for any species to let loose on its planet.

文化的演化是個危險小孩

By the time you realize what's happening, the child is a toddler,

任何物種如果放任它在星球上。

up and causing havoc, and it's too late to put it back.

等你察覺出了事，小孩已在學步，

We humans are Earth's Pandoran species.

四處闖禍，將它帶回已太遲。

We're the ones who let the second replicator out of its box,

我們人類是地球的潘朵拉物種。

and we can't push it back in.

我們把第二個複製體放出盒子，

We're seeing the consequences all around us.

而我們無法將它收回。

Now that, I suggest, is the view that

我們正看到身邊的後果。

comes out of taking memetics seriously.

現在，我認為這個觀點

And it gives us a new way of thinking about

是認真看待迷因論而來的。

not only what's going on on our planet,

它提供我們一個新方法去思考

but what might be going on elsewhere in the cosmos.

不僅我們星球發生了什麼事，

So first of all, I'd like to say something about memetics

還有宇宙他處可能有什麼事。

and the theory of memes,

首先，我要談談迷因論，

and secondly, how this might answer questions about who's out there,

就是迷因的理論,

if indeed anyone is.

其次，談這可能解答外太空有誰，

So, memetics:

是否真的有誰。

memetics is founded on the principle of Universal Darwinism.

迷因論。

Darwin had this amazing idea.

迷因論是根據通用達爾文理論而來的。

Indeed, some people say

達爾文有這個驚奇想法。

it's the best idea anybody ever had.

真的，有人說：

Isn't that a wonderful thought, that there could be such a thing

那是有史以來最好的想法。

as a best idea anybody ever had?

那豈不是絕妙的觀點，認為有件事可以是

Do you think there could?

有史以來最好的想法？

Audience: No.

你認為有可能嗎？

(Laughter)

(觀眾：不)

Susan Blackmore: Someone says no, very loudly, from over there.

(笑聲)

Well, I say yes, and if there is, I give the prize to Darwin.

那邊有人很大聲地說：｢不｣。

Why?

但我說｢有｣，如果有，我將頒獎給達爾文。

Because the idea was so simple,

為什麼？

and yet it explains all design in the universe.

因為這個想法那麼簡單，

I would say not just biological design,

卻解釋了宇宙的一切設計。

but all of the design that we think of as human design.

我認為不只是生物的設計，

It's all just the same thing happening.

還有一切我們認為的人為設計。

What did Darwin say?

其發生的原理完全一樣。

I know you know the idea, natural selection,

達爾文說了什麼？

but let me just paraphrase "The Origin of Species," 1859,

我想你知道他的想法：｢天擇｣

in a few sentences.

讓我用｢物種起源｣， 1859 年版，

What Darwin said was something like this:

套幾句話解釋一下。

if you have creatures that vary, and that can't be doubted --

達爾文說的就像 －

I've been to the Galapagos, and I've measured the size of the beaks

如果你有生物的變異，這是無庸置疑的 －

and the size of the turtle shells and so on, and so on.

我到過加拉巴哥群島，測量過鳥嘴

And 100 pages later.

和龜殼的尺寸等等...

(Laughter)

翻過 100 頁 －

And if there is a struggle for life,

(笑聲)

such that nearly all of these creatures die --

如果有生存競爭，

and this can't be doubted, I've read Malthus

使幾乎所有的生物都死亡 －

and I've calculated how long it would take for elephants

這無庸置疑，我讀過馬爾薩斯

to cover the whole world if they bred unrestricted, and so on and so on.

我計算過要多少時間會使大象

And another 100 pages later.

在不受限制的成長下，充滿整個世界，等等...

And if the very few that survive pass onto their offspring

再翻過 100 頁。

whatever it was that helped them survive,

如果少數幾個活下來，傳承給子孫

then those offspring must be better adapted

有助它們存活的任何條件，

to the circumstances in which all this happened

則這些子孫必然比祖先

than their parents were.

更能適應發生這一切

You see the idea?

的環境情況。

If, if, if, then.

你看到這個想法了嗎？

He had no concept of the idea of an algorithm,

如果、如果、如果，則

but that's what he described in that book,

他並沒有運算法的概念。

and this is what we now know as the evolutionary algorithm.

