W4B. Why Do We Sleep? How Can We Sleep Better?
Science,Tech,Econ & Math | Registration opens 1/1/2026 9:00 AM
Kenneth Miller will share his knowledge of the history of sleep research based on the work of four outsider academics who took the study of sleep from a fringe discipline to mainstream obsession: Nathaniel Kleitman, Eugene Aserinsky, William Dement, and Mary Carskadon. Weaving together science and history, we will gain a deeper understanding of how sleep works and why it affects so much of our lives. There will be time for Q&A, so please consider your questions in advance.
- Photo courtesy of the Presenter
Kenneth Miller
Presenter
Kenneth Miller is an award-winning journalist who has reported on science, medicine, culture, criminal justice, religion, and the environment. He enjoys telling the stories of brilliant outsiders in fields like neurobiology, immunology, and cancer research who pursue extraordinary goals despite overwhelming odds. He received his MS in journalism from Columbia University. His work has appeared in Time, Life, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, Discover, and Aeon. His book Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep was published in October 2023 by Hachette.