that is why today i am going to use scientific principles to help you understand and cope with the inevitable

「你一定會死」 聽起來很可怕，對吧

ending of your life.

所以今天這個主題，就是要教你用科學原理

Grade 7 was the first i ever processed the concept of dying. I remember freezing in my tracks and thinking,

理解並消化「生命無常」

wait so, this is all just going to end? Mommy!

我在國一那年，第一次認真想過「死亡」

I eventually agreed with my own brain to suppres this fear and just go through the motions of life.

當時我腦筋一片空白

I put excessive energy into schoolwork, got pimples, started date girls, realizing I only wanted to to them

心想：不會吧…我會就這麼死掉！？媽呀！

about the Lizzie McGuire movie, so I started dating guys, but it wasn't until my brilliant high school teachers

最後我和自己的大腦打勾勾，壓下恐懼成功挺過來

made me fall head over heals in love with science, that a healthy perspective on death began to emerge.

我開始超認真念書、長青春痘、把妹

Your body is controlled by genes that code for proteins that lead to the formation of

突然發現我只想跟她們聊偶像劇

neural impulses that make constantly search out for meaning in life.

所以我開始交男朋友

This was first shown in a slightly violent study in the 1960. Participants visualized videos of victims

直到遇到一個超棒的高中老師 讓我一頭栽進科學的領域

suffering electrical shocks. the participants watching the

我才開始用健康的心態看死亡

videos would harshly judge the victims of the shocks as bad people.

基因組成蛋白質、蛋白質觸發神經衝動 這一連串反應造就生命的起源

Psychologists and bioligists began to posit that humans feel an inate impulse to create meaning.

這件事是在1960年有點不人道的實驗中發現的

In this case if you had to watch someone get electrically shocked, then they must have deserved it.

受試者要眼睜睜的看影片中的人被電擊

It is now understood that according to your biology, you and everyone else on the planet will constantly

他們會毫不留情地說受害者是壞人

be looking for meaning to life, and to death. So according to science at least you know you're not alone

所以心理學家和生物學家假設 人與生俱來會賦予事物意義

in any attempt to explain your own death.

要是你被迫要看某人被電擊，你只能理解為他活該

Now lets zoom out . Look at the night sky and you see the milky way galaxy full of an estimated

結論是，所有的人都在探討生命和死亡的意義

100 billion stars. That is is just one galaxy, there this a billion other galaxies in our observable universe,

不過至少就科學上來說 你知道不是只有你會想要理解死亡

which is only expanded and getting bigger. How can we matter in such an expansive universe?

鏡頭拉遠，來看夜空中由千億星星組成的銀河系

Well, put both of your firsts together like this. That is roughly the size of your brain.

這只是1個星系，你至少還可以觀測到10億個 而且宇宙還在不斷膨脹擴張中

An organ that has evolved over millions of years to have 86 billion neurons and even Glial cells to support it.

那我們在浩瀚無垠的宇宙中又算哪根蔥？

There are more cells in your brain than stars in the milky way galaxy.

來，像我一樣握緊拳頭

You have an incredibly biological machine tucked wonderfully into your skull right now,

恩，你大腦大概只有這麼大

that is astonishingly capable of conceptualizing the very idea that our universe is huge, expanding and vast.

但經過幾百萬年的演化，你的腦袋有860億個神經元

Science essential proves you are exceptionally smart. Before you die,

以及多更多的膠質細胞在支撐

you have unique opportunity to live a complex and wonderful life. Like all other forms of life on earth,

你大腦中的細胞比銀河系中的星星還要多

you are made of atoms and atoms and molecules smashing into one another,

你腦中有個超厲害的神經網路

absorbing energy from your environment, but unique to you, in your amazing brain,

足以讓你了解宇宙這種無邊無際的概念

is the ability to contemplate your actions, make decisions, and care.

