how humans process information

(why) 9 senses ?

In modern science, we speak of 8 human senses, sometimes even more. This expands beyond the five traditionally known ones (sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell) into sensory systems inside our body. Below, you can find a few bits of information on each of them. If you click a sense, we will take you on a little journey through our body.

Artificial Intelligence can't and shouldn't replace human intelligence for many reasons, which is why we rather see it as a ninth sense, expanding our human capabilities by yet another dimension, helping us to master our complex world with the support of powerful adaptive computing.

Below, you can learn a little bit more about our capabilities by clicking on a tile. The AI bar shows - from our perspective - how well AI maps our capabilities in each domain. In aggregate, however, human capabilities in moving emotionally, intellectually and physically through our real world are far more powerful than any AI currently is.

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How vision unfoldsA tree reflecting light toward an eye, followed by the optic nerve and visual areas of the brainAnimated eye-to-brain pathwayEye journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Reflected lightOptical inputVision begins when light strikes an object and a patterned portion reflects toward the eye. The eye receives reflected light, not a finished picture.Light illuminating the objectIts surface reflects selected wavelengthsStructured light travels toward the corneaReflected light

CorneaPrimary refractionThe transparent, curved cornea supplies most of the eye’s focusing power. Incoming rays change direction as they cross from air into corneal tissue.Diverging reflected raysThe curved surface refracts the raysBent rays continue through the pupilCornea

Pupil and irisLight regulationThe iris changes the pupil’s diameter. It constricts in bright conditions and dilates in dim conditions to regulate how much light enters the eye.Incoming light of varying intensityThe iris changes the aperture diameterA controlled amount of light entersPupil & iris

LensAccommodationThe lens fine-tunes focus by changing curvature. It becomes rounder for nearby objects and flatter for distant objects.Rays partly focused by the corneaLens curvature adjusts for viewing distanceRays converge on the retinaLens

RetinaPhototransductionThe retina converts focused light into neural activity. Rods support sensitivity in dim light; cones support colour and fine spatial detail.Focused photonsPhotoreceptors change their electrical responseRetinal circuits create coded neural signalsRetina

Optic nerveNeural transmissionAxons from retinal ganglion cells form the optic nerve. It carries distributed patterns of electrical impulses rather than a miniature picture.Retinal spike patternsAxons bundle and transmit the neural codeSignals reach relay nuclei and visual cortexOptic nerve

Visual cortexPerceptual constructionVisual areas combine edges, colour, motion, depth, objects, and context. Perception is a constructed interpretation of the signals, not a direct copy of the scene.Distributed neural activityCortical networks combine features and contextA coherent and usable visual experienceVisual cortex

How hearing unfoldsSound waves entering the ear, passing through the middle ear and cochlea, and reaching auditory areas of the brainAnimated sound-to-brain pathwayHearing journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Sound waveAir pressureHearing begins with changing air pressure. A sound source pushes and pulls air, creating waves whose frequency relates to pitch and whose amplitude relates to loudness.A vibrating source disturbs airPressure rises and falls in travelling wavesA patterned sound wave reaches the outer earSound wave

Outer earCollection and filteringThe pinna and ear canal collect sound and subtly shape it. Those changes help the brain infer where a sound is coming from.Incoming pressure wavesThe pinna filters and guides sound into the canalDirectionally shaped sound enters the ear canalOuter ear

EardrumPressure to motionThe eardrum vibrates when pressure waves arrive. This is the first major conversion: air pressure becomes mechanical movement.Pressure changes in the ear canalThe membrane vibrates in the same rhythmMechanical motion passes to the middle earEardrum

OssiclesMechanical relayThe malleus, incus, and stapes act as a tiny mechanical chain. They transmit and concentrate vibration toward the fluid-filled inner ear.Eardrum vibrationThree small bones relay and amplify movementThe stapes drives the cochleaOssicles

CochleaFluid wave and frequency mapInside the cochlea, vibration becomes a travelling fluid wave. Different frequencies peak at different places along the spiral.Mechanical vibration at the oval windowFluid motion separates sound by frequencyA tonotopic motion pattern reaches hair cellsCochlea

