I'm actually interested in how the brain learns,

我對大腦如何學習很感興趣，

and I'm especially interested in a possibility of

其中，最令我感興趣的是如何讓頭腦

making our brains smarter, better and faster.

變得更聰明、更好、更有效率。

This is in this context I'm going to tell you

在這個大前提之下，我將會談到電玩遊戲。

about video games. When we say video games,

當我們談起電玩遊戲時

most of you think about children.

大部分的人都會想到小孩子

It's true. Ninety percent of children do play video games.

沒錯。百分之九十的小孩都有玩電玩遊戲

But let's be frank.

但是，坦白講

When the kids are in bed, who is in front of the PlayStation?

當小孩們都就寢時，是誰還待在電子遊樂器 PlayStation 前呢？

Most of you. The average age of a gamer is 33 years old,

是絕大部分的你們。電玩玩家的平均年齡大約是 33 歲，

not eight years old, and in fact, if we look

並非八歲的小朋友。實際上，如果我們看看

at the projected demographics of video game play,

電玩遊戲的人口統計推算

the video game players of tomorrow are

未來的玩家將會是

older adults. (Laughter)

較年長的成人。(大笑)

So video [gaming] is pervasive throughout our society.

所以電玩遊戲在我們的社會中是很常見的

It is clearly here to stay. It has an amazing impact

它們會繼續存在於社會上，對於我們的日常生活來說

on our everyday life. Consider these statistics

這具有不可思議的影響力看看這些由 Activision 發佈的統計數字

released by Activision. After one month of release

在發行「決勝時刻：黑色行動」的一個月後

of the game "Call Of Duty: Black Ops," it had been played

這款遊戲讓全世界

for 68,000 years

的玩家花上 68,000 年

worldwide, right?

對不對？

Would any of you complain if this was the case

如果人們花同樣的時間在練習線性代數

about doing linear algebra?

在場的各位會有埋怨嗎？

So what we are asking in the lab is, how can we leverage that power?

所以在我們的實驗室裡，我們在思考如何發揮利用這樣的潛力?

Now I want to step back a bit.

現在，我想要退一步來談談別的

I know most of you have had the experience of coming back

我知道你們大部分都有這樣的經驗 -- 回到家

home and finding your kids playing these kinds of games.

發現你的孩子在玩類似的遊戲

(Shooting noises) The name of the game is to get

(射擊的聲音) 這款遊戲

after your enemy zombie bad guys

要你在殭屍敵人抓住你之前

before they get to you, right?

打倒它們，對嗎?

And I'm almost sure most of you have thought,

我幾乎百分之百肯定你們大多數會想

"Oh, come on, can't you do something more intelligent

「拜託，難道你除了射擊殭屍

than shooting at zombies?"

就不能幹一些更聰明的事嗎？」

I'd like you to put this kind of knee-jerk reaction

我想你把這樣的第一反應

in the context of what you would have thought

套用到以下的情境

if you had found your girl playing sudoku

如果你發現你的小女兒在玩數獨

or your boy reading Shakespeare. Right?

或是你的小兒子在閱讀「莎士比亞」，你會怎樣想呢?

Most parents would find that great.

大多數的父母認為他們太棒了

Well, I'm not going to tell you that playing video games

嗯.. 我說的並不是，日以繼夜玩著電玩

days in and days out is actually good for your health.

對你的健康是有益的

It's not, and binging is never good.

並非如此。過分沈迷從來就沒有好處

But I'm going to argue that in reasonable doses,

但是，我想論證的是適量地玩電玩遊戲

actually the very game I showed you at the beginning,

特別是我在演講剛開始時展示的那種動作電玩的射擊遊戲

those action-packed shooter games

特別是我在演講剛開始時展示的那種動作電玩的射擊遊戲

have quite powerful effects and positive effects

對於我們許多不同的行為

on many different aspects of our behavior.

