TED-Ed
Greg Gage: The cockroach beatbox
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By dissecting a cockroach ... yes, live on stage ... TED Fellow and neuroscientist Greg Gage shows how brains receive and deliver electric impulses -- and how legs can respond. This talk comes from the TED-Ed project.
Greg Gage - Neuroscientist
TED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards. Full bio
TED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
（音乐）
00:13
When you think about the brain,
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当你谈到大脑时，
00:15
it's difficult to understand,
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你会觉得它很难理解。
00:17
because if I were to ask you right now,
how does the heart work,
how does the heart work,
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如果我问你心脏是如何工作的，
00:20
you would instantly tell me it's a pump.
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你会说它像泵一样，抽运血液。
00:23
It pumps blood.
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换作是肺，
00:24
If I were to ask about your lungs,
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你会说，它交换氧气和二氧化碳。这都很简单。
00:26
you would say it exchanges
oxygen for carbon dioxide.
oxygen for carbon dioxide.
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00:28
That's easy.
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大脑的工作原理则很难理解，
00:29
If I were to ask you how the brain works,
it's hard to understand
it's hard to understand
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因为你不能直观的观察大脑。
00:32
because you can't just look
at a brain and understand what it is.
at a brain and understand what it is.
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它不是机械装置，它不像泵或气囊。
00:36
It's not a mechanical object,
not a pump, not an airbag.
not a pump, not an airbag.
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将死亡的大脑放在手中，它就像是一堆脂肪。
00:38
It's just like, if you held it
in your hand when it was dead,
in your hand when it was dead,
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00:41
it's just a piece of fat.
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想要了解大脑是如何工作的，
00:43
To understand how the brain works,
you have to go inside a living brain.
you have to go inside a living brain.
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必须深入其内部。大脑不是机械的，
00:47
Because the brain's not mechanical,
the brain is electrical and it's chemical.
the brain is electrical and it's chemical.
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它是电能和化学能的结合。
00:51
Your brain is made out of
100 billion cells, called neurons.
100 billion cells, called neurons.
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它由一千亿个细胞组成，
这些细胞被称为神经元。他们靠电流传递信息。
00:53
And these neurons communicate
with each other with electricity.
with each other with electricity.
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我们来听听两个细胞间的谈话，
00:57
And we're going to eavesdrop
in on a conversation between two cells,
in on a conversation between two cells,
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01:01
and we're going to listen
to something called a spike.
to something called a spike.
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我们将听到所谓的“放电”。
01:03
But we're not going to record my brain
or your brain or your teachers' brains,
or your brain or your teachers' brains,
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我们用的并不是任何人的大脑，
而是蟑螂的大脑。
01:07
we're going to use our good
friend the cockroach.
friend the cockroach.
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原因不是因为他们很酷，而是他们有
01:10
Not just because I think they're cool,
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01:12
but because they have brains
very similar to ours.
very similar to ours.
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与我们相似的大脑。
从对他们的大脑的一点了解中，
01:14
So if you learn a little bit
about how their brains work,
about how their brains work,
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我们将学到很多。
01:17
we're going to learn a lot
about how our brains work.
about how our brains work.
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现在将他们放入冰水中，
01:19
I'm going to put them
in some ice water here
in some ice water here
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然后……
01:22
And then --
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（观众：呕！）……好的……
01:24
Audience: Ew!
Greg Gabe: Yeah ...
Greg Gabe: Yeah ...
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01:26
Right now they're becoming anesthetized.
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他们已经失去知觉了，
01:28
Because they're cold blooded,
they become the temperature of the water
they become the temperature of the water
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因为他们的血液降到了冰水的温度，
01:31
and they can't control it
so they just basically "chillax," right?
so they just basically "chillax," right?
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身体不受控制，很“淡定”，是吧？
他们没有感觉。
01:35
They're not going to feel anything,
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01:37
which may tell you a little
about what we're going to do,
about what we're going to do,
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我们接下来要做
一个科学实验来认识大脑。
01:39
a scientific experiment
to understand the brain.
to understand the brain.
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嗯……
01:42
So ...
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这是一只蟑螂的腿，
01:44
This is the leg of a cockroach.
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01:46
And a cockroach
has all these beautiful hairs
has all these beautiful hairs
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它上面有很多
漂亮的毛刺。
01:48
and pricklies all over it.
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01:50
Underneath each one of those is a cell,
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在每一个毛刺下面有一个神经元，
01:53
and this cell's a neuron
that is going to send information
that is going to send information
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它会将风和振动的信息传递出去。
01:56
about wind or vibration.
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你想抓住一只蟑螂是很难的，
01:57
If you ever try to catch a cockroach,
it's hard because they can feel you coming
it's hard because they can feel you coming
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因为它能在你行动前觉察，并迅速逃跑。
02:01
before you're even there,
they start running.
they start running.
