Whether it's from an awful breakup or a traumatic life event,some memories can haunt us for our entire lives.But,what if there was a way that you could completely forget these all together? Can science erase your bad memories? Memory is an incredibly complex process.While scientists used to believe it was like a filing cabinet and particular memories were stored in different sections of the brain,we now know this is incorrect.
無論是被發(fā)卡還是其他傷心往事,某些記憶總是忘不掉。不過 如果有能讓你徹底忘記這一切的方法呢?“記憶橡皮擦”能否成真?記憶是一項極為復(fù)雜的過程。先前 科學(xué)家把它視作為檔案柜特定記憶儲存在大腦的特定部位,我們知道這并不正確。
In fact,each memory is a brain wide process.If you end up remembering this video,it's because the cells in your brain are being triggered and fired,building new connections and links and literally rewiring the circuitry of your mind.And this change is partially facilitated by proteins in the brain.So what if the proteins aren't available?
實(shí)際上 每一項記憶都和整個大腦相關(guān),而你記住這視頻,則是因為腦內(nèi)細(xì)胞被觸發(fā)并激活,建立新的連接并重構(gòu)腦內(nèi)神經(jīng)回路,腦內(nèi)的蛋白質(zhì)也對此趕到一定促進(jìn)作用。那么 如果沒有這些蛋白質(zhì)呢?
Simply put,memories can't be made.Seriously,scientists have tested this by giving animals drugs that prevent these proteins from forming.As a result the animals have no recollection of the things that took place shortly after the drug was taken.From this research,scientists actually found a way to target long term memories for deletion.You see,every single time you remember a memory,your brain is once again firing and rewiring.
簡單說 你就記不了東西了??茖W(xué)家做過實(shí)驗 他們給動物服用藥物來抑制這類蛋白質(zhì)的合成,結(jié)果 動物們在剛服藥之后什么都記不起來。通過這項研究 科學(xué)家找到了可以刪除長期記憶的方式。你看 每次想起某些事時,大腦就會重新激活細(xì)胞 構(gòu)建回路。
In fact,each time you reflect on a memory,you are literally physically changing that memory in your mind.And each time that memory is altered a little,reflecting your current thoughts.Remembering is an act of creation and imagining.meaning the more you reflect on old memories,the less accurate they become.And scientists have actually quantified this change.
其實(shí) 你每次回憶起某件事時,都在改變著大腦內(nèi)的記憶。這段 記憶每次也會因你當(dāng)前想法而產(chǎn)生細(xì)微變化。記憶是創(chuàng)造和想象的一種行為,也就是說 回憶得越多 記憶就越不準(zhǔn)確。科學(xué)家也曾將此量化。
After 9/11,hundreds of people were asked about their memories of the dreadful day.A year later,37%of the details had changed.By 2004,nearly 50% of the details had changed or gone missing.And because memories are formed and rebuilt every time,if you administer the protein inhibiting drug while recalling a memory,the memory can be effectively removed.To test this,scientists took lab rats and played a sound for them,shortly followed by an electric shock.After doing this multiple times,the rats quickly learned that if they heard the sound,a shock was soon to follow.
911事件后 數(shù)百人被問起這段慘痛事件的記憶,一年后 其37%的細(xì)節(jié)出現(xiàn)變化,到了2004年 近乎一半的細(xì)節(jié)已被遺忘或改變。由于記憶每次都會被重塑,如果你在回憶時吃下抵制蛋白質(zhì)的藥物,這段記憶就能被消除??茖W(xué)家曾讓小白鼠聽一種聲音 此后對其電擊,幾次之后 小白鼠很快明白聽到聲音后很快會有電擊。
As a result,they would stress up and freeze every time they heard it.Months later,these rats would still respond to the noise;however,if they administered the drug first,the rats would lose the memory of the sound,and simply continue on.They had lost their memory of that specific noise.To be sure the drug wasn't just causing large scale brain damage,scientists repeated these experiments with multiple tones this time.
結(jié)果 每次聽到聲音后 他們都會緊張麻木。幾個月后 老鼠仍會對此聲音做出反應(yīng);不過 如果讓老鼠先吃藥,它們就會忘記那段聲音 繼續(xù)活動。它們對特定聲音的記憶已經(jīng)消失了。為了確定這種藥物沒在腦內(nèi)開地圖炮,這次 科學(xué)家用多種聲音重復(fù)了這項實(shí)驗。
Both sounds would warn for a shock,and eventually the mice would fear both.But if they administered the drug and played only one of the sounds,the mice would only forget that one tone,while still remaining fearful of the other.Over time scientists have discovered specific drugs to target particular proteins ccross different parts of the brain.
兩種聲音都意味著電擊 老鼠會對二者都產(chǎn)生畏懼。如果在為老鼠給藥后播放一種聲音,老鼠就會忘記這種聲音 但仍害怕另一種,目前 科學(xué)家已對大腦內(nèi)不同區(qū)域內(nèi)特定蛋白質(zhì)研發(fā)出特制藥物。
So,if you experience a terrible emotion with a memory,then targeting a protein in the emotional regions of the brain can help to remove that connection alone.Which could be an amazing tool,especially for patients suffering from something like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.But while these drugs are in the very early stages,the question remains:if you were given a "forgetting pill"would you be willing to take it?
那么 如果你經(jīng)歷了某些不堪回首的事 搞定大腦情感區(qū)域內(nèi)的一個蛋白質(zhì)就能讓你把記憶拋之腦后。這可是相當(dāng)不錯的哇,尤其對創(chuàng)作后精神緊張性精神障礙(PTSD)等疾病患者,盡管藥物尚在早期研發(fā)階段 有個問題還沒解決:給你一瓶“忘憂水”你真的會喝嗎?