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 have no doubt the research is useful but this article just seems like speculative “scare mongering” to try to make the research seem like it’s “more important” to non-scientists than it may seem. And it may spawn a bunch of “want to use your satnav better? scientists say you should read more!” type fluff articles.
Ha, yeah, to be fair, I didn’t read the article, I just looked at the research paper it was based on. I’ve given up on a lot of science reporting, it sensationalises things from otherwise sensible studies far too often