The average person speaks 216 words per minute and they type 40 words per minute. But thanks to ancient Greek blabbermouths and modern technology, stenographers can type between 225 and 360 words per minute.

The human need for speed dates back to at least Cicero, a Roman statesman and philosopher who gave long oratories while slaves transcribed his speeches. Cicero’s personal secretary, Tiro, had trouble keeping up, so he invented a system of symbols that stood for common phrases and word groups. And just like, Tiro, with his Tironian notes, became the father of stenography.

The question now remains… with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, do we even need stenographers anymore?