4 ms·

I think the comprehension remains just fine. I use a desktop version of zapreader (now obsolete as far as I'm concerned, I like web apps much better), and I com

I think the comprehension remains just fine. I use a desktop version of zapreader (now obsolete as far as I'm concerned, I like web apps much better), and I comfortably read at 800wpm without any comprehension issues. The brain caches words as they're flashed to your eyes, and you only have 2% of "real" (narrow) vision anyway, so from a psychological viewpoint it makes sense. That's also why zapreader has a pause button. The nice thing about my desktop reader (which I admit I don't use a lot, hence I'll switch) is you can pause it and show the context, which lets you think for a while if you want to.

whacked_new 19y ago
Context is definitely important; the pause function is a nice touch. I don't deny that there are things you can read with RSVP. You probably can see that there are things that aren't suitable for RSVP too. It depends on the content and very importantly, the goal. But I will contest the usefulness of RSVP as a primary approach to reading in daily life; the case for peripheral vision above and below your current focus is strong enough. Your center of gaze is where meaning is most efficiently processed, but peripheral cues do enhance understanding. I would further reason that the spatial arrangement of text is also useful in aiding recall (different topic). Also, the brain, or a little more accurately, your visual memory buffer, does indeed "cache" images, which does get deciphered in time, but as the text is flashed to your eyes at a constant rate, it doesn't make a difference. If I flash a stimulus at your eyes for 65ms, you may not consciously detect something, but it will register in your brain and you will process it, after the stimulus is gone. This is the visual buffer in action, but the processing is latent and does not occur at the same speed it takes to send the signal from the optical nerves to the visual cortex. If I flash many short pulses back-to-back, I won't bet on retaining most of the stuff. The one-line RSVP has a fundamental speed limit before your forebrain cannot consciously register (hence willfully reflect upon) the material. While you can pause the reader, it requires intervention by your hands, which could be an unnecessary delay, because your eyes are far quicker and more fine-tuned for this task. Anyhow, I'm sure zapreader has its uses. It does force you to read in a less lazy way, and is also useful (very definitely so) for training, but for those serious about reading very "fast," RSVP can only do so much.

whacked_new 19y ago

Context is definitely important; the pause function is a nice touch. I don't deny that there are things you can read with RSVP. You probably can see that there are things that aren't suitable for RSVP too. It depends on the content and very importantly, the goal. But I will contest the usefulness of RSVP as a primary approach to reading in daily life; the case for peripheral vision above and below your current focus is strong enough. Your center of gaze is where meaning is most efficiently processed, but peripheral cues do enhance understanding. I would further reason that the spatial arrangement of text is also useful in aiding recall (different topic). Also, the brain, or a little more accurately, your visual memory buffer, does indeed "cache" images, which does get deciphered in time, but as the text is flashed to your eyes at a constant rate, it doesn't make a difference. If I flash a stimulus at your eyes for 65ms, you may not consciously detect something, but it will register in your brain and you will process it, after the stimulus is gone. This is the visual buffer in action, but the processing is latent and does not occur at the same speed it takes to send the signal from the optical nerves to the visual cortex. If I flash many short pulses back-to-back, I won't bet on retaining most of the stuff. The one-line RSVP has a fundamental speed limit before your forebrain cannot consciously register (hence willfully reflect upon) the material. While you can pause the reader, it requires intervention by your hands, which could be an unnecessary delay, because your eyes are far quicker and more fine-tuned for this task. Anyhow, I'm sure zapreader has its uses. It does force you to read in a less lazy way, and is also useful (very definitely so) for training, but for those serious about reading very "fast," RSVP can only do so much.