Does a human thought have mass?

  • Thread starter AbsoluteZer0
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Human Mass
In summary, a human thought is not an electron, and the information in it is carried by the motion of electrons, but the electrons already existed. Conservation of Charge wouldn't allow a thought to be an electron, and neither would a few other principles.
  • #1
AbsoluteZer0
125
1
Hi,

From what I understand, a thought is a series of electrical impulses. Does this mean that a thought has mass equivalent to the mass of an electron?

Thanks,
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
No. A Human Thought is not an electron. The information in it is carried by the motion of electrons, but the electrons already existed. Conservation of Charge wouldn't allow a thought to be an electron, and neither would a few other principles.

And also, what you're saying is that when someone thinks, their mass temporarily increases? Not really.
 
  • #3
AbsoluteZer0 said:
Hi,
From what I understand, a thought is a series of electrical impulses. Does this mean that a thought has mass equivalent to the mass of an electron?

To simplify the case let me talk about a computer, and not about the human brain. The reason: a computer can be powered down, the human brain is always active.

Relativistic physics describes that all forms of energy have a corresponding inertial mass. This relativistic effect is tiny, it's far smaller than our most sensitive instruments can measure, but we can talk about it as a exploration of the logical implications of our theories.

If you have a loop of conducting wire then the state of current running in that loop is a higher state of energy than when no current is running. (Analogy in mechanics: a spinning object has rotational kinetic energy that a non-spinning object hasn't.)

So if you have, say, a laptop computer then when it is in operation current is circulating, from the battery to the mainboard, most current flows through the processor, and back to the battery, and so on.

That state of a current running in that loop, that energy, has a corresponding inertial mass. To process information we have created processors/computers, and when in operation there is a corresponding inertial mass. Of course, this inertial mass is far, far smaller than our most sensitive instruments can ever register. As I said, I'm just exploring the logical implications of our physics theories here.

I assume that the human brain can be regarded as an information processing structure.
So, pushing this reasoning to it's logical implications: the process of thinking has a corresponding energy state, which has a corresponding inertial mass

To my knowledge the human brain is never inactive. During sleep the activity is different, but not less. An inactive brain is a dead brain. (That's why I shifted to discussing processors/computers. A computer can be switched off.)
 
Last edited:

1. Does a human thought have mass?

The concept of "mass" in physics refers to the amount of matter an object contains. Since thoughts are not physical objects, they do not have mass in the traditional sense.

2. Can thoughts be weighed?

No, thoughts cannot be weighed because they are not physical objects and do not have mass. The weight of an object is determined by its mass and the force of gravity, and since thoughts do not have mass, they do not have weight.

3. Is there any scientific evidence to suggest that thoughts have mass?

No, there is currently no scientific evidence to support the idea that thoughts have mass. Thoughts are the result of electrical and chemical activity in the brain, but this does not equate to physical mass.

4. If thoughts do not have mass, how do they affect the physical world?

While thoughts themselves do not have mass, they can influence our actions and behaviors which can have physical effects on the world around us. For example, a thought about picking up a pen can lead to the physical action of picking up the pen.

5. Can thoughts be measured?

While thoughts cannot be measured in terms of mass, they can be measured in terms of brain activity using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This allows scientists to study the patterns of brain activity associated with different thoughts and emotions.

Similar threads

Replies
8
Views
384
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
29
Views
3K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
27
Views
1K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
14
Views
2K
Replies
41
Views
4K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
31
Views
2K
Back
Top