In tonight's episode, we take a look at three topics that keep sparking debates in their respective scientific communities: • The existence of supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, which are several million times more massive than "regular" black holes born from supernovas. Did these gigantic black holes appear as such, did they become so big by absorbing other bodies for billions of years, or is it something else? • Deep-Sea Gigantism, the fact that many species living deep under ...
Oct 12, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 92
This is a softly spoken story about the History of the Roman Empire. In part one, I told you about the origins of Rome, its slow emergence and wars until the 1st Century BC - including the founding of the Republic and the rivalry between the Senate and the plebs, the conquest of Italy, the wars against Carthage, the overseas expansion, figures like Scipio, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, and Caesar, and also life, religion, society, urbanism, and warfare in Roman antiquity. In this second part, we go thr...
Oct 05, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 91
Tonight's sleepy episode takes us back to Ancient Egypt, with a compilation of stories that shed light on various aspects of this wonderful civilization. Stories include the biography of Queen Hatshepsut, the story of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, the story of Akhenaten (the "heretic pharaoh") and his new capital, Amarna, an overview of the different periods of Egyptian history, and finally the story of the Great Pyramid of Giza. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #history #egypt...
Sep 28, 2025•3 hr 45 min•Ep. 90
In this sleepy mythology episode, I tell you some myths and legends from the Hindu tradition, including the Ramayana and Mahabharata (two legendary epics), and other stories about the creation of the world, Ganesha or goddess Durga. I also tell you about Hinduism and its various denominations, and some of the most well-known gods and heroes, like Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma or Shakti. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #history #mythology Welcome to Lights Out Library Join ...
Sep 21, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 89
In this sleepy episode about history and espionage, we explore the lives and times of two famous spies: the extraordinary Josephine Baker, entertainer, war hero, and activist; and Sidney Reilly, the "Ace of Spies," who was involved in multiple events and whose personality and adventurous lifestyle are credited with inspiring the character of James Bond. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #spy #history Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and ...
Sep 14, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 88
This sleepy story about the History of Ancient Rome is the first of two parts, because there were too many things to say for one single episode. The next part about the end of the Republic and the Empire will be out soon. In this episode, I tell you about the origins of Rome, its slow emergence and wars until the 1st Century BC - including the founding of the Republic and the rivalry between the Senate and the plebs, the conquest of Italy, the wars against Carthage, the overseas expansion, figur...
Sep 07, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 87
In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about the concept of "generation ships": large spacecrafts that would transport dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people to faraway destinations in the galaxy, over several generations. Even though we are nowhere near seeing one, the technical, biological, and social aspects of such a project are fascinating. So, I review them to explain the main challenges and what possible solutions could be found. #sleep #bedtimestory #asmr #sleepstory #space...
Aug 31, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 86
In these new mystery stories set in New York City, we will travel through time at different periods of the history of the city, from its foundation as New Amsterdam to our days. Stories include: - Captain Kidd's Treasure, which could be hidden somewhere on Manhattan, Long Island or Gardiner's Island; - The wreck of the HMS Hussar in the East River with a big treasure on board during the American Revolution; - The Leatherman, a mysterious vagabond who travelled constantly on the same 365-mile-loo...
Aug 24, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 85
Tonight, we revisit three Mystery Stories episode from Lights Out Library: - The Lost Roman Legion - Out of Place Artifacts, including the Crystal Skulls, Antikythera Mechanism and Shroud of Turin stories, among others - Oracle of Delphi, Changelings and Grand Duchess Anastasia. I hope you enjoy this collection of sleepy mystery stories as you fall asleep tonight. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime s...
Aug 17, 2025•3 hr 14 min•Ep. 84
In this sleepy episode, we explore the lives and times of two famous spies: Mata Hari in the world of show-business and courtesans in Paris during the Belle Epoque and WW1; and Richard Sorge, a spy for the Soviet Union who provided Moscow with valuable information about Germany and Japan before and during WW2. I hope you enjoy the mystery and intrigue in the stories of these spies, as you drift off to sleep tonight. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, ...
