中国科学院大学研究生学术英语-全文-翻译（Unit 5）

Unit 5 Can Computers Be Conscious? 计算机能有意识吗？

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Computers have seemed "mind-like"to people since they were invented in 1950s.Inthe early days they were widely called “electronic brains” for their ability to processinformation. But the similarity between computers and brains isn’t just superficial:At their most fundamental levels, computers and brains process data in a similarbinary fashion. Whereas computers use zeros and ones to store and manipulate data, the neurons in our brains transmit information in binary, on/off spikes known as action potentials. This basic similarity is what underlies the burgeoning field of computational neuroscience, which hopes to understand how neuronal networks give rise to processes like memory and facial recognition so that they might be replicated in intelligent machines.

计算机⾃20世纪50年代发明以来，对⼈们来说就像“思维”⼀样。在早期，它们被⼴泛称为“电⼦⼤脑”，因为它们处理信息的能⼒。但是计算机和⼤脑之间的相似之处不仅仅是表⾯上的：在最基本的层⾯上，计算机和⼤脑以类似的⼆进制⽅式处理数据。计算机使⽤0和1来存储和操作数据，⽽我们⼤脑中的神经元以⼆进制、开/关峰值（称为动作电位）传输信息。这种基本的相似之处是计算神经科学新兴领域的基础，该领域希望了解神经元⽹络如何产⽣记忆和⾯部识别等过程，以便它们可以在智能机器中复制。

But artificial intelligence has progressed slower than many had initially hoped.Yes, AI may have solved the game of checkers, but this is a far cry from being able to simulate consciousness. The central problem remains: We have no real understanding of how the brain gives rise to the mind, of how neurons and action potentials create consciousness.

但⼈⼯智能的进展⽐许多⼈最初希望的要慢。是的，AI可能已经解决了跳棋游戏，但这与能够模拟意识相去甚远。核⼼问题仍然存在：我们对⼤脑如何产⽣思维、神经元和动作电位如何创造意识没有真正的理解。

Instead of trying to build thinking machines from the ground up, several major projects have recently turned to a new approach: replicating virtual brains throughreverse-engineering. By studying the neural networks in the brain, scientists have constructed computer-based models that mirror the brains complex biological networks. In turn, they can then run experiments on these brain-like computers in order to learn about how the brain thinks.

最近，⼏个主要项⽬不再试图从头开始构建思考机器，⽽是转向了⼀种新⽅法：通过逆向⼯程复制虚拟⼤脑。通过研究⼤脑中的神经⽹络，科学家们已经构建了基于计算机的模型，这些模型反映了⼤脑复杂的⽣物⽹络。反过来，他们可以在这些类似⼤脑的计算机上进⾏实验，以了解⼤脑是如何思考的。

Henry Markram is the South African neuroscientist who heads the Blue Brain Project at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland. For 15years, Markram and his team collected data from the neocortexes’ of rats brainswith the hopes of integrating it into a 3D model.If they could accurately recreatethe behaviours and structures of a biological brain, their computer imulation should shed light on both normal cognition and disorders like depression andschizophrenia.In its trial stages the project successfully recreated a singleneocortical column of a two-week-old rat,which contains about 10,000 neurons. Ofcourse, this sample is infinitesimally small compared to the 100 billion neurons in ahuman brain.But this project is all a matter of scaling.“Technologically, in terms ofcomputers and techniques to acquire data, it will be possible to build a model of thehuman brain within 10 years,” Markram told Discover magazine last year.

亨利·⻢克拉姆是南⾮神经科学家，他是瑞⼠洛桑联邦理⼯学院蓝⾊⼤脑项⽬的负责⼈。15年来，⻢克拉姆和他的团队从⽼⿏⼤脑的新⽪质中收集数据，希望将其整合到⼀个3D模型中。如果他们能够准确地重现⽣物⼤脑的⾏为和结构，他们的计算机模拟应该会揭⽰正常认知和抑郁症和精神分裂症等疾病。在试验阶段，该项⽬成功地重现了⼀只两周⼤⽼⿏的单个⽪质柱，其中包含⼤约10,000个神经元。当然，与⼈类⼤脑中的1000亿神经元相⽐，这个样本⾮常⼩。但是这个项⽬完全是⼀个规模问题。"从技术上讲，就计算机和获取数据的技术⽽⾔，有可能在10年内建⽴⼀个⼈脑模型，”⻢克拉姆去年告诉《发现》杂志。

But will this full-scale model teach us how to re-create consciousness,or perhaps even become conscious itself?"Its really difficult to say how much detail is needed for consciousness to emerge "said Markram. "I do believe that consciousness is anemergent phenomenon. Its like a shift from a liquid to a gas … Its like a machine thathas to run fast enough and suddenly its flying”In other words, they cant know forsure until the model is finished.

但是这个完整的模型会教我们如何重新创造意识，或者甚⾄成为意识本⾝吗？“很难说意识的出现需要多少细节，”⻢克拉姆说。“我确实相信意识是⼀种新兴现象。就像从液体到⽓体的转变…就像⼀台跑得⾜够快的机器，突然它就⻜起来了。”换句话说，在模型完成之前，他们⽆法确定。

Even if the model can learn and reason, that doesnt guarantee that it will be a truly intelligent being. Many people studying AI have equated problem-solving with thinking, but thinking is different from reasoning, says Yale computer scientist David Gelernter. To demonstrate this, he points to daydreaming and free association."Freeassociation is a kind of thinking also. My mind doesnt shut off, but I’m certainly not solving problems; I’m wandering around.”

