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Have you ever tried to understand a teenager? It's exhausting, right?
你们有没有试过去了解一个青少年？了解的过程让人身心俱疲，对吧？
You must be puzzled by the fact that some teens do well in school,
你们肯定很疑惑：有些青少年在学校很乖，
lead clubs and teams and volunteer in their communities,
他们在俱乐部或者团队里承担领导角色，在社区当志愿者，
but they eat Tide Pods for an online challenge, speed and text while driving, binge drink and experiment with illicit drugs.
但是他们也会参加线上挑战，品尝汰渍洗衣球，他们飙车，一边开车一边发信息，酗酒，尝试吸毒。
How can so many teens be so smart, skilled and responsible -- and careless risk-takers at the same time?
怎么会有这么多的青少年既聪颖、富有责任心，同时却又做出如此不计后果的事情？
When I was 16, while frequently observing my peers in person as well as on social media,
在我16岁的时候，我经常当面观察同龄人，我也会通过社交媒体去观察他们，
I began to wonder why so many teens took such crazy risks.
我开始疑惑：为什么这么多青少年会疯狂冒险。
It seems like getting a certificate from DARE class in the fifth grade can't stop them.
就像是想获得五年级“勇士”课堂的证书一样，拦都拦不住他们。
What was even more alarming to me was that the more they exposed themselves to these harmful risks,
更让我吃惊的是，他们越将自己暴露在这种风险之中，
the easier it became for them to continue taking risks.
就越容易继续冒险。
Now this confused me, but it also made me incredibly curious.
这令我非常困惑，同时也令我万分好奇。
So, as someone with a name that literally means "to explore knowledge," I started searching for a scientific explanation.
我的名字的字面意思是“探索知识”，冲着这样一个名字，我就此开启了我的科学探索。
Now, it's no secret that teens ages 13 to 18 are more prone to risk-taking than children or adults, but what makes them so daring?
目前，13到18岁的青少年比儿童和成人都更倾向于冒险，这一点人尽皆知，那是什么使他们如此大胆呢？
Do they suddenly become reckless, or is this just a natural phase that they're going through?
他们是突然变得如此不计后果的吗，还是说这是他们成长必经的一个阶段？
Well neuroscientists have already found evidence that the teen brain is still in the process of maturation
神经科学家们发现，青少年大脑还在发育、尚未成熟，
and that this makes them exceptionally poor at decision-making, causing them to fall prey to risky behaviors.
而这使得青少年特别不善于做决策，所以他们容易采取危险行为。
But in that case, if the maturing brain is to blame, then why are teens more vulnerable than children,
这样的话，那问题就在于发育中的大脑，那为什么青少年比起儿童更加容易采取冒险的决定呢？
even though their brains are more developed than those of children?
青少年的大脑可是比儿童的大脑更成熟啊！
Also, not all teens in the world take risks at the same level.
此外，并非全球青少年的冒险程度都相同。
Are there some other underlying or unintentional causes driving them to risk-taking?
还有其他潜在的或偶然的理由驱使他们去冒险吗？
Well, this is exactly what I decided to research.
这正是我决定去研究的领域。
So, I founded my research on the basis of a psychological process known as "habituation,"
所以，我将研究建立在一个心理过程的基础之上，即“习惯化”，
or simply what we refer to as "getting used to it."
简言之，就是我们所说的“适应”。
Habituation explains how our brains adapt to some behaviors, like lying, with repeated exposures.
习惯化解释了大脑如何适应例如反复接触，说谎等这些行为。
And this concept inspired me to design a project
这个概念激发了我设计项目的灵感：
to determine if the same principle could be applied to the relentless rise of risk-taking in teenagers.
同样的原则能否用来解释为何青少年冒险现象不断增多。
So I predicted that habituation to risk-taking may have the potential to change the already-vulnerable teenage brain
我预期，冒险行为的习惯化可能会改变易受环境影响的青年大脑，
by blunting or even eradicating the negative emotions associated with risk, like fear or guilt.
