~10 bits per second: the human bandwidth estimate that upper-bounds information in any artwork
tobyordoxford · x · 2026-09-07
Toby Ord introduces the quantitative core of the thread: a standard order-of-magnitude estimate puts human deliberate choice at roughly 10 bits per second, based on typing and many other tasks.
If so, this can upper-bound the amount of choice applicable in a work of a given duration. The quoted dancer example illustrates why: complex motion needs lots of bits to describe, but naive descriptions allow trajectories the dancer couldn't actually choose.
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