有強大和正面的影響。

There's not one week that goes without some major

媒體的頭條上，沒有一個星期

headlines in the media about whether video games are

不是在討論到底電玩遊戲對你

good or bad for you, right? You're all bombarded with that.

是有益的還是有害的，對嗎？你們都被這個議題疲勞轟炸了

I'd like to put this kind of Friday night bar discussion aside

我想將這些星期五晚上的酒吧話題攔置一旁

and get you to actually step into the lab.

帶你進入實驗室

What we do in the lab is actually measure directly,

在實驗室裡，我們採用量化的測量方式

in a quantitative fashion, what is the impact

實實在在測試電玩遊戲對大腦

of video games on the brain.

造成那些影響。

And so I'm going to take a few examples from our work.

我將會從我們的研究中挑選幾個例子。

One first saying that I'm sure you all have heard

首先提到的，我相信你們都一定聽說過

is the fact that too much screen time

使用螢幕的時間過久

makes your eyesight worse.

會使你的視力的變差。

That's a statement about vision.

這是一項對於視覺的陳述。

There may be vision scientists among you.

也許，在場的各位當中有視覺方面的科學家。

We actually know how to test that statement.

其實，我們知道如何測試這個陳述

We can step into the lab and measure how good your vision is.

我們可以走進實驗室裡，然後測試你的視力有多好

Well, guess what? People that don't play a lot

嗯... 你能想得到嗎? 那些不常玩電玩動作遊戲的人

of action games, that don't actually spend a lot of time

或是那些沒花長時間在螢幕前的人

in front of screens, have normal, or what we call

有著正常，或者我們說

corrective-to-normal vision. That's okay.

經糾正的視力，這沒什麼稀奇的。

The issue is what happens with these guys that actually

問題是這些沉迷

indulge into playing video games like five hours per week,

在電玩的世界裡的人，像那些每個星期會花5個小時、

10 hours per week, 15 hours per week.

10個小時或15個小時在電玩上會變得怎樣呢?

By that statement, their vision should be really bad, right?

誠如上述所敘，他們的視力應該會很糟糕才對，是嗎？

Guess what? Their vision is really, really good.

你能想得到嗎？他們的視力真的是好的不得了

It's better than those that don't play.

比那些不玩電玩的人還要好

And it's better in two different ways.

他們的視力在兩方面比一般人優勝

The first way is that they're actually able to resolve

第一個是他們有足夠的能力

small detail in the context of clutter, and though that means

在雜亂的背景中分辨微小細節，所以這意謂著

being able to read the fine print on a prescription

他們可以清楚地看到醫生處方上微細字體

rather than using magnifier glasses, you can actually do it

而不用放大鏡，事實上你可以

with just your eyesight.

在裸視的情況這樣做

The other way that they are better is actually being able

另一個方面則是他們其實有更佳的能力

to resolve different levels of gray.

去辨別不同程度的灰色。

Imagine you're driving in a fog. That makes a difference

想像你在一片霧茫茫的地方開車，分辨灰色的能力

between seeing the car in front of you

能夠令你看到前方的汽車、

and avoiding the accident, or getting into an accident.

避免發生意外，而非遇上意外

So we're actually leveraging that work to develop games

所以，我們為視力較差的病人

for patients with low vision, and to have an impact

開發一些遊戲，以此來訓練

on retraining their brain to see better.

他們的大腦，讓他們能夠看得較清楚。

Clearly, when it comes to action video games,

實驗顯示，關於玩動作電玩

screen time doesn't make your eyesight worse.

使用螢幕並不會讓你的視力變差

Another saying that I'm sure you have all heard around:

另外一個說法是，我相信你們都聽過：

Video games lead to attention problems and greater distractability.

電玩遊戲會導致注意力的問題並且使人難集中精神

Okay, we know how to measure attention in the lab.

沒問題，我們知道如何在實驗室裡測量注意力

I'm actually going to give you an example of how we do so.

