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What’s the difference between reading and listening to books?

Why our brains respond differently if we listen to books instead of reading them.

CrowdScience listener Michael wants to know whether the brain responds differently if we listen to books instead of reading them. Do we retain information in the same way? And is there a difference between fiction and non-fiction?

Anand Jagatia finds out whether curling up with a good book is better than putting on his headphones. She is speaks to Prof Fatma Deniz from the Technical University of Berlin; Prof Naomi Baron from American University, Washington DC; Prof Patrick Nunn from the University of Sunshine Coast, Queensland and The Guesthouse Storytellers.

Presenter: Anand Jagatia
Producer: Jo Glanville
Editor: Richard Collings
Production co-ordinator: Jonathan Harrison
Sound engineer: Andrew Garratt

(Photo: Senior man wearing headphones listening to an audiobook. Credit: pixdeluxe/Getty Images)

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Mon 27 Nov 2023 13:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Fri 24 Nov 2023 20:32GMT
  • Fri 24 Nov 2023 21:32GMT
  • Mon 27 Nov 2023 02:32GMT
  • Mon 27 Nov 2023 05:32GMT
  • Mon 27 Nov 2023 09:32GMT
  • Mon 27 Nov 2023 13:32GMT

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