Our Quantum Brain: Why We Outperform Supercomputers
What’s the news?
Scientists at Trinity College Dublin have begun exploring the notion that our brain could use quantum computation.
Their study suggests that quantum processes are part of cognitive and conscious brain functions.
This belief, if confirmed, could further our understanding of how the brain works and potentially how it could be maintained or healed. Understanding the connection between the two could help us unlock innovative technologies and even build more advanced quantum computers.
How did they come across this discovery?
Dr. Christian Kerskens described the process as adapting an idea developed for experiments used to prove quantum gravity. Essentially:
- You take two quantum systems
- Make them interact with an unknown system
- If the systems entangle, you know it must be a quantum system too
This process circumvents the complications attributed to measuring instances we know little about.
How do you replicate this environment within the human brain?
In the paper titled Experimental indications of non-classical brain functions, the scientists outline how they applied this logic.
“Proton spins of bulk water, which most likely interfere with any brain function, can act as the known quantum systems. If an unknown mediator exists, then NMR methods based on multiple quantum coherence (MQC) can act as an entanglement witness.”
In this case, Dr. Kerskens proposes that if entanglement is the only possible explanation, our brain processes must have interacted with the nuclear spend, helping us deduce that those brain functions must be quantum.
Outperforming Quantum Computers
It’s been without question that no matter how much advancements in artificial intelligence progress, today’s computers cannot outperform the human brain in many tasks. The idea of quantum brain processes could explain why we can outperform supercomputers when it comes to:
- Unforeseen circumstances
- Decision-making
- Learning new things
What’s great about the research proposed is that it has led to the discovery of a previously unknown NMR contrast. This contrast can detect brain activity beyond conventional MRI techniques, presenting game-changing implications in psychology and medicine.