我將會舉個例子來說明這是如何進行的

I'm going to ask you to participate, so you're going to have

我想請你們參與其中，所以你將會

to actually play the game with me. I'm going to show you

跟我一起玩這個遊戲。接下來，我會展示一些彩色的文字

colored words. I want you to shout out the color of the ink.

我要你大聲地唸出該文字的顏色

Right? So this is the first example.

沒問題吧? 先看第一個例子

["Chair"]

[椅子]

Orange, good. ["Table"] Green.

橙色，好。[桌子] 綠色

["Board"] Audience: Red.Daphne Bavelier: Red.

[板子] 觀眾：紅色達芙妮‧芭菲莉亞：紅色

["Horse"] DB: Yellow. Audience: Yellow.

[馬] 達芙妮‧芭菲莉亞：黃色觀眾：黃色

["Yellow"] DB: Red. Audience: Yellow.

[黃色] 達芙妮‧芭菲莉亞：紅色觀眾：黃色

["Blue"] DB: Yellow.

[藍色] 達芙妮‧芭菲莉亞：黃色。

Okay, you get my point, right? (Laughter)

好的，你懂我的意思了吧? (大笑)

You're getting better, but it's hard. Why is it hard?

你會越做越好的，但是其實是有難度的。為什麼你會覺得很難呢?

Because I introduced a conflict between

因為我讓你看到了

the word itself and its color.

文字與顏色之間的衝突

How good your attention is determines actually how fast

你的注意力高低決定了你

you resolve that conflict, so the young guys here

解決這種衝突的快慢，所以在這場遊戲裡

at the top of their game probably, like, did a little better

頂尖的年輕佼佼者可能做得比

than some of us that are older.

一些我們當中較年長的人好

What we can show is that when you do this kind of task

我們傳達訊息是，當你用這個方式

with people that play a lot of action games,

測試那些經常玩動作電玩遊戲的人

they actually resolve the conflict faster.

你會發現他們能以較快的速度解決這類衝突。

So clearly playing those action games doesn't lead

所以，很明顯的，玩動作電玩並不會

to attention problems.

導致注意力問題

Actually, those action video game players have

實際上，這些動作電玩遊戲的玩家

many other advantages in terms of attention, and one

有著許多有關注意力的特長

aspect of attention which is also improved for the better

動作電玩遊戲能夠改善

is our ability to track objects around in the world.

我們在這世界裡追蹤物體的能力。

This is something we use all the time. When you're driving,

這些是我們平日常用的能力。我們在開車時，

you're tracking, keeping track of the cars around you.

你會追隨前方的車，持續地追蹤在你附近的車

You're also keeping track of the pedestrian, the running dog,

你也會隨時注意行人、正在奔跑的狗。

and that's how you can actually be safe driving, right?

這些事都是令你能夠安全駕駛，對吧?

In the lab, we get people to come to the lab,

在實驗室裡，我們讓受測者走進實驗室，

sit in front of a computer screen, and we give them

坐在電腦螢幕前，然後給他們一些小任務。

little tasks that I'm going to get you to do again.

我將會給你們相同的任務讓你們再做一次。

You're going to see yellow happy faces

你會看到黃色的笑臉

and a few sad blue faces. These are children

和藍色的哭臉。這些都是在冬天的日內瓦

in the schoolyard in Geneva during a recess

某個校園裏課間休息的小孩。

during the winter. Most kids are happy. It's actually recess.

大部分的小孩都很開心，課間休息嘛

But a few kids are sad and blue because they've forgotten their coat.

但是一些小孩則是很傷心且是憂鬱的，因為他們忘記帶外套。

Everybody begins to move around, and your task

大家開始隨意活動，而你的任務是

is to keep track of who had a coat at the beginning

持續追蹤那些在一開始有穿外套和

and who didn't. So I'm just going to show you an example

後來沒有穿外套的小孩。接著，我將會展示一個例子，

where there is only one sad kid. It's easy because you can

只有一個傷心的小孩。這非常的簡單

actually track it with your eyes. You can track,

因為你只需要追蹤一個小孩。你可以追蹤，

you can track, and then when it stops, and there is

你可以追蹤，然後他停下來的時候，

a question mark, and I ask you, did this kid have a coat or not?