Hair cellsMechanotransductionHair cells bend with cochlear motion and convert mechanical movement into electrochemical signals. This is the key sensory transduction step.Motion of cochlear tissue and fluidHair bundles bend and change cell activityAuditory nerve fibres receive coded signalsHair cells

Auditory nerveNeural codingThe auditory nerve carries timing, frequency, and intensity patterns. It does not transport a miniature recording of the sound.Hair-cell driven neural activityNerve fibres encode timing, frequency, and intensityStructured neural patterns travel to the brainAuditory nerve

Auditory cortexPerceptual constructionThe auditory cortex and related networks build perception from the neural code: pitch, rhythm, location, speech, music, and meaning.Distributed auditory neural activityBrain networks combine sound features with contextA meaningful auditory experienceAuditory cortex

How smell unfoldsA child smelling a rose, an anatomical nasal cavity and olfactory epithelium, receptor-cell detail, and smell pathways to the brainAnimated smell-to-brain pathwaySmell journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Odor sourceChemical stimulusSmell begins when volatile molecules leave a source and mix with the air. These odor molecules can reach the nose during inhalation.A source releases volatile moleculesOdor molecules disperse through the airAir carries molecules toward the noseOdor source

Airflow into the noseTransportBreathing draws odor molecules into the nasal cavity. Airflow determines which molecules reach the smell-sensitive region high inside the nose.Air carrying odor moleculesInhalation moves molecules through the nasal passageMolecules approach the olfactory epitheliumAirflow into nose

Olfactory epitheliumDetection surfaceThe olfactory epithelium contains specialized smell receptor neurons. It sits high in the nasal cavity, separate from the ordinary airflow path.Odor molecules near the smell-sensitive liningMolecules dissolve in mucus and contact receptor endingsReceptor neurons are ready to respondOlfactory epithelium

Receptor cellsMolecular recognitionOlfactory receptor cells detect molecular features. Different receptors respond to different chemical patterns, creating a combinatorial smell code.Odor molecules bound near receptor endingsReceptor cells respond to molecular featuresA smell-specific neural activity pattern beginsReceptor cells

Olfactory nerveNeural transmissionReceptor neurons send their signals through the olfactory nerve. The signal is now a neural code, not an odor cloud.Activated receptor neuronsAxons carry the smell pattern forwardSignals reach the olfactory bulbOlfactory nerve

Olfactory bulbFirst brain relayThe olfactory bulb organizes receptor activity into structured patterns. It sharpens and relays smell information to deeper brain networks.Combinatorial receptor activityThe bulb organizes and refines the signalProcessed smell patterns continue into the brainOlfactory bulb

Limbic systemMemory and emotionSmell has strong links to memory and emotion. Olfactory pathways connect closely with limbic regions involved in association and affect.Organized olfactory activityBrain networks link smell with memory and emotional contextSmell becomes meaningful and familiarLimbic system

Smell perceptionConscious experienceThe brain combines odor identity, intensity, memory, emotion, and context. The result is a recognizable smell experience.Distributed olfactory brain activityNetworks integrate odor identity with contextA meaningful smell experienceSmell perception

How taste unfoldsA child tasting ice cream, a tongue and taste-bud cross section, cranial nerve pathways, a brainstem relay, and a highlighted taste area in the brainAnimated taste-to-brain pathwayTaste journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Taste stimulusChemical inputTaste begins when food or drink releases molecules into saliva. Only dissolved molecules can effectively reach taste receptors and start the pathway.Food or drink enters the mouthTastant molecules dissolve in salivaDissolved tastants spread across the tongueTaste stimulus

Tongue surfaceDistributionThe tongue moves the saliva-food mixture across its surface. This helps expose taste-sensitive structures to dissolved molecules.Saliva carrying tastantsThe tongue distributes the mixture across papillaeTastants reach taste-bud openingsTongue surface

PapillaeAccess structuresMany taste buds sit inside papillae, the small structures on the tongue surface. Papillae help position taste buds where food contact is likely.Tastants on the tongue surfacePapillae expose taste buds to the dissolved moleculesTastants approach taste poresPapillae

