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Technology and Neuroscience 科技與神經科學 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
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Have you ever looked at a beautif ul wood
Atlanta’s Emory University notes.
carving of a bunch of grapes or of a small animal
這個過程對研究大腦的神經科學來說是個謎。
and wondered how someone could create it? Or
這個研究涵蓋了從稱作「神經元」的神經細胞，以
wondered what steps were involved, from selecting
至錯綜複雜的神經網絡，最終組成大腦的不同區
the wood to envisioning the f inal product to
域。理解這些極具挑戰性，因為特定大腦區域或
planning the process one step at a time?
神經叢與特定行為、想法和感受之間的一對一關
您可曾驚奇地凝視刻成一串串葡萄或是小動
係並不存在。相反地，亞特蘭大的艾莫瑞大學史陶
物的木雕，然後好奇這是如何創造出來的？或是
特教授指出，許多單一大腦構造是「多能」的，意
從 選擇 木 材到構思成品的過程，究竟 需要多少
思是他們可以執行不同種類的工作。
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步驟？
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different kinds of jobs, professor Dietrich Stout of
Not surprisingly, neuroscience has a difficult
This process is a mystery to neuroscience, which
time trying to understand how we think and learn
is the study of the brain. This research encompasses
about technology. This is particularly difficult when
individual brain cells, called neurons, as well as
the use of a tool is considered. A tool places limits
clusters of neural networks and then, finally, the
on human actions. A wood carving knife can be
various sections of the brain that these clusters
gripped and used in only specific ways. The body
combine to make. Comprehending this all poses a
and brain must adapt to that reality if the knife is to
difficult challenge because a one-to-one relationship
be used in a productive manner. Some basic brain
between a specific brain part or neural cluster
research on macaques, a species of monkey, has
with a specific action, thought, or feeling does not
shown that they use a tool as an extension of their
exist. Conversely, many single brain structures are
body. Other research indicates the same for humans.
“pluripotent,” which means that they can do many
不意外地，神經科學為了研究我們如何思考與
全球中央 March
2018