We break down the science behind circadian rhythms so you can be enlightened. In each podcast episode, we chat with experts in the field about a variety of topics, spanning from the effects of light on our biology and how it can be used for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and beyond. Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Website: https://tscnlab.org/podcast
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Anna Magdalena Biller
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Can you choose to be an early type? In this episode, Dr. Anna M. Biller from the Technical University of Munich explains what chronotype is, how it changes throughout the lifespan, what happens when your biological clock and your social clock are out of sync, and how can you measure your type. Listen to uncover the answers to these and many other fascinating questions about chronotype. Links and resources related to the episode’s contentMorningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) The Munich ChronoType Questionnaire (MCTQ) Timestamps(00:00) Intro (01:17) Introducing Dr. Biller (02:29) What is chronotype? (07:26) Biological measures of chronotype (09:34) Factors that affect chronotype (10:36) Can your chronotype change? (12:57) The biological vs the social clock (16:01) Can night owls become early birds? (18:18) School start times (20:52) Sex differences (22:38) How to know your chronotype? (29:13) Summary (30:56) Outro ContactFor feedback and questions, you can contact us at: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our episodes and discover related content: Twitter/X: https://x.com/lightoclock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightoclockpodcast/ Website: https://www.tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 01.10.2024
Dauer: 00:33:03
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Renske Lok
In today’s episode, we dive deep into the relationship between circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle with Dr. Renske Lok from Stanford University. Are they different or the same? What other processes in the body regulate your sleep? Can you catch-up on lost sleep? How can you even know if you are sleep-deprived and need more sleep? Tune in to get the answers to these and many other questions on sleep and circadian rhythms. Links and resources related to the episode’s contentGraphic of sleep pressure (process S) and circadian rhythms (process C) Further reading on the two-process model of sleep Disconnect between how sleepy people feel (subjective) and how sleepy they actually are (objective) Timestamps(00:00) Intro (02:08) Introducing Dr. Lok (02:44) Circadian rhythms: from morning to night (06:37) Sleep and circadian rhythms: same or different? (08:10) The two-process model of sleep (09:08) The “forbidden” zone (10:02) Travel and jet-lag (11:35) How does sleep pressure work? (14:28) Can you catch-up on lost sleep? (17:19) How to know if you’re sleep-deprived? (20:03) Separating process S and C in the lab (26:20) Outro ContactFor feedback and questions, you can contact us at: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our episodes and discover related content: Twitter/X: https://x.com/lightoclock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightoclockpodcast/ Website: https://www.tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 17.09.2024
Dauer: 00:28:35
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Orie Shafer
In this episode Prof. Orie Schafer, based at the CUNY Advanced Research Center, takes us through the history of the field of chronobiology, from its beginnings in plants, through studies in bunkers with humans, and the discovery of the clock genes thanks to the tiny but mighty fruit fly. Links and resources related to the episode’s contentPhotos of Jürgen Aschoff’s 1960’s bunker experiment Original publication on the discovery of the period gene by Ronald Konopka and Seymour Benzer Further reading on the history of Chronobiology and the discovery of the molecular mechanisms of circadian rhythms Timestamps(00:00) Intro (01:10) Introducing Prof. Shafer (02:14) Beginnings in plants (05:18) Other organisms (06:10) Studies in humans: caves and bunkers (09:53) Where is the circadian clock? (11:24) Search for the clock genes (13:22) Why are fruit flies so important? (14:50) Discovery of the period gene (17:38) The fly vs. the human clock (20:19) Flies and modern life (22:49) Outro ContactFor feedback and questions, you can contact us at: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our episodes and discover related content: Twitter/X: https://x.com/lightoclock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightoclockpodcast/ Website: https://www.tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 03.09.2024
Dauer: 00:25:58
Light O'Clock is back with a brand-new season starting next week! In this season, we will dive deep into the relationship between circadian rhythms and health (mental and physical), shedding light on what happens when we "break" the rhythms, when we do not live according to our chronotype and much, much more! Stay tuned for new episodes starting next Tuesday, 3 September 2024. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our episodes and discover related content: Twitter/X: https://x.com/lightoclock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightoclockpodcast/ Website: https://www.tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 30.08.2024
