In this new science/astronomy bedtime story, we travel to the 7th and 8th planets from the Sun: Uranus and Neptune. I tell you about their characteristics, how they could have formed together with the rest of the Solar System, and what their inside is thought to be made of. We also explore their moons like Titania and Triton, and their influence on their environment. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style storie...
Aug 04, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 41
Tonight, I take you on a journey along the Silk Road. We explore how and why this route or network from China to the Mediterranean opened at the time of the Han Dynasty and Ancient Rome.Given the distances and costs, long distance trade was limited to light, expensive and exotic goods, like silk, glassware, fine crafts, perfumes and spices. It adapted to changes over centuries: the rise and fall of dynasties in China, the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the struggles of Byzantium, the M...
Jul 21, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 40
This sleep story is about Arthurian Mythology. How much do you know about the story of King Arthur, how it appeared, and what parts of the myth could have roots in history? As you drift off to sleep, find out how Arthurian legends took shape, listen to some of the stories, and spend time around the Round Table with Merlin, Guinevere, Lancelot, Galahad, Percival, Morgan le Fay, Vivien the Lady of the Lake, Excalibur, Avalon, Camelot, and the Holy Grail. Listen ad free and get access to bonus cont...
Jul 14, 2024•51 min•Ep. 39
In this story, I take you on an introduction to fungi: what the definition of their kingdom is about—they are neither plant nor animal—the mind-blowing variety of sizes, shapes, and the appearance they can take, and their associations with other life forms. I also tell you about their importance to ecosystems, what happens when they produce mushrooms, and the various ways humans use them, ranging from a source of food to yeasts, molds, or "magic mushrooms." Listen ad free and get access to bonus...
Jul 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 38
In this soft-spoken sleepy story, I tell you the stories of four ghost towns in America:- North Brother Island, New York, a small uninhabited island that once had a large hospital and kept the infamous Typhoid Mary in quarantine for over two decades. - Bodie, California, a well-preserved mining town that boomed in the 1870s thanks to the discovery of gold deposits. I tell you a little about the California Gold Rush, Express companies like Wells Fargo, and the decline of this once-thriving town. ...
Jun 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 37
In this sleepy story, as we continue the journey of our solar system, we will explore several of Saturn's moons, including Titan, Rhea, Iapetus, and Enceladus, and identify their differences. We will talk about the theories regarding the age and formation of the planet's rings, and eventually dive into the planet itself to see what a "gas giant" is made of. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621 Welcome to Lights Out Libra...
Jun 23, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 36
In this sleepy episode, I tell you stories from Norse Mythology and explanations about its context and meaning to the Old Norse.Stories include the discovery of the runes and the loss of an eye by Odin, the war between the Aesir and the Vanir, the construction of the wall of Asgard, the creation of the World, and Ragnarok, the end of times. We will meet all sorts of gods and creatures: Odin, Thor, Freya, Freyr, Njord, Tyr, Loki, Heimdall, Mimir, the Norns, Ymir, Fenrir, Jormungand, and many more...
Jun 16, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 35
In this sleepy story, I take you through more than 3,000 years of Egyptian History, from the first unification of Egypt to the death of Cleopatra. I talk about history, the gods of Egypt, architecture, art, life along the Nile, the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, and many other things! I hope you enjoy it, as you drift off into a deep, peaceful night's sleep. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621 Welcome to Lights Out Libr...
Jun 09, 2024•48 min•Ep. 34
In this episode, I take you on a new exploration journey, to discover what science can tell us about sleep and dreams: What happens when we sleep? What are the phases of sleep and the difference between quiescent sleep and paradoxical/REM sleep? Why do we need it? What are intermediary states of consciousness like sleepwalking or lucid dreaming? I also tell you about the origins of dreams, their possible functions, and how neurobiology, psychoanalysis, psychology, religion, or literature approac...
Jun 02, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 33
Tonight, on our way to sleep, we explore stories related to famous diamonds. These include the Hope Diamond and its supposed curse, the story of the exceptionally big Cullinan Diamond, from which the famous Star of Africa comes, and a dive into the mysteries of the Versailles court in pre-revolutionary France with the Affair of the Diamond Necklace (a scandal surrounding a magnificent necklace and Queen Marie-Antoinette). So get cozy, and prepare for a good night's sleep. Listen ad free and get ...
