Human Brain may be 100 Times More Powerful than Previously Believed

Full Title of Article:

The Human Brain may be One Hundred Times More Powerful than Previously Believed

This article is based off of a recent UCLA study on the electrical activity observed in different parts of the neuron. Eye-opening findings!

[the human brain...] it has a roughly 38-petaflop processing capacity and 2.5 petabytes of memory (or 2.5 million gigabytes), yet only runs on a mere 12 watts of energy. And luckily, we all have one: the human brain.

Only recently have silicon-based supercomputers caught up to the brain in raw computational power, with China's 93-petaflop Sunway TaihuLight (www.bbc.co.uk...) supercomputer coming online in June of last year. However, a new discovery made by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) suggests that our brains might be up to one hundred times more powerful than previously suspected.

Neurons or nerve cells have 3 primary parts – 1) the “soma”, which is the central part of the cell, 2) the axon, which extends out from the cell to send signals to other neurons, and 3) dendrites, numerous branches coming off the main cell to receive signals from other axons

Previously, it was assumed that a neuron's soma was where the cell's processing was done, due to the activity of electrical "spikes" generated there, with the role of dendrites simply being passive conduits that passed the information between the cells.

This recent study conducted by UCLA has revealed that dendrites are not as “passive” as was previously thought. The dendrites themselves generate “spike activity” of their own. In fact, this activity is up to 10 times more powerful than the electrical activity spikes seen in the central soma.

"Dendrites make up more than 90 percent of neural tissue," explains senior study author Mayank Mehta. "Knowing they are much more active than the soma fundamentally changes the nature of our understanding of how the brain computes information. It may pave the way for understanding and treating neurological disorders, and for developing brain-like computers."

Due to the fact that dendrites consist of over 90% of the brain’s “neural mass”, along with the expected activity in each neuron being 10 times more powerful than what was previously thought, this points to the possibility that the human brain’s processing power could be 100 times greater than we thought.

The study's findings also indicate that the activity displayed by the dendrites wasn't as simple as the digital manner that neurons were previously believed to operate under, but rather a hybrid analog/digital nature was uncovered:

"We found that dendrites are hybrids that do both analog and digital computations, which are therefore fundamentally different from purely digital computers, but somewhat similar to quantum computers that are analog," explains Mehta. "A fundamental belief in neuroscience has been that neurons are digital devices.

They either generate a spike or not. These results show that the dendrites do not behave purely like a digital device. Dendrites do generate digital, all-or-none spikes, but they also show large analog fluctuations that are not all or none. This is a major departure from what neuroscientists have believed for about 60 years. "

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You forgot to post the source.

I'm afraid i have nothing of substance to add i just wanted to say it never ceases to amaze me the things we keep learning about the Human brain, cool find op.

I will add however that i have read numerous times how some people believe the Human brain could be a quantum computer, does this go anyway to making this any more likely do you think?

Ah. The analog "feeling" function's superiority over the digital "thinking" function may yet be proven to be a reality.

Cool thread and I've always fought the human brain was way more powerful than we think.

I was watching the film Lucy (Scarlet Johansson) and was about how the human brain would/could function with using more than 10% even 100% and it's possible we could interact with everything around us including time it's self..Now that's a bit far out the box but giving all the time needed it's possible.

originally posted by: FamCore

it has a roughly 38-petaflop processing capacity and 2.5 petabytes of memory (or 2.5 million gigabytes)

Holy crap! I didn't know that. The human brain is a mysterious subject we still have a lot to learn about.

i think that this is the source

and after reading this i could only say WOW

a reply to: nickovthenorth

These findings suggest that yes, dendrites (which were believed to act in an "all-or-nothing" manner) act in more of a quantum way rather than how we previously believed.

