Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries

Where did the idea of the vampire come from? In this Halloween special, we will trace the myth from ancient creatures like Lilith and Lamia to medieval stories of the restless dead, vampire panics in Eastern Europe, and figures such as Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Báthory. We will also look at how literature transformed vampires in novels like The Vampyre, Carmilla, and Dracula, before cinema ga...

In this science talk for bedtime, I review the entire periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics. We have 118 elements to go through, so make yourself comfortable, grab a drink or close your eyes if you wish to, and let's get started! This content is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes...

In this soft-spoken story, I tell you about Greek mythology around the Trojan War. We explore its storylines and numerous characters, from gods like Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, and Hera to heroes and other mortals: Menelaus, Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax, Patroclus, Hector, Priam, Paris, Aeneas, Helen of Troy, and many more. Discover how the feud between the gods over Eris’ golden apple...

Tonight, I take you to the wonderful world of bees. I tell you about the most famous social species, the western honey bee, but there are thousands more and not all of them are social. We will also discover solitary species like carpenter bees, mason bees or leafcutter bees. Other species are parasitic brood, like the cuckoo bumblebee. Apart from these, eusocial species live in elaborate societies...

This episode will give you an overview of the concept of multiverse: where does it come from? What are the various meanings and ideas behind that term? I detail different versions of this idea, coming from cosmology such as the "Eternal Inflation Multiverse" and the "Cosmic Landscape Hypothesis" derived from String Theory, quantum mechanics (the "Many-Worlds Interpretation"), and the "Computationa...

Tonight’s episode is a remastered version of one of the first stories ever released on the podcast. The original version covered cosmetics and perfumes; in this new version we expanded the history of cosmetics and left the history of perfumes for a future story. The new material covers the influence of Hollywood and flapper culture, women who helped build the modern beauty industry, dangerous cosm...

In this relaxing story, I tell you about the history of castles in Europe, from the first earthworks from the Bronze Age to Roman castra and finally medieval castles. We follow their development from motte & bailey castles to giant fortresses of the 14th century with dungeons, concentric walls, drawbridges, portcullis, machicolations, moats... I also tell you about medieval society and how castles...

As long compilations of episodes that can accompany you for several hours were requested, we put this new one together. This episode consists of three main topics: - Mysteries of Celtic culture, especially the druids: who were they and what was their role in Celtic societies? - A journey to "lost cities", in particular Machu Picchu in Peru and Meroe in Nubia (Sudan) - Forgotten gods of Antiquity,...

This episode is a remastered and improved version of one of the first stories ever released on the podcast. This new version includes updated information, as well as very recent results published in July 2026 from MAVEN, the spacecraft that spent more than 11 years studying Mars and the history of its atmosphere. I also talk about AstroRad, a new device tested in deep space that could help protect...

Alexander the Great is a name that sounds almost more legendary than real. In tonight's episode, we will talk about his time, his life and his conquests. Born from King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias of Epirus, educated by Aristotle, Alexander takes the lead of the League of Corinth, a coalition of Greek states. He leads his army into the conquest of the greatest empire of the time: the empire...

In this soft-spoken sleep story, I tell you about the history of furniture from Prehistory to our days, with an emphasis on French styles from the 17th and 18th Centuries (Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI style). I also explain a few different techniques, like veneering, marquetry, and ormolu (gilt bronze). This content is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid...

In this bedtime story, I tell you about three “lost cities” and the civilizations that built them: • Machu Picchu, built as a retreat for Inca emperors 50 miles from their capital, Cusco, and largely forgotten by the outside world for more than 300 years. • Meroë, the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, along with a brief history of Nubia and its relations with Egypt in antiquity. Before Meroë became...

In this science talk for bedtime, I review the periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics (for example in this episode: metalloids, alpha and beta decay, Xenon poisoning of nuclear reactors...) as well as the industrial and economic relevance of some of these elements. For tonight, we continue with elements 3...

As long compilations of episodes that can accompany you for several hours were requested, we put this new one together. Bestiaries were medieval compendiums that contained information and illustrations of real and legendary animals. Following this ancient tradition, we have put together talks about the origins of different legendary and fantasy creatures. Make yourself comfortable, this will be a...

In this episode, I tell you the story of the Odyssey, and as in previous mythology videos I discuss a few historical and literary aspects. If you want to know about the lotus-eaters, the cyclopes, 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....

In this episode, I tell you about the transition from the nomadic lifestyle of hunters and gatherers to the sedentary life of the first agricultural communities. We will examine the theories that explain this change, how it took place, and its consequences. Some of these consequences were counterintuitive. For example, the Agricultural Revolution initially led to a deterioration in health and life...

In this science talk for bedtime, I review the periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics (for example in this episode: the timeline of the discovery of elements, why there is quite a lot of iron in the universe, endothermic and exothermic fusions...) as well as the industrial and economic relevance of some o...

In this new sleepy documentary-style story, we will explore the cultural history of three colors: yellow, black, and white. How were pigments for art and crafts or dyes obtained? What were the meanings, symbolisms, and status of these colors across various ancient cultures and to our days? Let's find out. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-rol...

In this science talk for bedtime, I review the periodic table of the elements methodically and explain in simple terms plenty of phenomena and concepts about chemistry and physics (for example in this episode: the structure of atoms, valence and reactivity, isotopes, allotropes, ionic compounds, the definitions of metals...) as well as the industrial and economic relevance of some of these element...

As long compilations of episodes that can accompany you for several hours were requested, we put this new one together. This is a compilation of three different stories: Maya and Aztec Mythology, Native American Myths (Navajo and Apache), and History of the Incas. This podcast is entirely scripted and recorded by real people, it includes no AI, and mid-roll ad breaks are turned off so that you can...

This sleepy documentary is a time travel to the Celtic era to examine historical mysteries and discover more about Celtic culture. I will tell you about the druids: what we know of their emergence, their functions, their cultural importance, and the many aspects of druidism that remain mysterious. We will also travel to the Hill of Tara in Ireland, examine the mystery of the vitrification of hillf...

This documentary sleep story is about the history of dinosaurs: What were they? When did they appear? How did they rule the Earth's continents for 150 million years? What happened to them? In this story I tell you about dinosaurs in general, various famous groups such as Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus, and more! I also tell you about paleontology, the study of f...

What are the origins of well-known legendary figures, such as the phoenix, the unicorn and the mermaid? From ancient symbols and myths to medieval bestiaries, we are going to explore their appearance and evolution and try to dig a bit deeper. Why do certain motifs such as the phoenix appear across various cultures? What are the Physiologus and the illustrated bestiaries from the Middle Ages? What...

In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about cats: their evolutionary history from the first Felidae to domestic cats, their species, their characteristics, and how they live. We will review extinct genera and species, such as Proailurus or the well-known saber-toothed cats from the Pleistocene, and many extant species: tigers, lions (and their hybrids: ligers and tigons), jaguars, leopards...

This documentary-style bedtime story takes us along lost trails of the Andes Mountains, to the discovery of several millennia of civilization in this region (Caral-Supe, the Valdivia culture, Chimu, Wari, Tiwanaku...), until the rise of the Inca Empire. I tell you about the history and culture of the Incas, as well as the development of their empire, from the small Kingdom of Cusco to one of the l...