Taste budReceptor contactInside each taste bud, receptor cells detect dissolved tastants through a small opening called the taste pore. Several receptor cells contribute to the response.Tastants entering the taste poreMolecules interact with taste receptor cellsTaste receptor cells become activeTaste bud

Signal conversionTaste qualitiesTaste receptor cells convert chemical information into neural activity. The main taste qualities are sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. The brain later combines these with smell, texture, temperature, and context to create flavour.Activated taste receptor cellsReceptor systems encode basic taste qualitiesCranial nerve fibres receive coded taste signalsSignal conversion

Cranial nervesNeural transmissionTaste information leaves the tongue through cranial nerve pathways. The signal is now a neural code, not a physical flavour molecule.Coded taste-cell activityCranial nerves carry the signal toward the brainstemTaste signals reach relay centresCranial nerves

Brainstem relayFirst central relayThe brainstem organizes incoming taste signals and routes them upward. This is where taste information first becomes part of central nervous system processing.Taste signals from cranial nervesRelay nuclei organize and forward the signalProcessed taste information ascends toward higher brain areasBrainstem relay

Taste perceptionFlavour experienceThe brain combines taste with smell, texture, temperature, expectation, and memory. The final experience is flavour, not taste alone.Distributed taste-related neural activityBrain networks integrate taste with other sensory and contextual informationA meaningful flavour experienceTaste perception

How touch unfoldsA touch stimulus at the fingertip passing through skin receptors, peripheral nerves, the spinal cord, and somatosensory areas of the brainAnimated touch-to-brain pathwayTouch journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

ContactPhysical stimulusTouch begins when the fingertip makes contact with a surface. Pressure, texture, and other mechanical properties begin to deform the skin.A fingertip meets a textured surfacePhysical contact creates local pressure and surface interactionMechanical change spreads into the skinContact

Skin deformationMechanical changePressure compresses and bends the layers of skin. That deformation changes the local mechanical state around the sensory endings.Pressure at the skin surfaceSkin and tissue layers are compressed and stretchedEmbedded receptors experience mechanical forceSkin deformation

Touch receptorsReceptor responseDifferent receptors respond to different aspects of touch. Some are tuned to light pressure, some to sustained pressure, some to vibration, and others to tissue disturbance.Mechanical force reaches sensory endingsSpecialized receptors respond according to their tuningReceptor activity begins to encode the stimulusTouch receptors

Signal conversionTransductionMechanical force is converted into electrical nerve activity. This is the key transduction step that turns touch into a neural signal.Receptors under mechanical loadIon channels and receptor membranes change electrical activitySensory fibres receive coded nerve signalsSignal conversion

Peripheral nerveSignal transmissionActivated sensory fibres join larger peripheral nerves. The signal now travels away from the skin toward the central nervous system.Electrical activity in touch fibresPeripheral axons carry the coded pattern onwardSignals approach the spinal cordPeripheral nerve

Spinal relayRelay and routingThe spinal cord receives incoming sensory information and routes it upward. It can also participate in rapid protective responses before conscious perception.Incoming sensory nerve impulsesSignals enter spinal pathways and relay circuitsInformation ascends toward the brainSpinal relay

Ascending pathwayLong-range transmissionAscending sensory pathways carry the signal toward higher processing centres. The brain receives a structured pattern, not a vague general sensation.Routed spinal sensory activityLong tracts carry the touch code toward cortexCortical touch areas receive organized inputAscending pathway

Somatosensory cortexPerceptual interpretationSomatosensory cortex helps build the experience of touch: where something touched you, how strong it was, how it felt, and what it may mean in context.Distributed touch-related neural activityCortical networks interpret location, intensity, and textureA meaningful tactile experienceSomato- sensory cortex

How balance unfoldsAn elderly South Asian woman turning her head, the vestibular organs of the inner ear, hair-cell detail, and balance pathways to the brainstem and cerebellumAnimated balance and vestibular pathwayBalance journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Head movementMotion inputThe vestibular journey begins when the head changes position or moves through space. The system tracks rotation, tilt, gravity, and acceleration.Head position and movementMotion changes the forces acting on the inner earBalance organs are mechanically stimulatedHead movement

