都有了。
09:59
Soon, everyone had them.
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1534
10:01
And that was the key.
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那才是关键。
因为，到2050年代，
如果你是神经科学家，
如果你是神经科学家，
10:03
Because, in the 2050s,
if you were a neuroscientist,
if you were a neuroscientist,
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你可以到大街上
随便找个人来实验室。
随便找个人来实验室。
10:06
you could have someone come into your lab
essentially from off the street.
essentially from off the street.
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10:10
And you could have them engaged
in some emotional task
in some emotional task
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让他们做一些情绪任务、
社交行为或抽象推理，
10:13
or social behavior or abstract reasoning,
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这些不能用老鼠研究的东西。
10:16
things you could never study in mice.
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你可以用他们已经有的接口
10:18
And you could record
the activity of their neurons
the activity of their neurons
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记录他们神经元的活动。
10:21
using the interfaces
that they already had.
that they already had.
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3191
然后问他们的感受。
10:25
And then you could also ask them
about what they were experiencing.
about what they were experiencing.
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所以在动物身上永远无法建立的
心理学和神经科学
心理学和神经科学
10:28
So this link between
psychology and neuroscience
psychology and neuroscience
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之间的这种联系，就这么出现了。
10:31
that you could never make
in the animals, was suddenly there.
in the animals, was suddenly there.
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10:35
So perhaps the classic example of this
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这方面的典型例子可能是
发现了洞察力的神经基础。
10:37
was the discovery
of the neural basis for insight.
of the neural basis for insight.
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那种“原来如此！”的瞬间，
恍然大悟的时刻到来了。
恍然大悟的时刻到来了。
10:41
That "Aha!" moment, the moment
it all comes together, it clicks.
it all comes together, it clicks.
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3600
10:45
And this was discovered
by two scientists in 2055,
by two scientists in 2055,
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这是两位科学家巴里和雷特
在2055年发现的，
10:49
Barry and Late,
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他们在背侧前额叶皮层观察到
10:51
who observed, in the dorsal
prefrontal cortex,
prefrontal cortex,
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人的大脑如何理解一个想法，
10:54
how in the brain of someone
trying to understand an idea,
trying to understand an idea,
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不同的神经元群体
如何重新组织自己——
如何重新组织自己——
11:00
how different populations of neurons
would reorganize themselves --
would reorganize themselves --
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你现在看到的橙色是神经活动——
11:03
you're looking at neural
activity here in orange --
activity here in orange --
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直到它们的活动最终以一种
导向正反馈的方式匹配。
导向正反馈的方式匹配。
11:05
until finally their activity aligns
in a way that leads to positive feedback.
in a way that leads to positive feedback.
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3738
11:10
Right there.
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就这一下。
11:12
That is understanding.
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这就是理解。
11:15
So finally, we were able to get
at the things that make us human.
at the things that make us human.
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终于，我们能够找到
让我们成为人类的东西。
让我们成为人类的东西。
11:21
And that's what really opened the way
to major insights from medicine.
to major insights from medicine.
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它真正为医学的
深入研究开辟了道路。
深入研究开辟了道路。
11:27
Because, starting in the 2060s,
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因为从2060年代开始，
我们将有能力记录
这些不同精神疾病的
这些不同精神疾病的
11:30
with the ability to record
the neural activity
the neural activity
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患者大脑中的神经活动，
11:32
in the brains of patients
with these different mental diseases,
with these different mental diseases,
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3587
而不是像本世纪初那样，
11:36
rather than defining the diseases
on the basis of their symptoms,
on the basis of their symptoms,
236
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4690
根据症状来定义疾病，
11:41
as we had at the beginning of the century,
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2040
我们开始根据
11:43
we started to define them
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在神经层面观察到的
实际病理来定义疾病。
实际病理来定义疾病。
11:44
on the basis of the actual pathology
that we observed at the neural level.
that we observed at the neural level.
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3539
11:48
So for example, in the case of ADHD,
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例如，在多动症（ADHD）的例子中，
我们发现有数十种不同的疾病，
11:52
we discovered that there are
dozens of different diseases,
dozens of different diseases,
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所有这些疾病在本世纪初
都被称为ADHD，
都被称为ADHD，
11:55
all of which had been called ADHD
at the start of the century,
at the start of the century,
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3009
但它们除了症状相似之外，
11:58
that actually had nothing
to do with each other,
to do with each other,
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实际上彼此无关。
12:01
except that they had similar symptoms.
