1

The problem: reading textbooks / nonfiction takes too much time.

Solutions:

  1. Don't read. Obviously flawed.
  2. Learn speed reading. Retention rate will go down, which is undesirable.
  3. Design and implement new language with speed in mind. Translate the book to this new language (automatically).

Will the third solution work?

UPD: Justification: If marketers optimize their products for human psychology (neuromarketing), why languages can't be optimized for a faster communication?

reivan
  • 19
  • 2
  • 4
    Reading speed is not determined by the grammatical structure of the language. More likely, this would bring reading to a halt, since first you'd have to train a bunch of translators in this new language, then everybody would have to learn this new language. The problem that you're referring to is due to readers not having the necessary background, and writers not knowing how to clearly present material. These aren't linguistic problems. – user6726 Jan 11 '16 at 01:33
  • @user6726 So you say it is impossible to make a new language that will help people to exchange ideas faster? Does every language transfer information form person to person with the same speed?

    No worry about training translators, current AI technologies will probably be sufficient for this task.

    – reivan Jan 11 '16 at 03:39
  • 2
    yes, there are no structural bottlenecks regarding language and information exchange. There is no way to compute speed of information transfer, since there is no way to quantify information contained in a written text. AI technologies don't really matter since you're asking about reading which means "involves humans", not computer processing. – user6726 Jan 11 '16 at 05:56

1 Answers1

3

Actually, someone already implemented this idea. It is called Dutton Speedwords and there was even a "teach yourself" book for it.

Sir Cornflakes
  • 30,154
  • 3
  • 65
  • 128