When I was younger and grew tired of pretending to myself that I was still reading a textbook, I used to think it would be cool if I could just download knowledge into my brain; that maybe one day, we’ll plug a cable in our belly buttons and this would bring the end of having to read the slow way. And of course, as I got older, a USB stick might have replaced that cable in this fantasy in my head.

Tangentially related: I would like to recommend to you, audiobooks (if you’re not already into them), FREE from your local library, at that. THOUSANDS. (Hey, your tax dollars).

When I was younger and grew tired of pretending to myself that I was still reading a textbook, I used to think it would be cool if I could just download knowledge into my brain; that maybe one day, we’ll plug a cable in our belly buttons and this would bring the end of having to read the slow way. And of course, as I got older, a USB stick might have replaced that cable in this fantasy in my head.

I’ve always loved learning, but before Peace Corps I didn’t listen to podcasts or books; now, I devour them both voraciously.

And also, I can’t not speed them up. (Have you tried this?)

I’ve learned more in the past 2 years by speeding up audio than the prior 5, easily. Well, differently. Now I’m enjoying and finishing one book just about every 2-3 days and ‘am on track to “read” 120+ books in 2020. Regular books, big books, normal books, non-fiction, biographies, memoirs.

Here’s what I’ve been reading in 2020; love GoodReads.

And I know what you’re thinking, “Goodness! How much time do you have?” Well, I am lucky to have some time yes, and I do work, but a book may be only a little more than an hour a day. Can you find an hour in your current day? Could you replace some Netflix time? Would you?

More than the privilege of making time though, it’s disproportionally due to slowly speeding up the audio.

I started at 1.2x — 1.5x, challenging myself to test the boundaries of my comprehension and focus. And perhaps maybe not surprisingly actually, speeding them up actually improved my focus and attention. So I hung out around 2x for awhile, plateaued at 2.5x for another 6 months or so, and slowly pushed my way up toward a regular 2.8x — 3.6x speed, largely dependent on the pace of the podcast host or narrator. Now, just over two years later, I’m often flirting with 4x speed, without a loss of comprehension, retention, nor enjoyment.

I don’t share this to boast, just to encourage you that if you’re the kind of person who values the efficiency of learning quickly, it’s so very possible. You may very well amaze yourself with how much your brain can process this way. You also might find yourself surprised at how quickly you come to realize how slowly most people often speak.

Imagine enjoying an hour-long podcast in less than only 20 minutes.

I M A G I N E. Lol.

I want to invite you to challenge yourself to slowly speed up your audio.

I can’t recommend it enough. So I’m here, recommending it. In fact, I am highly unlikely to ever read in a traditional way again. (Wonder what that’s gonna do for my editing work…)

I prefer the OverDrive app over Libby for downloading library audiobooks because it’s easier to find the .mp3 files in my phone and play them in the Podcast Addict AntennaPod app on Android, which currently goes up to 5x4x speed, where most others top out at 2x.

It’s not lost on me that speeding up audiobooks today is getting us pretty damn close to something like that USB belly button nonsense I pined for as a college student. When I think about all the talk of Artificial Intelligence and so on, this is it. This is how that happens to us. Through us.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that it actually comes as something we experience like a slowly boiling frog.

‘Til one day it just feels like it’s all as normal as it ever was.

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