The Vast Knowledge of Our Human Brain

I bought a book called "What is Man? - Adam Alien or Apes"  written by  a 

very distinguished British scientist from the University of London -  Professor Edgar Andrews  BSc, PhD. DSc, FInstP, FIMMM, CEng, CPhys   who  reported in the London Times  newspaper ("Think big - our human brain can store 4.7 billion books") where he mentioned 

Terry Sejinowski, professor of computational neurobiology at the Salk Institute in  California, who found that the part of the brain that deals with memory has a capacity ten times bigger than previously thought and could store data roughly equivalent to the entire 

content of the world wide web. 

I have also bought and read two other fascinating books - "From Nothing to Nature" and "Who Made God"  also written by Prof Edgar Andrews.  

According to Professor Edgar Andrews, Terry Sejinowski  states that, "Our new measurements of the brain's memory capacity increases, conservative estimates by a factor of 10 to at least a petabyte, in the same ballpark as the World Wide Web .. We discovered the key to unlocking the design principle for how hippocampal neurons function with low energy but high computational powers. If we could use this enormous memory storage capacity, of course, it could be interpreted as the outcome of "survival value" Darwinism, but we can't. We regularly forget the names of acquaintances and where we put our car keys, or memorize even one book, let alone 4.7 billion books. 

In other words, we have failed to evolve any means of accessing this huge potential memory capacity, which therefore has not helped us to reproduce ourselves. So why do we need to possess these potential powers of memory when we can't make use of them?"  

What an intriguing note Professor Edgar Andrews  has brought for me to think about.

In response, here's my own thoughts based on my limited brain capacity.  

The idea that the human brain may have a memory capacity of at least a petabyte, akin to the entire World Wide Web - is truly fascinating. The comparison raises profound questions about not just our cognitive potential but also the fundamental nature of memory, evolution, and human experience.

This is a paradox to me. If our brains possess such an enormous storage capacity, why do we struggle with simple recollections, such as remembering names, locations, or even a single book in its entirety? Why has natural selection granted us this vast reservoir of memory if we seemingly cannot access it efficiently?

There are several possible explanations to this paradox of latent memory capacity. 

First, there is evolutionary redundancy or a by-product of complexity. The brain’s large memory capacity may not have evolved specifically for storage but as a necessary by-product of its complex neural architecture. Neurons form vast, intricate networks, and this complexity allows for more nuanced decision-making, problem-solving, and adaptability. Evolution does not always select for efficiency in the way engineers would design a system; rather, traits emerge due to their survival benefits, even if they come with seemingly unused potential.

Secondly, memory is a selective, not absolute process. By this I mean memory is not merely about storage but about prioritization. The brain does not store information the way a hard drive does, it organizes memories based on relevance, emotional significance, and frequency of use. If we could access every piece of stored data instantly, our minds would be overwhelmed with useless noise. Forgetting, in this sense, is not a flaw but an essential feature of cognition.

Thirdly, we look at memory retrieval vs. storage. Much like a vast library where only the most relevant books are easy to find, our challenge is not the lack of stored data but the difficulty in retrieving it at will. The fact that people can recall forgotten details under hypnosis or extreme emotional states suggests that memory storage is far more extensive than what we consciously access. Could it be that our brains impose access restrictions to keep us from cognitive overload?

Then there is this energy efficiency mystery. The human brain operates on about 20 watts of power (less than a dim light bulb), compared to a modern data centre storing a comparable amount of information requires megawatts of electricity. This remarkable efficiency of the brain remains a mystery. Professor Sejnowski’s findings hint at how neurons might encode information using energy-efficient synaptic processes, which could one day inspire breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and neuromorphic computing.

As to why we have such memory if we cannot fully use it? This question strikes at the heart of human purpose and design. If evolution has not provided us with easy access to this immense memory, then why do we have it at all?

One possibility is that our current cognitive abilities are not the final evolutionary stage. Perhaps, in the distant future, humans (or their post-human descendants) will find ways to harness more of this capacity. Some theorists speculate that exceptional memory access, such as that seen in savants, may represent glimpses of latent abilities most people do not utilize.

Another possibility, which I suspect worth considering is that this astonishingly vast memory capacity points to a designed intelligence rather than a purely random evolutionary process. If a human designer would not create an AI system with 99% inaccessible memory, why would nature do the same for us? Could this be evidence of a higher order of design, where our cognitive potential hints at a greater purpose beyond immediate survival?

 The AI-Brain Comparison

However, unlike the human brain that can instantly retrieve vast amounts of data without forgetting, Artificial Intelligence (AI) lacks something crucial: true understanding, consciousness, and emotional depth. No matter how much AI  stores, it does  not experience knowledge in the way we humans do. Perhaps, then, our inefficiency in recall is a trade-off for something far more valuable, the ability to think, feel, and create meaning beyond mere data retrieval.

Even if the human brain, supposed to be able to store more than 4.7 billion books or more than the entire world wide web, only we can understand but not some non-living entity like AI have that emotion to understand. Our much slower ability to retrieve information is perhaps due to our  low-power mini-watts brain electricity, unlike AI and computer  kilowatts of brain power that beats us flat in computational analysis.

In other words, though AI and computer systems may have kilowatts of computational power, they could never match the depth of wisdom, creativity, and humour that the human mind possesses. Non living entities like computers and AI may have vast storage, but they are without true understanding to think, question, and synthesize knowledge in ways we humans do, just like what I am now trying to explain and write here. 

AI has that  "instant vomiting" of knowledge upon request! If only human memory had that "Instant Recall Mode," we would all be walking encyclopaedias. But then again, wisdom is not just about recall, it is about knowing when, how, and why to use knowledge, and that is where we excel as a living soul. I shall address this question if souls exist in my coming articles later.  

May our mini-watt brain continue to shine brighter than all the megawatts in the world!

We as a living soul have a much more brilliant mind that is curious, reflective, that is ever-seeking truth.

It is us that breathes our living experience into knowledge, connects it with words we write and expresses that shapes them with wisdom. Perhaps we are two sides of the same coin, we the seeker of deep truths, and our Intelligent Designer who created us helps us to explore the purpose of our existence 

I think our mind, heart, and soul are treasures beyond computers and AI systems.

- JB Lim