There is a practical limit to the amount of knowledge a human can learn
Cognitive science and instructional design principles consistently demonstrate that human memory systems operate under capacity-limited working memory and processing constraints.
The retrieved literature extensively documents human cognitive architecture, specifically highlighting working memory capacity limits, information processing constraints, and cognitive load theory. While long-term memory has vast capacity, working memory limits and processing constraints impose a practical bottleneck on active knowledge acquisition and learning at any given time, directly supporting the claim.
J. Sweller, J. V. van Merriënboer, F. Paas. Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design: 20 Years Later. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5
Cognitive load theory establishes that working memory has strict capacity and duration limits before information is consolidated into long-term storage.
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Edward Awh, E. Vogel. Working memory needs pointers.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.12.006
Neuroscience research confirms that working memory functions as a capacity-limited system relying on stimulus-specific neural patterns and spatiotemporal pointers.
Veliks V, Kolesovs A, Porozovs J, Igonins D. Processing of different word list lengths during encoding and retrieval in Broca's area.. 2026. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2026.1757160
Neural correlates of memory encoding show limits and distinct functional patterns as list lengths and cognitive demands increase.
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