Human thought crawls at 10 bits per second, Caltech study finds

Caltech study reveals human thought processes are slow, operating at 10 bits per second.

: A Caltech study found that human thought moves at about 10 bits per second. This is much slower than our sensory systems, which gather data at a billion bits per second. The research suggests our cognitive speed aligns with our evolutionary history and is well-suited to our environment. This discovery may challenge tech visions of direct brain-computer interfaces.

Research conducted at the California Institute of Technology, led by Markus Meister and Jieyu Zheng, discovered that human thought processes occur at a rate of 10 bits per second. This rate is significantly lower than the billion bits per second at which sensory systems collect environmental information.

The study used information theory techniques to analyze behaviors like reading and gaming, highlighting a notable difference between neuron capabilities and overall thought speed. A paradox arises from how the brain filters abundant information while processing thoughts one at a time, a limitation possibly stemming from evolutionary adaptations.

This slow rate challenges technological concepts, such as brain-computer interfaces, by indicating limited potential for accelerated communication. However, it suggests our thought speed perfectly matches our ecological niche, ensuring survival through worst-case scenario processing when necessary.

Human CognitionThought SpeedNeuroscience