Hi all,
I have seen a number of these passages float past on the web in the
last week. I wondered if there was anything special about the texts.
So I took Gordon's words and transposed them with a aim of making it
hard to read. I noticed that all words with 3 letters or less were
unchanged and these words provide strong context. It was still
fairly easy to read--but not as easy as the texts that were sent.
It seems to be an example for how language experts can use context to
solve simple word puzzles rapidly. If the puzzle is harder, it takes
more work. I was curious what happens if I just deleted every third
word... would we still be able to read a message based on context?
The puzzle is a bit harder but I think that the meaning is still
clear. However I know what it said...
Margaret
>
>
>I'm vrey itesentred in tihs. Wehethr or not tehre has been
>smatysteic rrcaeseh, it ctanlreiy twohrs itinresnteg lghit on the
>posserces ilovenvd in "naorml" radineg. I had no dicifltufy in
>rediang the pagsase below.
>
>
>On the ______ hand, when __ am reading ___ own or ____ people's
>papers __normal speed, _____ when typed, ___ equally have ____
>difficulty in ____ typos or _____ errors. i ____how these ______
>are related.
>
>Gordon
>Don,
>
>I'm very interested in this. Whether or not there has been
>systematic research, it certainly throws interesting light on the
>processes involved in "normal" reading. I had no difficulty at all
>in reading the passage below. On the other hand, when i am reading
>my own or other people's papers at normal speed, particularly when
>typed, I equally have little difficulty in spotting typos or
>spelling errors. i wonder how these phenomena are related.
>
>Gordon
>
>
>>Has anyone ever come across the actual research on this?
>>
>>
>>
>>"Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer
>>in what oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is
>>that the first and last ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be
>>a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. This is
>>bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the
>>wrod as a wlohe."
>>
>>
--Margaret Riel <margaret.riel@sri.com> Sr. Researcher, Center for Technology in Learning SRI, & Pepperdine University "http://gsep.pepperdine.edu/~mriel/office"
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