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Mind

Blinking may give your brain a micro break during cognitive tasks

When reading a book, we tend to blink over less familiar words, which suggests it may have a cognitive role

By Conor Feehly

31 December 2024

Blinking may do more than just keep our eyes healthy

gaiamoments/Getty Images

Blinking serves a crucial physiological function, by clearing debris from our eyes and keeping them lubricated. But now, scientists have found it may also have a cognitive role.

In 1945, Arthur Hall at the University of Sheffield in the UK reported on the frequency of blinking as people read aloud, finding that it mostly coincided with . He suggested that blinking may help people take pauses as they read.

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