這裏會出現一個問號，我問你，這個小孩有穿外套嗎?

Was it yellow initially or blue?

他本來是黃色還是藍色呢?

I hear a few yellow. Good. So most of you have a brain. (Laughter)

我聽到一些人說"黃色"。好，那證明你們大部分都有點腦袋 (笑聲)

I'm now going to ask you to do the task, but now with

我現在想再給你們一個任務，但這次

a little more challenging task. There are going to be

會是一個更難的任務。這裏有

three of them that are blue. Don't move your eyes.

三個藍色的小孩。不要移動你的眼晴

Please don't move your eyes. Keep your eyes fixated

請不要移動你的眼晴。盡量將你的視線保持

and expand, pull your attention. That's the only way

及放大，牽動你的 注意力。這是唯一

you can actually do it. If you move your eyes, you're doomed.

令你可以完成這個任務的方法。如果你移動你的眼晴，你注定要失敗了

Yellow or blue?

黃色還是藍色?

Audience: Yellow.DB: Good.

觀眾: 黃色。 達芙妮‧芭菲莉亞: 好!

So your typical normal young adult

一個正常成年人的注意力

can have a span of about three or four objects of attention.

大概可以追蹤三至四個物件

That's what we just did. Your action video game player

就像我們剛完成的任務。一個動作電玩遊戲玩家的注意力

has a span of about six to seven objects of attention,

令他可以同時追踨六至七個物件

which is what is shown in this video here.

就像這個片段中展示的那樣

That's for you guys, action video game players.

這是你們這些動作電玩遊戲玩家能做到的

A bit more challenging, right? (Laughter)

有一點挑戰性，是嗎? (笑聲)

Yellow or blue? Blue. We have some people

黃色還是藍色呢? 藍色，我們當中有些人

that are serious out there. Yeah. (Laughter)

相當認真呢! 好極了! (笑聲)

Good. So in the same way that we actually see

好! 就像我們能夠觀察到

the effects of video games on people's behavior,

電玩玩家行為上的變化一樣

we can use brain imaging and look at the impact

我們可以利用腦掃描技術，看看這些電玩遊戲

of video games on the brain, and we do find many changes,

對大腦的影響，我們發現很多的變化

but the main changes are actually to the brain networks

但是最多的變化出現在用於控制注意力

that control attention. So one part is the parietal cortex

的神經網絡。其中一個部分是在大腦頂葉 (parietal lobe)、

which is very well known to control the orientation of attention.

用於控制的注意力運用的大腦區域

The other one is the frontal lobe, which controls

第二個是大腦額葉 (frontal lobe)，它控制

how we sustain attention, and another one

我們的持續專注力

is the anterior cingulate, which controls how we allocate

以及前帶狀皮層 (anterior cingulate)，它控制我們怎樣

and regulate attention and resolve conflict.

分配及管理注意力及解決衝突

Now, when we do brain imaging, we find that all three

我們參考腦掃描影像的時候，發現

of these networks are actually much more efficient

動作遊戲玩家的這三個神經網絡

in people that play action games.

效率特別高

This actually leads me to a rather counterintuitive finding

這引領我到一個在學術文獻中

in the literature about technology and the brain.

有關科技與大腦的驚喜發現

You all know about multitasking. You all have been faulty

你們都知道甚麼是「多任務處理」(multitasking)吧。

of multitasking when you're driving

你們都試過做多任務處理的壞事吧。

and you pick up your cellphone. Bad idea. Very bad idea.