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神经元通过轴突的电信号
02:03
These cells are zipping up
this information up to the brain
this information up to the brain
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将信息迅速上传给大脑。
02:06
using those little axons
with electronic messages in there.
with electronic messages in there.
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在这里插一根针来记录。
02:09
We're going to record
by sticking a pin right in there.
by sticking a pin right in there.
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我们需要取下蟑螂的一条腿 --
02:11
We need to take off the leg
of a cockroach --
of a cockroach --
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别担心，会长回来的 --
02:14
don't worry, they'll grow back --
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02:16
then we're going to put two pins in there.
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我们插入两根金属针。其中一根
02:18
These are metal pins.
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将接收到电子信号，并将信号传递出去。
02:19
One will pick up this electronic message,
this electric message is going by.
this electric message is going by.
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要做外科手术，你们也许看不下去。
02:23
So, we're now going to do the surgery,
let's see if you guys can see this.
let's see if you guys can see this.
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啊，真恶心……
02:28
Yeah, it's gross ...
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好的……完成了……
02:32
All right. So there we go.
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你们能看到它分离的腿。
02:35
You guys can see his leg right there.
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现在将它放入我的发明装置
02:37
Now I'm going to take this leg,
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02:39
I'm going to put it in this invention
that we came up with
that we came up with
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“放电盒” --
02:41
called the Spikerbox --
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它可以取代实验室中昂贵的仪器，
02:43
and this replaces lots of expensive
equipment in a research lab,
equipment in a research lab,
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你们可以在学校自己动手做出来，
02:46
so you guys can do this
in your own high schools,
in your own high schools,
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如果是我的话我会选在自家的地下室 --
02:49
or in your own basements if it's me.
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02:53
(Audience: Laughter)
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好了。（笑声）
02:55
So, there.
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你们看得见吗？我要打开它了。
02:59
Can you guys see that?
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03:01
Alright, so I'm going to go ahead
and turn this on.
and turn this on.
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插入接口。（神经元激发的声音）
03:06
I'm going to plug it in.
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对于我，这是世界上最美妙的声音。
03:08
(Tuning sound)
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03:09
To me, this is the most beautiful
sound in the world.
sound in the world.
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这正是你的大脑正在做的。
03:11
This is what your brain
is doing right now.
is doing right now.
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一千亿个神经元发出雨滴似的声响，
03:13
You have 100 billion cells
making these raindrop-type noises.
making these raindrop-type noises.
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看看呈现在iPad上的
03:16
Let's take a look at what it looks like,
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波形图，
03:18
let's pull it up on the iPad screen.
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插上我的iPad。
03:20
I plugged my iPad into here as well.
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还记得轴突吧，它看起来像放电。
03:22
So remember we said
the axon looks like a spike.
the axon looks like a spike.
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我们马上就能看到它的样子。
03:24
So we're going to take a look
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03:25
at what one of them
looks like in just a brief second.
looks like in just a brief second.
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我们轻拍下这里。
03:28
We're going to tap here,
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03:29
so we can sort of average this guy.
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我们可以看到了，这是动作电位。
03:31
So there we see it.
That's an action potential.
That's an action potential.
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03:34
You've got 100 billion cells
in your brain doing this right now,
in your brain doing this right now,
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你脑中的一千亿个神经元亦是如此
处理感官信息的。
03:37
sending all this information back
about what you're seeing, hearing.
about what you're seeing, hearing.
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我们刚才提到神经元可以传递腿毛在风中振动的信息。
03:40
We also said this is a cell
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03:41
that's going to be taking up information
about vibrations in the wind.
about vibrations in the wind.
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03:45
So what if we do an experiment?
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那么做个实验如何？
03:46
We can actually blow on this
and hear if we see a change.
and hear if we see a change.
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向它吹气并观察变化。
准备好了吗？
03:49
Are you guys going to be ready?
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告诉我你在我吹气时听到什么。
03:50
If I blow on it you tell me
if you hear anything.
if you hear anything.
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（风吹产生的放电声音）
03:53
(Blowing)
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03:55
(Sound changes)
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03:57
Let me just touch this
with a little pen here.
with a little pen here.
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让我用一只笔触碰一下。
03:59
(Noise)
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（声响）
这是神经元激发幅度。我们用了很久
04:02
That was the neural firing rate.
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04:04
That actually took a while
in neuroscience to understand this.
in neuroscience to understand this.
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才解释了它。它叫做频率编码，
04:07
This is called rate coding:
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你越用力按压，放电越明显，
04:08
the harder you press on something,
the more spikes there are,
the more spikes there are,
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信息传到大脑。我们就是这样感知事物的。
04:11
and all that information
is coming up to your brain.
is coming up to your brain.
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04:14
That's how you perceive things.
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这是我们用电流做实验的方法。
04:15
So that's one way of doing
an experiment with electricity.
an experiment with electricity.
