CHESS world champion Jose Capablanca was once asked a question, in view of his almost errorless play: How many moves can you think ahead?
His reputed answer: Only one move. But it’s always the best move!
One may say: But that’s impossible.
Is it?
Yes. If one thinks in the classic manner: I move this, my opponent moves this or that. I move this or that to his this, and I move this or that to his that. My opponent moves this, that, this, that and this, that, this, that. I reply with this, that, this, that and this, that, this, that, and this, that, this, that and this, that, this, that. And so on until I can’t calculate the numerous branching positions anymore. It’s a giant bush of possible variations and positions.
And no. Capablanca was actually describing how he thought.
Capablanca did not think classically as described above. Instead, he saw possible variant positions flashing in his mind’s eye almost instantaneously. He only had to pick one of them. The best one in his judgement. Thus his reputed answer: Only one move. But it’s always the best move!
his phenomenon happens in many chess players when they’re ‘in the zone’. It happens to me sometimes. But for me and the rest of us, it doesn’t happen all the time. With the genius Capablanca, it seems to have happened most of the time.
How does the brain do this?
I would posit that numerous small parts of the brain see different things and possibilities and melds all of them together into the mind. Thus numerous small parts of the brain can do this for different possible chess positions and meld them INSTANTANEOSLY into some kind of silent film where the different possible positions flash about rapidly. One only needs to choose one of the positions.
Note again: INSTANTANEOSLY.
Somehow numerous small parts of the brain are communicating with each other INSTANTANEOSLY.
How can this be?
My opinion: I posit numerous small parts of the brain become ‘entangled’ in the quantum mechanical sense. Or perhaps even more likely, the electrochemical patterns that the neurons produce become entangled.
Below are explanations of quantum entanglement.
From internet AI:
Quantum entanglement is a physical phenomenon where pairs or groups of particles (e.g., photons, electrons) become so deeply linked that their quantum states must be described together, regardless of the distance separating them. Measuring one particle instantly determines the state of the other, often called “spooky action at a distance”. This connection does not allow for faster-than-light communication, but is foundational for quantum computing, cryptography, and sensing. (To be continued)/PN
