After watching this, your brain will not be the same | Lara Boyd | TEDxVancouver · TEDx Talks
Dr. Lara Boyd通过脑可塑性讲解学习机制，揭示大脑如何通过学习新知识和技能发生改变。适合练习词汇、语法和听力理解。
Transcriber: Jessica Lee Reviewer: Denise RQ
转录者：杰西卡·李 审稿人：丹尼斯·RQ
So how do we learn?
那么，我们是如何学习的呢？
And why does some of us learn things more easily than others?
为什么我们中的一些人学习某些东西会比其他人更容易呢？
So, as I just mentioned, I'm Dr. Lara Boyd.
正如我刚才所说，我是拉拉·博伊德博士。
I am a brain researcher here at the University of British Columbia.
我是不列颠哥伦比亚大学的一名脑科学研究工作者。
These are the questions that fascinate me.
这些问题让我着迷。
So brain research is one of the great frontiers
因此，脑科学研究是当今最重要的前沿领域之一。
in the understanding of human physiology, and also in the consideration of what makes us who we are.
基于对人体生理学的理解，同时也考虑到那些塑造我们独特个性的因素。
It's an amazing time to be a brain researcher, and I would argue to you that I have the most interesting job in the world.
现在是一个成为脑科学研究者的绝佳时代；我认为自己拥有世界上最有趣的工作。
What we know about the brain is changing at a breathtaking pace.
我们对大脑的了解正在以惊人的速度发生变化。
And much of what we thought we knew and understood about the brain turns out to be not true or incomplete.
我们原本以为自己了解关于大脑的许多知识，结果却发现这些知识要么是不正确的，要么是不完整的。
Some of these misconceptions are more obvious than others.
其中一些误解比其他误解更为明显（即更容易被察觉）。
For example, we used to think that after childhood the brain did not, really could not change.
例如，我们过去认为，人一旦度过童年时期，大脑就不会再发生变化了（或者说，大脑实际上已经无法再发生变化了）。
And it turns out that nothing could be farther from the truth.
结果证明，事实与这种说法截然相反。
Another misconception about the brain is that you only use parts of it at any given time and it's silent when you do nothing.
关于大脑的另一个误解是：人们认为在任何时候大脑都只使用其中的一部分功能，而在完全静止（即什么都不做的时候）时，大脑其实处于“休眠”状态。
Well, this is also untrue.
嗯，这也同样是错误的。
It turns out that even when you're at a rest and thinking of nothing, your brain is highly active.
事实证明，即使你处于静止状态、什么都不在想的时候，你的大脑仍然处于高度活跃的状态。
So it's been advances in technology, such as MRI, that's allowed us to make these and many other important discoveries.
正是技术的进步（比如磁共振成像技术 MRI），使我们能够做出这些发现，以及许多其他重要的发现。
And perhaps the most exciting, the most interesting and transformative of these discoveries is that, every time you learn a new fact or skill,
也许其中最令人兴奋、最有趣、最具变革性的发现是：每次你学到一个新的知识或掌握一项新技能时，
you change your brain.
你可以改变自己的思维方式（或者说，可以“重塑”自己的大脑）。
It's something we call neuroplasticity.
这就是我们所说的“神经可塑性”（即大脑神经连接的结构和功能能够根据经验和学习进行改变）。
So as little as 25 years ago, we thought that after about puberty, the only changes that took place in the brain were negative:
就在25年前，我们还以为：在青春期之后，大脑中发生的唯一变化都是负面的（即有害的）。
the loss of brain cells with aging, the result of damage, like a stroke.
随着年龄的增长，脑细胞会逐渐死亡；这种死亡可能是由于脑部受到损伤（例如中风）所导致的。
And then, studies began to show remarkable amounts of reorganization in the adult brain.
随后，研究开始揭示成年人大脑中存在大量的重组现象。
And the ensuing research has shown us that all of our behaviors change our brain.
后续的研究表明，我们的所有行为都会对大脑产生影响（即改变大脑的结构或功能）。
That these changes are not limited by age, it's a good news right?
这些变化并不受年龄的限制，这应该是个好消息吧？
And in fact, they are taking place all the time.
事实上，这些事情一直在发生。
And very importantly, brain reorganization helps to support recovery after you damage your brain.
非常重要的一点是：大脑的重组有助于在脑部受损后促进恢复。
The key to each of these changes is neuroplasticity.
这些变化的关键都在于神经可塑性（即大脑神经元的形态和功能能够根据经验或环境进行改变）。
So what does it look like?
那么，它到底长什么样呢？
So your brain can change in three very basic ways to support learning.
你的大脑可以通过三种非常基本的方式发生变化，从而为学习提供支持。
And the first is chemical.
首先是化学方面的影响。
So your brain actually functions by transferring chemicals signals between brain cells, what we call neurons, and this triggered a series of actions and reactions.
实际上，我们的大脑是通过在脑细胞（即神经元）之间传递化学信号来发挥功能的，而这些化学信号会引发一系列相应的反应和行为。
So to support learning, your brain can increase the amount or the concentrations of these chemical signaling that's taking place between neurons.
为了促进学习，你的大脑可以增加神经元之间传递的化学信号的数量或浓度。
Because this change can happen rapidly, this supports short-term memory or the short-term improvement in the performance of a motor skill.
由于这种变化可以迅速发生，因此它有助于短期记忆的形成，或者提升某种运动技能的表现（即实现短期性的改进）。
The second way that the brain can change to support learning is by altering its structure.
大脑可以通过改变自身的结构来支持学习过程。
So during learning, the brain can change the connections between neurons.
在学习过程中，大脑可以改变神经元之间的连接方式。
Here, the physical structure of the brain is actually changing so this takes a bit more time.
在这里，大脑的物理结构实际上正在发生变化，因此这个过程需要更长的时间。
These type of changes are related to long-term memory, the long-term improvement in a motor skill.
这类变化与长期记忆有关，具体表现为运动技能的长期提升。
These processes interact, and let me give you an example of how.
这些过程之间存在相互作用，让我举个例子来说明这一点。