When everybody’s reading, but nobody’s smarter, what value has the word? | Hacker News Reader

When everybody’s reading, but nobody’s smarter, what value has the word?

themorningnews.org

45 pointspmcpinto16 comments

I think it would be cool if, when scrolling through an article, the word size changes based on how far along the article you are.

For instance, at the top of the article the words towards the top of your screen are bigger and easier to read, and at the bottom of the article the words towards the bottom of your screen are bigger and easier to read. This has the effect that your eyes start at the top of the article and slowly go towards the bottom as you read through the article.

This should help combat the "F" shaped reading problem the article was talking about.

... What?!

Have people not heard of the flynn effect?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect

Basically, IQ has been continually increasing since it was first measured, by about 3 IQ points per decade in the US. IQ tests are readjusted based on this.

The article is about how the disproportionate state of our knowledge and time spent reading when using a naive assumption that more reading leads to more "smart." Nothing about measurable differences in performance...

I'd love an IQ test that allows, and makes the assumption, that the person taking the test has a smartphone.

Good luck:

www.iq-tests-for-the-high-range.com

In a way... an IQ inflation? (Does that even sound right?) huh...

Technically it is an IQ deflation since 100 IQ today is more than 100 IQ 50 years ago.

Flynn effect is more an indication of improving performance on IQ tests, not an indication of increasing intelligence. That's why the Flynn effect is often referred to as "hollow" gains.

So far, there are three comments, each with links to further reading. C'mon, guys.

TL;DR: TL;DR

Schopenhauer's "On Reading and Books":

https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/s/schopenhauer/arthur/essays/...

"The typical American consumes more than 100,000 words a day, and remembers none of them."

Well, this is obviously not true. Also, we are seeing the largest explosion in literacy in history.

But before you stop to consider that, please finish reading my contribution to the supposed problem.

I call it the Jon Stewart\Glenn Beck model of selling ads.

Reactions vs Solutions.

http://www.paulgraham.com/know.html

"Reading and experience train your model of the world. And even if you forget the experience or what you read, its effect on your model of the world persists. Your mind is like a compiled program you've lost the source of. It works, but you don't know why."

Love that paragraph. Thanks for the link. Unlike other fillers I've read all day, this one will stick with me.

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