Information Overload is a myth.
It’s impossible to get overloaded.
The best answer for this question (how fast is the brain) can be obtained because we have good estimates for the three main variables that enter into it: how many neurons (brain cells) we have, how fast a neuron can fire, and how many cells it connects to. A human being has about 100 billion brain cells. Although different neurons fire at different speeds, as a rough estimate it is reasonable to estimate that a neuron can fire about once every 5 milliseconds, or about 200 times a second. The number of cells each neuron is connected to also varies, but as a rough estimate it is reasonable to say that each neuron connects to 1000 other neurons- so every time a neuron fires, about 1000 other neurons get information about that firing. If we multiply all this out we get 100 billion neurons X 200 firings per second X 1000 connections per firing = 20 million billion calculations per second.
Some people have estimated that the storage capacity of the human brain is functionally infinite- that is, we can essentially always find room to store more information if we want to, so no practical limit exists. A more principled lower estimate might be made using the numbers above. Let’s assume that a change in any connection strength between two connected neurons is equal to one bit of information and further assume (a huge over-simplification) that neural connections have just two possible strengths (like a bit in a computer, which is either 1 or 0). Then each neuron has ‘write’ access to 1000 bits of information, or about 1 kilobyte. So we have 100 billion (number of neurons) X 1 K of storage capacity, or 100 billion K. That’s about 100 million megabytes. Since in fact neural connections are not two-state but multi-state and since neuron bodies can also change their properties and thereby store information, this is a very low estimate, so you can see why some people have estimated it to be functionally infinite.
Chris Wesbury, associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Alberta.
So obviously, we are in no danger of overload.
And just how powerful is the brain?
Brain Power
Here’s a wild 60 minutes report where people are typing messages on a computer just using thought.
“Once in a while, we run across a science story that is hard to believe until you see it. That’s how we felt about this story when we first saw human beings operating computers, writing e-mails, and driving wheelchairs with nothing but their thoughts.”
Information overload?
I don’t think so.
Yet all the time in online business I hear “I’ve got information overload.” Basically they tried to consume too many conflicting instructions at once. BUT your brain CAN and WILL process the information IF you didn’t feel the urgency to understand EVERYTHING immediately.
Attempting to understand and master 100% the functionality of…
- Autoresponders
- Shopping carts
- Copywriting
- Graphic design for selling
- Product creation
- Webinars
- Audio recording and editing
- Dozens of possible business models
- Social media
- Search engine optimization
- Pay Per Click
- Click Bank
- PayPal
- Affiliate marketing
- Affiliate program management
- Finding your niche
- List building
- And on and on and on
…all at one time and instantly – that’s the problem.
Can our brains sift through all those puzzle pieces and make sense of them? Yep. But as soon as it starts working on one problem we give it another 73 issues to add to the pot and it has to readjust the calculations.
Our minds are not overloaded, just not able to finish the current calculations before we add more “numbers” to it.
Imagine a kid at the blackboard (dry erase board).
The problem is 4 + 6+ 9 x 4 – 18 = ____________.
Little Johnny gets to 4 + 6 + 9 = 19 and is getting ready to multiply it by 4.
Suddenly the teacher rushes to the board and slips 32 + 42 – 12 to the front of the equation.
Johnny stands there with 19 in his head. And sees this…
32 + 42 – 12 + 4 + 6+ 9 x 4 – 18 = ____________.
Does he still have the ability to work the problem?
Yes.
Is it going to take more time?
Yes.
If the teacher sprints to the board and continues to add to the equation can Johnny continue to work the problem?
Yes.
But it will take time.
Our brains are powerful. But give them time to digest the information and equations placed there.
A little more than a decade ago I did not know HTML, PHP, Photoshop, membership script installation, online business models, or a lot of other things that are common today.
Point…
DO NOT GIVE UP!!
You are not overloaded.
Your brain can handle it.
Keep learning. Keep thinking. Let your brain do the work.
Just give it some time.
Success is NOT an Accident,
Paul
