How slow reading can change your brain
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the impact of information overload on our brains, culture, and learning environments. The speaker explores the evolution of reading habits from silent reading's origins to modern speed reading techniques. It discusses how architectural spaces, like libraries, have adapted to new reading trends, questioning if these changes support deep reading and knowledge absorption. The script also contemplates the implications of architectural shifts on our societal values and our relationship with information.
Takeaways
- π The script discusses the impact of information overload and speed reading on our brains, culture, and learning environments.
- π The speaker's architectural thesis explores the effects of information saturation and the adaptation of reading habits in the digital age.
- π΅οΈββοΈ The speaker personally experiments with speed reading for 30 days to understand its impact on comprehension and personal time management.
- π Silent reading, as opposed to reading aloud, was a significant cultural shift that began with Bishop Ambrose in the 5th century.
- π The invention of punctuation in the 12th century facilitated the transition to silent reading, allowing for more private and personal engagement with texts.
- π§ Reading is a complex cognitive process that involves multiple stages, including visual recognition and emotional or intuitive interpretation.
- π« Architectural spaces, such as libraries, have historically adapted to changing reading trends and are currently shifting towards communal and technological hubs.
- π€ The script questions whether modern library designs, like the Seattle Central Library, provide spaces conducive to deep reading and contemplation.
- π The speaker contrasts the modern library design with historical examples, such as Alvar Aalto's Vpuri Library, which prioritized minimal distraction for focused reading.
- π The 'slow' movement, including slow reading, emphasizes quality of experience over speed, suggesting a potential backlash against the fast-paced culture.
- ποΈ Architecture reflects and shapes culture, with changes in building design indicating shifts in societal values and the way we interact with information.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video script?
-The main topic of the video script is the impact of speed and information overload on our brains, culture, and the architecture that supports learning.
What is the creator of the video script trying to turn into a video series?
-The creator is trying to turn their architectural thesis into a video series.
What is the significance of the first and last word of a sentence in speed reading?
-In speed reading, the first and last word of a sentence are important as they can provide a gist of what the paragraph is saying, allowing the reader to grasp the main idea quickly.
What is the first record of silent reading mentioned in the script?
-The first record of silent reading is found in the 5th-century document 'Augustine's Confessions'.
Why was silent reading a foreign concept during the Dark Ages?
-Silent reading was a foreign concept during the Dark Ages because texts were written in scriptura continua, making it almost impossible for people to read without sounding out the syllables, and reading was primarily a communal activity.
How did the invention of punctuation impact reading habits?
-The invention of punctuation led to more people reading silently in private for pleasure or to feed their personal curiosities, which in turn led to cultural changes.
What does Alberto Mangual describe as the first time he experienced reading?
-Alberto Mangual describes the first time he experienced reading as acquiring an entirely new sense, where certain things could be deciphered by his whole body, not just his senses.
What are the two stages most studies agree that reading entails?
-Most studies agree that reading entails two stages: seeing the word and considering it by reconstructing the code of signs through a chain of connections in the brain, and then deciphering the text with various personal attributes.
What is the core idea behind the slow movement as mentioned in the script?
-The core idea behind the slow movement is not about doing things as slowly as possible, but about regaining the quality of the experience that is often lost in the process of speeding up.
How is the new culture of speed and reading methods being made permanent in architecture?
-The new culture of speed and reading methods is being made permanent in architecture through renovations and new designs of spaces like libraries, which are adapting to suit this new method of reading, often at the expense of traditional book storage and quiet reading spaces.
What is the creator's concern about the new architectural trends in libraries?
-The creator is concerned that new architectural trends in libraries, which focus on being community hubs and innovation spaces, may not provide the kind of space for deep focus and getting lost in a book, questioning if this is still a relevant idea or just a relic of the past.
What does the creator believe architecture reflects and why is it important to examine changes in it?
-The creator believes that architecture reflects our culture and is one of the most permanent ways to solidify changes in our values. Examining changes in architecture is important because it can reveal what those changes mean for our society.
Outlines
π The Impact of Speed Reading on Learning and Architecture
The speaker introduces the theme of how the rapid pace of information consumption affects our brains, culture, and the design of learning spaces. They discuss their architectural thesis, which they aim to turn into a video series, and share their curiosity about the efficiency of slow reading versus speed reading. The historical context of silent reading is explored, highlighting St. Augustine's observations of Bishop Ambrose's reading habits in the 5th century. The evolution of reading from a communal activity to a private pursuit, influenced by the invention of punctuation in the 12th century, is also discussed. The speaker ponders the personal and cultural implications of these changes, suggesting that silent reading allowed for an unregulated relationship with the text, fostering individual thought and curiosity.
