Have you ever fantasized about having extraordinary powers? Maybe you’ve imagined being invisible, flying through the sky, or possessing the ability to read minds and see through objects. It’s safe to say that any of these superpowers would be pretty awesome. But what if I told you that you already possess a natural superpower within you? Even if you don’t consider yourself a particularly fast reader, the way you naturally read can be considered to be bionic by some.
According to Merriam-Webster, the term “bionic” refers to the enhancement of normal biological capabilities or performance using electronic or electromechanical devices. While the concept of “bionic reading” is not a new one, it has been recently popularized by an app developed by Swiss typographic designer Renato Casutt. This app is based on the idea that our brains are capable of reading faster than our eyes can perceive. It achieves this by highlighting the letters or words that our brains process when we read.
Understanding how we read has been the subject of scientific exploration for centuries, and several theories have emerged. During the 1800s, four prominent theories relating to recognition were proposed. These theories suggest that when we read, we either recognize shapes, individual letters, or groups of letters. While the recognition of shapes still plays a role in our understanding of reading, it is no longer considered the main component. Modern research supports the idea that reading is influenced by our neural network and the brain’s ability to interpret and predict what it sees.
Recognizing shapes and characters has been a fundamental aspect of reading since the days of hieroglyphics and other ancient writing systems. Our brains perceive the size, contours, lines, and edges of letters, automatically filling in the word based on the combination of letters used. Eye movements, known as saccades, also play a role in how we read. Instead of moving linearly, our eyes jump back and forth while reading. They focus on a specific letter or word, called a fixation point, for about 200 milliseconds before skipping ahead several letters, disregarding conjunctions and short words like “the.” Meanwhile, our brains are constantly looking ahead and predicting what comes next.
Taking these insights into consideration, Casutt developed the Bionic Reading app, which introduces “artificial fixation points” to guide our eyes through the text. These points aim to allow our eyes to skip over words while our brains fill in the missing information without losing the overall meaning of the text. However, the question arises: is this type of reading truly beneficial? Assistant clinical professor of human development, Lauren M. Singer Trakhman, pondered this question in an article she wrote for The Conversation. She argues that “Bionic Reading may even hinder readers,” citing the speed-accuracy trade-off theory, which suggests that the faster someone performs a task, the lower their performance quality. Only time and further scientific research will be able to provide a definitive answer.
If you’re curious to experience bionic reading for yourself, the Bionic Reading app is available for free. You can try it by uploading text to the converter or by using the Chrome extension.