The nature of reality is experienced as determined by the information-processing capabilities of our brains. While the processing of sensory inputs at the level of the sensory organs operates near optimal performance and the response properties of sensory neurons are optimal for the encoding of stimuli, the processing at later stages within the brain may lose that optimality. Limitations exist at several levels, imposed by neurophysiology as well as psychology, from the unreliability of cell-to-cell contact through synapses to the restrictions of the mental functions derived from their own logical features. It is a fundamental goal of neuroscience to understand the limitations of information processing in nervous systems and particularly in the mammalian brain, not only to better comprehend cognitive functions and the perception of reality but also to characterize pathological mental/brain states. Equally important is another of the main goals of contemporary neuroscience, the understanding of self-consciousness, that is, that the brain is not only aware of its surroundings but also of its own functioning. This scheme contains the implicit assumption that brain states like the “self” can be comprehended by the brain itself. The constraints imposed by autonomous neural/mental activity and internal brain architecture have to be acknowledged as much as those imposed by the environment. In addition to the limits imposed by the intricacy of the brain’s cellular circuitry, other logical limitations may also play a role, specifically the highly debatable issue of whether the fundamental limitative theorems in mathematical logic can also apply or are relevant to the mind as a formal system. This special issue contains works that deal with different aspects of brain and machine information processing and from distinct perspectives: mathematical, physical, and philosophical, as the examination of these queries requires a multidisciplinary approach. We hope that these contributions will stimulate readers to further explore the complexities of the mental world that brains create.

中文翻译：

---

大脑信息处理的边界

现实的本质是由我们大脑的信息处理能力决定的。虽然感觉器官水平的感觉输入处理接近最佳性能，并且感觉神经元的反应特性对于刺激的编码是最佳的，但大脑内后期的处理可能会失去这种最佳性。神经生理学和心理学强加的限制存在于多个层面，从通过突触的细胞间接触的不可靠性到源自其自身逻辑特征的心理功能的限制。了解神经系统，尤其是哺乳动物大脑中信息处理的局限性是神经科学的一个基本目标，不仅可以更好地理解认知功能和对现实的感知，还可以表征病理性心理/大脑状态。同样重要的是当代神经科学的另一个主要目标，即对自我意识的理解，也就是说，大脑不仅能意识到周围环境，还能意识到自己的功能。这个方案包含一个隐含的假设，即大脑本身可以理解像“自我”这样的大脑状态。自主神经/心理活动和内部大脑结构施加的约束必须与环境施加的约束一样多。除了大脑细胞回路的复杂性所施加的限制之外，其他逻辑限制也可能起作用，特别是关于数理逻辑中的基本限制定理是否也适用于或与作为形式系统的思维相关的极具争议的问题。本期特刊包含从不同角度处理大脑和机器信息处理的作品：数学、物理和哲学，因为对这些查询的检查需要多学科方法。我们希望这些贡献将激发读者进一步探索大脑创造的心理世界的复杂性。因为对这些查询的检查需要多学科方法。我们希望这些贡献将激发读者进一步探索大脑创造的心理世界的复杂性。因为对这些查询的检查需要多学科方法。我们希望这些贡献将激发读者进一步探索大脑创造的心理世界的复杂性。