#189 V̶Iλ
In #182 we explored the question of why human and Eridian hearing ranges overlap, although Eridians also hear higher and lower frequencies. During that same conversation, Rocky suggests that the real question to ponder is “Why we think same speed, question?” 21.117
Ryland points out that Rocky can perform mathematical calculations more quickly and has a much better memory (a topic we explored in #121). However, Rocky insists that math and memory are not the same as thinking and that the question still stands. Ryland then hypothesizes that humans and Eridians both evolved to be more intelligent than other animals on their respective worlds, and that their speed of thought is related to reaction time and ultimately gravity. 21.130
Speed of thought is physically related, at least in part, to nerve conduction velocity (CV). This is the speed with which electrochemical impulses travel between neurons. These velocities vary between individuals of the same species, but are always slow when compared to the speed of electricity.
Variation in flicker fusion threshold between species (with smaller, fast-metabolizing animals tending to have higher values) and apparent perception of time (with salamanders and lizards, for example, seeming to perceive time more slowly than cats and dogs) may provide some interesting food for thought, but don’t touch directly on the speed of thought.
In 2024, Caltech researchers published a paper quantifying the speed of human thought. Their number, a rate of 10 bits per second, is extraordinarily slow compared to the rate at which our senses gather information (and also the speed of, you know, things like Wi-Fi). One neuroscientist external to the study commented, “Nature, it seems, has built a speed limit into our conscious thoughts, and no amount of neural engineering may be able to bypass it.”
As for the evolution piece of the puzzle, complex brains and higher cognitive functions do seem to have evolved independently in primates, corvids, cetaceans, and other organisms. As of 2026, we unfortunately cannot yet compare the speed of human thought to that of any extraterrestrial species. Let us hope that if we ever get the chance, we will, like Ryland and Rocky, discover that both of our species qualify as “good people” 21.139 regardless of our thinking speeds.
More thinking
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