Quantum effects in linguistic endeavors

TL;DR

This paper proposes a quantum framework for understanding linguistic processing, linking neural spike train classification to quantum uncertainty and measurement-based quantum computation, explaining memory dynamics in language tasks.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum model for linguistic neural activity, connecting quantum effects with language processing and memory, addressing previous lack of plausible quantum explanations.

Findings

Quantum uncertainty relates word content and duration in neural spike trains.

Word comparison modeled as measurement-based quantum computation.

Quantum behavior explains memory window dynamics in linguistic tasks.

Abstract

Classifying the information content of neural spike trains in a linguistic endeavor, an uncertainty relation emerges between the bit size of a word and its duration. This uncertainty is associated with the task of synchronizing the spike trains of different duration representing different words. The uncertainty involves peculiar quantum features, so that word comparison amounts to measurement-based-quantum computation. Such a quantum behavior explains the onset and decay of the memory window connecting successive pieces of a linguistic text. The behavior here discussed is applicable to other reported evidences of quantum effects in human linguistic processes, so far lacking a plausible framework, since either no efforts to assign an appropriate quantum constant had been associated or speculating on microscopic processes dependent on Planck's constant resulted in unrealistic decoherence times.