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So if you think about what it means to learn arithmetic or to learn to read,
因此，如果你思考学习算术和阅读意义何在，
you're actually, literally rewriting your own brain.
那实际上你就是在重写你自己的大脑。
You're changing the microstructure of your brain as you go along.
你在学习的过程中，也正在改变大脑的微型结构。
So in a broad sense, we don't need to think about technology as only little gadgets,
所以，广义而言，我们不必认为技术只是一些小装置，
like these things here,
如上面列举的那些。
but even institutions and techniques, psychological methods and so forth.
还应包括甚至像制度，技能，心理学方法等等。
Forms of organization can have a profound impact on human nature.
组织机构的不同形式可对人类本质产生深远影响。
Looking ahead, there is a range of technologies that are almost certain to be developed sooner or later.
遥望未来，一系列技术迟早会被研发出来。
We are very ignorant about what the time scale for these things are,
虽然我们对这些技术何时面世一无所知，
but they all are consistent with everything we know about physical laws, laws of chemistry, etc.
但它们必然与我们所知的一切知识相一致，包括物理定律、化学定律等等。
It's possible to assume, setting aside a possibility of catastrophe,
我们可以假定，排除人类遭受大灾难的可能性，
that sooner or later we will develop all of these.
迟早我们都会发展出所有这些技术。
And even just a couple of these would be enough to transform the human condition.
而且，仅仅这其中的几项就足够改变人类的处境。
So let's look at some of the dimensions of human nature that seem to leave room for improvement.
那么，让我们看看人类本质中哪些部分是有进步空间的。
Health span is a big and urgent thing,
寿命长短是一个巨大而紧迫的问题，
because if you're not alive,
因为如果你死了，
then all the other things will be to little avail.
那么所有其他事情都一无所用了。
Intellectual capacity -- let's take that box,
智力——看那个方框，
which falls into a lot of different sub-categories:
它可以分为许多不同的子目录
memory, concentration, mental energy, intelligence, empathy.
记忆力，注意力，精神能量，理解力，情感共鸣。
These are really great things.
这些都是非常美妙的东西。
Part of the reason why we value these traits is that they make us better at competing with other people
我们之所以重视这些特质，一方面是因为它们能令我们在与他人的竞争中处于更有利的位置，
they're positional goods.
所以它们是地位商品。