改变的方法是削弱与风险相关的负面情绪，甚至完全消除这样的情绪，如恐惧、内疚。
I also thought because they would feel less fearful and guilty,
我还认为，因为他们觉得没那么恐惧和内疚，
this desensitization would lead them to even more risk-taking.
这种脱敏现象会使他们更容易冒险。
In short, I wanted to conduct a research study to answer one big question:
简单来说，我想通过研究来回答一个大问题：
Why do teens keep making outrageous choices that are harmful to their health and well-being?
为什么青少年老是做出骇人的且不利于自己的身心的事情？
But there was one big obstacle in my way.
但是我的研究面临着一个很大的障碍。
To investigate this problem, I needed teenagers to experiment on,
要研究这个问题，我需要青少年参与试验，
laboratories and devices to measure their brain activity,
需要实验室和设备来测量他们的大脑活动，
and teachers or professors to supervise me and guide me along the way. I needed resources.
需要老师或教授来监督我、引导我。我需要各种资源。
But, you see, I attended a high school in South Dakota with limited opportunity for scientific exploration.
但是，你们也看到了，我中学是在南达科他塔州上的，科学探索的机会非常有限。
My school had athletics, band, choir, debate and other clubs, but there were no STEM programs or research mentors.
我们学校有运动员、乐队、合唱团、辩论队和各种社团，但却没有STEM项目或研究导师。
And the notion of high schoolers doing research or participating in a science fair was completely foreign.
此外，高中生做研究或参与科学竞赛的想法更是少有。
Simply put, I didn't exactly have the ingredients to make a chef-worthy dish.
简单来说，这让我感到巧妇难为无米之炊。
And these obstacles were frustrating, but I was also a stubborn teenager.
这些障碍真让人沮丧，但我是一个倔强的青少年。
And as the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants and one of just a handful of Muslim students in my high school in South Dakota,
作为孟加拉国移民的女儿和在南达科他塔州高中里为数不多的穆斯林学生之一，
I often struggled to fit in. And I wanted to be someone with something to contribute to society,
我常常需要很努力地去适应、去融入。我想做一个对社会有贡献的人，
not just be deemed the scarf-wearing brown girl who was an anomaly in my homogenous hometown.
而不只是一个带头巾的棕色皮肤女孩，只是家乡来的一个异类。
I hoped that by doing this research, I could establish this
我希望，通过这个研究，我能达成上述的那些愿望，
and how valuable scientific exploration could be for kids like me who didn't necessarily find their niche elsewhere.
证明科学探索对于像我一样的孩子来说是多么珍贵，我们在其他地方未必能找到自己的立足之地。
So with limited research opportunities, inventiveness allowed me to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.
所以，仅凭有限的研究机会，创造力使我克服了那些看似无法跨越的障碍。
I became more creative in working with a variety of methodologies, materials and subjects.
用各种方法、材料工作时，涉及各种主题时，我变得越来越有创造力。
I transformed my unassuming school library into a laboratory and my peers into lab rats.
我把我们普通的学校图书馆变成了实验室，把同学们变成了实验室里的小白鼠。
My enthusiastic geography teacher, who also happens to be my school's football coach,
我那热心的地理老师，正好也是我们学校的足球教练，
ended up as my cheerleader, becoming my mentor to sign necessary paperwork.
他最终成为了我的啦啦队队长，成为了我在签署必备文件方面的导师。
And when it became logistically impossible to use a laboratory electroencephalography, or EEG,
而当我无法使用实验室脑电图设备，简称EEG，
which are those electrode devices used to measure emotional responses,
即无法使用用来测试情感反应的电极装置时，
I bought a portable EEG headset with my own money, instead of buying the new iPhone X that a lot of kids my age were saving up for.
我用自己省下来买新款iPhone X的钱，买了一台便携式EEG耳机，我的很多同龄人都在省钱买iPhone X。
So finally I started the research with 86 students, ages 13 to 18, from my high school.
最终，我开始了我的研究，研究对象是我们中学的86名学生（13~18岁）。
Using the computer cubicles in my school library,
我使用了学校图书馆的电脑隔间，
I had them complete a computerized decision-making simulation
让同学们完成了一项计算机决策模拟试验，
to measure their risk-taking behaviors comparable to ones in the real world, like alcohol use, drug use and gambling.
