Name: Mysteries of Sleep
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To measure the brain’s ability to form completely new memories, researchers teach kids made-up words for novel objects.

See how sleep helps children try to learn made-up words.

How Sleep Helps Children Learn and Remember New Words

From fruit flies to whales, virtually every animal sleeps. But why? Why do we need to spend nearly a third of our lives in such a defenseless state? Scientists are peering more deeply into the sleeping brain than ever before, discovering just how powerful sleep can be, playing a role in everything from memory retention and emotional regulation to removing waste from our brains.

Why do we sleep? And what does sleep have to do with memory, trauma, and our emotions?

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Mysteries of Sleep

A neurologist uses carefully-timed pulses of noise to boost the size of brain waves responsible for good-quality sleep—and potentially better memory.

Can Sleep Quality and Quantity be Boosted Using Sound?

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From fruit flies to whales, virtually every animal sleeps. But why? Why do we need to spend nearly a third of our lives in such a defenseless state? Scientists are peering more deeply into the sleeping brain than ever before, discovering just how powerful sleep can be, playing a role in everything from memory retention and emotional regulation to removing waste from our brains. So why are we getting so little of it?

Harvard Medical School

Why do we sleep? And what does sleep have to do with memory, trauma, and our emotions?

Body & Brain

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Mysteries of Sleep

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Poor-quality sleep could prime the brain for an anxious day

Mysteries of Sleep

How Sleep Can Heal Our Brains

Can Sleep Quality and Quantity be Boosted Using Sound?

Blue Computer Light Alone May Not Be Messing With Your Sleep

How Sleep Helps Children Learn and Remember New Words

The Nightmare of Sleep Paralysis

Scientists Track “Social Jet Lag” Sleeping Habits With Twitter Data

Taming the Hidden Drowsiness Epidemic

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Explore More

Poor-quality sleep could prime the brain for an anxious day

Mysteries of Sleep

How Sleep Can Heal Our Brains

Can Sleep Quality and Quantity be Boosted Using Sound?

Blue Computer Light Alone May Not Be Messing With Your Sleep

How Sleep Helps Children Learn and Remember New Words

The Nightmare of Sleep Paralysis

Scientists Track “Social Jet Lag” Sleeping Habits With Twitter Data

Taming the Hidden Drowsiness Epidemic