Which do you think is larger? a) The total number of protons you can pack in the visible universe, or...?

Question

b) The total number of different electrical patterns the brain can produce?

If the answer to a) is x, and the answer b) is y, what is the ratio of y to x?

Answer 1

x is reasonably easy; the D_now of the visible universe is about 40 billion light years, making the V_now of the universe (extremely approximately) 3*10^32 cubic ly. This works out to about 3*10^110 cubic angstroms, with a cubic angstrom about the size of a hydrogen atom. This doesn't account for the curvature of the universe which is significant at far distances, but I don't think that is going to matter.

All I know about the brain I learned just now from Wikipedia, which says that it contains N=10^11 neurons, each connected to n=10^4 others. Therefore each neuron has C(N,n) connection possibilities, which is approximately N^n, or 10^(110,000) possibilities for one neuron. Even considering the fact that the brain is structured, such that each neuron doesn't have the possibility of connecting to every other neuron in the brain, it seems clear that neurons win.

Answer 2

I would have no idea how to calculate the number of electrical patterns the brain can produce. And I would question any number calculated by anyone else, because I doubt it could be done.

Answer 3

I just looked at a book I own by George Gamow. It says b) is larger. I do not recall the exact amount, but it is much more. I can look it up when I have time, for the book is in a bookcase in my living room.

Answer 4

b is much larger than a. in fact the number of possible orientations in a deck of fifty-two cards is much bigger then a.
i would say the ratio of y to x is a very large number.

Answer 5

^^Zikzak is a genius. Kudos amigo. Asker, make sure you give him best answer.

I'm just posting to point out Graham's number dwarfs them both... :D