From the source:

"We found that dendrites are hybrids that do both analog and digital computations, which are therefore fundamentally different from purely digital computers, but somewhat similar to quantum computers that are analog," explains Mehta. "A fundamental belief in neuroscience has been that neurons are digital devices.

a reply to: FamCore

The fact that we only use 10% of our brains too. Monkeys have similar brains and only use 5%, but that extra 5 percent is incomprehensible to a monkey. Imagine a species that uses 20? 30?

a reply to: GetHyped

Editing as I go - thanks for commenting. I did add the source and some other links.

a reply to: Dr UAE

That's a different article - I added the original source to OP now. Sorry for the delay

It is my firm believe that we have a far more capable brain than we can image but we just don't know how to use it. What is the key? is the key!

originally posted by: FamCore
a reply to: nickovthenorth

These findings suggest that yes, dendrites (which were believed to act in an "all-or-nothing" manner) act in more of a quantum way rather than how we previously believed.

From the source:

"We found that dendrites are hybrids that do both analog and digital computations, which are therefore fundamentally different from purely digital computers, but somewhat similar to quantum computers that are analog," explains Mehta. "A fundamental belief in neuroscience has been that neurons are digital devices.

Thanks for quoting the section regarding the quantum computer bit, i'm at work at the min so have to keep jumping in and out, i will read the full article tonight though

Now how do we tap into all that raw power, that's the next question i would like answered

a reply to: FamCore

Then Some Previously believed.

As a musician I have studied several instruments. Watching some percusionists and say how fast they can react and push their drum stick to make something happen in real time is a massive computational event. A jazz drummer or tabla player for instance can remember long rythmic and melodic cycles while improvising at incredible speed. The brain even being able to comprehend how to adjust the fingers and wrists to control the bounce back off of a tight skin is incredible. Never mind have it in your back pocket to place with millions of others patterns you and your mates know at a proper time in space.

I am particularly talking about musicians who have mastered technique and created the neural muscular fine motor network.

It's an incredible thing. A tabla player often plays so fast our eyes can't even pick up the movement anymore. Like humming bird wings. There is no telling what we can do when disciplined.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: FamCore

The fact that we only use 10% of our brains too.

I think we use virtually 100% but only around 10% at any time. Something like that.

With that much capacity unused maybe we have room for upgrades?

a reply to: FamCore

Once we finally understand the quantum nature of the brain we will be able to see that our consciousness exists in multiple dimensions and that our brain is the interface to this physical world. Maybe it's not just that we have yet to fully learn how much of the brain we use but we also haven't learned how small the brains contribution is to our full existence. We're getting there, baby steps.

That's how I feel anyway, to each their own.

a reply to: bluesjr

Once we finally understand the quantum nature of the brain we will be able to see that our consciousness exists in multiple dimensions and that our brain is the interface to this physical world. Maybe it's not just that we have yet to fully learn how much of the brain we use but we also haven't learned how small the brains contribution is to our full existence.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I subscribe to the believe that the brain and it's abilities and purpose is only the tip of the iceberg. Great contribution to the thread

originally posted by: TarzanBeta
Ah. The analog "feeling" function's superiority over the digital "thinking" function may yet be proven to be a reality.

That's... not what any of it means. At all.

originally posted by: DarkvsLight29
Cool thread and I've always fought the human brain was way more powerful than we think.

I was watching the film Lucy (Scarlet Johansson) and was about how the human brain would/could function with using more than 10% even 100% and it's possible we could interact with everything around us including time it's self..Now that's a bit far out the box but giving all the time needed it's possible.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: FamCore

The fact that we only use 10% of our brains too. Monkeys have similar brains and only use 5%, but that extra 5 percent is incomprehensible to a monkey. Imagine a species that uses 20? 30?

This is a myth. We use 100% of our brains, just not at the same time (unless you're having a seizure).

originally posted by: GetHyped

originally posted by: TarzanBeta
Ah. The analog "feeling" function's superiority over the digital "thinking" function may yet be proven to be a reality.

That's... not what any of it means. At all.

You aren't versed enough on cognitive functions to understand what I mean. That does not, however, preclude me from making an observation and connecting the dots with information in which I am versed.