科學證明：你超級無敵聰明！

Now let's zoom in. As a science teacher I know you should all remember drawing

在死前，身為人類的你可以活得非常精彩

the electron diagrams of the first 20 elements of the periodic table.

跟地球上所有的生命一樣，你是由原子組成

This is part of most, worldwide, high school science curriculum's. If you don't remember doing that,

原子又組成分子，分子碰在一起 吸取環境中的養分

then on behalf of all science teachers everywhere... clap clap

但人類特別的地方，在於有神奇的大腦

Eyes on the board please? Thank you. Can we all pay more attention in class?

讓我們能考慮、做複雜的決定和有感情

These diagrams were meant to show you that everything in our known universe is made up of

鏡頭拉近，身為自然老師的我知道

protons, electrons, and neutrons.

你應該記得元素週期表前20個元素吧

Yes we can get even smaller into the realm of quarks, Bosons or neutrinos,

大概全世界的高中都有教這個吧

in fact, the sun is constantly emitting neutrinos with 100 trillion of them passing through your body every second.

要是你不記得，我代表全體自然科老師…噹爆你

But let's stay on topic, we're talking today about death. We'll save neutrinos for another day.

看黑板好嗎？謝謝。大家給我上課認真點啊

These protons, neutrons and electrons are all governed by forces that help explain, well, everything.

這張圖告訴我們，世上所有東西都是由 質子、電子和中子組成

How you evolved how you move, and yes, most importantly, how your phone works (hello?)

當然也可以再細分成夸克、玻色子和微中子等

You can describe your whole life based on the positions , velocities, and orientations of all of these atoms in your body,

小知識，太陽每秒都會向你的身體發射100兆個微中子

and this is called kinetic theory.

咳咳…言歸正傳，我們今天要探討死亡 改天再來談微中子

You can use the kinetic theory to explain how plants absorb energy from the sun through photosynthesis.

將這些質子、中子和電子緊密結合的力量 可以用來解釋所有事情

We eats plants or animals that have eaten plants, in order to gain that energy.

像是人類是怎麼演化、移動

Our bodies use that energy to power the process of the special molecule a called ATP,

以及最重要的，你電話怎麼運作(嗨?)

which powers every part of your life.

你可以用體內原子的位置、速度和方向解釋生命

Muscle contraction, transporting molecules throughout the body, synthesizing DNA etc.

也就是所謂的運動學(Kinetic Theory)

And yes, ATP is synthesized in the mitochondria, making the mitochondria the powerhouse of the cell.

你可以用運動學解釋植物如何透過光合作用吸收太陽能

Infact, to stay alive, you'll typically create and use your whole bodyweight inATP molecules in one day.

人類吃植物或動物來吸收那些能量

But, this also means that according to the kinetic, theory, regardless of your religion or spirituality,

而身體會利用能量，啟動ATP分子 進而提供身體各部能量所需

dying means that life as we know it ends.

像是肌肉收縮、分子運輸及DNA合成等等

As your body loses the capability of creating ATP, and you start to physically fall apart.

而ATP是在粒線體中合成的 所以粒線體又可稱為細胞發電機

And one study found that when given the option to essentially produce ATP forever and live for eternity,

事實上，你每天得製造跟體重一樣重的ATP維生

overwhelming people said no, they want to eventually die. The fact that death is looming is what makes life so special.

因此根據運動學，無論你信什麼教

And in a wonderful way, death is really the only thing that we all have in common.

死亡意味著身體停止運作

In many ways, death is the meaning of life.

一旦身體逐漸喪失製造ATP的能力，你就會開始退化

Also passionately learning about science offers the unique opportunity to grasp what science can't explain.

根據一項研究發現 如果有機會能一直製造ATP和獲得永生

And knowing what science doesn't know can bring clarity. Takes these 3 examples of Shawn Caroll's

大部分人還是會說，不了，我還是想死

epic book, the big picture. 1 the universe is expanding, 2 humans and chimpanzees share a common anscestor,

死亡的逼近造就生命的獨特性

3 we should live happier and longer lives.

