民主黨 vs 共和黨——誰的大腦更勝一籌？：英語精讀講義

The world feels pretty divided. 用詞

世界似乎分裂得相當嚴重。

Currently, 81% of both liberals and conservatives

目前，自由派和保守派中各有 81% 的人

have unfavorable views towards those on the other side. 片語搭配

對另一陣營的人抱持負面看法。

But is there actually a fundamental biological difference

但真的存在根本性的生物學差異，

between liberals and conservatives?

能把自由派和保守派區分開來嗎？

On the surface, we can see some funny differences

從表面來看，我們可以發現一些有趣的差異，

like conservatives like meat and potatoes more

例如保守派比較喜歡吃肉類和馬鈴薯，

while liberals tend to like trying food from other cultures more. 文法

而自由派往往更願意嘗試其他文化的食物。

In general, conservatives prefer purebred dogs 用詞

一般來說，保守派比較喜歡純種狗，

while liberals prefer mixed breeds

而自由派比較喜歡混種狗；

and liberals are okay with free verse poetry 用詞

自由派也能接受自由詩，

while conservatives prefer it to rhyme.

而保守派比較喜歡押韻的詩。

But as we study more, 表達脈絡

但隨著研究不斷深入，

we realize that the differences are much deeper.

我們才發現，這些差異其實存在於更深的層次。

When put through MRI brain scans,

接受 MRI 腦部掃描後，

it turns out that liberals are more likely to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, 講解

結果顯示，自由派比較可能擁有較大的前扣帶皮質，

which is associated with understanding and monitoring conflict, 片語搭配

這個區域與理解和監測衝突有關；

while conservatives have a larger right amygdala,

而保守派的右側杏仁核較大，

which helps process fear and anxiety.

這個區域有助於處理恐懼和焦慮。

And that makes sense given the years of research 片語搭配

考量多年來的研究，這個結果也合情合理，

that have shown people tend to become more conservative

因為這些研究顯示，人們變得更加保守的傾向往往出現在

when they feel threatened or afraid.

他們感到受威脅或害怕的時候。

After 9/11, for example, 文化背景

舉例來說，在九一一事件之後，

the US became politically more conservative

美國的政治氛圍變得更加保守，

with studies showing increased support for issues

研究顯示，人們對某些議題的支持度有所提高，

like national security and military spending.

例如國家安全和軍事支出。

But studies have also found

但研究也發現，

that conservatives and liberals employ different cognitive styles. 用詞

保守派和自由派採用的認知方式也不同。

Conservatives excel when it comes to more structured 片語搭配

保守派更擅長處理結構較明確、

and organized problems or questions,

組織更有條理的問題；

whereas liberals tend to be more flexible and less likely to commit errors

而自由派往往更靈活，也比較不容易出錯，

with questions involving conflicting information 文法

特別是在處理資訊互相衝突、

and requiring fast reaction times.

又需要快速反應的問題時。

One study looking at dorm rooms even found that, on average, 片語搭配

一項觀察宿舍房間的研究甚至發現，平均而言，

conservative students' rooms were less messy than liberals.

保守派學生的房間沒有自由派學生的那麼亂。

But they also experienced pain in different ways.

但他們感受疼痛的方式也不相同。

So much so that one study was able to predict who was liberal or conservative 表達脈絡

這種差異之大，甚至讓一項研究能判斷一個人是自由派還是保守派，

just by viewing brain scans of them

依據僅僅是查看他們的腦部掃描影像，

looking at graphic photos containing mutilations. 用詞

而掃描時，他們正在觀看呈現肢體殘缺的血腥照片。

In this instance, liberal brains were more active

在這種情況下，自由派的大腦活動更為活躍，

in the S2 or somatosensory 2 region,

尤其是在 S2，也就是第二體感覺區，

which is normally activated when you're in pain,

這個區域通常會在你感到疼痛時被活化，

but also when you see someone else suffering.

也會在你看到別人受苦時被活化。

It's essentially scientific evidence

這基本上可以算是科學證據，

for the bleeding heart liberal stereotype, 文化背景

支持了「自由派總是同情心氾濫」這種刻板印象。

which doesn't mean conservatives are uncaring, 表達脈絡

但這並不代表保守派漠不關心，

but that their minds just respond

只表示他們的大腦在面對

to graphic images differently.

血腥影像時，反應方式有所不同。

In America, this can explain how Democrats and Republicans

在美國，這可以解釋民主黨人和共和黨人為何

perceive the world in fundamentally different ways.

會以根本不同的方式看待世界。

It's difficult to grasp

我們很難理解

how someone on the other side of politics thinks 慣用語

政治立場相反的人是怎麼思考的，

because we tend to overestimate the extent 文法

因為我們往往會高估

to which our opinions, beliefs, and values are normal.

自己的觀點、信念和價值觀有多麼「正常」。

Psychologists refer to this as false consensus bias. 講解

心理學家稱之為「虛假共識偏誤」。

For example, if you heard Yanni

舉例來說，如果你聽到的是 Yanni，

in the Yanni versus Laurel debate, 文化背景

在「Yanni 還是 Laurel」的爭論中，

it may have felt that you were the normal one 文法

你可能會覺得自己才是正常的，

and it was insane that anyone could be hearing Laurel.

而有人竟然能聽成 Laurel，簡直太離譜了。

Apply this logic to politics 表達脈絡

把這套邏輯套用到政治上，

and you can see why people have such polarizing ideas

你就會明白，為什麼人們的觀點會如此兩極化，

on issues like immigration, abortion, gun rights, etc.

特別是在移民、墮胎、擁槍權等議題上。

But where do these differences come from? 表達脈絡

但這些差異究竟從何而來？

One study revealed that genetics can account 片語動詞

一項研究發現，遺傳因素可以解釋

for around 30 to 40%

大約 30% 到 40%

of a person's political leanings,

的個人政治傾向，

which may seem like a lot, 表達脈絡

這個比例聽起來可能很高，

but there are still many other important factors

但還是有許多其他重要因素，

like your environment and personal experiences

例如你所處的環境和個人經驗，

which play massive roles in your politics. 片語搭配

也會對你的政治立場產生巨大影響。

Political neuroscience is a relatively new field of study 用詞

政治神經科學是一個相對較新的研究領域，

with fascinating results.

其研究結果相當引人入勝。

And in a world that's being increasingly characterized by its divisions, 片語搭配

在這個分裂日益加劇的世界裡，

perhaps an important aspect of unity involves using neuroscience

或許，促進團結的一個重要途徑，就是運用神經科學

to better understand each other's differences.

來更深入了解彼此的差異。

On a lighter note, space is a place where liberals and conservatives 表達脈絡

換個輕鬆的話題，太空是一個能讓自由派、保守派

and nations all over the world come together. 片語動詞

以及世界各國齊聚一堂的地方。

And we actually just made a video

而且，我們最近才剛做了一支影片，

where we tried out the latest space food

在裡面試吃了最新的太空食品，

that astronauts are eating right now.

也就是太空人目前正在吃的食物。

Click here or the description

點這裡，或點資訊欄裡的連結，

to check it out.

就能去看看這支影片。

Also, if you want even more science,

另外，如果你還想看更多科學內容，

we have a weekly science podcast.

我們還有一個每週更新的科學 Podcast。

So, subscribe to it.

所以，記得訂閱。

The link is like down there, I think,

連結大概就在下面吧，

and it's called side note.

節目叫 side note。