Aug 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 83
For thousands of years, cultures rose and disappeared in Mesoamerica. In tonight's episode, we explore Maya and Aztec mythological tales, and I tell you about the sources we have about their legends, their cosmology, and cultural traits that existed across the entire Mesoamerica, like ball games, advanced astronomical knowledge, and the cult of a feathered serpent (Kukulkan for the Maya, Quetzalcoatl for the Aztecs...). We also explore the Aztec pantheon, and I tell you about Huitzilopochtli, Tl...
Aug 03, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 82
This new space journey will take you to the mysterious and gigantic expanse that exists beyond the planet Neptune. We will discover different bodies from the Kuiper Belt, including its most famous resident: Pluto, its satellites like Charon, and other dwarf planets such as Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. I will also tell you about tilted orbits and why they happen, tholins, regolith, the mysterious "Planet Nine", the Oort Cloud beyond the Kuiper Belt, and more things... Welcome to Lights Out Library...
Jul 27, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 81
This new batch of historical mystery bedtime stories takes us to Easter Island and its enigmatic alignments of statues (the moais). We will also discover how the legend of a lost continent called Mu appeared in the 19th Century, explore the Yonaguni Monument, and I will tell the story of a ghost ship, the MV Joyita. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime stories read in a calming ASMR voice. Learn someth...
Jul 20, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 80
Tonight's episode takes us on a historical tour of salt. How much is there on Earth? Why did it start to be an important commodity for humans in the Neolithic? How was it extracted and transported in ancient times? We will explore all this, and more: how the taxation of salt helped early states to function, how salt was extracted and transported in medieval times, the history of various food preservation methods using salt, and how it was partially replaced with other techniques such as canning ...
Jul 13, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 79
Tonight, we revisit three "Ancient History" episodes from Lights Out Library, compiled into a single episode to lull you to sleep for longer: History of the Silk Road - History of Carthage and the Phoenicians - History of the Vikings. Please enjoy this extended ancient history bedtime story, and sleep well. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime stories read in a calming ASMR voice. Learn something new w...
Jul 06, 2025•3 hr 10 min•Ep. 78
In this sleepy bedtime story, we explore the history of textiles and fabrics. We will see where fibers come from and how they were adopted by mankind, with special sections about the history of cotton, silk and wool. We will also delve into the world of fabrics, their manufacturing and trade, how they influenced international relations and contributed to economic history. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style b...
Jun 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 77
In this soft spoken sleepy bedtime story, I invite you around a campfire in the Black Forest and tell you the story of the Ring of the Nibelung. We will follow a cycle of 4 operas by Richard Wagner (the Rhinegold, the Valkyrie, Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods) as a starting point to explore Germanic and Norse mythology, the origins and importance of Germanic Peoples, the creation of national narratives in the 19th Century, the legacy of Wagner, and more. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me ...
Jun 22, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 76
In this bedtime story, I tell you about four different sets of objects that come with their own historical mysteries: • The Roman Dodecahedrons, which are bronze objects from the late Roman Empire that do not seem to have any identifiable use. • The Neolithic and Bronze Age Carved Stone Balls from Scotland. • The Stone Spheres of Costa Rica. • The Lewis Chessmen, a set of chess pieces found on the Isle of Lewis. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, rela...
Jun 15, 2025•56 min•Ep. 75
This episode explores theories in Physical Cosmology and how Humankind has represented the universe since before the emergence of modern science, as well as alternative theories that were later abandoned: · The Ancient Greek and Medieval Theory of Spheres. · Heliocentric models of the 16th and 17th centuries, such as the one proposed by Copernicus. · The Steady-State Universe Theory of the 19th and 20th centuries. · The Big Bang Theory, which is the standard model describing the history and expa...
Jun 08, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 74
Hatshepsut is one of the most famous pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, and not only because she was a woman. Her reign of more than twenty years was prosperous and saw an intense building activity that can still be admired, especially in Thebes (present-day Luxor). In tonight's story, I tell you about the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt and the Eighteenth Dynasty. We will see how a princess and regent like Hatshepsut could occupy a throne that should have gone to her nephew Thutmose III, and what she achi...