π The Transformation of Libraries and Reading Spaces
This paragraph delves into the personal significance of spaces and how they shape our experiences, using the speaker's high school memories as an example. It transitions into a discussion on the complexity of reading and experiencing spaces, advocating for the slow movement in various aspects of life, including reading. The slow movement is presented as a means to enhance the quality of experience and comprehension, rather than merely slowing down activities. The speaker expresses concern about the new culture of speed being embedded in architectural designs, particularly in libraries, which are adapting to accommodate faster reading habits and digital work. The contrast between modern libraries, like the Seattle Central Library designed by OMA, and older ones, such as Alvar Aalto's Vpuri Library, is highlighted to illustrate the shift from private, distraction-free reading spaces to communal, multifunctional areas. The implications of these architectural changes on our relationship with information and knowledge are questioned.
π¬ The Journey of Creating a Video Series on Reading and Architecture
The speaker discusses the challenges and costs associated with producing high-quality video content on their architectural thesis and the exploration of reading habits and spaces. They request support by encouraging viewers to share the video and create buzz around the project, mentioning the creation of a Patreon page for funding. The speaker reflects on the privilege of having a platform to discuss their passions and expresses excitement for the potential of video as a medium. They invite viewers to watch the entire series, which includes this video, and thank them for their engagement, promising more content in future videos.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Speed Saturated
π‘Architectural Thesis
π‘Speed Reading
π‘Silent Reading
π‘Scriptura Continua
π‘Punctuation
π‘Cultural Changes
π‘Slow Movement
π‘Architecture and Culture
π‘Libraries
π‘Information Overload
Highlights
The impact of information saturation on our brains, culture, and learning architecture is explored.
Adaptation of reading habits to consume information quickly is discussed.
Speed reading techniques, such as focusing on the first and last words of sentences, are introduced.
A 30-day speed reading experiment is proposed to understand its effects.
The origins of silent reading are traced back to the 5th century with Augustine's 'Confessions'.
Scriptura continua and its role in the necessity of aloud reading during the Dark Ages are explained.
The significance of punctuation in the evolution of silent reading and individual thought is highlighted.
Alberto Mangual's perspective on the transformative experience of reading is shared.
Reading is described as a two-stage process involving seeing words and considering their meaning.
The importance of personal experiences in the context of reading and space is emphasized.
The Slow Movement and its principles of quality over speed are introduced.
The architectural changes in libraries to accommodate new reading trends are discussed.
OMA's Seattle Central Library as an example of a community hub with various functions is presented.
The difficulty of finding spaces for focused reading in modern libraries is noted.
Alvara Alto's VPuri Library as a contrast to modern libraries, focusing on eliminating distractions, is mentioned.
The question of whether the space for deep reading is relevant in today's society is raised.
The influence of architecture on our culture and values, and the need to examine these changes, is emphasized.
A call to action for support in creating high-quality video content on the topic is made.
An invitation to explore the video series and Patreon page for further engagement is extended.
Transcripts
[Music]
we live in a world of speed saturated
with information where everyone is
trying to absorb as much information as
possible as fast as possible
but how does that impact our brains our
culture and the architecture that
supports learning
i explore this phenomenon during my
architectural thesis
which i'm trying to turn into a video
series
if you want the whole picture of the
project you can find the playlist right
here
[Music]
with this explosion of information we're
adapting our reading habits to consume
as much as possible in as little time as
possible as an architect i have to say i
speed read a lot but when it comes to
books that's had a big impact on my life
my preference has always been to read
slowly but as my life gets busier i
really started to wonder
is this a waste of time
am i really using my time and energy to
its full maximum capacity
one of the key things that i've learned
about speed reading is to look at the
first and last word of the sentence and
once you do this for an entire paragraph
you can get a gist of what the paragraph
is saying and if you practice this for
long enough you're going to be able to
do this naturally i typically read for
about half an hour before i go to bed
and so i wanted to see what would happen
if i tried speed reading for 30 days the
first record of silent reading or
reading as we know it appears in the 5th
century document augustine's confessions
st augustine is incredibly impressed at
the mysterious reading habits of ambrose
the bishop of milan he says his eyes
traveled across the pages and his heart
searched out the meaning but his voice
and tongue stayed still
[Music]
this is because the practice of silent
reading was a totally foreign concept in
the dark ages according to paul sanger
texts were read aloud because they were
written in scriptura continua which made
it almost impossible for people to read
without sounding of the syllables
[Music]
so why did bishop ambrose spend so much
of his time and his energy practicing
silent reading and how did it become the
normal way of reading in the 12th
century something crazy happened they
invented punctuation before silent
reading reading was a communal activity
meaning sharing a commonly accepted idea
was more important than having