但他在書上寫的就是這樣，

The principle is you just need those three things --

就是現在我們所知的演化運算法。

variation, selection and heredity.

原則上你只需三樣東西 －

And as Dan Dennett puts it, if you have those,

變異、選擇、及遺傳。

then you must get evolution.

就如 Dan Dennett 所說，如果有這些

Or design out of chaos, without the aid of mind.

必然會有演化。

There's one word I love on that slide.

或：不用心智的輔助，混沌即會產出設計。

What do you think my favorite word is?

幻燈片中有個字我很喜歡，

Audience: Chaos.

你猜我喜歡的是哪個字？

SB: Chaos? No. What? Mind? No.

(觀眾：混沌)

Audience: Without.

｢混沌｣？不是。｢心智｣？不是。

SB: No, not without.

(觀眾：不用)

(Laughter)

不是，不是「不用」。

You try them all in order: Mmm...?

(笑聲)

Audience: Must.

你們依序再猜：嗯？

SB: Must, at must. Must, must.

(觀眾：必然)

This is what makes it so amazing.

必然、必然、必然、必然。

You don't need a designer,

就是它才那麼驚奇。

or a plan, or foresight, or anything else.

你不需要設計師，

If there's something that is copied with variation

或計畫，或先見、或任何什麼。

and it's selected, then you must get design appearing out of nowhere.

如果有變異的複製

You can't stop it.

並被選擇，則無中必然會有設計出現。

Must is my favorite word there.

你無法停止它。

Now, what's this to do with memes?

此處，「必然」是我喜歡的字。

Well, the principle here applies to anything

而這和迷因有什關係？

that is copied with variation and selection.

嗯，這個原則適用任何情形

We're so used to thinking in terms of biology,

就是有變異和選擇的複製。

we think about genes this way.

我們太習慣於生物學的觀點，

Darwin didn't, of course; he didn't know about genes.

我們以此方式思考基因。

He talked mostly about animals and plants,

達爾文則當然沒有, 他不知道基因。

but also about languages evolving and becoming extinct.

他大部分提到動物、植物，

But the principle of Universal Darwinism

但也提到語言的演化與滅絕。

is that any information that is varied and selected

但通用達爾文論的原則

will produce design.

是任何有變異及被選擇的資訊

And this is what Richard Dawkins was on about

都會產生設計。

in his 1976 bestseller, "The Selfish Gene."

這也是理察·道金斯在他的

The information that is copied, he called the replicator.

1976 年暢銷書「自私的基因」中談的。

It selfishly copies.

被複製的資訊，他叫做複製體。

Not meaning it kind of sits around inside cells going, "I want to get copied."

它自私地複製。

But that it will get copied if it can,

不是說它躺在細胞裡叫著「我要被複製」。

regardless of the consequences.

而是只要能夠，它就會被複製，

It doesn't care about the consequences because it can't,

不論後果如何。

because it's just information being copied.

它不在意後果，因為它無從在意，

And he wanted to get away

因為複製的只是資訊。

from everybody thinking all the time about genes,

他想要跳脫，

and so he said, "Is there another replicator out there on the planet?"

大家總是想到基因，

Ah, yes, there is.

因此他說：「行星上還有另一個複製體嗎？」

Look around you -- here will do, in this room.

是的，有的。

All around us, still clumsily drifting about

看看四周，這房間裡就有。

in its primeval soup of culture, is another replicator.

我們四周，仍拙然浮現著

Information that we copy from person to person, by imitation,

文化原汁的，是另一個複製體。

by language, by talking, by telling stories,

經由模仿，資訊在人與人之間複製著，

by wearing clothes, by doing things.

經由語言、交談、敍事、

This is information copied with variation and selection.

穿著、行為等。

This is design process going on.

這是有變異與選擇的資訊複製。

He wanted a name for the new replicator.

是進行中的設計過程。

So, he took the Greek word "mimeme," which means that which is imitated.

他要為這新複製體取個新名字。

Remember that, that's the core definition:

因此他用希臘字 mimeme，意指「模仿之物」。

that which is imitated.

