Lights Out Library: Sleep Documentaries

In this new science/astronomy sleep story, I take you to the Jovian system and tell you about Jupiter's Moons and Jupiter itself. We visit Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Amalthea, and Metis, and we explore the inside of Jupiter and its formation history. I tell you about various concepts such as tidal heating, orbital resonance, and planetary differentiation.   Listen ad free and get access to bo...

This bedtime story is about the mythical Orient Express service and the history of railways. Discover where the Orient Express came from: the story takes us to the early development of trains in Great Britain, the railroad mania of the 19th Century, the conquest of the Far West, the invention of luxury sleeping cars in the US by George Pullman, and the creation of the Compagnie des Wagons-Lits. Fo...

In this bedtime science story, I tell you about Earth during the Pleistocene (aka "the Ice Age"). We explore what the planet was like, its geography, its climate, its fauna (especially the megafauna of mammals like mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, or mastodons), and the rise of the genus Homo, from the first Hominidae to Australopithecus species and various species of archaic humans (Homo Habilis,...

In this episode, I take you on a tour of lost Maya cities and to the discovery of the main aspects of their civilization: history, culture, architecture, art, religion, astronomy, society… We will visit sites like Nakbe, El Mirador, Tikal, or Chichen Itza and try to understand how ancient Maya cities thrived in Mesoamerica before and during the First Millenium, before they suffered catastrophic ur...

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest (and only) survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, as defined by the Greeks in Antiquity. But when, how, and why was such an extravagant structure built, more than four thousand years ago? In tonight's story, we explore a page of the history of Ancient Egypt, discuss the meaning of this work for its builders, discover the construction techniques...

Tonight, drift on the seven seas with us as we explore the history of pirates: in Antiquity, the Middle Ages and Modern Times; from the Mediterranean Sea to the China Seas, the Baltic Sea and the Caribbean. I also tell you about the lives and exploits of famous pirates and privateers, including the Barbarossa brothers, Ching Shih, Henry Morgan or Blackbeard. Listen ad free and get access to bonus...

In this week's story, we explore the significance attached to various colors throughout history, how pigments and dyes were made and with what surprising ingredients and how the status of colors changed over time in society, consumer goods and art. I focus on three colors in particular, which are global favorites: blue, green and red. Listen ad free and get access to bonus content on our Patreon:...

We launched a Patreon page for people who wish to support this podcast and get more of it. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/lightsoutlibrary621 "More" means: episodes without ads, an option with background sounds for each episode, downloads, and bonus episodes - we just posted the first one, about the history of glassmaking and stained glass, which will be available only on Patreon. We upload...

This soft-spoken sleep talk tells the story of the Aeneid and explains its historical and political significance. Join me and we will follow Aeneas on his adventures from Troy, which he had to endure with his son Ascanius and his father Anchises, under the protection of his mother Venus, to the Latium in Italy where war had to be fought before Rome could be founded. Aeneas benefits from Venus' pro...

This episode is about the history of dinosaurs: what are they? When did they appear? How did they rule the Earth's continents for 150 million years? What happened to them? Tonight, I tell you about dinosaurs in general, various famous groups such as Brachiosaurus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus, and also about paleontology, the study of fossils, cladistics, and various per...

In this soft-spoken bedtime story, I tell you about historical and scientific mysteries and their context:  - The Voynich Manuscript, a strange codex apparently from the early 15th Century, written in an unknown language.  - The Phaistos Disc, an artifact discovered in Crete in the ruins of a Minoan palace, with what looks like a script, but that has always resisted attempts at deciphering it.  -...

This bedtime story is about medicine and healing since the Neolithic. I will tell you about Ancient Mesopotamia and the first diagnosis and prescriptions, Ancient Egypt and the figure of Imhotep, India, and the principles of Ayurveda, or Chinese Medicine including Moxibustion and Acupuncture. We also take a look at medicine in Ancient Greece and Rome, including important figures like Hippocrates a...

