英语听力文摘 English Digest 724 移动的手指

The Moving Thumb

Philosophers spend a lot of time pointing out that we don’t really see the world and that what we really see is what our brains make of the world. Too much of this kind of thing can make you want change your major to Business Administration.

Not ‘Windows To The World’

But science has shown that those philosophy types actually have a point. Here’s a simple demonstration¹ you can do to show that your brain doesn’t just take in information, but always interprets that information.

Hold your arm out and stick your thumb up in the air. While looking at your thumb, slowly move your hand back and forth². Next, hold your hand still and slowly move your eyes back and forth.

Why did your thumb seem to be moving in the first instance and not in the second? The same image was sent to your retina, but in one instance you felt your hand was moving and in another you felt your hand was still. This shows that our brains aren’t just open windows through which the world pours. They are always interpreting the information they receive.

Always Interpreting

In this case, your brain knew your eyes were moving, and it interpreted the change in visual images as coming from inside your head. When it isn’t told your eyes are moving, your brain reads the same image as motion taking place outside your head.

This is the same reason lying down on the bed doesn’t make you immediately panic when you see the room turn on its side. In fact, your brain is always seeing the world move and deciding whether that motion is “in here” or “out there.”

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。