May 26, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 32
In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about various Greek myths. This is a compilation episode, in which I've combined multiple prior episodes into one long-play episode to help you fall asleep. These are the Greek myths we will discover tonight. - The Trojan War, as told in Homer's Iliad and other sources; - The Odyssey, also mainly based on Homer's work; - Pandora and her jar (or box), which according to Hesiod contained countless plagues that she let escape, providing a backstory for ...
May 22, 2024•3 hr 9 min•Ep. 31
In this bedtime story, I tell you about two different mysterious stories and what I make of them. - Bigfoot (or the Sasquatch) is one of the most famous cryptids in the world, together with the Loch Ness Monster and its Himalayan cousin the Yeti. We will discover where this creature comes from, how it got its name, and why it remains so elusive. - The Bell Witch Haunting is a legend that originated in Robertson County, Tennessee, and inspired a lot of fiction while entering the folklore of the A...
May 19, 2024•47 min•Ep. 30
In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about four Greek myths: · Pandora and her jar (or box), which according to Hesiod contained countless plagues that she let escape, providing a backstory for the existence of suffering in human life. This myth works as a "theodicy" (a backstory or an argument that explains why evil is part of the human condition when God(s) would have the power to avoid it). It is also connected to the biblical character of Eve, and scratching the surface by looking a...
May 12, 2024•56 min•Ep. 29
In this new science/astronomy sleep story, I take you to the Jovian system and tell you about Jupiter's Moons and Jupiter itself. We visit Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Amalthea, and Metis, and we explore the inside of Jupiter and its formation history. I tell you about various concepts such as tidal heating, orbital resonance, and planetary differentiation. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621 Welcome to Lights Out Li...
May 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 28
This bedtime story is about the mythical Orient Express service and the history of railways. Discover where the Orient Express came from: the story takes us to the early development of trains in Great Britain, the railroad mania of the 19th Century, the conquest of the Far West, the invention of luxury sleeping cars in the US by George Pullman, and the creation of the Compagnie des Wagons-Lits. For almost a century, the Orient Express was a link between two corners of Europe and connected capita...
Apr 28, 2024•52 min•Ep. 27
In this bedtime science story, I tell you about Earth during the Pleistocene (aka "the Ice Age"). We explore what the planet was like, its geography, its climate, its fauna (especially the megafauna of mammals like mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, or mastodons), and the rise of the genus Homo, from the first Hominidae to Australopithecus species and various species of archaic humans (Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo Heidelbergensis, Homo Neanderthalis and finally Homo Sapiens). Listen ad free and...
Apr 21, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 26
In this episode, I take you on a tour of lost Maya cities and to the discovery of the main aspects of their civilization: history, culture, architecture, art, religion, astronomy, society… We will visit sites like Nakbe, El Mirador, Tikal, or Chichen Itza and try to understand how ancient Maya cities thrived in Mesoamerica before and during the First Millenium, before they suffered catastrophic urban collapse and went almost forgotten for centuries. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content...
Apr 14, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 25
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest (and only) survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as defined by the Greeks in Antiquity. But when, how, and why was such an extravagant structure built, more than four thousand years ago? In tonight's story, we explore a page of the history of Ancient Egypt, discuss the meaning of this work for its builders, discover the construction techniques of the time, and evoke what we know of the life of pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty. Listen ad fr...
Apr 07, 2024•52 min•Ep. 24
Tonight, drift on the seven seas with us as we explore the history of pirates: in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times; from the Mediterranean Sea to the China Seas, the Baltic Sea and the Caribbean. I also tell you about the lives and exploits of famous pirates and privateers, including the Barbarossa brothers, Ching Shih, Henry Morgan or Blackbeard. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621 Welcome to Lights Out Library ...
Mar 31, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 23
In this week's story, we explore the significance attached to various colors throughout history, how pigments and dyes were made and with what surprising ingredients and how the status of colors changed over time in society, consumer goods and art. I focus on three colors in particular, which are global favorites: blue, green and red. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LightsOutLibrary621 Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube....
