Why Do We Dream?

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2018

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Adventures in Dreamland "Why do we dream and why do we repeat dreams?" asks Mila O'Dea, aged 9, from Panama. Hannah Fry and Adam Rutherford delve into the science of sleep. From a pioneering experiment on rapid eye movement sleep, to a brand new 'dream signature' found in the brain, they discover how scientists are investigating our hidden dreamworld. Featuring sociologist Bill Domhoff from the University of California Santa Cruz, sleep psychologist Mark Blagrove from the University of Swansea, and neurologist Francesca Siclari from the University of Lausanne. The Curious Face-Off "Are machines better than humans at identifying faces?" asks the excellently named Carl Vandal. Today’s Face Off leads our intrepid detectives to investigate why we see Jesus on toast, Hitler in houses and Kate Middleton on a jelly bean. Face perception psychologist Rob Jenkins from the University of York explains why we're so good at spotting familiar faces, like celebrities. Plus, Franziska Knolle from the University of Cambridge discusses her face recognition study involving Barack Obama and a group of highly-trained sheep. But are we outwitted by artificial intelligence when it comes to face ID? BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones gives us the low-down on the pros and cons of current technology. Picture: Child sleeping, Credit: Quintanilla/Getty Images Producer: Michelle Martin

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the BBC.
0:03.0	Hello and welcome to curious cases with me Dr Adam Rutherford.
0:06.0	And me Dr Hannah Friday.
0:08.0	Now in this series we take your everyday mysteries and we try and investigate them using the power of science.
0:15.0	So send us your questions to curious cases at BBC.co.uk.
0:20.0	Now today's first question concerns something very dreamy.
0:25.0	Well, it's actually dreams. I mean, it's not just dreamy, it's dreams.
0:28.5	This is true. It couldn't be more dreamy, but it really is the question of why do we dream something that's
0:33.9	occupied people's thoughts for thousands of years. Have you ever noticed how people
0:39.2	find their own dreams much more interesting than other people find them. Yes, mostly when you come
0:44.4	in to work in the morning and tell me your dreams. This is not true. It's exactly the opposite way
0:49.7	around. As listeners, you will learn in the following episode when Adam Rutherford goes on and on and on and on about his dreams non-stop.
1:00.0	Enjoy it if you can. Today's curious case comes from Mila O'Dea, who is nine years old and surely
1:13.0	almost far-flung listener.
1:14.6	She lives in the Panama Jungle.
1:16.5	And her question is, why do we dream
1:18.8	and why do we repeat dreams?
1:20.5	Actually, you know, if you think about it,
1:22.0	dreams are a little bit weird, your own personal, fantastical story starring yourself that you get every single night.
1:28.0	Tell us one of your most fantastical dreams.
1:30.0	I once had a dream that I was a cake in the oven and when my husband woke me up I
1:35.1	shout at him because I wasn't going to rise if he did that. Wow. Have you had weird dreams?
	...

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