The Quantum Brain

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The Quantum Brain 量子大腦 撰文及考題設計 British Council 英協教育中心 Brian Welter 中譯 陳怡君 （中央社編譯） 圖 美聯社

What is quantum physics, and how might it help us to understand human psychology? Quantum physics is the study of the behavior of very small particles. These tiny elements do not behave in the way that Newton’s laws of physics say they should.

Scientists cannot predict with certainty how they will act. Now, new research is trying to understand how this mysterious world of the super small affects the brain and therefore how we think, feel, and imagine things. 什麼是量子物理學？它又是如何協助我們理解 人類精神病學呢？量子物理學是一門研究微小粒 子行為的學科。這些粒子的行為並不能以牛頓定 律解釋，科學家也無法準確預測它們的運動。如 今，新的研究正試著解釋這些神祕的粒子如何使 人類大腦思考、感受和想像。

Most of neurobiologists (scientists who study the brain) believe that human consciousness, which includes our thoughts, emotions, and awareness of 科學家們正試著以量子物理學解釋粒子如何促使人腦思考、感受和 想像。

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the five senses, depends on the brain’s basic physical structure. This involves brain cells, called neurons,

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which are connected to each other. These cells are

behavior of very tiny particles be influencing human

activated and interact with other cells depending on

consciousness?

what we’re thinking, feeling, or imagining.

是因為大腦細胞的「啟動」速度，還是某種化學

大多數神經生物學家（研究大腦的科學家）相

分子釋放所導致的？或者，會不會多少與量子物

信人類的意識，包括想法、情緒和五官感知，都倚

理學有關呢？在各別的神經元裡，粒子的行為是否

靠大腦的生理構造，也就是彼此緊密聯繫、稱作神

影響了人類的意識呢？

經元的細胞，這些細胞之間依照人們的思考、感受 與想像，彼此激活互動。

The reason some scientists think that quantum physics may have a role, is that human thinking is

Basically, it seems that the mind is a terrifi-

not rigid. We have certain mental habits, but we

cally efficient and powerful supercomputer. Many

are free to alter them. Unlike a machine, we are not

people think that one day artificial intelligence will

limited to laws. Human thinking and conscious-

prove this by making machines more and more like

ness are not Newtonian, required to follow a certain

humans.

effect from a cause. If you are late for work today,

簡單地說，人腦看來就像一台強大的高效能超 級電腦，許多人認為終有一天，可藉由製造更激似 人類的人工智慧來證明這種理論。

just because your supervisor yelled at you last time doesn’t mean she will do it again this time. 某些科學家認為「量子物理學在人類思考過程

Yet this model raises many questions. One basic

具有一定地位」的論述其實不那麼令人信服，不像

problem in neurobiology is how to explain why

機器受限於定律，人類雖有一定的思考模式，但它

many different parts of the brain become active

們能被恣意更改，思考與意識不必如牛頓力學般

for one single conscious event. What appears to be

依定律有因果關係。就好比說，你的主管不一定會

happening is that something like feeling surprised

因為你今天上班又遲到了，而像上回那樣怒罵你。

is actually the result of many individual brain

People change, and frequently in unforeseeable

activities taking place at the same time. How, then,

ways.

is this final unitary conscious “product” created out

人心會變，其變換方式既頻繁又無法預測。

of these different events in the brain?

The big puzzle is: How can scientists get to know

不過，這套論述仍帶來不少疑問，一個最基本

more about our quantum brains? How can they

的神經生物學問題就是：為何單一的意識活動能

test whether consciousness is linked to quantum

激活大腦不同區域？表面的情緒，像是「驚訝」，實

particles found inside neurons? So far, no specific

際上是許多腦內多個區域同時運作的結果。那麼，

information or experiments are available. One

這些感知的「產物」究竟是如何被大腦多工製作

scientist, Stuart Kauffman at Canada’s University

出來的呢？

of Calgary, believes that even if we develop ways to

Is it the speed of the “firing” of the brain cells?

better understand the quantum brain, this will still

Could it be certain chemicals that are released?

not help us understand how the brain’s workings

Or could it be at least partly related to quantum

lead to conscious experience.

physics? Inside individual neurons, could the

目前為止，由於沒有相關資訊或實驗數據，科學

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師來說，這答案似乎沒什麼幫助。

It’s an important issue. If, on the one hand, our brains are just computers, following a Newtonian cause and effect path, then we are not responsible for our behavior. Why put criminals in prison? Why pay off a credit card? Why be responsible for anything?

