真有“忘情水”：科學(xué)家發(fā)現(xiàn)消除不愉快記憶的方法.

　　Are there any memories you'd like to permanently remove from your head?

　　是不是有些記憶你想從頭腦中永久刪除?

　　Or what if you could alter unpleasant memories so they're no longer upsetting? Or create entirely new memories of events that never occurred?

　　或者，如果有某種手段可以改寫(xiě)你的不愉快記憶，讓你不再沮喪，你覺(jué)得怎么樣?甚至讓你的大腦生成全新的、從未發(fā)生過(guò)的記憶呢?

　　It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but according to a new documentary that premiered in the US recently, scientists have discovered how to do just that - and more.

　　這聽(tīng)起來(lái)像科幻小說(shuō)里的橋段。不過(guò)根據(jù)美國(guó)近日播出的一部紀(jì)錄片的介紹，科學(xué)家其實(shí)已經(jīng)知道怎么實(shí)現(xiàn)上面這些“科幻”了，而且還不止這些。

　　"Memory Hackers," from PBS's NOVA documentary strand, looks at cutting edge research into the nature of memory, and how it might be manipulated for mankind's benit.

　　美國(guó)公共廣播公司的“NOVA”系列科普節(jié)目近日推出了一部名為《記憶黑客》的紀(jì)錄片，講述了科學(xué)家對(duì)記憶本質(zhì)進(jìn)行的尖端研究，并以此造福人類(lèi)的過(guò)程。

　　"For much of human history, memory has been seen as a tape recorder that faithfully registers information and replays it intact," say the film's makers.

　　本片制作人表示：“在大部分人類(lèi)歷史中，記憶就像一臺(tái)磁帶錄音機(jī)：忠實(shí)的紀(jì)錄信息，然后按原音重放?！?/p>

　　"But now, researchers are discovering that memory is far more malleable, always being written and rewritten, not just by us but by others. We are discovering the precise mechanisms that can explain and even control our memories."

　　“不過(guò)現(xiàn)在，研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)，記憶其實(shí)非?？伤?，可以不斷改寫(xiě)。而改寫(xiě)的人可以是我們自己，也可以是其他人。我們已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了能夠準(zhǔn)確解釋、甚至控制我們記憶的大腦運(yùn)行機(jī)制?！?/p>

　　Among the documentary's subjects is Jake Hausler, a 12-year-old boy from St. Louis who can remember just about every single thing he has experienced since the age of 8.

　　12歲的男孩杰克·豪斯勒是本片中參與試驗(yàn)的人之一。來(lái)自圣路易斯的他幾乎能清楚的記得自己8歲以來(lái)經(jīng)歷過(guò)的每件事。

　　Jake is the youngest ever person to be diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, which makes it difficult for him to distinguish between trivial and important events from his past.

　　在所有患“極端自傳式記憶癥”的人中，杰克年齡最小。他分辨不出記憶中哪些是不值一記的小事，哪些是值得記住的大事。

　　“Forgetting is probably one of the most important things that brains will do,” says Andre Fenton, a prominent neuroscientist who is currently working on a technique to erase painful memories. “We understand only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to human memory.”

　　著名神經(jīng)學(xué)家安德烈·芬頓致力于消除痛苦記憶的研究。他表示：“‘忘記’可以說(shuō)是大腦需要掌握的最重要的機(jī)能之一。在對(duì)人類(lèi)記憶進(jìn)行的研究方面，我們目前發(fā)現(xiàn)的還只是冰山一角?！?/p>

　　Other interviewees include Julia Shaw, psychology professor at London South Bank University, who has designed a system for implanting false memories, and has successfully convinced subjects they've committed crimes that never took place.

　　倫敦南岸大學(xué)的心理學(xué)教授茱莉亞·肖也是受訪者之一。她設(shè)計(jì)了一種可以向人腦植入錯(cuò)誤記憶的系統(tǒng)，這種系統(tǒng)能讓受試者錯(cuò)誤的以為自己有過(guò)犯罪行為。

　　The film's makers also speak to clinical psychologist Merel Kindt, who has discovered that medication can be used to remove the negative associations of some memories - through which she has managed to 'cure' patients of arachnophobia.

　　本片制作人還采訪了臨床心理學(xué)家梅雷爾·金迪特。金迪特發(fā)現(xiàn)，可以通過(guò)藥物消除不好的記憶，她就曾在蜘蛛恐懼癥患者身上成功運(yùn)用了這個(gè)方法。