Coding matters: TLRA

Something worth reading. A collage of 4 photos, each showing a person reading.

People are lazy to read. That’s why we have the acronym TLDR; (“too long, didn’t read, wink”). It should actually be TLDR:-( — because not reading is a negative thing.

Why you need to read

Reading is a good thing. Studies have proved many of its benefits. Here are a few:

  1. Reading improves your brain function. Your brain lights up on an MRI scan when you read. Now I keep visualising a light coming on inside my head.

  2. Reading reduces your stress. (Although I’m not sure if that applies if you read too much about current politics – that might increase your stress.)

  3. Reading expands your knowledge. To really learn and understand, we need more depth and detail than a TikTok video.

  4. Reading, especially for pleasure, enhances your creativity. It activates your occipital lobe, which is the area of your brain that processes visual information. So don’t feel bad about reading that sci-fi, fantasy or romance novel.

  5. Reading improves memory. It keeps our neural pathways healthy, especially as we age.

  6. Reading improves your concentration. Technology has trained us to be distracted. We are more productive when we can concentrate for longer.

  7. Reading improves your vocabulary. And that improves your communication skills – a common requirement in every job advert!

Something you should read

This email didn’t start out as a recommendation to read more. I wanted to share an article with you that Renier shared with me. I think it is a must-read for everyone. But it’s long, so I worried that you wouldn’t get past the first paragraph.

The article is titled “AI: A Means to an End or a Means to Our End?”. It is a talk Stephen Fry give to the Digital Futures Institute earlier this month.

I challenge you: Read the article.

Yes, it’s long – Fry spoke for about an hour. Yes, it is not always written in simple language. But if you only read one article about the impact of AI, this is it. Read it slowly. Don’t skim. Read it to the end.

I coined a new acronym for this: TLRA – Too long, read anyway.

(There is a video of the talk as well. But then you’ll play it at 1.5x speed and miss out on the full impact.)

I would love to hear your comments. Please share them.

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