好消息是，每個人都會死

The first 2 statements are rooted in science. We use impericism, resoning and observation to explain them.

而死亡在許多方面代表了生命的意義

The last statement is not rooted in science. Science doesn't involve doing experiments

對於科學的熱忱，也讓我得以了解到科學無法解釋的事

to decide if people should lead happier, longer lives. Science just observes the world and it doesn't

而了解科學無法解釋之事讓我思路更加清晰

say whether something is right or wrong.

而我想要引用Shawn Carroll寫的 The Big Picture中的3個例子

Another way of looking at this is through evolution. Evolution is an incredible process based on

一、宇宙正在擴張中

millions of years of change, adaptation, and impulses. It just follows the laws of nature,

二、人類和黑猩猩有共同祖先

but can't explain how to live your life.

三、我們應該致力於讓人類活得更開心更長壽

You have the power to change your life. You have the power to care about others,

前兩個論點源於科學

and you have the power life love laugh, babe, and that is incredible.

我們用經驗主義、邏輯推理及實際觀察來證明

After you do inevitably die, you live on in the memories of others for the time being.

最後一個論點不是從科學出發

And then, you'll be forgotten in the change and passing of life.

科學家從不是為了讓人們活得開心長壽而做實驗

There are this any atoms in your body which insanely amazing but, these little guys will eventually stop being you.

他們純粹只是觀察世界，而非判斷是非真假

And even though collectively they will no longer be you, it is comforting to know

我們也可以從演化的角度來看

that they will remain on earth after you have left.

演化指的是數百萬年的改變、適應和衝動

Once gone, even if the whole human race vanishes, the universe will still be here doing its thing,

它只遵循自然法則，無法解釋如何生活

moving along according to the laws of nature. But sticking to right now,

你才是人生的主人、你才是有能力照顧別人的人

according to science, we are all sharing this universe,

你才是能活著、愛著、笑著的人，非常了不起吧！

sharing the same laws of nature and sharing the same task of creating meaning to what is happening around us.

你去世後，會換個形式活在大家的記憶裡

It is estimated that you have around 3 billion heat beats in a life time, so it is up to you to make them count.

然後隨著時光流逝逐漸被淡忘

So, some scientific reasons to not fear death is 1, we humans are meaning making machines,

你體內有這—麼—多的原子

we can choose to not make death a dreadful thing, and choose to live a meaningful life.

但這些小傢伙總有一天也會不屬於你

2, you might feel insignificant, but there lies within you more neural cells than stars in our universe.

即使它們不再是你，值得欣慰的是

3, eventually you will stop making ATP, but the fact that it ends, is what makes life so great.

它們還是會在你死後繼續留在地球上

4, science can't explain everything, so it us to you to choose to live your life to your fullest.

你死後、甚至是人類滅亡後 宇宙會一直存在

And 5, eventually your atoms will atoms will stop being you, but you were made of will likely carry on for eternity.

根據自然法則繼續運作

Science is a brilliant way to view the complexity of your life and help inform how you live it, while here,

根據自然，人類依舊共享宇宙

and thankfully, if you are still watching this, congratulations, you are alive,

共同遵循所有自然法則、以及賦予生活周遭意義

but again if there's one thing I can say about you right now, it is that you, yes you are going to die.

據估計，心臟在一生中會跳動3兆次

I'm constantly on a quest to deal with my own fear of death and this book helped me with this video a lot,

端看你要如何「跳」得精彩

its called the picture by Shawn Carroll it is amazing, check it out.

總結幾個科學原因讓你不再害怕死亡：

It talks about morality, consciousness, life, death, and all through the realm of science.

一、人類賦予生活意義

We'll leave the link to get the book below and make sure you subscribe for more science videos, peace.

死亡可以不可怕，我們也可以選擇過有意義的人生