How did the invention of the printing press impact learning?

The story of the printing press is the story of cultural transmission. Invented in 1440 in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg, it revolutionized book production by introducing the mass production of books for the first time in human history. Over the next few centuries, the printing press went on to standardize writing like never before, including spelling and punctuation. The mass producing of accurately reproduced, consistent, and well-punctuated books profoundly shaped society. It led to greater language uniformity and promoted the rise of new languages by exposing regional dialects, contributing to the emergence of national languages.

In concentrated cities, the printing press sparked a surge in book availability, increasing the average number of books per household from about 1 in 1450 to over 100 by 1850. This represents a 9900% increase in available knowledge per household. Moreover, this increase does not account for the added effect of loaning books—a very social practice during this time! It also does not take into account the availability of periodicals such as newspapers and pamphlets, which gained dramatic popularity with the printing press.

Today, you live in a time where, for the very first time in the history of humans, readily available knowledge exceeds our cognitive abilities. For the first time, and in the coming centuries, we’ll truly test the vast capabilities of the human mind.

For a deeper dive into the evolution of vocabulary in human ancestry, take the deep dive: The Evolution of Vocabulary in Ancient Humans.