Semicircular canalsRotation sensingThe three semicircular canals are arranged in different planes. They are especially sensitive to rotational head movement.Rotational acceleration of the headFluid motion shifts inside the canal systemRotation-specific signals begin to formSemi- circular canals

Otolith organsGravity and linear motionThe utricle and saccule detect head tilt, gravity, and straight-line acceleration. Tiny crystals add weight so the sensory surface shifts with orientation.Tilt, gravity, or linear accelerationOtolith membranes shift relative to sensory cellsThe system encodes direction and pullOtolith organs

Inner-ear fluidMechanical displacementVestibular motion is first represented mechanically. Fluid and membranes shift slightly behind head movement, bending sensory structures.Head movement and inertiaFluid and membranes lag, flow, or slideHair bundles are deflectedInner-ear fluid

Hair-cell bendingTransductionVestibular hair cells convert bending into electrical activity. This is the key step where mechanical motion becomes a neural code.Deflected hair bundlesCell activity changes as the bundles bendVestibular nerve fibres receive coded signalsHair-cell bending

Vestibular nerveNeural transmissionThe vestibular nerve carries patterns from the balance organs. It encodes movement and orientation rather than sound.Hair-cell-driven neural activityNerve fibres transmit the vestibular codeSignals travel toward brainstem and cerebellumVestibular nerve

Brainstem and cerebellumCoordination relayVestibular signals are integrated in the brainstem and cerebellum. These areas help stabilize gaze, posture, and coordinated movement.Incoming vestibular nerve signalsRelay circuits compare vestibular input with motor and body-state signalsPostural, eye-movement, and orientation responses are coordinatedBrainstem & cerebellum

Balance and orientationSpatial awarenessThe brain combines vestibular input with vision, proprioception, and motor commands to maintain balance and understand body orientation.Integrated motion and orientation signalsBrain networks build a stable body-in-space modelBalance, gaze stability, and spatial orientationBalance & orientation

How body position unfoldsA person reaching forward, an arm anatomy cutaway with muscles, tendons, joints and sensory receptors, pathways to the spinal cord, cerebellum and cortexAnimated proprioception pathwayBody-position journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Reaching movementBody movementProprioception begins as the body moves. The brain needs continuous information about where the arm, hand, and joints are, even without looking.An arm reaches into spaceMuscles, tendons, and joints change positionBody tissues begin producing position informationReaching movement

Muscle stretchLength sensingAs the arm moves, muscles lengthen and shorten. Stretch-sensitive receptors help track how much the muscle has changed.Changing muscle lengthStretch receptors respond to length and rate of changeMuscle-length information enters sensory fibresMuscle stretch

Tendon tensionForce sensingTendons transmit force from muscle to bone. Tension-sensitive receptors help estimate how much force is being produced.Force transmitted through tendonsTendon receptors respond to loadForce information joins the movement signalTendon tension

Joint positionAngle sensingJoint position changes as the arm reaches. Signals from the joint region help define limb angle and direction of movement.Changing joint angleJoint and surrounding tissues register positionThe nervous system receives limb-geometry cuesJoint position

Receptor activationTransductionMuscle spindles, tendon organs, and joint receptors convert mechanical changes into electrical activity. This is the key proprioceptive transduction step.Stretch, tension, and joint-position changesSpecialized receptors convert mechanics into neural signalsPeripheral nerves carry coded body-position informationReceptor activation

Spinal pathwaySensory routingProprioceptive fibres enter the spinal cord. Some information supports fast reflex control, while other signals ascend toward the brain.Peripheral proprioceptive nerve activitySignals enter spinal pathways and reflex circuitsMovement information is routed upward and locallySpinal pathway

Cerebellum and cortexMovement integrationThe cerebellum and cortical areas compare proprioceptive input with motor plans. This supports coordinated movement and correction.Ascending body-position and movement signalsBrain networks compare position, movement, and intended actionThe movement model is updated continuouslyCerebellum & cortex

Body-position awarenessInternal body mapThe brain builds a usable sense of where the body is. This allows precise movement even when vision is limited or absent.Integrated proprioceptive activityBody maps represent limb position and movementA stable sense of body positionBody-position awareness

