Recent research, notably from Caltech, suggests that the human brain processes conscious thought at a surprisingly slow rate: around 10 bits per second.
This might seem counterintuitive, especially considering that our sensory systems gather data at a much higher rate (billions of bits per second). The paradox lies in the brain's incredible ability to filter and condense this massive sensory input into a manageable stream for conscious processing and decision-making.
Here's a breakdown of what that means:
* Conscious Thought: When we're actively thinking, making decisions, reading, or engaging in complex tasks, the processing speed is estimated to be about 10 bits per second. This is an "extremely low number" compared to even a typical Wi-Fi connection (50 million bits per second).
* Sensory Input: Our senses (sight, hearing, touch, etc.) take in a vast amount of information, potentially billions of bits per second. The brain then filters this to extract the crucial 10 bits that we use to perceive the world and make decisions.
* Filtering and Efficiency: Despite the apparent slowness of conscious thought, the brain is remarkably efficient at filtering and compressing information. This is believed to be an evolutionary adaptation, allowing our ancestors to survive in environments where a slower pace of processing was sufficient.
* Individual Neurons vs. Overall Processing: While individual neurons can transmit information much faster than 10 bits per second, the overall "thought process" seems to be limited. Researchers are still exploring how this constraint is encoded in the brain's architecture.
It's important to note that this 10 bits per second figure applies to conscious thought and decision-making in various tasks, from playing video games to solving Rubik's cubes. While some activities, like reading, might temporarily push slightly higher, the general consensus from recent studies points to this relatively low rate for our conscious processing speed.
