
Why Is the Human Brain So Efficient? - dnetesn
http://nautil.us/issue/59/connections/why-is-the-human-brain-so-efficient
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xhedley
This is a really interesting comparison of human brain wetware versus silicon
hardware.

On the one hand "The fastest synaptic transmission takes about 1 millisecond"
which is far slower than the hardware limitation which is basically
constrained by Speed Of Light.

On the other hand "the brain also employs massively parallel processing,
taking advantage of the large number of neurons and large number of
connections each neuron makes. For instance, the moving tennis ball activates
many cells in the retina called photoreceptors, whose job is to convert light
into electrical signals. These signals are then transmitted to many different
kinds of neurons in the retina in parallel. By the time signals originating in
the photoreceptor cells have passed through two to three synaptic connections
in the retina, information regarding the location, direction, and speed of the
ball has been extracted by parallel neuronal circuits and is transmitted in
parallel to the brain."

On the third hand (to quote Niven and Pournelle) "Another salient property of
the brain, which is clearly at play in the return of service example from
tennis, is that the connection strengths between neurons can be modified in
response to activity and experience—a process that is widely believed by
neuroscientists to be the basis for learning and memory. Repetitive training
enables the neuronal circuits to become better configured for the tasks being
performed, resulting in greatly improved speed and precision."

