Working Memory Capacity: Limits on the Bandwidth of Cognition

Why can your brain store a lifetime of experiences but process only a few thoughts at once? In this article we discuss cognitive capacity (the number of items that can be held in mind simultaneously) and suggest that the limit is inherent to processing based on oscillatory brain rhythms, or brain waves, which may regulate neural communication. Neurons that hum together temporarily wire together, allowing the brain to form and re-form networks on the fly, which may explain a hallmark of intelligence and cognition: mental flexibility. But this comes at a cost; only a small number of thoughts can fit into each wave. This explains why you should never talk on a mobile phone when driving.