Alexandria Blog
Insights, updates, and tips about reading comprehension, text-to-speech technology, and learning efficiency.
Which Bookmark Manager Actually Helps You Read?
The best bookmark managers organise your saves beautifully. But if you never read what you save, better folders won't fix that. Here's what actually works.
OneNote Web Clipper Guide (And Why It May Not Help)
The OneNote and Evernote web clippers save articles for later. But saving doesn't mean you'll read them, and reading doesn't mean you'll remember them. Here's what actually works.
How to Enable Reading Mode in Chrome (And What It Actually Does)
Chrome's reading mode strips clutter from web pages, but it won't help you remember what you read. Here's how to use it, and what changes when you actually need retention.
What Is Spaced Repetition? (And Why Reading Apps Finally Got It Right)
Spaced repetition schedules reviews at increasing intervals to move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory. Modern tools apply it automatically to what you read, no flashcard decks required.
How to Memorize Something Fast
Test yourself immediately instead of re-reading. Active recall makes information stick in minutes. Here's how to memorize fast using proven science.
Why Can't You Remember What You Saved in Readwise?
Readwise, Notion, and Obsidian excel at saving highlights and notes. But saving isn't remembering. Here's why storage without retrieval creates a knowledge graveyard.
Active Recall vs Passive Reading: What Does the Research Actually Show?
Active recall study method beats rereading by ~50% on delayed retention. The Karpicke, Roediger, and Bjork research, plus why spaced repetition flashcards work.
What Is Cognitive Load Theory? (And Why Reading Hard Things Feels Like Drowning)
Cognitive load theory, plain English. John Sweller's framework explains why your brain stalls on dense articles, and what to do about it.
What Is the Forgetting Curve (Curve of Forgetting), and How Do You Beat It?
The Ebbinghaus forgetting curve explains why you forget 70% of what you read within a day. Here's the 1885 study, the data, and what actually flattens the curve.
How to Learn Faster Without Any of the Hacks
Four research-backed moves to learn faster: encode, retrieve, space, and link. No speed-reading or memory palace hacks required.
How Do You Listen to a PDF? (And Will You Actually Remember It?)
Read PDF aloud with browser TTS, Adobe Reader, system voices, or a dedicated reader. Step-by-step for each tool, plus what listening does to retention.
Notion vs Obsidian: Which One Actually Helps You Remember What You Saved?
An honest comparison of Notion and Obsidian, plus the reframe most people miss: storage isn't the bottleneck. Retrieval is.
Pocket Is Dead. What Do You Do With Your Bookmark Graveyard?
Pocket's read-it-later service is shutting down. The migration question hides a bigger one: was your saved-articles list ever actually a reading list, or just a graveyard?
Speechify vs Natural Reader: Which One Helps You Remember More?
An honest comparison of Speechify and Natural Reader for retention, not just listening speed. Pricing, voices, real-world recall, and where each one falls short.
Why You Forget Everything You Read (And the Neuroscience Fix)
You forget what you read because passive reading creates weak memory encoding. Learn what the neuroscience actually says and the three techniques that make reading stick.
FlowRead Is Now Alexandria: What Changed and Why
FlowRead has a new name. Alexandria is the reading platform built to help you actually remember what you read. Here's why we changed, and what it means for you.
How Do You Listen to Your Kindle Books?
Download your Kindle books from Amazon as EPUB files and listen with word-by-word text-to-speech. Step-by-step guide for the official 2026 Amazon download method.
Is AI Making You Forget How to Think?
AI cognitive offloading trades short-term convenience for long-term memory loss. The science explains why, and what tools designed for understanding do differently.
Why Do You Forget 77% of What You Read? The Science Explained
Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, testing effect, spaced repetition, dual coding: what memory science says about reading retention and why passive reading fails.
Is Screen Time Actually Bad for You? What 17,000 People Revealed
Screen time research on 17,000+ people shows total time isn't the problem. What the screen is pointed at is.
Why Do You Remember Conversations But Forget Articles?
You forget articles because your brain outsources memory to the internet (the Google Effect). Learn the science behind why conversations stick and how to fix article retention.
Why Does Your Brain Give Up After 3 Paragraphs?
Working memory holds ~4 chunks. Reading demands three jobs at once. When the budget runs out, comprehension collapses.
How to Actually Remember What You Read
Science-backed strategies for better reading retention using active recall, spaced repetition, and dual coding.