即使模型能够学习和推理，也不能保证它是⼀个真正聪明的存在。耶鲁⼤学计算机科学家⼤卫·格勒恩特说，许多研究AI的⼈把解决问题等同于思考，但思考不同于推理。为了证明这⼀点，他指出了⽩⽇梦和⾃由联想。“⾃由交往也是⼀种思考。我的⼤脑不会关闭，但我肯定不是在解决问题；我在四处游荡。”

“The field of Aticial Ielligence had studied only the very top end of the spectrum and stll tends to study only the very top end," says Gelernter. “It tends to say, what is thinking? Its this highly focused, wide awake, alert, problem-solving state of mind. But not only is that not the whole story. but the problem-the biggest unsolved problem that has tended to haunt philosophy of mind, cognitive psychology, and AI-is creativity.”

格勒恩特说：“社会智慧领域只研究了最⾼端的领域，⽽stll往往只研究最⾼端的领域。”“它倾向于说，什么是思考？这是⼀种⾼度集中、⾼度清醒、警觉、解决问题的⼼态。但这不仅不是全部。还有⼀个问题⸺困扰⼼灵哲学、认知⼼理学和AI的最⼤未解决问题⸺是创造⼒。”

The general consensus is that creativity is the ability to invent new analogies, to connect two things that are not obviously related. And this invention of analogy relies not on analytic problem- solving thought but on ltting your mind drift from one thought to another in a sort of fee-associative state, says Gelernter.“Creativity doesnt operate when your focus is high," Gelernter writes in an essay for Edge.“Only when your thoughts have started to drift is creativity possible. We find creative solutions to a problem when it lingers at the back of our minds, not when it monopolises attention by standing at the front.”

普遍的共识是，创造⼒是发明新类⽐的能⼒，将两个不明显相关的事物联系起来。格勒恩特说，类⽐的发明不依赖于分析性解决问题的思维，⽽是依赖于让你的思维在某种费⽤联想状态下从⼀个思维转移到另⼀个思维。“当你的注意⼒⾼度集中时，创造⼒就不会发挥作⽤，”格勒恩特在《边缘》杂志的⼀篇⽂章中写道。“只有当你的思想开始漂移时，创造⼒才可能发挥作⽤。当⼀个问题停留在我们的脑海中时，我们会找到创造性的解决⽅案，⽽不是当它站在前⾯垄断注意⼒时。”

So how can computers create new analogies? The answer probably has something to do with emotion, says Gelernter. “Emotion is what allows us to take two thoughts or ideas that seem very different and connect them together, because emotion is a tremendously subtle kind of code or tag that can be attached to a very complicated scene.” We tend to think of emotions in discrete terms, like happy, sad, and angry, but theyre really much more subtle than that. “If I say, “What is your emotion on the frst relly warm day in April or March when you go out and you dont need a coat and you can smell the flowers bloomning and there may be remnants of snow but you know its not going to snow anymore and theres a certain springiness in the air, what do you feel?” Gelernter asks. “Its not that you feel happy exactly There are a million kinds of happiness. Its a particular shade of emotion.” Though there may not be an exact word to describe this nuanced emotion, the mind can recognise it and can connect two very different scenes that may have inspired the same emotion.

那么，计算机如何创造新的类⽐呢？答案可能与情感有关，格勒恩特说。“情感让我们能够把两个看起来⾮常不同的想法或想法联系在⼀起，因为情感是⼀种⾮常微妙的代码或标签，可以附加到⾮常复杂的场景中。”我们倾向于⽤离散的术语来思考情感，⽐如快乐、悲伤和愤怒，但它们实际上⽐这要微妙得多。“如果我说，“在四⽉或三⽉第⼀个真正温暖的⽇⼦⾥，当你外出时，你不需要外套，你可以闻到鲜花盛开的味道，可能还有残余的雪，但你知道不会再下雪了，空⽓中有⼀种春天，你有什么感觉？”格勒恩特问道。“并不是说你感到快乐。幸福有⼀百万种。这是⼀种特殊的情感阴影。”尽管可能没有⼀个确切的词来描述这种微妙的情感，但⼤脑可以识别它，并可以将可能激发同⼀种情感的两个截然不同的场景联系起来。

The other difficulty with emotion - and the reason why computers wont ever be able to experience emotions the way humans do - is that they are produced by an interaction between the brain and the body working together. “When you feel happy, your body feles a certain way, your mind notices, and the resonance between body and mind produces an emotion," Gelernter explains. Until computers can simulate this experience, they will never be truly intelligent.

情感的另⼀个困难⸺也是计算机永远⽆法像⼈类那样体验情感的原因⸺是它们是由⼤脑和⾝体之间的互动产⽣的。“当你感到快乐时，你的⾝体会有某种感觉，你的⼤脑会注意到，⾝⼼之间的共鸣会产⽣⼀种情感，”格勒恩特解释道。除⾮计算机能够模拟这种体验，否则它们永远不会真正聪明。