In the context of thoughts and information processing, it's important to distinguish between the physical medium that carries the information and the abstract concept of the information itself.
In traditional electronic devices, information is processed using the movement of electrons through conductive materials such as wires. While electrons do have mass, the speed at which the information propagates through these systems is typically much lower than the speed of light. This is because electrons in a conductor move relatively slowly in response to electric fields, and they can also encounter resistance and other factors that limit their speed.
However, it's worth noting that the speed at which information is transmitted through electronic circuits is not solely determined by the speed of the electrons themselves. It depends on various factors such as the properties of the materials, the design of the circuit, and the nature of the signal being transmitted.
On the other hand, when we talk about thoughts and information in the context of the human brain or other biological systems, the underlying mechanisms are quite different. The brain does not rely on the movement of electrons in the same way as electronic devices. Instead, information processing in the brain involves complex electrochemical interactions between neurons.
While these processes are ultimately based on the movement of charged particles, such as ions, across cell membranes, it is important to note that the transmission of thoughts and information in the brain is not simply a direct movement of electrons. It is a highly complex and distributed process involving the activation and interaction of vast networks of neurons.
The speed of thought and information processing in the brain is still an area of active research, and our current understanding suggests that it is significantly slower than the speed of light. The brain operates on a timescale that is influenced by various factors, including the speed of neuronal signaling, synaptic transmission, and the overall organization and architecture of the brain.
In summary, while the physical processes involved in thought and information processing may not operate at the speed of light, it is important to distinguish between the physical medium and the abstract concept of information itself. The speed of light remains an upper limit for the propagation of information through space, but the specific mechanisms and processes through which thoughts and information are encoded, processed, and transmitted in biological systems are far more complex and nuanced.