Brain processing speed is millions of times slower than Wi-Fi

Have you ever wondered why it takes us a while to process what’s happening around us? Or why we can’t multitask as effectively as we’d like? The answer lies in our brains’ processing speed.

Despite their immense complexity, our brains operate much slower than the average internet connection.

Scientists have revealed that while the human sensory system gathers information at a staggering rate of one billion bits per second, our brains process these signals at just 10 bits per second – a rate millions of times slower than the input.

How fast do we really think?

“Every moment, we are extracting just 10 bits from the trillion that our senses are taking in and using those 10 to perceive the world around us and make decisions,” said study co-author Markus Meister of CalTech. “This raises a paradox: What is the brain doing to filter all this information?”

To put this in perspective, a typical Wi-Fi connection processes data at around 50 million bits per second. This is incredibly fast when compared to the human brain, which processes thoughts at just 10 bits per second.

Now, consider the brain’s structure. It has over 85 billion neurons, and each neuron can transmit signals at speeds greater than 10 bits per second individually. However, the collective processing rate of the brain – the speed at which it actually processes thoughts – remains very slow at 10 bits per second.

This means that while individual neurons are capable of fast transmission, the brain as a whole is limited in how quickly it integrates and processes all the information it receives.

This bottleneck reflects the brain’s focus on quality over quantity, filtering out vast amounts of sensory data to concentrate on the most relevant details for survival and decision-making.

Why is the brain so slow?

The brain’s “speed limit” on processing information likely evolved for survival. Early nervous systems in primitive organisms were simple and designed for basic tasks like navigating toward food and avoiding predators.

These systems didn’t need to handle complex, multitasking scenarios, just survival-focused decisions.

As humans evolved, this limitation carried over into our more complex brains. While our brains are highly sophisticated, they still follow a sequential approach to problem-solving. This means we can only focus on one possible outcome or course of action at a time, rather than exploring multiple options simultaneously.

Take chess as an example. A chess player cannot mentally calculate every possible move and counter-move at once. Instead, they examine one sequence of moves, analyze it, and then move on to another.

This sequential thought process contrasts with machines, such as computers, which can perform millions of parallel calculations almost instantly. This difference highlights the trade-off in human evolution – our brains prioritize quality, focus, and survival over speed and multitasking.

Brain sensory filters and speed

Despite the apparent slowness, our brains excel at prioritizing. While bombarded with trillions of sensory inputs, the brain filters out unnecessary data, focusing on what’s vital for survival.

“Our ancestors have chosen an ecological niche where the world is slow enough to make survival possible. In fact, the 10 bits per second are needed only in worst-case situations, and most of the time our environment changes at a much more leisurely pace,” Meister noted.

This adaptability helps humans focus on immediate tasks without being overwhelmed by excessive information.

Implications for artificial intelligence

These findings suggest that machines will eventually outperform humans in any task as their computational capabilities improve.

With computing power doubling approximately every two years, machines are rapidly bridging the gap in areas like decision-making and problem-solving.

In fact, scientists believe computers could soon replicate, and even surpass, the abilities of the human brain.

Why brain speed matters

The discovery highlights a paradox about human intelligence. Despite being relatively slow thinkers, humans excel in creativity, emotion, and adaptability – traits machines have yet to master.

However, understanding the brain’s speed limit raises questions about the future of neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

Future research may unlock why this limit exists and how it influences everything from perception to decision-making. It could also provide insights into enhancing human cognition and developing smarter, more efficient technologies.

The study is published in the journal Neuron.

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