Jun 01, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 73
This bedtime story is for lovers of history and gothic atmosphere. In tonight’s talk, we explore the origins and multiple faces of two myths: Werewolves and Dragons. From Ancient Greece to China, Scandinavia to Egypt, we travel the world to discover the roots of their modern, fantasy, and fiction iterations. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style bedtime stories read in a calming ASMR voice. Learn something new ...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 72
We are returning to Ancient Egypt tonight, with an episode filled with mysteries. The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, by the archaeologist Howard Carter, captivated audiences around the world and represented a major find for egyptology. I will tell you about the tomb and some of the many artifacts discovered still intact when the chamber was opened in 1923, and also discuss the rumors of a supposed "curse of the pharaohs". Is there anything to it? Tutankhamun's predecessor on the t...
May 11, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 71
In this new episode, I invite you to a journey from Earth to the Andromeda Galaxy; we will also explore Alpha Centauri, the Milky Way, the Canis Major Galaxy, and the intergalactic void. Along the way, I will tell you about gravitation, faster-than-light travel, wormholes, dark matter, the possibility of life in other parts of the universe and the Fermi Paradox. Venture through space as you drift into a peaceful sleep. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit bac...
May 04, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 70
The age of Atlantic ocean liners is mostly over, and these giants of the seas have evolved into cruise ships. In this ASMR bedtime story, I invite you to relive the epic of transatlantic passenger lines in the 19th and 20th centuries. I tell you the stories of famous liners: the RMS Titanic and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic, the RMS Lusitania and Mauretania, the SS Savannah, the SS Great Eastern, the SS Wilhelm der Grosse and Imperator, the SS Ile-de-France and SS Normandie, the SS Brem...
Apr 27, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 68
Our sleepy episode tonight contains stories from Celtic Mythology, taken from the rich body of Irish myths. I tell you about the expansion, decline, and revival of ancient Celtic culture, which left its most important marks in the Northwest of Europe, especially in Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, and Brittany. We will relive colorful stories from the Ulster Cycle: Deirdre and Naoise, the epic of Cú Chulainn including the Cattle Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailnge), and the appe...
Apr 20, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 67
In this episode, I explore with you the mysteries of various "out-of-place artifacts," which is to say, (allegedly) old objects that would challenge conventional chronology and/or the mainstream view of the technical advancement of ancient cultures. Forgeries, hoaxes, and pranks abound. I tell you about some of them like the Michigan Relics or the Crystal Skulls; they were fake but still are good stories. A small number of objects still retain an element of mystery or invite us to rethink our vi...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 66
Tonight we explore nuclear fusion as a reaction (the fusion of atom nuclei) and as a possible source of power. I tell you about the differences with fission, the fundamental forces that hold atoms together, why fusion of light nuclei liberates energy, what plasma is, how man-made fusion devices like tokamaks work, and many other things. I hope you enjoy this sleepy science story and fall into a peaceful sleep. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax,...
Mar 30, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 65
In this sleepy bedtime history episode, I tell you about the History of the Great Wall, the "Ten-Thousand Mile Wall" (万里长城). Through it, we will explore the history of Ancient China from the birth of civilization around the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, to the Ming Dynasty, the last one to maintain and expand the Wall. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and fall asleep to documentary-style stories read in a calming voice. Learn something ...
Mar 23, 2025•56 min•Ep. 64
In this new episode for bedtime, I tell you two great myths from Ancient Greece: • The Story of Orpheus, the legendary poet and musician, and how he tried to rescue his wife Eurydice from the realm of Hades and Persephone. • The Story of Jason and the Argonauts, who embarked on the Argo on an epic quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. In these stories we will meet numerous gods and other beings, like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Athena, Demeter, Persephone, Aphrodite, Chiron the Centaur, Charon t...
Mar 09, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 63
In this episode, I tell you about the history of the Phoenicians and their cities (Byblos, Tyre, Sidon...), including the most famous of all: Carthage. I discuss various topics, like the Late Bronze Age Collapse, Phoenician culture, religion, and society, what Canaan and the Levant are, how ancient maritime trade worked, the rise of Carthage and how the confrontation with Rome in the Punic Wars turned out. Welcome to Lights Out Library Join me for a sleepy adventure tonight. Sit back, relax, and...
Mar 02, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 62
