I think we underestimate how important touch actually is

我覺得我們低估了觸摸的重要性

in our social interaction.

在我們的社會交往中。

Human touch is key to our survival. It's in our DNA.

人類的接觸是我們生存的關鍵。它在我們的DNA中。

Touch is deeply under-researched.

觸摸的研究深度不夠。

There are probably 100 papers on vision for every one on touch.

每一篇關於觸控的論文，可能就有100篇關於視覺的論文。

We tend to take touch for granted.

我們往往認為觸摸是理所當然的。

Touch relies literally on the whole of our skin.

觸摸實際上依靠的是我們的整個皮膚。

It's the organ of touch.

這是觸摸的器官。

But what happens when we touch other people?

但是，當我們接觸到別人的時候，會發生什麼？

And why is that special?

為什麼會有這樣的特別之處呢？

Touching other people is processed by the brain with different mechanisms.

觸摸別人是由大腦以不同的機制處理的。

We discovered very late - only in the 1990s -

我們很晚才發現--只是在1990年代才發現。

that in humans we have a specialised set of cells in the skin,

在人類的皮膚上，我們有一組特殊的細胞。

which then travel with specialised pathways

然後通過專門的途徑

to particular parts of the brain.

到大腦的特定部位。

And this system is called the C-Tactile System.

而這個系統叫做C-觸覺系統。

The hand strokes parting the fur

撫摸著毛髮的手

sends this signal to the brain saying,

把這個信號傳給大腦說：

"You're in close physical contact with your best friend here."

"你在這裡和你最好的朋友有密切的身體接觸。"

And what that does in the brain is trigger the endorphin system.

而在大腦中的作用是觸發內啡肽系統。

We feel very relaxed, and - particularly important -

我們感到非常輕鬆，尤其是重要的是，我們感到非常輕鬆。

trusting in the person we're doing this activity with.

相信與我們一起做這個活動的人。

And that creates this sense of friendship.

而這也造就了這種友誼的感覺。

Light, slow, stroking at exactly 2.5cm a second.

輕輕的，慢慢的，一秒鐘正好撫摸2.5釐米。

This is the caress that we are hard-wired to like.

這就是我們硬生生喜歡的愛撫。

It's comforting!

很舒服！

What happens here then?

那這裡會發生什麼？

So the cuddle sessions take place at one of the pods.

所以，抱抱會在其中一個艙裡進行。

Cuddle therapy involves hugs, stroking, squeezes -

擁抱療法包括擁抱、撫摸、擠壓--。

all sorts of forms of platonic touch.

各種形式的柏拉圖式的接觸。

It's a very simple practice.

這是一個很簡單的做法。

Yet it can actually have rather powerful effects on people.

然而它對人的影響其實是相當強大的。

It can stabilise their heart rate. It can improve their weight gain.

它可以穩定他們的心率。 它可以改善他們的體重增長。

And some studies for low birth weight babies

還有一些針對低出生體重兒的研究

even suggest that the time they stay in hospital

甚至建議他們在醫院的時間

can be reduced if they have lots of touch stimulation.

如果他們有大量的觸摸刺激，可以減少。

It's really forming the first part of social bonding.

它真正形成了社會聯繫的第一部分。

Which is why I say if you really want to know how somebody feels about you,

這就是為什麼我說如果你真的想知道別人對你的感覺，

don't listen to what they tell you, just feel how they touch you.

不要聽他們說什麼，只是感覺他們如何觸摸你。

If we have a situation where we're not able to touch the people

如果我們出現了摸不到人的情況

in our daily lives that we normally touch,

在我們平時接觸的日常生活中。

it's not like everything is going to fall apart instantly.

它不像一切都會立即崩潰。

But our feelings of connection, of empathy, of trust

但我們的聯繫感、共鳴感、信任感。

will slowly degrade.

會慢慢退化。

Anybody who I care about, you get a hug.

凡是我關心的人，都會給你一個擁抱。

So my biggest struggle is not being able to hug my mum, to wash her hair,

所以我最大的困難是不能抱著媽媽，不能給媽媽洗頭。

to do all the things that we do bonding - paint her nails,

做所有我們做的事情粘合 - 畫她的指甲。

I do her feet for her. That one broke my heart.

我為她做腳。那個讓我心碎。

Still when I think about it, I could cry.

不過當我想到這裡，我還是會哭。

If you deprive an animal of touch, the animals become literally sick

如果你剝奪了動物的觸覺，動物就會真的生病了

both in the mind - they develop a lot of anxiety -

兩者都在腦海中 - 他們開發了很多焦慮 -

and also they live less, and they're less healthy in the long term.

而且他們也活得比較少，從長遠來看，他們也不太健康。

The whole social concept of touch is really changing in society.

整個社會的觸覺概念確實在社會上發生了變化。

Does it feel like the pupils are learning not to touch?

是否感覺到學生在學習不接觸？

It does feel a little bit like that,

確實有點這樣的感覺。

which is sad.

這是可悲的。

When people during lockdown were exposed to films

當人們在封鎖期間接觸到電影

where there was natural touch, people had a jump.

哪裡有自然的觸感，哪裡就有人跳。

They started talking to the TV, "No, you can't do that!"

他們開始對著電視說："不，你不能這樣做！"

So that's a good sign of how quickly we learn to inhibit ourselves.

所以這就說明我們很快就學會了抑制自己。

I don't think you'll see people interacting in the same way

我想你不會看到人們以同樣的方式進行互動的

that we did before the pandemic.

疫情發生前我們所做的。

I find it very unlikely that we would ever lose

我覺得我們不太可能會失敗

the sense of importance of touch.

觸覺的重要性。

You should never say never, when it comes to evolution.

說到進化論，你永遠不應該說永遠。

But it will all depend on whether other forms of behaviour

但這一切將取決於是否有其他形式的行為。

that allow us to trigger the endorphin system in the brain

讓我們能夠觸發大腦中的內啡肽系統。

to create friendships, really start to work better

建立友誼，真正開始更好的工作。

or more efficiently than physical touch.

或比物理觸摸更有效。

And I suspect that's unlikely

而且我懷疑這是不可能的

unless we give up all notion of having romantic relationships.

除非我們放棄所有的概念 有浪漫的關係。

I think the future should be hugs - all day.

我想未來應該是擁抱--整天都是。

All day, every day.

整天，每天。