Caltech Calculates the Surprisingly Slow Speed of Human Thought

We like to think of ourselves as quick thinkers, but new research from Caltech reveals that our brains process information at an astonishingly slow rate of about 10 bits per second. Despite our sensory systems gathering data 100 million times faster, this leisurely pace may reflect deep evolutionary roots.

The human brain, often lauded as nature’s most powerful computer, is incredibly efficient but surprisingly slow in computational terms. Caltech biologists have quantified the speed of human thought in bits—basic units of digital information. For example, one bit represents a 1 or 0, with strings of bits encoding data. To define a bit in human terms, the researchers examined different modes of information processing, such as reading, writing, and listening.

For instance, a professional typist types at 120 words per minute, translating to about 10 keystrokes—or bits—per second. In spoken language, a recommended speech rate of 160 words per minute equates to roughly 13 bits per second. Similar calculations for specialized tasks, like solving Rubik’s cubes (11.8 bits/sec), professional Tetris (7 bits/sec), and speed card challenges (17.7 bits/sec), suggest an average human thought rate of about 10 bits per second.

This rate is extraordinarily slow compared to artificial systems like Wi-Fi, which operates at hundreds of millions of bits per second, or even our own sensory hardware. For example, a single cone photoreceptor in the human eye can transmit 270 bits/sec, amounting to 1.6 billion bits/sec for both eyes. The optic nerve compresses this data to about 100 million bits/sec—still far surpassing the brain’s processing speed.

The Evolutionary Limits of Human Thought: Why Our Brains Process Just 10 Bits Per Second

Markus Meister, the study’s lead author, explains that despite our sensory systems’ vast data intake, we extract just 10 bits per second to perceive and interact with the world. Individual neurons are capable of faster transmission rates, but in practice, they operate around 10 bits/sec, likely reflecting evolutionary adaptations. Early humans needed to prioritize basic survival tasks like finding food and avoiding predators, leaving little bandwidth for multitasking.

“Our ancestors selected an ecological niche where the world moved slowly enough for survival,” the researchers note. “The 10 bits/sec rate is necessary only in the most demanding situations; most of the time, environmental changes occur at a more relaxed pace.”

These findings carry intriguing implications for future technologies. Machines, robots, and AI process information far faster than humans, a gap that will only widen. The researchers caution that this disparity could reshape our world. For instance, roads and infrastructure designed for humans operating at 10 bits/sec could eventually evolve to accommodate machines processing at kilobits/sec, making these environments unsuitable for human participation.

The study also highlights the limitations of enhancing human cognition through AI. No matter how advanced neural interfaces like Elon Musk’s Neuralink become, our biological hardware will remain a bottleneck. “Even with Neuralink, communication between Musk’s brain and a computer would still occur at 10 bits/sec,” the researchers quip. “A telephone might suffice, as it matches human language speed and cognitive processing rates.”

While the study involves some simplifications—brain bits and computer bits aren’t directly comparable—it raises thought-provoking questions about human cognition and its future. Just don’t think about it too quickly.

Read Original Article: New Atlas

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