individual thoughts but with changes in
punctuation more and more people started
reading silently in private people
started reading for pleasure or to feed
their personal curiosities
which led to cultural changes all over
the world for ambrose reading silently
meant that it was a solitary act he
could create an unregulated undistracted
relationship between himself and the
words
this is alberto mangual the author
talking about the first time he's ever
experienced reading he says it was like
acquiring an entirely new sense so that
now certain things no longer consisted
merely of what my eyes could see my ears
could hear my tongue could taste my nose
could smell my fingers could feel but my
whole body could decipher translate give
voice to read
reading is a complex activity and our
understanding of how it works is still
pretty bleak however
most studies seem to agree on the fact
that reading entails at least two stages
seeing the word and considering it by
reconstructing the code of signs through
a chain of connections in the brain and
then
depending on who we are
we decipher the text with emotion
physical sentience intuition
knowledge or soul in some ways it's kind
of like experiencing space it's not just
our visual senses but it incorporates
memory and the core of our being
[Music]
so this is my
old high school i have very fond
memories here
[Music]
this is where we used to eat lunch and
wait for our moms to pick us up this is
where we used to play stupid games and
the sun's not out today but if you sit
here at noon
when it's a sunny day
you can get the sun on your body and the
shade will be perfectly on your face if
i ever went to another place
that had
concrete steps like this and a little
overhang just like this
and
the sun's on my body just in this right
way then
would have all of these memories of me
sitting here eating lunch and hanging
with my friends it wouldn't just be a
simple concrete stuff anymore
[Music]
these personal experiences are a part of
you and anywhere you go that experience
of that place is unique to you and you
only and i don't know i think that's
just
a really nice idea both reading and
experiencing space
are a very complex process of
understanding the world so when we
experience things slowly we're
essentially giving our minds more time
to create these connections which
increases pleasure and comprehension
and it increases the chances of you
being transformed by the book or the
experience this is the core idea behind
the slow movement whether it's the slow
food movement or the slow looking
movement or the slow reading movement
you know it's not really about doing
things as slowly as possible and it's
not even really about speed it's about
regaining the quality of the experience
that we lose in the process of speeding
up
what's a little concerning is that this
new culture of speed and this new method
of reading is starting to be made
permanent through our architecture
throughout history libraries have been
reactive to new reading trends even
today lots of existing libraries are
renovating their spaces to suit this new
method of reading the library project
that i'm working on right now which is
actually going into construction next
month is uh getting rid of their book
storage spaces to make room for an
innovation lab and open reading spaces
and other public services oma's seattle
central library is probably one of the
finest examples of this new vision for
the contemporary library it's designed
to be a community hub with different
programs for the community and spaces
for people to work on their laptops
despite all of these new functions it's
hard to find a space for complete focus
in these grand reading spaces according
to the architect there's an inner layer
of perforation that deflects and
diffuses sunlight but
it still seems to introduce direct
sunlight which creates uneven lighting
in the reading space this is a huge
departure from libraries during a time
when reading was more of a private
activity for example
alvara alto's vpuri library which was
actually built not too long ago in the
30s he tried to eliminate all possible
sources of distraction
creating a space with and i quote even
in direct light so that distracting
shadows would not fall on one's open
book and so the bright light would not
reflect from the white page back into
one's eyes i think the seattle public
library is absolutely successful in
creating an attractive and engaging
public realm
but it makes me wonder
does it provide the kind of space for
getting lost in a book and is this even
a relevant idea now or is this just a
relic of the past and what do these
reading habits say about our
relationship to information and to
knowledge
winston churchill once said we shape our
buildings and afterwards our buildings
shape us architecture is a reflection of
our culture and it's one of the most
permanent ways to solidify the changes
in our values
so when we see a big transformation in
architecture
and in the way we use space i think it's
important to examine and think about
what that means for our society
[Music]
these are questions that i'm trying to
answer in my video series where i break
down some of the ideas that i was
exploring in my thesis project and i
really really want these videos to be
high quality and interesting to watch
but it's not cheap and the production
cost has been coming out of my own
pocket please share this video and help
me create some buzz around it i've also
created a patreon page for this project
and my other more experimental videos
you can check it out in the link below
lastly
i just want to say thank you for giving
me this platform i realized that being
able to talk about things that i'm
passionate about and like have it
actually be seen by hundreds of people
is
a rare blessing i'm just really excited
about all the possibilities of this
format this video is a part of a series
so if you haven't watched the other
videos they're not really in any
particular order i'll leave the playlist
right here and as always thank you for
watching and i'll see you in the next
video
[Music]
you
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