在駕車時用手機就是其中一個例子。不是很明智的想法，非常壞的想法。

Why? Because as your attention shifts to your cell phone,

為甚麼? 因為當你的注意力移到手機的時候

you are actually losing the capacity to react swiftly

你實際上是失去了

to the car braking in front of you, and so you're

敏捷剎車的能力，這時你遇上交通意外

much more likely to get engaged into a car accident.

的機會大大提高。

Now, we can measure that kind of skills in the lab.

現在，我們可以在實驗室裏量度這種技能

We obviously don't ask people to drive around and see

我們當然不會要求參加者漫無目的地駕駛

how many car accidents they have. That would be a little

跟著量度他們的意外率。這會是一個

costly proposition. But we design tasks on the computer

代價相當高的主張。但是我們設計了一些在電腦上運行的實驗

where we can measure, to millisecond accuracy,

令我們可以以毫秒的準確度

how good they are at switching from one task to another.

去量度參加者從一個任務轉移到另一個任務的能力

When we do that, we actually find that people

我們這樣做的時候，我們發現

that play a lot of action games are really, really good.

動作遊戲玩家的表現非常、非常的優異

They switch really fast, very swiftly. They pay a very small cost.

他們在轉移任務上相當快，非常迅速。轉移任務的代價相對很少

Now I'd like you to remember that result, and put it

我想你們記住這一個發現，並將它

in the context of another group of technology users,

套用到另一組的科技用家上

a group which is actually much revered by society,

一個社會大眾都崇敬的群組

which are people that engage in multimedia-tasking.

他們是經常作「多媒體任務處理」 (multimedia-tasking) 的一群

What is multimedia-tasking? It's the fact that most of us,

甚麼是「多媒體任務處理」呢? 大部分我們的孩子當中

most of our children, are engaged with listening to music

他們在網上搜尋資訊的時候

at the same time as they're doing search on the web

一邊聽著音樂

at the same time as they're chatting on Facebook with their friends.

一邊與朋友在臉書 (facebook) 上交談

That's a multimedia-tasker.

這就是會做多媒體任務處理的人

There was a first study done by colleagues at Stanford

在史丹福大學的同事首先發表了一個研究

and that we replicated that showed that

我們也複制了一樣的實驗結果

those people that identify as being high multimedia-taskers

這些被界定為高效的多媒體任務處理者

are absolutely abysmal at multitasking.

其實是糟透的多任務處理者

When we measure them in the lab, they're really bad.

當我們量度他們的表現時，他們的表現相當差

Right? So these kinds of results really

真的嗎? 這些實驗結果告訴我們

makes two main points.

兩個重點

The first one is that not all media are created equal.

第一，不同媒體對我們的表現有不同的影響

You can't compare the effect of multimedia-tasking

你不能直接比較多媒體處理

and the effect of playing action games. They have

與參加電玩動作遊戲的影響

totally different effects on different aspects of cognition,

它們對於我們眾多的認知能力，如感知、注意力方面

perception and attention.

有截然不同的影響

Even within video games, I'm telling you right now

我告訴你們，即使不同的電玩遊戲

about these action-packed video games.

這些充滿動作的電玩遊戲

Different video games have a different effect on your brains.

對你們的大腦亦會產生不同的影響

So we actually need to step into the lab and really measure

我們真的要踏進實驗室

what is the effect of each video game.

去量度每個遊戲所產生的影響

The other lesson is that general wisdom carries no weight.

另外一件我學到的事就是大眾智慧不一定準確

I showed that to you already, like we looked at the fact that

我已經向你展示，就像我們知道

despite a lot of screen time, those action gamers

即使長期對著電腦螢幕，那些動作遊戲玩家

have a lot of very good vision, etc.

有很好的視力，諸如此類...

Here, what was really striking is that these undergraduates

這裏，令人吃驚的是

that actually report engaging in a lot of high

這些指自已經常作多媒體處理的大學本科生

multimedia-tasking are convinced they aced the test.