The Most Powerful Computer in the World - Your Brain

Our brains are computing beasts; they are more powerful than any supercomputer in the world. Their understanding of logic, emotion, and everything-else-that-allows-you-to-understand-the-world surpasses any computer. The human brain even made the computer, and the knowledge required to do so is so much bigger than the calculations and tasks computers now perform for us everyday. Tasks that include socializing with friends, checking emails, reading the latest news, playing games, and even reading this website.

Evidence suggests that the memory and brain capacity of our brains ranges between 1 to 10 terabytes of data, although certain contradictory evidence feels our storage capacity is only in the region of a few hundred megabytes (this is smaller than any iPod currently on sale today) as the power of the brain lies not in the amount of information it stores, but how the information is compressed and organized every minute of the day.

The Greenest Computer in the World - Your Brain

Despite that, they still manage to be extremely energy efficient too. They take up the same power as a 60w light bulb; just over 10W of power. For comparison, the average home computer draws over 350W in the same time.

The Future

Scientists are now studying the brain to hopefully increase energy efficiency in computers. This could reap major benefits to search engines such as Google, who use megawatts of power, even though the number of components involved is about the same as the number of neurons in the human brain. If us humans can somehow utilize the technological marvel that we use to think and process data, we can help not only the environment, but also increase the speed of computers, whilst not increasing their footprint. That is the future of energy in computing. The secret: Harnessing the powerhouse that resides inside everyone.