# Estimating the energy requirements for long term memory formation

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.09565 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.09565/

## Key facts

- Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 1 of its 22 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 16 Jan 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Metabolic constraints on synaptic learning and memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1910.07414/) (2019)

## Built on by (most cited first, 3 of 3)

- [Lazy learning: a biologically-inspired plasticity rule for fast and energy efficient synaptic plasticity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.16067/) (2023)
- [Competitive plasticity to reduce the energetic costs of learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.02594/) (2023)
- [Beyond the Ergodic Wall: A Discrete Geometric Physics Sandbox for Analysing AI Scaling Limits and Complexity Collapse](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2610.10651/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Brains consume metabolic energy to process information, but also to store memories. The energy required for memory formation can be substantial, for instance in fruit flies memory formation leads to a shorter lifespan upon subsequent starvation (Mery and Kawecki, 2005). Here we estimate that the energy required corresponds to about 10mJ/bit and compare this to biophysical estimates as well as energy requirements in computer hardware. We conclude that biological memory storage is expensive, but the reason behind it is not known.