以此来测试他们的冒险行为，并与现实世界中的行为进行对比，如喝酒、嗑药和赌博。
Wearing the EEG headset, the students completed the test 12 times over three days to mimic repeated risk exposures.
同学们头戴EEG耳机，在3天时间里完成了12次测试，模拟重复暴露到风险之中的情况。
A control panel on the EEG headset measured their various emotional responses:
EEG耳机上的控制面板测试了他们不同的情感反应：
like attention, interest, excitement, frustration, guilt, stress levels and relaxation.
专注、感兴趣、兴奋、沮丧、内疚、压力程度、放松。
They also rated their emotions on well-validated emotion-measuring scales.
他们还用经过验证的情感测试测量系统测试了自己的情感。
This meant that I had measured the process of habituation and its effects on decision-making.
这就是说，我试验了习惯化的过程及其对决策的影响。
And it took 29 days to complete this research.
这项研究历时29天。
And with months of frantically drafting proposals,
接下来的几个月，我拼命地起草研究报告，
meticulously computing data in a caffeinated daze at 2am, I was able to finalize my results.
细心地计算数据，时常在咖啡因的作用下熬到凌晨2点，最终，我的研究结果定稿了。
And the results showed that habituation to risk-taking could actually change a teen's brain
研究结果表明：事实上，冒险的习惯化会改变青少年的情感水平，
by altering their emotional levels, causing greater risk-taking.
从而改变他们的大脑，使得他们更冒险。
The students' emotions that were normally associated with risks, like fear, stress, guilt and nervousness,
与风险相关的情感一般有恐惧、压力、内疚、紧张，
as well as attention, were high when they were first exposed to the risk simulator.
还有专注，第一次接触风险模拟器时，学生的这些情感处于高水平。
This curbed their temptations and enforced self-control, which prevented them from taking more risks.
这抑制了风险对他们的诱惑，迫使他们进行自我控制，这阻止了他们冒险。
However, the more they were exposed to the risks through the simulator,
但是，通过模拟器，他们暴露到风险中的次数越多，
the less fearful, guilty and stressed they became.
他们的恐惧、内疚就越少，承受的压力就越小。
This caused a situation in which they were no longer able to feel the brain's natural fear and caution instincts.
这就导致了如下情况：他们变得感受不到大脑自然的本能恐惧和警惕了。
And also, because they are teenagers and their brains are still underdeveloped,
此外，因为他们是青少年，他们的大脑还处于发育阶段，
they became more interested and excited in thrill-seeking behaviors.
他们对冒险行为会越来越感兴趣、越来越兴奋。
So what were the consequences?
那会有什么样的后果呢？
They lacked self-control for logical decision-making, took greater risks and made more harmful choices.
他们在逻辑决策时缺少自我控制，会去冒更大的险，做出危害更大的选择。
So the developing brain alone isn't to blame.
但也不能把全部问题归咎于尚未完全发育的大脑。
The process of habituation also plays a key role in risk-taking and risk escalation.
习惯化的过程也导致青少年去冒险以及冒险行为的升级。
Although a teen's willingness to seek risk is largely a result of the structural and functional changes associated with their developing brains,
尽管青少年冒险的意愿在很大程度上是结构和功能转变的结果，这与发育中的大脑相关，
the dangerous part that my research was able to highlight was that
但是我的研究突出了其中的危险部分：
a habituation to risks can actually physically change a teen's brain and cause greater risk-taking.
实际上，冒险习惯化会在物理层面改变一个青少年的大脑，致使他们去冒更大的险。
So it's the combination of the immature teen brain and the impact of habituation
所以尚未完全发育的大脑和习惯化的影响共同作用，
that is like a perfect storm to create more damaging effects.
这就像一场完美风暴，会导致更具有破坏性的后果。
And this research can help parents and the general public understand that teens aren't just willfully ignoring warnings
这项研究能帮助父母及大众了解青少年不是简单地故意忽视警告，
or simply defying parents by engaging in increasingly more dangerous behavior.
