Part 4/19:
Shapiro discusses the energetic efficiency of the human brain. It consumes roughly 20 watts—a testament to incredible efficiency compared to modern computers. For context, this small power footprint powers a system capable of performing remarkably complex tasks.
When estimating how many floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) the human brain can perform, the reply is complex: neurons are slow, operating around 1 kHz, but the brain's massively parallel structure compensates for this slowness. Interestingly, estimates of the brain’s computational power have historically climbed each time new computers are invented. Whether our brains are truly exascale systems or whether we're vastly underestimating their power remains an open debate.