Zhang’s Long-Distance Light-Speed Telecommunications

Synaptic neuroscientist Ping Zhang suggests that “the long-time puzzle between brain and mind” might be solved by “a light-speed telecommunication between remote cells that are arranged in parallel.” He bases his theory on “the law of synchronization,” where “all the individuals are connected to each other rigidly (or in a light-speed momentum network), energy radiated from one individual will be propagated to and conserved in all other individuals in light speed” (Zhang, 2019).^[1]

Traveling Electrical Fields

In explaining “how a ‘school’ of neurons in human brain behaves like a light-speed rigid network and concentrates on a task,” Zhang cites his own observation of “the traveling electrical field mediated transmission of action potentials between excitable cells with the cell-cell distance more than 10 mm (an anatomically astronomical distance in cortex).”

Moreover, “when longitudinal cells are arranged in parallel separately, the action potential generated from one cell can ‘jump’ to other cells and cause all the cells to fire action potentials in concert. If two cells fire action potentials spontaneously and have their own rhythm, they tend to ‘learn’ from each other, adjust their own pace, eventually lock their phases, and ‘remember’ this common rhythm for a long while” (Zhang, 2019).

Zhang notes, “unlike synaptic neuronal network, which is a physiological transmission with the velocity of 0.2–120 m/s (synaptic delay period is not included), traveling electrical field mediated transmission … [has] the velocity of light speed.”

Synchronization and Energy Efficiency

In a cortical circuit, he says, “the synaptic elements provide delicate and precise connections; while the traveling electrical field, may provide transient, rapid, flexible rather than fixed connections to synchronize rhythmic action potentials fired from axons which are arranged in parallel and are well insulated by dielectric media.”

How does “this invisible ‘tele’ bridge-linked synchronization or harmony” work? According to Zhang, neural action potentials in human brain circuits produce clusters of traveling electrical fields. Those with similar frequency tend to be synchronized.

Integration, imagination, remembering, creating, etc., require considerable energy, and if these processes are simply synchronizations between different brain regions, the energy-conserving property of sync facilitates performing these mental activities.

Critique of Synaptic-Centric Theories

Having worked on synaptic transmission for 20 years, Zhang muses: “Glutamate receptors, for instance, are found in both human and crayfish synapses. Human receptors are not any ‘smarter’ than those of crayfish.”

It would be very narrow-minded, he says, “to study human synapses, which evolved from those of squid and crayfish, hoping to find a magic thinking molecule.” If there is no super-highway (light speed) above the traditional synaptic networks, he concludes, “I just cannot imagine how people can be an intelligent life-form” (Zhang, 2019).

Footnote

[1]. Zhang adds, “Energy radiated from all individuals [in a synchronized system] will be fed back to each individual at exactly the same time. Energy states of all individuals tend to even up; entropy increase tends to be maximal when sync is established; one's energy output is another's energy input. The system tends to be energy conservatively beneficial and stable” (Zhang, 2019).