Whether at school or at the office, the times that you need your brain at its sharpest are inevitably spent in cramped, crowded spaces, where air flow is… air flow is... no... must keep brain awake...do the thing.

無論在學校或辦公室，當你最需要頭腦清醒的時候，卻必須待在狹窄擁擠的空間，空氣瀰漫著…不！你需要讓腦袋清醒…做事呀！

Hey everybody, this is Matt Lieberman filling in for DNews.

嘿大家好，我是 DNews 的 Matt Lieberman。

Researchers and civilians alike have long been aware of the harmful effects of high levels of carbon dioxide on the brain.

研究人員和多數民眾早已知道，高濃度的二氧化碳對大腦有害。

For example, an environment where the air contains 100,000 parts per million of CO2 can render an adult unconscious.

例如，空氣中含有 10% 二氧化碳的環境可以使一個成年人昏迷。

But few had considered what low amounts of carbon dioxide could do to the human brain.

但很少人知道在二氧化碳濃度低時會對大腦產生的影響。

It turns out, even levels as low as 1,000 parts per million can reduce the brain's ability to focus and function properly.

事實證明，只要二氧化碳濃度低於 0.1%，就可能會降低大腦的注意力、正常運行的功能。

And considering that we produce carbon dioxide every time we exhale, that's a big old problem.

有鑑於我們每次吐氣就會產出二氧化碳，那是個老問題。

The longer we stay in an unventilated space, especially with multiple people, the higher the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

在不通風的空間待得越久，尤其是人多的地方，二氧化碳在空氣中的濃度就會越高。

Now, researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory drew inspiration from a 2012 study in Budapest, the first on record to examine the negative effects of small environments with CO2 levels of 3000 parts per million.

那麼，勞倫斯伯克利國家實驗室的研究人員，由 2012 年布達佩斯的研究得到靈感，是有史以來第一次研究待在二氧化碳濃度 0.3% 的小空間會有什麼負面影響。

Now, the prevailing theories in the field of human concentration were focused exclusively on the effects of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, on the human brain.

那麼，關於人類專注力的理論僅僅著重於揮發性有機物 (VOCs) 對人類大腦的影響。

These are gases emitted from building materials and personal care products found in a work environment.

它們是由工作環境中，建築材料和個人護理產品排放出的氣體。

However, they never accounted for the level of carbon dioxide that can build up in a crowded space over time.

然而它們並沒有解釋在擁擠的空間中會隨著時間的推移而提升的二氧化碳濃度。

So what's a researcher with a scientific itch to do?

所以科學研究人員該怎麼做？

Give it a good, long scratch with a sweet little study.

來個痛快的小實驗吧！

Check this out: Berkeley's William Fisk collaborated with SUNY Upstate Medical University's Usha Satish to see how well a small group of participants—22 to be exact—could perform a test called the Strategic Management Simulation in an environment containing 600, 1000, and then 2500 parts per million of CO2.

看看這個：伯克萊分校的 William Fisk 與紐約州立大學北部醫學院的 Usha Satish 合作觀察一小群受試者，準確來說是 22 人在稱為策略模擬實驗中的表現，這個模擬環境中分別有 0.06%、0.1%、 0.25% 濃度的二氧化碳。

What is the Strategic Management Simulation?

什麼是策略模擬實驗？

It's a series of hypothetical scenarios that participants must develop strategic responses for.

受試者須在一系列的假設情境下訂定他們的策略反應。

Think Dungeons and Dragons without the dungeons, dragons, or dice.

想像是沒有道具的龍與地下城 (角色扮演桌遊)。

Or swords or magic.

又或魔法之劍 (線上遊戲)。

Participants in the SMS were then graded on nine different criteria, ranging from focus, initiative, information usage, and basic strategy.

模擬實驗中有九種評分標準，類別包含專注力、積極度、資訊運用和基本策略。

The results are striking, to say the least.

至少可以這麼說，結果是非常驚人的。

The impact of CO2 at 2500 parts per million on the human brain is the equivalent of a blood alcohol level of 0.08, the legal limit to drive in the majority of the United States.

在二氧化碳濃度為 0.25% 時人的大腦狀態相當於血液中酒精含量達到 0.08%，是美國多數地區允許開車上路的法定上限。

So how common are environments containing 2500 parts per million or more of CO2?

二氧化碳濃度為 0.25% 以上的環境有多常見呢？

Well, Fisk told Vox.com that the majority of offices are below 1000 parts per million, but a crowded conference room can easily exceed the 2500 threshold in the span of 30 minutes.

Fisk told Vox.com 調查表示，大多數的辦公室二氧化碳濃度低於 0.1%，但在擁擠的會議室，30 分鐘內便很容易超過 0.25% 的門檻。

But of course these findings need to be replicated on a larger scale to be authenticated.

不過還需要大規模一再試驗，結論才能具公信力。

Until then, however, let's all crack a collective window, shall we?

在此之前，我們是不是應該要打破所有的窗戶呀？

So what do you think about the effects of carbon dioxide on the brain?

那麼，你如何看待二氧化碳對人腦的影響呢？

Let us know down in the comments below.

在下面留言讓我們知道吧！

I'm Matt Lieberman filling in for DNews.

我是 DNews 的 Matt Lieberman。

You can find more of my videos over at SourceFed and SourceFedNERD.

你可以在 SourceFed 和 SourceFedNERD 找到我更多的影片。

Please like the video and subscribe to the channel.

請幫這部影片點個讚，並且訂閱我們的頻道。

Thanks for watching.

謝謝收看！