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）
What is quantum physics, and how might it helpus to understand human psychology? Quantumphysics is the study of the behavior of very smallparticles. These tiny elements do not behave in theway that Newton’s laws of physics say they should.Scientists cannot predict with certainty how theywill act. Now, new research is trying to understandhow this mysterious world of the super small affectsthe brain and therefore how we think, feel, andimagine 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 studythe brain) believe that human consciousness, whichincludes our thoughts, emotions, and awareness ofthe five senses, depends on the brain’s basic physicalstructure. This involves brain cells, called neurons, which are connected to each other. These cells are activated and interact with other cells depending onwhat we’re thinking, feeling, or imagining.
大多數神經生物學家（研究大腦的科學家）相信人類的意識，包括想法、情緒和五官感知，都倚靠大腦的生理構造，也就是彼此緊密聯繫、稱作神經元的細胞，這些細胞之間依照人們的思考、感受與想像，彼此激活互動。
Basically, it seems that the mind is a terrificallyefficient and powerful supercomputer. Manypeople think that one day artificial intelligence willprove this by making machines more and more likehumans.
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。
Yet this model raises many questions. One basicproblem in neurobiology is how to explain whymany different parts of the brain become activefor one single conscious event. What appears to behappening is that something like feeling surprisedis actually the result of many individual brainactivities taking place at the same time. How, then,is this final unitary conscious “product” created outof these different events in the brain?
不過，這套論述仍帶來不少疑問，一個最基本的神經生物學問題就是：為何單一的意識活動能激活大腦不同區域？表面的情緒，像是「驚訝」，實際上是許多腦內多個區域同時運作的結果。那麼，這些感知的「產物」究竟是如何被大腦多工製作出來的呢？
Is it the speed of the “firing” of the brain cells?Could it be certain chemicals that are released?Or could it be at least partly related to quantumphysics? Inside individual neurons, could thebehavior of very tiny particles be influencing humanconsciousness?
是因為大腦細胞的「啟動」速度，還是某種化學分子釋放所導致的？或者，會不會多少與量子物理學有關呢？在各別的神經元裡，粒子的行為是否影響了人類的意識呢？
The reason some scientists think that quantumphysics may have a role, is that human thinking isnot rigid. We have certain mental habits, but weare free to alter them. Unlike a machine, we are notlimited to laws. Human thinking and consciousnessare not Newtonian, required to follow a certaineffect from a cause. If you are late for work today,just because your supervisor yelled at you last timedoesn’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具有一定地位」的論述其實不那麼令人信服，不像機器受限於定律，人類雖有一定的思考模式，但它們能被恣意更改，思考與意識不必如牛頓力學般依定律有因果關係。就好比說，你的主管不一定會因為你今天上班又遲到了，而像上回那樣怒罵你。
People change, and frequently in unforeseeableways.
人心會變，其變換方式既頻繁又無法預測。
The big puzzle is: How can scientists get to knowmore about our quantum brains? How can theytest whether consciousness is linked to quantumparticles found inside neurons? So far, no specificinformation or experiments are available. Onescientist, Stuart Kauffman at Canada’s Universityof Calgary, believes that even if we develop ways tobetter understand the quantum brain, this will stillnot help us understand how the brain’s workingslead to conscious experience.
目前為止，由於沒有相關資訊或實驗數據，科學家面對的最大謎團是，該如何更進一步了解「量子大腦」？如何證實人的意識是透過神經元內光速來去的粒子傳遞？加拿大卡加立大學的科學家考夫曼相信，就算找到進一步認識量子大腦的途徑，我們也無法解釋大腦如何產製人的認知經驗。
In fact, it seems that research on the quantumbrain could make things more confusing. Causeand effect, which works fine with Newton’s physics,breaks down at the quantum level. Are these neurobiologiststrying to tell us that our thoughts,feelings, images, and other brain activities have nocauses? That doesn’t seem very helpful to psychologistsand counsellors who try to help individualsdeal 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以被推翻的。難道神經生物學家們是在告訴我們，人類的思維、情緒、想像，和其他大腦活動都沒有成因嗎？對嘗試診治精神疾病的心理學家和諮商師來說，這答案似乎沒什麼幫助。
It’s an important issue. If, on the one hand, ourbrains are just computers, following a Newtoniancause and effect path, then we are not responsible forour behavior. Why put criminals in prison? Why payoff 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 thoughquantum physics researchers are in a world ofuncertainty and therefore flexible outcomes, theyare able to speculate on the possible or probablebehavior of very small particles. Particles’ behavioris probabilistic, in other words. The particles willprobably behave in a limited number of ways,depending on the situation. Would that mean thatthe quantum brain is also probabilistic? Kauffmanobserves that this takes responsibility away from theindividual almost as much as the Newtonian model.
即便在未知的領域中尋找更多可能結果，得以預測粒子可能或合理行為模式的量子物理學家們也沒能提出解答。換句話說，粒子行為是根據情境，以某幾種可能方式隨機產生的。這表示量子大腦也是種隨機運作嗎？考夫曼認為這簡直是以牛頓定律驗證人們不必對自己的行為負責。
Will the quantum brain theory be thrown intothe dustbin of science history? Or end up helpingbehavior psychologists and counsellors aid people inimproving relationships and mental health?
那麼，量子大腦理論是否就從此被揚棄於科學歷史中，或者，反而能用以協助行為心理學家或諮商師增進大家的人際關係和心理健康呢？
Perhaps these are not scientific issues, but morephilosophical and religious ones. The quantum braintheory may be mixing science with non-science. Inthe case of the quantum brain, has science bitten offmore than it can chew?
也許量子大腦理論是由科學與非科學混合而成─不侷限於科學而更偏向哲學與宗教議題。若用科學去闡述它，會不會是種好高騖遠呢？
【更多精彩內容請見《全球中央》2017年9月號；本文由《全球中央》雜誌授權刊載，未經同意禁止轉載。】
本網站之文字、圖片及影音，非經授權，不得轉載、公開播送或公開傳輸及利用。
