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Worms help Penn researchers explain the evolution of sleep

By Leland ⋅ January 11, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Hopefully they didn’t use gummies for the study.

The roundworm C. elegans, a staple of laboratory research, may be key in unlocking one of the central biological mysteries: why we sleep. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report in this week’s advanced online edition of Nature that the round worm has a sleep-like [...]

Does time slow in crisis? Nope, say researchers.

By Leland ⋅ January 1, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

I guess Keanu hasn’t heard the news.

In The Matrix, hero Neo wins his battles when time slows in the simulated world. In the real world, accident victims often report a similar slowing as they slide unavoidably into disaster. But can humans really experience events in slow motion?
Apparently not, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine [...]

Nasal spray may prevent sleepiness

By Leland ⋅ December 29, 2007 ⋅ One comment

This orangutan could probably use some

Coffee drinkers everywhere, rejoice! A nasal spray containing the naturally occurring hormone known as “orexin A” appears to reverse the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys. These sleep deprived monkeys performed similarly to well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests, researchers said.
“Orexin A is a promising candidate to become a [...]