The leading theory of why we need sleep is that the brain demands it. The reason is derived from common sense: our heads feel clearer after a good sleep. However, the benefits of sleeping for our brains must be confirmed with data, and the answer may depend on what type of sleep it is.

Harvard researchers led by Robert Stickgold tested undergraduates through aptitude tests. The researchers allowed the students to take naps before testing them again. Results showed that those who engaged in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep performed better in pattern recognition tests, whereas those who slept deeply excelled at memorization. Other researchers discovered that a sleeping brain tried to commit long-term memory of what happened while the person was asleep. With this discovery, memory consolidation may be one function of sleep.

In sleep researcher Giulio Tononi’s study, it showed that our sleeping brains seem to eliminate redundant or unnecessary connections. So the purpose of sleep is to perhaps remember and retain important information or memories by removing those that are not.

Japanese people win Igs almost yearly. In 2004, Inoue Daisuke won the Peace Prize for his invention of karaoke. He was awarded “for providing quite a new way for people to learn to put up with each other.” Inoue could not speak English much, so he sang “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” in a loud voice instead. He got a standing ovation.

In 2013, two groups of Japanese researchers won Ig Nobels as well. Niimi Masanori’s group was awarded the Medicine Prize. In their study, mice with heart transplants lived twenty days longer than the average of seven days after listening to Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The other group won the Chemistry Prize for discovering the special enzyme that makes us cry when cutting onions.

The Igs received criticisms as well because some people think it is making fun of real science. In 1995, Sir Robert May requested the organizers to stop giving Igs to British scientists. However, British scientists still accept the prizes. In fact, many scientists loved the idea of the Ig Nobel Prizes since the ceremony shows that science can be fun.

The Igs continue to make us laugh and think about the vast possibilities of the world. It is successful in carrying out its mission.

How much water are we supposed to consume in a day? It is a belief that we need eight glasses or about two liters of water a day. However, a recent report offers some different advice. Experts say that people should obey their bodies; drink as much water as they feel like drinking in a day.

According to the report from the Institute of Medicine, most healthy people let their thirst be their guide. The report also contains general suggestions. Women should drink about 2.7 liters a day, whereas men should consume around 3.7 liters. The study does not indicate the number of glasses needed a day. In fact, experts believe that it may be impossible to know the exact number of glasses of water needed to meet the study’s guidelines. This is because the daily water requirement may also include the water content in the food we eat.

We do not know why we cannot sleep sometimes. It is because we do not fully understand why it is needed in the first place. No matter how much we try to resist it, we fall asleep eventually.

After seven to nine hours of sleep, we get up. Then, we get tired once again after 15 to 17 hours. We divide our slumber between periods of deep-wave sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is a period when our brain is as active as when we are awake, but our voluntary muscles become paralyzed.

Animals have the same sleep behavior as well. Dolphins sleep with half of their brains awake in order to be aware of their surroundings underwater. When mallard ducks sleep in line, the ones at the start and end of the queue keep half of their brains awake and one of their eyes open to guard against predators.

This, however, comes at a price. Animals must lie still when asleep, making them easy prey. Sleep researcher Allan Rechtschaffen said, “If sleep doesn’t serve an absolutely vital function, it is the greatest mistake evolution ever made.”

Ig Nobel Prizes are the American parody of the Nobel Prizes, created in 1991 by Marc Abrahams. “We honor achievements that first make people laugh and then make them think,” he says. When Marc became the editor of a science magazine, he met people who did unique studies. However, nobody seemed to recognize or acknowledge them. This is how he came up with the Ig Nobels.

The name “Ig Nobel” is a play on words. “Ig” is short for “ignoble,” which means “dishonorable.” Every year, ten prizes are given in different categories such as literature, physics, and chemistry. The ceremony, held at Sanders Theater at Harvard University, is filled with humorous events. It begins with the paper airplane throwing that lasts for 30 seconds.

Winners of the Ig Nobels have 60 seconds to explain their studies. An eight-year-old girl called Miss “Sweetie Poo” acts as the timekeeper. If a winner exceeds 60 seconds, she will cry out “Please stop! I’m bored!” until the speaker stops. The ceremony ends with Marc’s closing remark: “If you didn’t win a prize—and especially if you did—better luck next year!”

Benyus believes that we deal with environmental issues, not because there are no solutions, but since we have not been looking in the right direction. As a matter of fact, we can tackle numerous issues, particularly in the area of design, by looking to nature for inspiration.

For example, engineers in Japan had an issue: Shinkansen trains made an extremely loud sound while going into tunnels. To solve this, the engineers turned to the kingfisher, a bird that dives into water without splashing. They planned the nose of the train in a similar shape to the kingfisher’s beak. Scientists have also found a way to use the same pattern as sharks’ skin on walls to protect against bacteria in public places like schools and hospitals.

For Benyus, biomimicry helps us be more aware of nature and leads us to change our lifestyle. Benyus suggests that we have to prioritize what is good for the whole earth and trust that it will eventually be good for us humans. Now that our population is increasing rapidly, we are beginning to cause a bad effect on the environment. Biomimicry is a powerful tool that is the key to our survival on planet Earth, our home.