Can you read at superhuman speeds?

Speed reading technology explained

If we cut the time spent moving our eyes, we can read at much greater speeds. Give speed-reading a try yourself in this video.

Reading English has been the same for centuries – you start at the top of the page and work left to right, line by line. But what if that was all about to change?

The problem is that the movements of our eyes between words takes up time and slows us down. The BBC has been testing whether, by cutting the amount of time we spend moving our eyes, reading speeds for its news stories can be increased.

This technology presents words to you individually, and always in the same place, meaning the reader’s eyes remain static.

It’s hoped it could be useful for digesting information presented on smaller screens, such as smartphones and smartwatches.

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