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12:03
And they needed to be treated
in different ways.
in different ways.
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并且需要以不同的方式治疗。
12:06
So it was kind of incredible,
in retrospect,
in retrospect,
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回想起来，令人难以置信的是，
在本世纪初，
12:08
that at the beginning of the century,
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我们一直用同一种药物
12:10
we had been treating
all those different diseases
all those different diseases
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治疗所有这些不同的疾病，
12:12
with the same drug,
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1183
基本上我们所做的就是
给患者服用安非他明。
给患者服用安非他明。
12:13
just by giving people amphetamine,
basically is what we were doing.
basically is what we were doing.
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3214
治疗精神分裂症和抑郁症也一样。
12:17
And schizophrenia and depression
are the same way.
are the same way.
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2488
因此，我们不再像以前那样，
几乎是随机地
几乎是随机地
12:19
So rather than prescribing drugs to people
essentially at random,
essentially at random,
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12:23
as we had,
253
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1150
给人们开药，
而是学会了如何预测
哪些药物对哪些患者
哪些药物对哪些患者
12:24
we learned how to predict
which drugs would be most effective
which drugs would be most effective
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3511
12:28
in which patients,
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1183
最有效，
这将带来治疗结果的巨大改善。
12:29
and that just led to this huge
improvement in outcomes.
improvement in outcomes.
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12:33
OK, I want to bring you back now
to the year 2017.
to the year 2017.
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3476
好的，现在我们回到2017年。
12:38
Some of this may sound satirical
or even far fetched.
or even far fetched.
258
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3373
有些内容可能听起来很讽刺，
甚至有些牵强。
甚至有些牵强。
有些的确是。
12:41
And some of it is.
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1293
12:43
I mean, I can't actually
see into the future.
see into the future.
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2651
我的意思是，我不能真的看到未来。
我也不知道
12:45
I don't actually know
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30年后我们是否
会在头上钻上成百上千个
会在头上钻上成百上千个
12:47
if we're going to be drilling hundreds
or thousands of microscopic holes
or thousands of microscopic holes
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12:51
in our heads in 30 years.
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1667
微小的孔。
12:53
But what I can tell you
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但我可以告诉你的是，
如果要在了解人脑或
12:55
is that we're not going
to make any progress
to make any progress
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2175
12:57
towards understanding the human brain
or human diseases
or human diseases
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3727
人类疾病方面取得任何进步，
13:01
until we figure out how to get
at the electrical activity of neurons
at the electrical activity of neurons
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4516
就必须先知道如何获得
健康人大脑神经元的电活动。
13:05
in healthy humans.
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1200
13:07
And almost no one is working
on figuring out how to do that today.
on figuring out how to do that today.
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3239
今天几乎没有人在研究
要如何做到这一点。
要如何做到这一点。
13:12
That is the future of neuroscience.
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2334
而这才是神经科学的未来。
13:14
And I think it's time for neuroscientists
to put down the mouse brain
to put down the mouse brain
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我认为是时候让
神经科学家放弃鼠脑，
神经科学家放弃鼠脑，
投入必要的人力和资金
13:19
and to dedicate the thought
and investment necessary
and investment necessary
272
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2754
13:21
to understand the human brain
and human disease.
and human disease.
273
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3267
去理解人脑和人类疾病了。
13:27
Thank you.
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谢谢。
（掌声）
13:28
(Applause)
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Translated by Yan Gao
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sam Rodriques - NeuroengineerSam Rodriques invents new technologies to help neuroscientists understand how the brain works.
Why you should listen
Sam Rodriques has designed a new nanofabrication method and a new approach to sensing neural activity with probes in the bloodstream, and his forthcoming technologies are aimed at understanding the spatial organization of cells in the brain and the transcriptional activity of neurons over time. He is a graduate student in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with affiliations at the MIT Media Lab, the MIT Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. He graduated summa cum laude with highest honors in Physics from Haverford College, where he worked on new methods for calculating quantum entanglement in multipartite quantum systems. He has received numerous national awards and fellowships to support his research, including the Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship, an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and a Churchill Scholarship.
Sam Rodriques | Speaker | TED.com