Falling Asleep in Space
We explore the fascinating science and study of how humans sleep in space and its effects on the body.
Biology Sub-categories:
In Pursuit of Better Sleep
We speak with sleep expert and psychologist Aric Prather about how to fix your sleep problems without relying on sleep aids.
The Pang of Regret
Regret is an all-too-common feeling that’s simply part of life, but it’s what we learn from our mistakes that matters. Writer Daniel Pink joins us this week to break down the intricacies of this emotion and share how people can avoid self-pity and constructively move forward.
A Season of Sadness
Researchers estimate that around 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal affective disorder each year. We speak with psychologist Dr. Carrie Ditzel about the prevalence of SAD and how people can combat these feelings and find additional support.
Our Deep Reliance on Scent
A familiar aroma has the ability to transport us back to a different time in life or remind us of a specific place or person. Smell is deeply connected to memory and emotion, playing a significant role in how we view the world around us.
Slumbering in Space
For astronauts in space, sleeping in a zero-gravity environment surrounded by loud fans, bright lights and cramped quarters can be an issue. We discuss some of the bodily systems behind sleep and how astronauts in space for months on end deal with these challenges.
The Dated Tradition of Daylight Saving Time
The routine of ‘springing forward’ can feel like a nuisance and for some, it can severely throw off their internal body clocks for days or weeks on end. Why do we still practice daylight saving time today? Dr. Beth Malow, a neurologist and sleep expert, joins us this week on Viewpoints.
What Happens to the Human Body in Space?
Dr. Emmanuel Urquieta, from the Center for Space Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, joins Viewpoints this week to help us understand some of the health impacts of spending time in space and the hurdles that come with longer missions like sending humans to Mars.
Sleeping Soundly: The Interconnected Benefits of Getting Good Rest (2020)
We speak with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, a professor at California-Berkeley, who says getting restful sleep each night is the single biggest thing we can do to vastly improve both our mental and physical health.
The Wonders of Cave Diving
World-renowned cave diver Jill Heinerth led a team of divers inside the massive B-15 iceberg in Antarctica, and throughout her career has completed hundreds of other underwater dives across the globe. We speak with Heinerth about the beauty and dangers of cave diving and the importance of her work in helping scientists, biologists and researchers.
The First U.S. Case of the Plague & Its Modern Implications
The first U.S. case of the plague presented in the early 1900’s in San Francisco. We speak with author, David Randall about the outbreak and how it changed sanitation practices and government response.
Sleeping Soundly: How Getting Quality Sleep Can Enhance our Health (2018)
We all sleep, it’s human evolution. But the amount of sleep we get and the quality of that sleep can vary greatly. We talk to Matthew Walker, a professor at California-Berkeley, who says sleep in the single biggest thing we can do to help our physical and mental health both in the short-term and long-term.
The Benefits of Music Education
Often during a budget crunch music education is the first thing to go yet there are many benefits learning music can have on our brains and child development.
Sleeping Soundly: How Getting Quality Sleep Can Enhance our Health (2017)
Sleep is the single biggest thing we can do to help our physical and mental health both in the short-term and long-term.
Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease
As we get older, we all will suffer from some memory loss. The question becomes what memory loss is a normal byproduct of getting older and when is it a sign of a larger problem
Mate Choice in Fish and Humans
Gil Rosenthal, a Texas A&M biology instructor and author, says we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking to other species in the natural world
Raising a Transgender Child
We talk to the parent and the doctor of a transgender child to discover what science says about gender transitions and how one family navigated the issues associated with having a child you suddenly don’t fully understand.
A Memory of the Holocaust
A Holocaust survivor discusses the need for young people to learn about the Holocaust and the reasons why it happened.
Measuring Animal Intelligence: How smart are they?
Our guest has studied animal intelligence and discusses how neuroscience and biology are coming up with new definitions of what it means to be an intelligent animal.
The Science of Stress
We talk to a doctor about what stress is, why we get it and how we can relieve it through exercise and other means.
Biohackers: Searching for the Sixth Sense
Do humans have more than five senses? Can we detect more in our environment than what we normally perceive through sight, sound, smell, touch and taste? Our guest wanted to know, so she spoke to scientists, engineers, and biohackers about learning more from our five senses and perhaps even finding a 6th sense.
Lying or Memory Lapse?
A few weeks ago, veteran news anchor, Brian Williams, was suspended from his job on the Nightly News because he had embellished a story about his involvement in an event in the Iraq War. Did he purposely lie? Or could it have been a matter of “misremembering”? We talk to a psychologist and a news veteran about the issue, how it can happen and what the future …
