A recent study, published in the neuroscience journal, Neuron, has brought attention to a striking paradox in human cognition: the human brain processes information at a speed that is astonishingly slow compared to modern internet connections. Researchers have estimated the brain’s information throughput at around 10 bits per second, a figure dwarfed by the average broadband speed of approximately 65 Mbps (megabits per second) in India—over six million times faster and 100 Mbps of mobile internet– 10 million times faster! (1 megabit = 1 million bits)
According to Dr. Markus Meister, one of the authors of the study, the findings are a stark contrast to the perceived notion of how incredibly complex and powerful the human brain is. According to the study by Dr. Meister and Dr. Jieyu Zheng, neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology, this insight stems from decades of studies, including analyses of sensory inputs, motor outputs, and cognitive behaviors. Despite our sensory systems receiving data at rates as high as 10⁹ bits per second, the conscious mind sifts and processes only a tiny fraction of this data—about one bit out of every 100 million.
The Brain’s Dual Modes of Operation
The study highlights the brain’s bifurcated structure:
The Outer Brain: Handles high-speed, high-dimensional sensory and motor signals, connecting us to the external world. For instance, photoreceptor cells in a single eye can transmit 1.6 billion bits per second of visual data.
The Inner Brain: Reduces this torrent of information to just the essential bits needed for conscious thought and decision-making, capping at around 10 bits per second.
This division allows humans to focus on actionable information while filtering out noise. However, it creates a vast gulf between the brain’s peripheral processing capabilities and its central cognitive throughput.
Various tasks provide a lens to examine this bottleneck. For instance, a proficient typist producing 120 words per minute—approximately 10 keystrokes per second— was found to be generating information at roughly 10 bits per second, in line with the broader findings. Similarly, feats of cognitive agility, like blind speedcubing, demonstrate similar constraints. In a 2023 competition, speedcuber Tommy Cherry inspected a Rubik’s cube in 5.5 seconds, solving it blindfolded in 7.5 seconds. His information processing rate during inspection was calculated to be just 11.8 bits per second.
The Paradox and Its Implications
The discrepancy between the brain’s sensory input and cognitive processing speed remains unresolved, posing challenges for neuroscience, AI design, and neuro-prosthetics. Some researchers suggest that this bottleneck reflects physical limitations, such as the need for efficient energy use. Others propose that the brain’s slow processing ensures deliberate, accurate decision-making, prioritizing quality over quantity in behavior and cognition.
Understanding the brain’s throughput limit sheds light on learning, memory, and the evolution of human behavior. It also informs the design of technologies that interface with the human nervous system, such as brain-computer interfaces and AI systems. While computers and networks process information at incredible speeds, the human brain offers a reminder that speed isn’t everything; our slower processing underpins creativity, complex decision-making, and nuanced social interactions.
Manbilas Singh is a talented writer and journalist who focuses on the finer details in every story and values integrity above everything. A self-proclaimed sleuth, he strives to expose the fine print behind seemingly mundane activities and aims to uncover the truth that is hidden from the general public. In his time away from work, he is a music aficionado and a nerd who revels in video & board games, books and Formula 1.
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