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你的大脑在接受电流脉冲时，也在发送信息。
04:18
The other way is that your brain is not
only taking in electrical impulses,
only taking in electrical impulses,
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这就是为什么你能够控制肌肉。
04:22
you're also sending out.
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04:24
That's how you move your muscles around.
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让我们看看将带电的针插入
04:26
Let's see what happens if I've plugged in
something that's electric
something that's electric
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蟑螂的腿，会发生什么。
04:29
into the cockroach leg here.
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04:31
I'm going to take two pins,
I'm going to plug them onto the cockroach.
I'm going to plug them onto the cockroach.
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我将两根针插在上面。
另一头接入我的iPod。
04:34
I'm going to take the other end,
I'm going to plug in into my iPod.
I'm going to plug in into my iPod.
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其实是iPhone。
04:38
It's my iPhone actually.
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知道耳机如何工作吗？
04:39
Do you guys know how your earbuds
work in your ears?
work in your ears?
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04:42
You have a battery
in your phone, or iPod, right?
in your phone, or iPod, right?
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你手机里有块电池，
它向耳机中的磁体输送交替电流
04:45
It's sending electrical current
into these magnets in your earbuds
into these magnets in your earbuds
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这样你才能听到声音。
04:48
which shake back and forth
and allow you to hear things.
and allow you to hear things.
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04:51
But that current's the same currency
that our brain uses,
that our brain uses,
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我们的大脑也运用同种电流，
04:54
so we can send that to our cockroach leg
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所以我们将其直接输入蟑螂腿，
04:55
and hopefully if this works,
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并观察播放音乐时的现象。
04:57
we can actually see what happens
when we play music into the cockroach.
when we play music into the cockroach.
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我们来看看。
05:00
Let's take a look.
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（音乐节奏）我们来将他开启。
05:03
(Music beat)
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05:05
Can we turn it up? There we go.
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（观众惊讶）发生什么了？
05:07
(Audience reacts and gasps)
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05:10
GG: So what's happening?
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（音乐节奏）
05:11
Audience: Wow!
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你会看到它随着低音活动。
05:13
(Laughter)
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05:14
So you see what's moving.
It's moving on the bass.
It's moving on the bass.
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05:17
All those audiophiles out there,
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如果你是音箱发烧友，有最棒的车载立体声，
05:19
if you have awesome, kicking car stereos,
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会知道低音扬声器是最大的扬声器。
05:21
you know, the bass speakers
are the biggest speakers.
are the biggest speakers.
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05:23
The biggest speakers
have the longest waves,
have the longest waves,
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它的波长最长且有最大的电流，
05:26
which have the most current,
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而正是电流使肢体活动。
05:27
and the current is what's causing
these things to move.
these things to move.
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所以并不只是扬声器制造电流，
05:30
So it's not just speakers
that are causing electricity.
that are causing electricity.
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麦克风也同样可以。（节拍）
05:33
Microphones also cause electricity.
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05:35
(Beat)
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接下来我要邀请另一个人到舞台
05:36
So I'm going to go ahead and invite
another person out on the stage here
another person out on the stage here
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来协助我。来吧。（打Beatbox）
05:40
to help me out with this.
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05:41
So there we go.
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05:42
(Beatboxing)
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05:47
This is the first time this has ever
happened in the history of mankind.
happened in the history of mankind.
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这是人类史上第一次。
人对着蟑螂腿打Beatbox。
05:50
Human beatbox to a cockroach leg.
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05:53
When you guys go back to your high school,
think about neuroscience
think about neuroscience
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等你们回到学校，要好好想想神经学，也许将来你们会带来革命。
05:56
and how you guys can begin
the neuro-revolution.
the neuro-revolution.
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05:59
Thank you very much. Bye bye.
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谢谢大家。再见。（掌声）
06:00
(Applause)
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（音乐）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Greg Gage - NeuroscientistTED Fellow Greg Gage helps kids investigate the neuroscience in their own backyards.
Why you should listen
As half of Backyard Brains, neuroscientist and engineer Greg Gage builds the SpikerBox -- a small rig that helps kids understand the electrical impulses that control the nervous system. He's passionate about helping students understand (viscerally) how our brains and our neurons work, because, as he said onstage at TED2012, we still know very little about how the brain works -- and we need to start inspiring kids early to want to know more.
Before becoming a neuroscientist, Gage worked as an electrical engineer making touchscreens. As he told the Huffington Post: "Scientific equipment in general is pretty expensive, but it's silly because before [getting my PhD in neuroscience] I was an electrical engineer, and you could see that you could make it yourself. So we started as a way to have fun, to show off to our colleagues, but we were also going into classrooms around that time and we thought, wouldn't it be cool if you could bring these gadgets with us so the stuff we were doing in advanced Ph.D. programs in neuroscience, you could also do in fifth grade?" His latest pieces of gear: the Roboroach, a cockroach fitted with an electric backpack that makes it turn on command, and BYB SmartScope, a smartphone-powered microscope.
Greg Gage | Speaker | TED.com