DL 329

Neural Replay

Welcome to Digitally Literate, issue #329.

I spent the beginning of the week in San Diego at AERA and then was back at home catching up on emails, projects, and life.

I posted the following this week:

🔖 Key Takeaways

📚 This Week’s Highlights

Dictation in Google Docs has become an invaluable tool. The integration of machine learning from Google Voice and Search enhances accessibility for brainstorming, supporting learners who might struggle to translate thoughts into text.

Elon Musk's $44 billion purchase of Twitter raises questions about free speech and platform centralization. Musk's approach may signal a move towards a "free speech absolutism" that tolerates trolling and harassment, complicating Twitter's cultural and ethical dynamics.

Related Reading: Ezra Klein explores gamified discourse on Twitter, explaining how the platform quantifies conversational success.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk strikes deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion dollars.

There are multiple takes on why Musk would want to buy Twitter. As news broke about the potential sale, Musk immediately seemed to start breaking the rules of the acquisition by settling old scores.

It remains to be seen what will happen with this story, but the acquisition of the social media platform by one of the world's richest men is a privacy nightmare.

The extreme centralization and privatization of online spaces disproportionately harms those who don't have access to traditional media. - Evan Greer, deputy director of Fight for the Future.

The EU's Digital Services Act introduces new transparency requirements for algorithms, misinformation control, and user safety. This legislation aims to make the Internet safer and more understandable for its users.

Cal Newport reflecting on a piece by Adam Weiss, a fourth-year chemistry PhD student at the University of Chicago, in which Weiss talked about how he had recently hit “a rut” in his research. Weiss identifies the problem as his phone and the digital distractions that colonized his quiet time.

5. The Power of Neural Replay

Cognitive downtime allows the brain to replay and integrate learned information. This phenomenon, termed "neural replay," emphasizes the importance of breaks in optimizing learning and recall.

A thoughtful piece on encouraging reading habits in children highlights the responsibility of adults to model reading behavior. The decline in reading isn't just about screen time—it's about what kids see in their role models.

🛠️ DO: Reflect on Your Own Learning

We Drastically Underestimate the Importance of Brain Breaks

A new study suggests that after learning new info, our brains continue to whir, using cognitive downtime as a virtual staging ground to process, organize, and integrate learned information.

Cohen and colleagues posit that neural replay, the “temporally compressed reactivation of neural activity patterns representing behavioral sequences during rest.” In other words, after practicing a skill, our brains rapidly cycle through the experience, compressing and imprinting the material to optimize storage and recall.

  1. Consider how often you integrate cognitive breaks into your day.
  2. Experiment with reducing smartphone use during creative tasks.
  3. Model positive behaviors for younger individuals around you.

🌟 Closing Reflection

"What you allow is what will continue."
— Unknown

Reflect and Engage

Thank you for reading Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Connect with me at hello@digitallyliterate.net or explore Newsletter Index for all past issues.