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> Reading Gödel, Escher, Bach? Intellectually positive. Reading a Harlequin novel? Intellectually neutral or negative (opportunity costs). Not according to the
by lylecubed 8y ago
> Reading Gödel, Escher, Bach? Intellectually positive. Reading a Harlequin novel? Intellectually neutral or negative (opportunity costs).
Not according to the brain scans. The content doesn't matter. It's the act of reading that strengthens the brain. If you manage to get more out of it than that, well that's gravy.
> Regarding books vs video
Maybe this was intended for another comment? I haven't said anything about video. TV is not youtube. The consumption patterns are different.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago> Not according to the brain scans. Which brain scans? Isn't it common knowledge now that most of those stories of "we put someone in fMRI and had them do X" are nonsense? Also, fMRI is hard and until recently, 25-40% of studies got it wrong. See [0]. > It's the act of reading that strengthens the brain. Good to know I'm strengthening my brain every day, spending 10 hours reading code and/or HN comments. :). -- [0] - https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/ignobel-prize-in-neuroscience-the-dead-salmon-study/ https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/scicurious-brain/ignobe...