None of us have any choice. 而它也是個嚴重的問題。如果大腦就像電腦一 樣遵循牛頓定律，那人們就毋須為自身行為負任 何責任。罪犯為何需要坐牢？卡債為何需要繳？反 正毫無選擇餘地，我們為何還要承擔任何責任？

Quantum physics doesn’t solve this. Even though quantum physics researchers are in a world of uncertainty and therefore flexible outcomes, they 人們表現出的「驚訝」，實際上是腦內多個區域同時運作的結果。

are able to speculate on the possible or probable behavior of very small particles. Particles’ behavior

家面對的最大謎團是，該如何更進一步了解「量子

is probabilistic, in other words. The particles will

大腦」？如何證實人的意識是透過神經元內光速

probably behave in a limited number of ways,

來去的粒子傳遞？加拿大卡加立大學的科學家考

depending on the situation. Would that mean that

夫曼相信，就算找到進一步認識量子大腦的途徑，

the quantum brain is also probabilistic? Kauffman

我們也無法解釋大腦如何產製人的認知經驗。

observes that this takes responsibility away from the

In fact, it seems that research on the quantum brain could make things more confusing. Cause

即便在未知的領域中尋找更多可能結果，得以

and effect, which works fine with Newton’s physics,

預測粒子可能或合理行為模式的量子物理學家們

breaks down at the quantum level. Are these neu-

也沒能提出解答。換句話說，粒子行為是根據情

robiologists trying to tell us that our thoughts,

境，以某幾種可能方式隨機產生的。這表示量子

feelings, images, and other brain activities have no

大腦也是種隨機運作嗎？考夫曼認為這簡直是以

causes? That doesn’t seem very helpful to psycholo-

牛頓定律驗證人們不必對自己的行為負責。

gists and counsellors who try to help individuals deal with mental or emotional problems. 事實上，研究量子大腦也許讓事情變得更複雜； 牛頓定律中的因果，在量子物理學的世界裡是可

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individual almost as much as the Newtonian model.

Will the quantum brain theory be thrown into the dustbin of science history? Or end up helping behavior psychologists and counsellors aid people in improving relationships and mental health?

以被推翻的。難道神經生物學家們是在告訴我們，

那麼，量子大腦理論是否就從此被揚棄於科學

人類的思維、情緒、想像，和其他大腦活動都沒有

歷史中，或者，反而能用以協助行為心理學家或諮

成因嗎？對嘗試診治精神疾病的心理學家和諮商

商師增進大家的人際關係和心理健康呢？

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Perhaps these are not scientific issues, but more

more than it can chew?

philosophical and religious ones. The quantum brain

也許量子大腦理論是由科學與非科學混合而成

theory may be mixing science with non-science. In

─不侷限於科學而更偏向哲學與宗教議題。若用

the case of the quantum brain, has science bitten off

科學去闡述它，會不會是種好高騖遠呢？

雅思考試粉絲團： www.facebook.com/ielts.testcentre

雅思考試模擬試題 IELTS questions

I. Find words or phrases similar in meaning to the following: start working extremely happening not separated not flexible change unpredictable guess based on some evidence a chance something will happen

II. Choose the best answer: 1. Has science bitten off more than it can chew? means: a) scientists are too busy to deal with this problem b) scientists cannot handle such an enormous problem c) scientists will focus all their energy on this issue 2. Will the quantum brain theory be thrown into the dustbin of science history? asks if a) the theory will be forgotten b) the theory will replace other theories c) scientists will be able to understand the theory better in the future

3. According to the reading, in current science, comparing the brain to a supercomputer is a) closer to the Newtonian than the quantum model of the brain b) closest to the quantum model of the brain c) proof that artificial intelligence will be achieved in the future 4. Quantum physics explains a) gaps in Newton’s laws of physics b) the physical universe at the smallest levels imaginable c) the behavior of the physical universe in general 5. The author of the article believes that a) the quantum brain is an exciting new science that will bring psychology and physics together b) the model of the quantum brain has a promising future c) the concept of the quantum brain raises more questions than it solves 6. Neurobiologists study neurons because these a) connect brain cells b) follow Newton’s laws of physics c) are brain cells

II. 1-b; 2-a; 3-a; 4-b; 5-c; 6-c Answers:I. start working (activated); extremely (terrifically); happening (taking place); not separated (unitary); not flexible (rigid); change (alter); unpredictable (unforeseeable); guess based on some evidence (speculate); a chance something will happen (probabilistic) CNA NEWSWORLD

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