Mar 24, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 22
We launched a Patreon page for people who wish to support this podcast and get more of it. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/lightsoutlibrary621 "More" means: episodes without ads, an option with background sounds for each episode, downloads, and bonus episodes - we just posted the first one, about the history of glassmaking and stained glass, which will be available only on Patreon. We uploaded to Patreon every episode of the podcast since launch, with and without background sounds, which i...
Mar 23, 2024•2 min
This soft-spoken sleep talk tells the story of the Aeneid and explains its historical and political significance. Join me and we will follow Aeneas on his adventures from Troy, which he had to endure with his son Ascanius and his father Anchises, under the protection of his mother Venus, to the Latium in Italy where war had to be fought before Rome could be founded. Aeneas benefits from Venus' protection and Jupiter's benevolence, but hostile deities like Juno will do anything to stop him. On th...
Mar 17, 2024•57 min•Ep. 21
This episode is about the history of dinosaurs: what are they? When did they appear? How did they rule the Earth's continents for 150 million years? What happened to them? Tonight, I tell you about dinosaurs in general, various famous groups such as Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus, and also about paleontology, the study of fossils, cladistics, and various periods like Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Holocene. Listen on Youtube: https://ww...
Mar 10, 2024•52 min•Ep. 20
In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about historical and scientific mysteries and their context: - The Voynich Manuscript, a strange codex apparently from the early 15th Century, written in an unknown language. - The Phaistos Disc, an artifact discovered in Crete in the ruins of a Minoan palace, with what looks like a script, but that has always resisted attempts at deciphering it. - The Sailing Stones from the Racetrack Playa, California, a rare geological phenomenon that was finally ...
Mar 03, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 19
This bedtime story is about medicine and healing since the Neolithic. I will tell you about Ancient Mesopotamia and the first diagnosis and prescriptions, Ancient Egypt and the figure of Imhotep, India, and the principles of Ayurveda, or Chinese Medicine including Moxibustion and Acupuncture. We also take a look at medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome, including important figures like Hippocrates and Galen, and how this legacy passed on and was further developed in the Islamic World, Byzantium, a...
Feb 25, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 18
In tonight's story, I discuss the long history of Stonehenge, from the first works on the site by people from the Windmill Hill culture around 3100 BC, to the multiple works and rearrangements that took place until 1600 BC. After this, Stonehenge continued to live a life of its own and was adopted by the druids, became a legendary monument, and revealed extraordinary secrets since the 20th century. After Stonehenge, I also tell you of Skara Brae, a very well preserved neolithic village in the Or...
Feb 18, 2024•59 min•Ep. 17
Tonight, I will tell you the story of the Odyssey, and as in previous mythology videos, I will discuss a few historical and literary aspects. If you want to know about the lotus-eaters, the cyclops, the sirens, Aeolus, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis, Calypso, and many more things, relax and enjoy the long journey Odysseus will have to endure to be reunited with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov ¿Quieres esc...
Feb 11, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 16
This episode details three different historical mysteries. First, we will relive the voyage of the Donner Party, a group of migrants who traveled from Illinois to California in 1846, but did not manage to reach their destination before the winter and had to set camp in the Sierra Nevada, until they were rescued in 1847. Second, we will travel to Oak Island, a small island in Nova Scotia that has become famous as a place where a fabulous treasure or even historical artifacts would be hidden. Fina...
Feb 04, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 15
Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and more: this bedtime story explores the world of precious and semi-precious stones. We will explore what they are made of, where they come from, how they are cut, and stories about famous gems like the Koh-i-Noor or the Star of India. Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov ¿Quieres escuchar en Español? Echa un vistazo a La Biblioteca de los Sueños! En Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1t522alsv5RxFsA...
Jan 28, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 14
In this sleepy space story, we travel together to Mars and back. I'll tell you about orbits, space travel, spacecrafts, the difficulties of manned missions in space (zero gravity, radiation, etc.), as well as the history of Mars, its climate, geology, environment and aspirations to one day terraform the planet for human habitation. Plus we'll visit a volcano the size of Italy! Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov ¿Quieres escuchar en Español? Echa un vis...
Jan 21, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 13
