In his book Your Brain Is (Almost) Perfect, neuroscientist Read Montague highlights the impressive energy efficiency of the brain, comparing chess champion Garry Kasparov’s energy usage of about 20 watts to the consumption of his computerized competitor Deep Blue, in the range of thousands of watts. Montague points out that Kasparov played the game at normal body temperature, while Deep Blue was burning hot to the touch and required a large collection of fans to dissipate the heat. Human brains run with superlative efficiency.
