Name: 什麼是意識？- Michael S. A. Graziano (What is consciousness? - Michael S. A. Graziano)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T08:29:38.000Z
Duration: 5 min 13 s

P.S. had suffered a stroke that  damaged the right side of her brain,

P.S. 中風過，造成 她的大腦右邊受損，

leaving her unaware of everything  on her left side.

But though she could discern no difference between the houses,

但，雖然她無法分辨出 兩間房子的差別，

when researchers asked her  which she would prefer to live in,

當研究者問她想要 住在哪一間房子中時，

she chose the house that wasn't burning—

她會選擇沒有在燃燒的那一間——

不只一次，每次她都這樣選擇。

P.S.'s brain was still processing  information

仍然是來自她完整 視線範圍的資訊。

If someone threw a ball at her left side,

如果有人從她的左側向她 丟一顆球

But she wouldn't have any  awareness of the ball,

也不會知道她自己為什麼要閃躲。

reveals an important distinction between  the brain's processing of information

這種狀況說明了 「大腦對資訊的處理」

以及「我們對於那處理的體驗」 有很大的差別。

That experience is what  we call consciousness.

這種體驗就是我們所謂的意識。

We are conscious of both the external  world and our internal selves—

我們對於外在世界 和內在自我都有意識——

in much the same way we are aware of  ourselves looking at an image,

和我們意識到我們正在 看著圖片的方式差不多，

或我們意識到自己 內在思想和情緒的方式。

Scientists, theologians, and philosophers

have been trying to get to the bottom of  this question for centuries—

數世紀來都一直在嘗試 探究這個問題——

consciousness is the brain's imperfect  picture of its own activity.

大腦對於其自身活動的 不完美寫照。

of one important way the brain processes  information from our senses.

大腦怎麼處理來自感官的資訊。

which are continuously updating, simplified descriptions

將世界上各種事、 物的描述給簡化。

Everything we know is based  on these models.

我們所知的一切都是 以這些模型為基礎。

They never capture every detail of  the things they describe,

這些模型並未包含 其所描述之目標事物的所有細節，

just enough for the brain to determine  appropriate responses.

只要足夠讓大腦判斷 做出什麼反應才適當就夠了。

For instance, one model built deep  into the visual system

比如，在視覺系統深處 有一個內建的模型，

codes white light as brightness  without color.

它會將白光編碼為 「沒有顏色的明亮」。

that correspond to all the  different colors we can see.

我們能夠看見的各種顏色所對應的波長。

Our perception of white light is wrong  and oversimplified,

我們對於白光的感知 是錯誤的，且過度簡化。

但這樣的感知就夠我們運作了。

Likewise, the brain's model of the  physical body

同樣的，大腦針對 實際身體建立的模型

keeps track of the configuration  of our limbs,

but not of individual cells  or even muscles,

但不會細到包含每個個別細胞 或甚至肌肉的狀況，

because that level of information  isn't needed to plan movement.

因為規劃動作 用不到這麼細的資訊。

If it didn't have the model keeping track  of the body's size, shape,

如果大腦沒有一個模型 來追蹤身體的大小、形狀，

那我們可能很快就會讓自己受傷。

the brain has the ability to pay attention to specific objects and events.

大腦有能力去注意任何特定的事物。

將焦點 從一樣事物移轉至另一樣，

we wouldn't be able to assess threats,  finish a meal, or function at all.

就無法評估威脅、無法吃完一餐， 或甚至完全無法運作了。

the brain has to construct a model  of its own attention.

大腦針對它自己的注意力 建立了一個模型。

With 86 billion neurons constantly  interacting with each other,

在八百六十億個神經元 不斷地彼此互動的情況下，

there's no way the brain's model of its  own information processing

不可能建得有著完完整整描述的細節。

Our certainty that we have a  metaphysical, subjective experience

我們很肯定自己具有 形而上學、主觀的體驗，

這肯定性可能就來自 大腦的模型之一，

a cut-corner description of what it means to process information

這個模型簡便地描述了用專注、深刻的方式

Scientists have already begun trying  to figure out

大腦如何創造出那個自我模型。

MRI studies are a promising avenue  for pinpointing the networks involved.

MRI 研究是個很理想的方式， 可以精確找出它牽涉到哪些網路。

These studies compare patterns  of neural activation

這些研究比較了神經啟動的模式

when someone is and isn't conscious  of a sensory stimulus, like an image.

在一個人有或沒有意識到感官刺激 （如一張圖片）時有什麼差別。

The results show that the areas needed  for visual processing

結果顯示，不論受試者 是否有意識到圖片，

are activated whether or not the  participant is aware of the image,

視覺處理要用到的區域都會啟動，

only when they are conscious  of seeing the image.

自己看見圖片時，整個額外的網路才會亮起來。

Patients with hemispatial neglect,  like P.S.,

像 P.S. 這種半空間忽略症的病人

typically have damage to one particular  part of this network.

通常是這個網路的特定部位受損。

More extensive damage to the network  can sometimes lead to a vegetative state,

若這個網路受損更嚴重， 有時會造成植物狀態，

Evidence like this brings us closer  to understanding

像這樣的證據讓我們多了解了一點

how consciousness is built into the brain,

the way neurons in the networks  related to consciousness

is outside the scope of our  current technology.

就超出了我們目前科技 能理解的範圍。

As we approach questions of consciousness  with science,

當我們用科學來探究 意識的問題時，