时间:2019-01-13 作者:英语课 分类:VOA标准英语2008年(十月)


英语课
Scientists in Australia are developing a thinking cap that could unlock our hidden genius, by switching on and off certain sections of the brain. Researchers at the University of Sydney think their experiments show that we all have hidden creative talents. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Imagine a cap that could make us smarter and more creative.
 






Professor Allan Snyder



Professor Allan Snyder at the University of Sydney is developing just such a device.

He thinks we all have hidden talents, but we have trouble tapping into them.

His research is in its early stages. The idea is to switch off parts of the brain to help unlock the genius that lies dormant 1.

"The two things that drive me - I'm passionate 2 about understanding the architecture of thought," he explained. "Why are we wired up the way we are? Not how we are wired up but what is the master plan, the architectural plan. And the second thing, of course, I'm fascinated by wanting to have a true vision of the world. I mean, we make hypotheses of what is out there. Wouldn't it be nice to see what really is out there?"

He is working on device that is based on research into savants who have extraordinary talents as well as severe mental disability. They appear as if one part of the brain has been subdued 3 so that the other can be more dominant 4.

The aim is to make a thinking cap that could unleash 5 creativity when it was needed, such as when we are tired or under pressure and lack inspiration.

The cap uses tiny magnets to change the process by which we think. Tests have shown that it can improve artistic 6 and mathematical ability by turning off the part of the brain that controls our innate 7 view of the world.

The magnets let the brain experience raw sensory 8 information, untainted by preconceptions - just as a child might see the world.

Researchers think that this technique, known as trans-cranial magnetic stimulation 9, could also be useful in treating depression.



adj.暂停活动的;休眠的;潜伏的
  • Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
  • This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。
adj.热情的,热烈的,激昂的,易动情的,易怒的,性情暴躁的
  • He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
  • He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。
adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因
  • The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
  • She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。
vt.发泄,发出;解带子放开
  • They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
  • Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今,大坝不时地改变水位,从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的
  • The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
  • These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。
adj.天生的,固有的,天赋的
  • You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
  • Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。
adj.知觉的,感觉的,知觉器官的
  • Human powers of sensory discrimination are limited.人类感官分辨能力有限。
  • The sensory system may undergo long-term adaptation in alien environments.感觉系统对陌生的环境可能经过长时期才能适应。
n.刺激,激励,鼓舞
  • The playgroup provides plenty of stimulation for the children.幼儿游戏组给孩子很多启发。
  • You don't get any intellectual stimulation in this job.你不能从这份工作中获得任何智力启发。
学英语单词
A. C. L. D.
akromegaly
analog input channel
anti-anthrax
aquagene
archiblastic
assessment district
atom trap
attracted armature relay
bacillus meningitidis cerebrospinalis septicaemiae
belted galloway
benzene alkylation
bricklier
cable length switch
carboxyplypeptidase
castle hill
Catita
channel-section
check abuse
climatic classification of soils
cockles of the heart
codgy
compact powder
Conca, Torrente
curietron
dactylopus dactylopus
denimlike
diaphaneities
dimelus
disbursements account
discomposture
double-barrelled intussusception
Edenkoben
electroencephalogr
eyasmuskets
face a crisis
feinstratigraphie
flexible tine cultivator
fluent lava
foreign market value
fortune-hunter
glycodiversification
goofier
half-salted fish
Hatsukaichi
heder
heily
hindered contraction
i-r-a
interest representation model
iodobenzyl bromide
Ivano-Frankovsk
kalina
kallaut
kamikazed
large hatch ship
latitudinally
lesages
lycogala flavofuscum
macroerythrocyte
magnesicm cell
Mandelstam representation
methoxya-cetanilide
modern management
morgenthaus
movement differential
nemestrinas
nightthe
nitrogen content
non card credit
paper tray
PHA-LYCM
pipe closure
pollution relationships
Put your arm no further than your sleeve will reach
Qur'aniyun
radiobiological energetics
Rhododendron lepidotum
Saint-Gingolph
Santurde
semantic-differential
seybold
Sezze
Shawforth
showing off
slaverings
spatial correlation
speed sprayer
standard alignment rule
sucramin
sulfatostannate
the Pledge of Allegiance
Thunbergia lutea
to back onto sth
transfer-turnover device
valspar
valv
vat pink
voltage between segments
whim
xanthinic
xionics