Those of you for whom spelling is not a strength will find this e-mail we received to be somewhat reassuring:
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
It is indeed amazing. Not only is it just the first and last letters that are important, though, it is also the context. We have an expectation, based upon context, as to the meaning of a sentence and thus an expectation as to what word belongs in it. Evidently our mind "sees" that word as soon as we receive the visual clues provided by scanning the first and last letters.
We're constantly astounded at what blind chance, time, and physical forces can accomplish purely by accident.
