The Surprising Sluggishness of Our Thought Process: Why Our Brains Don’t Always Keep Up

As remarkable as the human intellect can be, there remain boundaries that limit the capacity of our minds. The most perplexing instance of our cognitive deficiencies pertains to our thinking processes. Although the brain contains billions of neurons responsible for each of our actions, humans possess a surprisingly limited thought capacity, and scientists may have newfound insights to clarify this enigma of human ineffectiveness.

A recent publication in the journal Neuron has measured the pace of human thought, revealing an peculiarity in cognitive ability. The research originates from the California Institute of Technology, where scholars in the laboratory led by biological sciences professor Markus Meister explore neuronal networks — that is, arrays of interconnected neurons that interact with one another, facilitating bodily and mental functions.

The Constraints of Our Thought Processes

In the investigation, graduate student Jieyu Zheng reviewed scientific studies on human actions, from reading and writing to solving Rubik’s cubes, merging this examination with concepts from information theory — a mathematical discipline that examines how information is processed, stored, and shared.

The findings indicate that humans operate at an average thought speed of 10 bits per second. The intriguing aspect of this rate is that individual neurons in our minds (more than 85 billion in total) are technically capable of processing information at a much faster rate than 10 bits per second. Nonetheless, the researchers found that the brain intentionally restricts the rate of cognitive processing.

The speed of thought processing is also significantly slower than that of our bodies’ sensory systems, which function 100 million times quicker according to the researchers. The disparity between cognitive processing speed and sensory processing speed in humans raises numerous inquiries for neuroscientists.

While our sensory systems manage thousands of inputs simultaneously, we are incapable of holding more than one thought in our minds at any given moment. But what is the cause of this?

Read More: How Our Brains Arrange Abstract Scientific Ideas

The Evolution of Our Sluggish Thoughts

The research implies that our brains evolved to function in this manner. The earliest animals with nervous systems — likely during the Ediacaran period, spanning 635 million to 543 million years ago — would have relied on their brains for navigation, moving towards food sources or evading predators. These behaviors align with the notion that humans merely needed to pursue a single direction or maintain one thought at a time.

Though it might seem illogical, the slow pace of our thoughts may have developed merely because it sufficed for our ancestors’ survival. Since the environment surrounding us often changes at a rather leisurely speed, the 10-bits-per-second thought processing rate has been adequate for decision-making over the ages.

Can Humans Perform Multiple Tasks Simultaneously?

Humans are not the multitasking wizards we frequently perceive ourselves to be. As one study from 2019 asserts, the brain lacks the neural “foundations” to engage in multiple tasks at the same time. Instead, the brain quickly alternates between two tasks rather than actively working on both concurrently.

Before shifting from one task to another, the brain can prepare itself and anticipate when a change is imminent. The efficiency of task-switching can also vary based on the complexity of the tasks involved. For instance, activities that demand high concentration will make an individual less prepared to transition tasks.

Task-switching incurs an associated expense that hinders our pace and extends the duration required to complete a task. Numerous studies have shown that individuals experience slower speeds when required to switch between various tasks. Thus, while multitasking may appear to be an effective strategy, it often adversely affects our performance.

Read More: What Transpires in Your Brain While Forming Memories?

The Brain-Computer Dilemma

Zheng and Meister’s findings cast skepticism on lofty technological proposals that have suggested a connection between brains and computers. Recognizing the finite speed of cognitive processing in humans, it seems that implantable brain-computer interfaces would not inherently enhance the communication rate of the brain, based on the latest study.

Looking ahead, though, the researchers are primarily focused on delving deeper into the brain’s workings to comprehend why it is incapable of managing more than one thought at a time.

Article References

The writers at Discovermagazine.com utilize peer-reviewed research and high-standard sources for our articles, and our editorial team reviews for scientific correctness and editorial guidelines. Please examine the references utilized for this article below:

Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a keen interest in environmental science and history. Prior to joining Discover in 2023, he pursued a degree in journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.