Could Humans Become Nocturnal?

Flash Forward

Flash Forward Presents

Science

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2021

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today’s episode is about a future where humans get weird with sleep. First, what if we tried to take shifts all day, every day? Second, what if we tried to become nocturnal? Guests: Dr. Matthew Wolf-Meyer, an associate professor of anthropology at Binghamton University and author of The Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine, and Modern American Life. Sarah Kaplan, a science reporter at the Washington Post who’s worked the night shift. Dr. Bala Koritala, a researcher at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Alexandra Mariani, a listener who works the night shift at a hospital. Kelton Minor, a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen Center for Social Data Science. Dr. Kaitlyn Gaynor, a researcher at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. Voice Actors: Aiya Islam Anjali Kunapaneni → → → Further reading & resources here! ← ← ← Flash Forward is hosted by, Rose Eveleth and produced by Julia Llinas Goodman. The intro music is by Asura and the outtro music is by Hussalonia. The episode art is by Matt Lubchansky. Get in touch: Twitter // Facebook // Reddit // [email protected] Support the show: Patreon // Donorbox Subscribe: iTunes // Soundcloud // Spotify Episode Sponsors: REALM: Part podcast studio, part magical refuge. One of their most recent series is Spider King. After taking the rap for a crime he didn’t commit, an incarcerated Black man makes a dangerous bargain to earn his freedom. For fans of Jordan Peele and Lovecraft Country, this poignant and intimate body-horror narrative eviscerates the prison industrial complex while exploring the traumas that arise as a result of it. Shaker & Spoon: A subscription cocktail service that helps you learn how to make hand-crafted cocktails right at home. Get $20 off your first box at shakerandspoon.com/ffwd. Tab for a Cause: A browser extension that lets you raise money for charity while doing your thing online. Whenever you open a new tab, you’ll see a beautiful photo and a small ad. Part of that ad money goes toward a charity of your choice! Join team Advice For And From The future by signing up at tabforacause.org/flashforward. Tavour: Tavour is THE app for fans of beer, craft brews, and trying new and exciting labels. You sign up in the app and can choose the beers you’re interested in (including two new ones DAILY) adding to your own personalized crate. Use code: flashforward for $10 off after your first order of $25 or more. Purple Carrot: Purple Carrot is THE plant-based subscription meal kit that makes it easy to cook irresistible meals to fuel your body. Each week, choose from an expansive and delicious menu of dinners, lunches, breakfasts, and snacks! Get $30 off your first box by going to www.purplecarrot.com and entering code FLASH at checkout today! Purple Carrot, the easiest way to eat more plants! \ More about ads and data privacy on Flash Forward here (scroll to the bottom). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Flash Forward. I'm Rose and I'm your host. Flash Forward is a show about
0:14.7	the future. Every episode we take on a specific possible or sometimes not quite so possible
0:21.5	future scenario. We always start every episode with a little field trip into the future to check out
0:26.9	what is going on and then we teleport back to today to talk to experts about how the world that
0:33.0	we just heard might actually go down. Got it? Great. This episode we are starting in the year 2044.
0:44.0	And we're actually going to do this episode a little bit differently. Today we are tackling two
0:49.3	different futures, both centered around nighttime. So what if humans try to become nocturnal?
0:57.4	Or what if we try to do the opposite and really run a fully 24-7 society? What might drive us to
1:07.1	adopt the night and what would happen if future children were born into it? Could we all take shifts
1:15.0	throughout a 24-hour day or would that drive us off a collective cliff? So join me as we enter
1:23.6	two versions of Nightworld.
1:25.6	In the morning sunshine, how's work? Nothing super exciting to report.
1:55.9	Nancy forgot she was on shift so we were person down but that's pretty quiet. Didn't Nancy
2:01.2	forget last shift too? Yeah but she has a look on it home. I can't really blame her. I think it
2:07.2	takes some people a lot more getting used to. Still, it makes things harder for everybody who does shift.
2:12.9	Nancy will be there tomorrow. It's fine. Oh speaking of, remember that Luna's school is starting to
2:17.7	shift next week so you're in charge of lunches and drop off and stuff. Oh shoot are they really
2:24.0	already making them do that? Yeah the school sent around a big packet of info about it, remember?
2:29.2	I thought they started next year. Nope. They seem kind of young to try and shift.
2:34.2	Doesn't it mess up kids' brains to shift their sleep schedules like that?
2:37.6	Messes up adult brains too you know. Yeah but we get paid. I have to shift to keep everything running.
2:43.8	And they will too, eventually. The idea I guess is that this helps them get used to it more.
	...

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