或是简单地冒越来越大的险，以此反抗父母。
The biggest hurdle they're facing is their habituation to risks:
他们面临的最大的障碍是他们对风险的习惯化：
all the physical, detectable and emotional functional changes that drive and control and influence their over-the-top risk-taking.
所有实实在在的、能检测到的情感、功能变化，这些变化驱使、控制、影响他们的过度冒险行为。
So yes, we need policies that provide safer environments and limit exposures to high risks,
所以，我们需要相关政策为我们提供更加安全的环境，避免我们接触高风险；
but we also need policies that reflect this insight.
我们还需要相关政策来好好考虑这一结论。
These results are a wake-up call for teens, too.
研究结果也为青少年敲响了警钟。
It shows them that the natural and necessary fear and guilt that protect them from unsafe situations
研究结果表明，天生的、必要的恐惧和内疚能够保护他们，避免他们陷入危险境地，
actually become numb when they repeatedly choose risky behaviors.
但是，当他们反复选择危险行为时，这种恐惧和内疚会变得麻木。
So with this hope to share my findings with fellow teenagers and scientists,
我想与同龄青少年和科学家分享我的研究发现，
I took my research to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, or ISEF,
我把我的研究带到了英特尔国际科学与工程大奖赛上，
a culmination of over 1,800 students from 75 countries, regions and territories,
1800多名来自75个国家和地区的学生
who showcase their cutting-edge research and inventions. It's like the Olympics of science fair.
在此展示了他们领先的研究与发明。ISEF就像科学竞赛中的“奥林匹克”一样。
There, I was able to present my research to experts in neuroscience and psychology and garner valuable feedback.
在展会上，我得以向神经科学和心理学专家展示我的研究，并收获了宝贵的反馈。
But perhaps the most memorable moment of the week was when the booming speakers suddenly uttered my name during the awards ceremony.
但是，或许这一周里最让人难以忘怀的时刻是嗓音低沉洪亮的演讲人在颁奖典礼上突然说出我的名字的那一刻。
I was in such disbelief that I questioned myself: Was this just another "La La Land" blunder like at the Oscars?
我不敢相信，我问自己：这是另一个类似奥斯卡颁奖典礼上《爱乐之城》那样的颁奖乌龙吗？
Luckily, it wasn't. I really had won first place in the category "Behavioral and Social Sciences."
幸运的是，并非如此。我真的获得了“行为与社会科学”组的第一名。
Needless to say, I was not only thrilled to have this recognition,
毋庸置疑，我激动不仅仅是因为我获得了这样的认可，
but also the whole experience of science fair that validated my efforts
还因为参与科学竞赛的整个过程证明了我的付出会有回报，
keeps my curiosity alive and strengthens my creativity, perseverance and imagination.
让我继续保持旺盛的好奇心，加强了我的创造力、毅力和想象力。
This still image of me experimenting in my school library may seem ordinary,
我这张在学校图书馆的照片或许看起来很普通，
but to me, it represents a sort of inspiration.
但是对我而言，它是一种激励。
It reminds me that this process taught me to take risks.
它提醒着我，这个过程教我去冒险。
And I know that might sound incredibly ironic.
我知道，这听起来或许特别讽刺。
But I took risks realizing that unforeseen opportunities often come from risk-taking
冒险让我发现意外机会往往来自于冒险，
not the hazardous, negative type that I studied, but the good ones, the positive risks.
不是我研究的那种危险的、负面的冒险，而是好的冒险、正面的冒险。
The more risks I took, the more capable I felt of withstanding my unconventional circumstances,
我冒的险越多，我越觉得我能承受不一样的情境，
leading to more tolerance, resilience and patience for completing my project.
让我更有包容心、复原力和耐心，得以完成我的项目。
And these lessons have led me to new ideas like:
而这些经验也让我有了新想法，例如：
Is the opposite of negative risk-taking also true?
负面冒险的对立面也成立吗？
Can positive risk-taking escalate with repeated exposures?
通过反复接触，正面冒险是否会升级？
Does positive action build positive brain functioning?
正面行动会改善大脑功能吗？
I think I just might have my next research idea.
我想我找到了我的下一个研究目标。
