I'd be very interested to know (more)

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The discussion highlights the remarkable capabilities of the human brain, emphasizing its efficiency in processing and storing vast amounts of information. It is estimated that an adult human has around 86 billion neurons, with the average number of atoms in a human body being approximately 7 octillion. The English language contains about 170,000 words in current use, and daily interactions with people vary widely based on individual lifestyles. On average, a person can store up to 1 million pieces of information in short-term memory, although not all is retained long-term. The conversation also touches on the complexity of neuronal relationships and the potential for quantum effects in brain function, suggesting that the brain's operational efficiency surpasses that of large computers, highlighting the ongoing mystery of its capabilities.
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A few figures... What is the average number of neurons in an adult human? What is the average number of ATOMS in an adult human? How many words are there in the English language? How many people do we meet, on average, every day? How many objects do we enter into memory, on average, every day?

It just seems interesting to me (and probably all of us) that we hold such vast ammounts of information in such a small space, and operate at such incredible speed (assuming information is stored in the brain, of course). A computer can take hours searching for a given phrase or file... We do it in less than a second. We string together logical ideas and sentences nearly instantaniously. We can do an incredible number of complex things at the same time. How (not that anyone knows right now, heh)? It's incredible... Computers the size of buildings aren't as fast and efficient as the human brain, and we operate biologicly!
 
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I've heard that it's estimated we have close to 100 billion neurons. It's been said that we really use only 5 to 10 percent of the brain's capacity but I think that is just a myth. Most of the brain is devoted to handling sensory input. The rest is used for memory and thought. It may be that 5 or 10 percent is left over for memory and thought which leaves 5 to 10 billion neurons for this purpose.

I think that the relationships between the neurons is important in explaining how we are able to do what we do. How do the neurons operate together. The patterns of activity. Do people with higher intelligences have more efficient configurations with respect to the neurons?

Perhaps there are quantum effects at work in the brain that are not taken into account when using computers to model neural nets. The biological brain operates on the cellular level but perhaps there are things happening on a more fundamental level of which we are unaware.
 
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It is indeed fascinating to think about the incredible capabilities of the human brain. To answer your questions, the average number of neurons in an adult human is estimated to be around 86 billion. As for the average number of atoms in an adult human, it is difficult to determine as it varies based on a person's size and weight, but it is estimated to be around 7 octillion (that's 27 zeros!).

The number of words in the English language is constantly changing, but as of 2021, there are approximately 170,000 words in current use.

In terms of how many people we meet on average every day, it really depends on our lifestyle and daily routines. Some people may interact with dozens of people, while others may only interact with a handful.

As for how many objects we enter into memory on a daily basis, it is estimated that the average person can store up to 1 million pieces of information in their short-term memory at any given time. However, not all of this information is retained in long-term memory.

It is truly remarkable how our brains can process and retain such vast amounts of information at lightning speed. The brain's ability to make connections and process complex tasks is still not fully understood, but it continues to amaze and inspire us.
 
Every day we learn new things. Sometimes it's just a small fact or realization. No matter how trivial or random, let's start recording our daily lessons. Please start off with "Today I learned". Keep commentary to a minimum and just LIKE posts. I'll start! Today I learned that you clean up a white hat by spraying some cleaner with bleach on it (rinse before putting it back on your head!)
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