In this article about how the human brain shares astonishing resemblances to a smartphone charger wattage, I establish a canonical link to the insight provided by Dr. Henning Beck in this interview about digitalization.
I have read Dr. Beck's book, Scatterbrain: How the Mind's Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful, and it helped me become a better human and a successful writer.
I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the human brain and how it stands regarding the future of Artificial intelligence (AI), as stated in the book's synopsis:
Remember that time you screwed up simple math or forgot the name of your favorite song? What if someone told you that such embarrassing "brain farts" are actually secret weapons, proof of your superiority to computers and AI?
By now, you have realized how I'm a die-hard fan of Dr. Beck's work. His chimeric self and the way he defines himself as a four-part entity resonates with me.
- Neuroscientist
He studied biochemistry at the University of Tübingen and fell in love with neuroscientific topics. Later on, he finished his doctoral thesis at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen. Has a Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2012 at the Graduate School of Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience.
- Science slammer
He competes at Science Slam events. There, he develops interventions where he discusses the fascinating universe of our brain.
- Speaker
Science slamming has turned him into a charismatic speaker on the thinking world in our skull. He combines state-of-the-art science with his unique presentation skills to try and answer the ultimate puzzling questions.
You can listen to him discussing, What is a Thought? How the Brain Creates New Ideas, in this TEDx Talks video.
- Writer
He is also an established author, and his most famous book is, as I have mentioned, Scatterbrain,"a mind-bending book where the author debates why perfectionism is pointless and argues that mistakes, missteps, and flaws are the keys to success".
I always give some counter-intuitive perspective and show the brain as never seen before. Always based on current research - but with an entertaining twist.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) versus the Human Brain
The discussion about AI has caught the public eye. Many of us have realized how algorithms play a significant role in our daily lives.
Nowadays, AI's are everywhere. They are proofreading this article, editing it as I write, bending my sentences, fashioning my vocabulary, and molding my thoughts as I go along the narrative arc.
AI's check our posts on social media and enforce platform rules and guidelines. Yet, they still lack Emotional Intelligence (EI) and tend to misinterpret our actions, as explained in this article about Facebook's AI.
Dr. Beck has discussed this topic and inspired me to study the relations between the human brain and our minions: smartphones.
In an interview published by Munich Re, Dr. Beck explains how the human brain is more energy-efficient than any AI could be in the foreseeable future.
AI is also an energy-guzzling process. The brain works with 20 watts. This is enough to cover our entire thinking ability. AI needs an incredible amount of energy to recognize a picture of a penguin from 10 million images.
The human brain & smartphone chargers
Hence, I started to think about devices with more or less the same wattage of the human brain. I did my research and came up with a shortlist of appliances with a wattage around 20W.
Please bear in mind that the values given below are estimates. The actual wattage required for each device may differ depending on the brand and model.
- Cell Phone Charger = 10W
- Smartphone fast charger = 20W
- Clock = 5W
- Clock radio = 10W
Other appliances that could run at such low wattages like satellite dishes or low-end DVD Players are now almost extinct.
Looking at my shortlist, I realize how there are, actually, only a few gadgets that could run on our brain's wattage.
Conventional smartphone chargers are next in line on the road to extinction. Nonetheless, according to Apple, you need a 20W or higher power adapter to fast charge their flagship phones. You can check the wattage on the top or bottom of the adapter.
Even state-of-the-art charging stations, like the MagSafe Charger used for iPhone 12 models, still need 20W power sources.
In layman's terms, let's think about something even more practical, like, for instance, a LED bulb that uses 8 to 12 watts and has a lumen rating of 800, equal to a 60-watt light incandescent bulb.
That means the human brain:
- Created writing;
- Invented the internet;
- Developed vaccines;
- Discovered nuclear energy;
- Mastered flight;
- Conquered space;
- Traveled to the moon!
With the wattage required to illuminate a bathroom!
Final Thoughts
The human brain is the most elaborate simple structure in the known universe. The utmost perfect yet imperfect cognitive force we have encountered.
Error-prone thinking is the only thing making us superior to machines and sets us apart from noncreative computers. Essentially, our weaknesses in thought are really our greatest mental secret weapons. (…)
So, remain as imperfect as you are. It's what makes you unique. Make mistakes and, in doing so, give rise to new ideas. After all, to err is what we do best.
- Dr.Henning Beck, in Scatterbrain
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Thanks for reading this article and crossing the labyrinth with me. Please feel free to come back at any time and pick up another thread from my Vocal book of content. Till next time, cheers!
-Rui
About the Creator
Rui Alves
Hi, I'm Rui Alves, a teacher, army veteran & digital pathfinder. Author, alchemist of sound & Gen-AI artist.
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