Human Thought Speed: A Mere 10 Bits Per Second
2024-12-18
Caltech researchers have discovered that human thought processes are surprisingly slow, operating at a mere 10 bits per second—significantly slower than our sensory systems' billion bits per second input rate. This study presents a paradox: why is our thinking so slow? Researchers speculate this may stem from the evolution of our brains from simple navigational systems, processing information sequentially rather than in parallel. This finding challenges some science fiction concepts regarding brain-computer interfaces, suggesting even neural interfaces would be limited by our inherent 10-bit-per-second processing speed.