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About this paper
Jieyu Zheng, Markus Meister
The authors review behavioral tasks using information theory, counting task-relevant distinctions between signal and noise, and compare their rates with estimated sensory capacities. Across perception, action, memory, language, and games, many tasks cluster around 10 bits per second, though object recognition reaches 30–50 bits/s and speech 39 bits/s. Estimates are rough, not a universal ceiling or direct measure of thought.
Key insights
- The central paradox is the 'sifting number' of 10^8, representing the ratio of high sensory input (gigabits/s) to low behavioral output (10 bits/s), which is claimed to be the largest unexplained numerical discrepancy in brain science.
- A single cortical neuron's information capacity (around 10 bits/s) is comparable to the entire human organism's behavioral output, suggesting that the vast number of central neurons might not primarily serve to increase conscious information bandwidth.
- The brain appears to transition from massively parallel processing in peripheral systems ('outer brain') to a strictly serial mode for higher-level cognition ('inner brain'), which constitutes the limiting bottleneck for human behavior.
Summary by alphaXiv.
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