It Takes Time

Walker wrote the book “Why We Sleep” and is an advocate for at least 8 hours each night. 

He explains how a mixture of REM sleep and deep sleep can help humans consolidate learning and store memories.

The ratio between these two modes of sleep is extremely important yet cannot be controlled.

He conducted an experiment with two groups: 8-hour-sleepers vs all-nighters. 

He then studied the individuals brain patterns in an MRI scan as they tried to memorize and recall facts. The 8-hour-sleepers showed healthy, active brain patterns associated with learning whereas the all-nighters showed virtually no such signs.

Walker concludes that sleep is vital to help heal emotional trauma by reflection in deep sleep and convert knowledge into wisdom through the associations formed between the emotional, memorial and abstract in REM sleep.

Julia Watson is an architect studying indigenous low-tech designs.

She observed how the Kashi people overcame the problems presented with living in a region of monsoons and high average rainfall. The torrential flash-floods and rivers would often destroy any infrastructure so the people planted native trees/shrubbery which grew over 50 years and was woven into bridges. 

This long-term, low tech solution proved far more resilient than any design which fought against nature.

She also observed the Uros people living on Lake Titicaca on floating islands made of the cattail reed.

They wove houses from this plant in under 3 days without the need for other resources.

 The resilience of these structures didn’t come from their physical strength but from their adaptability under the assumption they would decay and breakdown over time.

Nagin Cox has worked on all 3 Mars rovers to date. 

She recounts that once they are on Mars, they must make use of their time and work efficiently.

This requires the team of scientists and engineers to work with it, allowing it to gather information in the day and they recharge at night when the team receives the information, they must analyses it and then plan and creates instructions for the rover’s following day.

Since Mars has a slower rotation than Earth, one day (or Sol as it is known) is 40 minutes longer. 

This means the team must work with Martian time, syncing their watches to be slower by 40 minutes and separating themselves from their fellow earthlings.

Cox noted the profound separation she felt from her friends when working on Mars time, her and her fellow colleagues referred to themselves as Martians as they began to function on another rhythm.