How inner body signals unfoldA woman sensing internal body state, a transparent torso with heart, lungs and gut, visceral receptor detail, and pathways to brainstem and insulaAnimated interoception pathwayInner-body journey stepsStartPauseFull screenExit full screenOpen full-screen viewExit full-screen viewClose full-screen viewStart automatic journeyPause automatic journeyInputWhat happensOutputPlaying automaticallyPaused for explorationPreparing journeyStep {n} of {total}Moving to step {n} of {total}Enable audioDisable audioTurn narration onTurn narration off

Internal body stateBody conditionInteroception begins with internal body conditions: heartbeat, breathing, gut activity, fullness, discomfort, temperature, and pain.Changing internal body conditionsOrgans and tissues shift their stateInternal signals become available to receptorsInternal state

Organ changeVisceral dynamicsInternal organs continuously change: the heart beats, lungs expand, the stomach and intestines stretch, and tissue chemistry varies.Heart, lung, gut, and tissue activityOrgans create mechanical, chemical, and pain-related changesVisceral receptors can detect those changesOrgan change

Internal receptorsSensing insideInternal receptors monitor stretch, pressure, chemical balance, inflammation, and tissue disturbance. Pain is one important part of this internal signalling.Mechanical, chemical, and nociceptive changesReceptors respond to internal body-state cuesSignals begin to encode what is happening insideInternal receptors

Signal conversionTransductionInternal changes are converted into nerve activity. The signal may carry information about fullness, breath, heartbeat, discomfort, or pain.Activated internal receptorsReceptor activity becomes electrical signallingVisceral sensory fibres carry coded internal-state informationSignal conversion

Vagus and spinal pathwaysNeural transmissionInteroceptive signals travel through vagal and spinal pathways. Different routes carry different kinds of internal body information.Visceral nerve activityVagus and spinal pathways carry body-state signalsSignals approach central relay structuresVagus & spinal pathways

Brainstem relayAutonomic coordinationThe brainstem receives and coordinates many interoceptive signals. It helps regulate breathing, heart rate, digestion, and protective responses.Incoming internal-state signalsRelay circuits coordinate autonomic regulationProcessed body-state information ascendsBrainstem relay

Insula and body mapsBody-state mappingThe insula and related networks build maps of internal body state. These maps link bodily sensation with emotion, attention, and decision-making.Ascending interoceptive activityBrain networks map and integrate body-state signalsInternal sensations become available to awarenessInsula & body maps

Felt body awarenessConscious body feelingInteroception contributes to felt experience: hunger, fullness, breath, heartbeat, discomfort, pain, calm, or urgency. It is the brain’s sense of the body from within.Integrated internal body-state mapsSignals combine with emotion, context, and attentionA conscious sense of how the body feelsFelt body awareness

“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.”

Immanuel Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, 1781



Sight

This is one of the most important senses and helps us to orientate ourselves in the physical world around us.

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

Hearing

Another essential sense, particularly when it comes to direct interaction between us and the world.

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

Touch

Feel and touch gives us the ability to experience things using our skin receptors and to handle them carefully.

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

Taste

What would the world be without taste? Bland is probably the appropriate word! Do you know umami?

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

Smell

Smelling helps us enjoy the world too, but also enables us to notice dangers and other things to avoid...

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

Vestibular Sense

The semicircular canals located inside our ears help us position ourselves and keep our balance.

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

Proprioception

This sense, provided by sensory receptors inside our muscles, tendons and joints, informs us about movement.

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

Interoception

This sense provides us with information about what's right or wrong inside our body.

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The only area where computers using Artificial Intelligence truly outperform our human senses today is vision. They can process visual input faster, identify changes and differences more quickly and track much faster motion than the human eye can. When it comes to positioning, computing systems have the ability to use external information (e.g. GPS triangulation) to better orientate themselves. However, when it comes to balance, humans still win outright. In all other senses, a healthy human still does much better.

how humans process information

(why) 9 senses ?

Reflected light

Sound wave

Odor source

Taste stimulus

Contact

Head movement

Reaching movement

Internal body state

“All our knowledge begins with the senses, proceeds then to the understanding, and ends with reason. There is nothing higher than reason.”

Sight

Hearing

Touch

Taste

Smell

Vestibular Sense

Proprioception

Interoception

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