Human Brain Processes Thoughts at Just 10 Bits Per Second, Study Finds

Caltech researchers reveal the surprising slowness of human cognition despite the brain's vast neural capacity.

A study from the California Institute of Technology has quantified the speed of human thought at just 10 bits per second, far slower than the billion bits per second processed by sensory systems.
The findings highlight a paradox: while individual neurons can transmit information much faster, the brain limits thought processing to a single train of thought at a time.
Researchers suggest this limitation may stem from evolutionary adaptations, as early nervous systems prioritized survival tasks like navigation over multitasking.
The study raises questions about the feasibility of brain-computer interfaces accelerating communication, as the brain's inherent speed limit would remain a constraint.
Scientists call for further research to understand why the brain filters vast sensory inputs and operates in this 'single-strand' mode of cognition.