記住，這是它的本義。

And abbreviated it to meme, just because it sounds good

指「模仿之物」。

and made a good meme, an effective spreading meme.

將它簡化為 meme，因為好唸

So that's how the idea came about.

而成為好的迷因，有效傳播的迷因。

It's important to stick with that definition.

這就是此想法的來源。

The whole science of memetics is much maligned,

謹守這個定義是重要的。

much misunderstood, much feared.

整個迷因論受到太多詆毀，

But a lot of these problems can be avoided

太多誤解，太多憂懼。

by remembering the definition.

但許多問題可以避免掉，

A meme is not equivalent to an idea.

只要記住這個定義。

It's not an idea. It's not equivalent to anything else, really.

迷因不等於一個想法。

Stick with the definition.

它不是想法，它也不等於任何事,，真的。

It's that which is imitated,

謹守這個定義。

or information which is copied from person to person.

它是模仿之物。

So, let's see some memes.

或指在人與人之間複製的資訊。

Well, you sir, you've got those glasses hung around your neck

那麼，讓我們來看一些迷因。

in that particularly fetching way.

先生，你的眼鏡掛在脖子上

I wonder whether you invented that idea for yourself,

是一種特別的拿取方式。

or copied it from someone else?

我好奇那是你自己發明的想法，

If you copied it from someone else, it's a meme.

或複製自別人？

And what about, oh, I can't see any interesting memes here.

如果你複製自別人，那就是個迷因。

All right everyone, who's got some interesting memes for me?

還有，這裡我看不到任何有趣的迷因。

Oh, well, your earrings,

各位，誰有有趣的迷因？

I don't suppose you invented the idea of earrings.

好，你的耳環，

You probably went out and bought them.

我不認為你發明了耳環的想法。

There are plenty more in the shops.

或許是你出去買的。

That's something that's passed on from person to person.

店裡有很多。

All the stories that we're telling -- well, of course,

這就是在人與人之間傳遞的。

TED is a great meme-fest, masses of memes.

所有我們說的故事，當然

The way to think about memes, though,

TED 是個大的迷因饗宴，有大量的迷因。

is to think, why do they spread?

考慮迷因的一個方式是，

They're selfish information, they will get copied, if they can.

想想它們為什麼會傳播？

But some of them will be copied because they're good,

它們是自私的資訊，它們盡可能讓人複製。

or true, or useful, or beautiful.

有些被複製，因為它們很好、

Some of them will be copied even though they're not.

真實、有用、或美妙。

Some, it's quite hard to tell why.

有些雖不是，也將被複製。

There's one particular curious meme which I rather enjoy.

有些，很難說明為什麼。

And I'm glad to say, as I expected, I found it when I came here,

有一種特別好奇的迷因我很欣賞。

and I'm sure all of you found it, too.

我很高興地說，如預期地我在這裡找到了它，

You go to your nice, posh, international hotel somewhere,

我確定你們也都發現了它。

and you come in and you put down your clothes

你到某處的豪華國際旅館，

and you go to the bathroom, and what do you see?

進去後，放下你的衣服

Audience: Bathroom soap.

到了浴室，你看到什麼？

SB: Pardon?

(觀眾：肥皂)

Audience: Soap.

什麼？

SB: Soap, yeah. What else do you see?

(觀眾：肥皂)

Audience: (Inaudible)

肥皂，是呀。還看到什麼？

SB: Mmm mmm.

(觀眾：...)

Audience: Sink, toilet!

嗯、嗯。

SB: Sink, toilet, yes, these are all memes, they're all memes,

(觀眾：洗臉盆、馬桶)

but they're sort of useful ones, and then there's this one.

洗臉盆、馬桶，對，這些都是迷因，都是迷因，

(Laughter)

它們是有用的迷因，還有這個。

What is this one doing?

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

這個做什麼？

This has spread all over the world.

(笑聲)

It's not surprising that you all found it

這已傳遍全世界。

when you arrived in your bathrooms here.

無疑你們都發現了它

But I took this photograph in a toilet at the back of a tent

在你來到這裡的浴室時。

in the eco-camp in the jungle in Assam.

