In Search of Memory, in search of myself

In Search of Memory, in search of myself

——“In Search of Memory”读后感

　　感谢pongba的豆列，使我有机会发现这本书。
　　
　　对于一个即将开始视觉和智能方面探索的PhD Candidate来说，Kandel的这本书对于我有多方面的指导意义。
　　
　　从对于大脑机制的理解上，这本书让我第一次将神经元结构、细胞基本功能与记忆甚至是一些大脑更高级的活动联系起来。如果说之前Hawkins的On Intelligence让我开始了解了大脑的学习和识别机制的话，那么Kandel这本书让我理解了神经元之间实现这些功能的分子生物学机制。从短时记忆的单次serotonin释放增加神经递质数量，到长时记忆多次或者大量的serotonin释放激发基因生成新蛋白质生从而长出新的突触 (对于非哺乳动物是serotonin，对于哺乳动物起相同功能的就是赫赫有名的dopamine多巴胺)，Kandel的解释让我眼前一亮：基因竟然会以这样一种巧妙的方式参与到人的记忆与意识中。



　　
　　书的第二、第三卷讲述了Kandel如何入门并开始独立研究的过程。这两卷，特别是第三卷，在我看来是整书最精彩的部分。从神经科学、细胞生物学的入门到Kandel在NIMH的beginner’s luck，从Kandel选择海兔开始进行自己的独立研究到一步步揭秘神经细胞间的记忆机制，30多年的研究过程娓娓道来，夹带着Kandel对于科学研究的感悟和思考，环环紧扣，读来让人欢欣鼓舞。
　　
　　可以毫不夸张的说，在Kandel的文字里我看到了自己的影子。他对于生活和科学的态度在很多方面让我产生共鸣，而他一生的经历和在人生路的选择也给了我很大的启示。
　　
　　从历史到精神分析学再到神经科学和分子生物学，Kandel选择了一条外人看似不可理喻却是合情合理的路。Follow your heart，跟随自己的内心，我想这就是这一切选择的答案。
　　
　　在回忆自己作为一个初学者的经历时，Kandel下面的两句话给我留下了深刻的印象：
　　As the afterglow of our beginner's luck began to fade, Alden and I realized that as fascinating as our findings were, they were leading us in directions unrelated to memory. (P67)
　　I also felt that I was developing a style of doing science. Even though I still felt myself inadequately trained in some areas, I proved to be quite bold in approaching scientific problems.(P102).
　　联想到我手头正在或者曾经尝试过的一些利用computational方法实现的视觉和智能算法，其精妙的数学构思和产生的效果的确让人着迷让人觉得奥妙无穷。可是我始终觉得，尽管这些算法如此实用，并且得出的成果容易得到他人的认可，但如果真的一头猛扎进去，最多也只是在别人的成果上小打小闹，and what’s more, that way would lead us in directions unrelated to Real Intelligence. 对于第二句话，我也感觉到，尽管我现在对于Machine Learning方面还没有太多的训练，可是，这并不妨碍我对于真正智能问题的思考。有时候，没有成规的束缚，反而能把自己的思路带入一个更开阔的境地。我始终觉得我没有完全准备好，可是这并不妨碍我开始做。
　　
　　关于寻找一个好的科研切入点，Kandel如是说：
　　Maturation as a scientist involves many components, but a key one for me was the development of taste, much as it is in the enjoyment of art, music, food, or wine. One needs to learn what problems are important. I sensed myself developing taste, distinguishing what was interesting from what was not—and among the things that were interesting, I also learned what was doable.(P102)
　　
　　在提到科研过程中碰到的挫折时，Kandel借别人的经历说道：
　　Being on the wrong side of an interpretation was unimportant, Popper argued. The greatest strength of the scientific method is its ability to disprove a hypothesis.
　　When one is liberated from these restrictive dogmas, scientific investigation becomes an exciting adventure opening up new visions; and this attitude has, I think, been reflected in my own scientific life since that time.(P60)
　　
　　同时，作为一个过来人，Kandel也让我看到了科学研究除了纯粹探索未知之外的另一个侧面：
　　Occasionally, disputes that start out as disagreements about science take on a personal, almost vindictive quality, as they did with Golgi. Such disputes reveal that the qualities that characterize competition— ambition, pride, and vindictiveness—are just as evident among scientists as are acts of generosity and sharing. The reason for this is clear. The aim of science is to discover new truths about the world, and discovery means priority, being there first. As Alan Hodgkin, the formulator of the ionic hypothesis, wrote in an autobiographical essay, "If pure scientists were motivated by curiosity alone, they should be delighted when someone else solves the problem they are working on—but that is not the usual reaction."(P44)
　　
　　除了Kandel自己对于科研的思考和感悟，在他对于自己研究工作的侧面描述中，我也切实感受到美国大学之间、科学界那种平等和自由合作的氛围。在Kandel一路的研究中，有着美国众多名校和科研机构相关实验室的参与，可以说，Kandel的成果，本身就是广泛合作的产物。
　　此外，对于研究成果的发表，Kandel也是抱着一种顺其自然的态度：一旦我的研究成果有所进展，我就写出来与别人分享。而这些，对于盯着期刊会议来发表论文的国内主流学术界，形成了鲜明的对比。
　　
　　最后，我想用文中的一句话作为我的结尾，也是我从大三开始一路摸索过来之后最深的感受：To tell you the truth, sir, we don’t do it because it’s useful, we do it because it’s amusing.(P102, when Hill was asked by an elderly gentleman about the practical use of his research)
　　
　　
　　注：以上原文页码是依据gigapedia.org上下载的pdf原版ISOM