我笨，是因為熱的

如果你曾經(jīng)在極度炎熱的環(huán)境中感到自己變得遲鈍、愚蠢，就好像你的大腦已經(jīng)融化了一樣;那你并不是一個人——很多人都會這樣。

Past research in the lab has proven that the human brain ceases to function normally when exposed to high temperatures, and now, an investigation by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that this phenomenon holds true for real-world situations.

在過去，有些研究表明：人類的大腦在高溫環(huán)境里會停止正常工作。如今，哈佛大學公共衛(wèi)生學院的一項調(diào)查證明事實確實如此。

Their study, published in PLOS Medicine, tested changes in cognitive performance of 44 college students living in air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned dorms in Boston during July 2016 – the summer of the hottest year on record. Using cellphone-based tests of selective processing, working memory, and inhibitory control – the ability to focus on relevant stimuli in the presence of irrelevant stimuli – the authors revealed that subjects without air conditioning (AC) had significantly reduced mental capacity on the extra hot days compared with those blessed with AC units.

這項研究被發(fā)表在《公共科學圖書館·醫(yī)學》雜志上，共測試了44名住在空調(diào)和非空調(diào)宿舍的大學生認知能力的變化。研究人員通過手機對研究對象進行了選擇性處理、工作記憶和抑制控制(在無關(guān)刺激的存在下專注于相關(guān)刺激的能力)的測試。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)：與宿舍有空調(diào)的研究對象相比，宿舍沒有空調(diào)的那些大學生在高溫環(huán)境中的心理承受能力明顯降低。

Though this work examined just a small group of people in one area of the world, lead author Jose Guillermo Cedeño-Laurent and his colleagues write that the findings bring attention to an often-overlooked side effect of climate change.

盡管這項研究只是研究了世界上某個地區(qū)的一小群人，但主要作者何塞·吉列爾莫·阿切洛·洛朗和他的同事表示，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)能夠使人們注意到氣候變化常常被忽視的副作用。

"Most of the research on the health effects of heat has been done in vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, creating the perception that the general population is not at risk from heat waves," Cedeño-Laurent said in a statement. “Knowing what the risks are across different populations is critical considering that in many cities, such as Boston, the number of heat waves is projected to increase due to climate change.”

大多數(shù)有關(guān)高溫環(huán)境影響健康的研究都是在弱勢群體中進行的，比如老年人，這使人們認為普通人群不會受到熱浪的威脅。考慮到在波士頓等許多城市的氣候變化，我們預計熱浪的數(shù)量將會增加，因此了解不同人群面對熱浪的風險是至關(guān)重要的。

The study data was collected on 12 consecutive days: five of normal summer temperatures (15-31°C/59-88°F range) followed by five abnormally hot (28-36°C/ 82-97°F) days, capped off by two cool down days (28°C/82°F). Daily cognitive performance was assessed via a Stroop color-word test and a visual addition/subtraction challenge that subjects completed on their phones after waking up and before they left their bedrooms. To rule out other factors that could impact brain power, the students were asked to wear biosensors to track overall activity and sleep, and monitors in each dorm recorded indoor temperature, humidity, noise levels, and carbon dioxide levels.

研究數(shù)據(jù)是在12天內(nèi)收集的：其中5天是正常夏季溫度(15-31°C)，另外5天是異常高溫(28-36 °C)，還有兩天是28°C的低溫天氣。每天的認知表現(xiàn)是通過彩色單詞測試和視覺加減挑戰(zhàn)來進行評估的。為了排除其他可能影響腦力的因素，學生們被要求佩戴生物傳感器來跟蹤其整體活動和睡眠，每個宿舍的監(jiān)測器都能夠記錄室內(nèi)溫度、濕度、噪音水平和二氧化碳水平。