但這張照片拍自一個帳篷後的廁所

(Laughter)

是在阿隡姆叢林的生態營中。

Who folded that thing up there, and why?

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

誰把它摺成那樣，為什麼？

Some people get carried away.

(笑聲)

(Laughter)

有些人受影響過了頭。

Other people are just lazy and make mistakes.

(笑聲)

Some hotels exploit the opportunity to put even more memes

其他人則太懶並弄錯了。

with a little sticker.

有些旅館趁機會加入更多迷因

(Laughter)

附上小貼標。

What is this all about?

(笑聲)

I suppose it's there to tell you that somebody's

到底是怎麼了？

cleaned the place, and it's all lovely.

我想它是要告訴你：有人已經

And you know, actually, all it tells you is that another person

清潔了這地方，全都好了。

has potentially spread germs from place to place.

你知道，實際上它告訴你的是：另個人

(Laughter)

有可能散播細菌到各處。

So, think of it this way.

(笑聲)

Imagine a world full of brains

因此用這方式去想它。

and far more memes than can possibly find homes.

想像世界上充滿了頭腦

The memes are all trying to get copied --

但有更多的迷因找不到家。

trying, in inverted commas -- i.e.,

迷因都試著要被複製，

that's the shorthand for, if they can get copied, they will.

試著，明白地講

They're using you and me as their propagating, copying machinery,

就是：｢盡其所能地被複製｣。

and we are the meme machines.

它們利用你我當擴散的複製機，

Now, why is this important?

我們是迷因機器。

Why is this useful, or what does it tell us?

為什麼這個重要？

It gives us a completely new view of human origins

為什麼它有用？它告訴我們什麼？

and what it means to be human,

它給我們全新觀點的人類起源

all conventional theories of cultural evolution,

及它對人類的意義。

of the origin of humans,

所有傳統的文化演化理論，

and what makes us so different from other species.

人類起源理論，

All other theories explaining the big brain, and language, and tool use

及我們異於其他物種的理論。

and all these things that make us unique,

其他理論都解釋大腦、語言、及工具使用

are based upon genes.

是這些事使我們獨特，

Language must have been useful for the genes.

都是基於基因。

Tool use must have enhanced our survival, mating and so on.

語言必須對基因有用。

It always comes back, as Richard Dawkins complained

工具使用必須加強我們的存活、交配等。

all that long time ago, it always comes back to genes.

它總是回到，如同理察·道金斯所埋怨

The point of memetics is to say, "Oh no, it doesn't."

長時以來，它總是回到基因。

There are two replicators now on this planet.

迷因論則說：｢不，它不會。｣

From the moment that our ancestors,

現在有兩種複製體在這星球上。

perhaps two and a half million years ago or so,

自從我們祖先

began imitating, there was a new copying process.

大約 250 萬年前，

Copying with variation and selection.

開始模仿，就有一個新的複製過程。

A new replicator was let loose, and it could never be --

以變異及選擇而複製。

right from the start -- it could never be

釋出了一個新複製體，它將永不會 －

that human beings who let loose this new creature,

在一開始，它就永不會是

could just copy the useful, beautiful, true things,

釋放了這個新生物的人類，

and not copy the other things.

只複製有用的、美妙的、真實的事物，

While their brains were having an advantage from being able to copy --

而不複製其他事物。

lighting fires, keeping fires going, new techniques of hunting,

人類的頭腦有利於去複製 －

these kinds of things --

取火、保存火、打獵新技法，

inevitably they were also copying putting feathers in their hair,

這些東西 －

or wearing strange clothes, or painting their faces,

難免他們也複製頭髮裝飾羽毛，

or whatever.

或穿新奇衣服、畫臉、

So, you get an arms race between the genes

或什麼的。

which are trying to get the humans to have small economical brains

因而有了武器競賽：

and not waste their time copying all this stuff,

基因試著要人類有小而經濟的頭腦

and the memes themselves, like the sounds that people made and copied --

不要浪費時間複製所有東西，

in other words, what turned out to be language --

而迷因自己，像人類創造及複製的聲音 －

competing to get the brains to get bigger and bigger.

換言之，就是語言 －

So, the big brain, on this theory, is driven by the memes.