Dauer: 00:04:26
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Prof. Manuel Spitschan
[This episode is available as a video episode on YouTube and Spotify.] In occasion of International Day of Light (16 May 2024), the Light O’Clock team is bringing you an extra special episode: We answer your burning questions on the topic of light and circadian rhythms! Our host unpacks listeners’ questions with guest Prof. Dr. Manuel Spitschan from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics and the Technical University of Munich. Links and resources related to the episode’s content: UNESCO International Day Of Light: https://www.lightday.org/ Recommendations for light exposure (Brown et al., 2022): https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001571 How to activate the daylight exposure function on the Apple watch and iPhone: https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/see-time-in-daylight-apd3ab22534c/watchos#:~:text=The%20ambient%20light%20sensor%20in,Watch%20Series%206%20or%20later Questionnaire to determine chronotype: Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (Roenneberg et al., 2003): https://www.thewep.org/documentations/mctq
Erschienen: 16.05.2024
Dauer: 00:33:39
Weitere Informationen zur Episode "Episode 6: You ask, we answer – special Q&A episode"
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Rafael Lazar
In this episode of Light O’Clock, Caro Guidolin chats with Rafael Lazar, a PhD student in the field of chronobiology at the University of Basel. Rafael studies the real-world effects of light on the pupil. He elaborates on the impact of light on the pupil as he talks us through his remarkable study of pupil measurement under authentic, real-world conditions. Additionally, our guest highlights why current metrics for measuring light may not reflect our non-visual perception of light. Tune in to explore the relationship between light and the human pupil. Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Website: https://tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 30.04.2024
Dauer: 00:38:09
Weitere Informationen zur Episode "Episode 5: Shedding light on… pupil size across the lifespan"
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Dr. Elise McGlashan
Have you ever wondered why most people lean towards dark bedrooms for a good night's sleep? How light at night can affect our sleep is the focus of this episode of Light O’Clock. Dr. Elise McGlashan, an expert from the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, joins us to discuss how our bodies use light to regulate melatonin production, the nighttime hormone crucial to our sleep-wake cycle. Join us for this enlightening conversation with Dr. Elise McGlashan on Light O'Clock as we uncover the science behind the interplay of light and sleep. Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Website: https://tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 16.04.2024
Dauer: 00:25:55
Weitere Informationen zur Episode "Episode 4: Melatonin – the night time hormone"
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Prof. Robert Lucas
This episode, neuroscientist Prof. Robert Lucas from the University of Manchester and your host, Caro Guidolin, explore the multifaceted roles of different cells in the human retina. Learn about how a single type of cell can have a massive influence on our internal body clock and why there is a growing significance of light design in all our lives. These and other interesting topics will be tackled in this episode of Light O’Clock! Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Website: https://tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 02.04.2024
Dauer: 00:23:55
Weitere Informationen zur Episode "Episode 3: Using light to tell time"
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Dr. Maydel Fernandez-Alonso
In this episode, we delve into the topic of how our eyes deal with visible light and enable us to see colours and details. Join your host, Caro Guidolin, as she teams up with vision scientist Dr. Maydel Fernandez-Alonso from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics to unravel the enigma of the eye! Our guest will guide us through the intricate journey of light as it weaves through the anatomy of the eye and into our brain. Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Website: https://tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 19.03.2024
Dauer: 00:23:29
Weitere Informationen zur Episode "Episode 2: Light’s journey through the eye"
Host: Carolina Guidolin | Guest: Prof. Manuel Spitschan
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Light O'Clock! In this enlightening debut, your host, Caro Guidolin, engages in a compelling conversation about the biological circadian rhythm with Prof. Manuel Spitschan, a neuroscientist from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics and the Technical University of Munich. Our guest provides invaluable insights into the circadian rhythm, explaining how it responds to light exposure throughout the different times of day. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that encourages us to reconsider the impact of light on our daily lives. Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de Website: https://tscnlab.org/podcast
Erschienen: 05.03.2024
Dauer: 00:20:57
Weitere Informationen zur Episode "Episode 1: Light exposure – why should we care?"
