Our brain processes information millions of times slower than standard Wi-Fi, highlighting the incredible speed of modern technology compared to human cognition.

A new study from the California Institute of Technology has revealed that the human brain processes information at an extremely low rate—approximately 10 bits per second. Meanwhile, our sensory systems collect data 100 million times faster, as reported by New Atlas.

The human brain is often referred to as the most powerful computer in the world, and its efficiency is beyond doubt. But how fast does it actually operate in computational terms? Biologists from the California Institute of Technology have assessed the speed of human thought in bits.

The researchers initially attempted to define one bit in human terms. Naturally, this depends on the specific method of information processing. For instance, when reading and writing, they define one bit as one character of text, while in the context of listening to speech, it essentially represents one sound.

Regarding writing, they began with the example of a professional typist. They can type at a speed of 120 words per minute, and with an average of five characters per word, this results in 10 keystrokes, or bits, per second. When dealing with sound, the recommended rate for clear speech is up to 160 words per minute. Applying the same math gives us 13 bits per second.

The team then calculated similar data transfer speeds for extreme examples of human information processing. This includes solving a Rubik's Cube at a record speed of 11.8 bits/s, digit memorization tasks (4.9 bits/s), professional "Tetris" (7 bits/s), and rapid card tasks (17.7 bits/s), which involve studying a shuffled deck of cards and memorizing their order.

Based on all this, the team concluded that around 10 bits per second is a reasonable average for the speed of human thought. Compared to artificial data transmission systems, this is extremely low; for example, Wi-Fi speeds are typically measured in hundreds of millions of bits.

This process seems even slower when compared to our own equipment—the sensory organs and nervous system. According to the team's calculations, a single cone photoreceptor in the human eye can transmit information at a rate of about 270 bits/s, equating to 1.6 billion bits/s per eye. The optic nerve then compresses this to approximately 100 million bits/s. However, this still exceeds the speed of our thinking, especially considering the vast amount of information coming from other senses simultaneously.

"Every moment, we extract only 10 bits from the trillion coming from our senses and use these 10 bits to perceive the world around us and make decisions," says study author Markus Meister.

Individual neurons can transmit data at much higher speeds, but in practice, they typically operate at around 10 bits/s, the team explains. This may be a legacy from our ancient ancestors, who needed to focus on merely moving toward food and escaping predators. Thus, we can only have one "train of thought" in our heads at a time.

"Our ancestors chose an ecological niche where the world was slow enough to make survival possible. In reality, 10 bits per second are only necessary in the worst situations, while most of the time, our environment changes at a much more leisurely pace," the researchers write.

However, these figures are somewhat concerning in light of future technologies. Computers, robots, and artificial intelligence can process information much faster than we can and will only continue to accelerate.

As a reminder, scientists have discovered a new feature of the human brain. Researchers found that the human brain segments memories, organizing them like chapters in books.