cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17499284
Brain structure can tell us a lot about reading skills. Importantly, though, the brain is malleable — it changes when we learn a new skill or practice an already acquired one.
For instance, young adults who studied language intensively increased their cortical thickness in language areas. Similarly, reading is likely to shape the structure of the left Heschl’s gyrus and temporal pole. So, if you want to keep your Heschl’s thick and thriving, pick up a good book and start reading.
[…] it’s worth considering what might happen to us as a species if skills like reading become less prioritised. Our capacity to interpret the world around us and understand the minds of others would surely diminish. In other words, that cosy moment with a book in your armchair isn’t just personal – it’s a service to humanity.
I’m sorta with you, I listen to audiobooks during the longish drives that I make on a regular basis and I can’t turn them on until I’m on the interstate where not as much attention is required. Even then, I can only seem to handle fiction and biographies. All other nonfiction… yeah, I constantly need to rewind. So I save nonfiction for text reading