In tonight's story, I discuss the long history of Stonehenge, from the first works on the site by people from the Windmill Hill culture around 3100 BC, to the multiple works and rearrangements that took place until 1600 BC. After this, Stonehenge continued to live a life of its own and was adopted by the druids, became a legendary monument, and revealed extraordinary secrets since the 20th century...

Tonight, I will tell you the story of the Odyssey, and as in previous mythology videos, I will discuss a few historical and literary aspects. If you want to know about the lotus-eaters, the cyclops, 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 Telemachu...

This episode details three different historical mysteries. First, we will relive the voyage of the Donner Party, a group of migrants who traveled from Illinois to California in 1846, but did not manage to reach their destination before the winter and had to set camp in the Sierra Nevada, until they were rescued in 1847. Second, we will travel to Oak Island, a small island in Nova Scotia that has b...

Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and more: this bedtime story explores the world of precious and semi-precious stones. We will explore what they are made of, where they come from, how they are cut, and stories about famous gems like the Koh-i-Noor or the Star of India. Listen on Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@LightsOutLibraryov⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ¿Quieres escuchar en Español? Echa un vista...

In this sleepy space story, we travel together to Mars and back. I'll tell you about orbits, space travel, spacecrafts, the difficulties of manned missions in space (zero gravity, radiation, etc.), as well as the history of Mars, its climate, geology, environment and aspirations to one day terraform the planet for human habitation. Plus we'll visit a volcano the size of Italy! Listen on Youtube: ⁠...

Tonight we will explore four lost cities together: Pompeii, Angkor, Great Zimbabwe, and Cliff Palace, also known as Mesa Verde. They were buried under volcanic ashes, overwhelmed by the jungle, or just abandoned in a remote region until being rediscovered centuries later. Join me as we reveal their fascinating stories and what these places can still teach us. Listen on Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www....

Tonight I tell you stories from Egyptian Mythology, including explanations about their context and meaning. We will meet all sorts of gods and creatures: Osiris, Isis, Ra, Horus, Atum, Shu, Geb, Amun, and the other gods from the Ogdoad, Ptah, Sekhmet, Hathor, Bastet, Anubis, Nephthys, and many more... Enjoy my audiobook on Ancient Egyptian History, Myths & Mysteries: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/sho...

Tonight I will tell you about the origins and evolution of cosmetics and perfume, from prehistory to our time. We explore how ancient cultures developed cosmetics and how important they were in reflecting social order and beauty standards. I will also talk about the history of perfume, from the first known scent extraction equipment and the first known perfume maker in Mesopotamia, to the diversif...

This soft spoken bedtime story explores the histories of three well-known palaces: Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany: an extravagant and romantic retreat envisioned by King Ludwig II; Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England: the longest-occupied royal residence in Europe with almost a millennium of architectural history; Château de Chambord in France: a marvellous French Renaissance palace co...

Tonight, I tell you of several mysterious stories about places and events around the World: the Tunguska Event and the Dyatlov Pass Incident in Russia; the Antikythera Mechanism from Greece; the Roswell crash of 1947 and the D.B. Cooper Hijacking in the USA; and the Nazca Lines in Peru. Can they be described by current scientific knowledge and common sense? How did these events or artifacts challe...

In this bedtime story, I tell you about Greek Mythology around the Trojan War, including the Iliad by Homer. 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 gods fo...

In this bedtime story for deep sleep, we visit Mercury and Venus, two planets with formidable environments. I will share with you various theories about their formation, what they are composed of, what to expect at their surfaces, and other interesting facts like how orbits form and are maintained, or what a supercritical fluid is. I hope you enjoy this relaxing way to learn more about space while...

For tonight's sleep-inducing talk, I invite you for a long moment in the woods. We explore the origins of plants and how they evolved from microscopic algae to mosses, ferns, seed plants with or without flowers. I also discuss the life cycle of trees, what they are made of, and many aspects that often go unnoticed such as their ability to exchange signals, connect by their roots, develop mutualist...