时差N小时:移动的拇指 The Moving Thumb

Philosophers spend a lot of time pointing out that wedon't really see the world and that what we really seeis what our brains make of the world.

哲学家花大把时间所进行的研究指出我们并未真正看到这个世界，我们真正看到的是我们的大脑制造的世界。

Too much of this kind of thing can make you wantchange your major to Business Administration.

有太多这种事使你想转投专业学工商管理的怀抱。

But science has shown that those philosophy typesactually have a point.

但科学已显示这些哲学类型事实上有要点。

Here's a simple demonstration you can do to show that your brain doesn't just take ininformation, but always interprets that information.

下面的一个简单实验就可以证实你的大脑不止摄入信息，而且也总是解释信息。

Hold your arm out and stick your thumb up in the air.

伸出你的胳膊，竖起拇指。

While looking at your thumb, slowly move your hand back and forth.

当你看拇指的时候，慢慢前后移动手掌。

Next, hold your hand still and slowly move your eyes back and forth.

接下来，保持手掌静止，慢慢前后移动你的眼睛。

Why did your thumb seem to be moving in the first instance and not in the second?

为什么你的拇指在第一个例子里看起来移动了而在第二个实验里没有?

The same image was sent to your retina, but in one instance you felt your hand was moving andin anotheryou felt your hand was still.

这是因为同样的图像被投入视网膜，但一个例子里你觉得手移动了，另一个例子你觉得手是静止的。

This shows that our brains aren't just open windows through which the world pours.

这解释了我们的大脑不仅是世界汹涌时打开窗户。

They are always interpreting the information they receive.

它们还总是诠释获得的信息。

In this case, your brain knew your eyes were moving, and it interpreted the change invisualimages as coming from inside your head.

在此例中，你的大脑知道眼睛在移动，它将视觉图像的变化解释为来自大脑内部的变化。

When it isn't told your eyes are moving, your brainreads the same image as motion taking placeoutside your head.

当大脑没有发觉眼睛在移动时，大脑会将同样的视觉图像理解为是在大脑外部发生的变化。

This is the same reason lying down on the bed doesn't make you immediately panic when yousee the room turn on its side.

这与躺在床上看房间倾斜不会立刻感到恐慌是一个道理。

In fact, your brain is always seeing the world move and deciding whether that motion is in hereor out there.

事实上，你的大脑总是看世界转动并且在思考这运动是在内部还是在外部。