Morpheus

From Curiosity Weekly

Awareness in a Vegetative State

Published
September 2, 2026
Length
30:46

Audio is streamed from the publisher.

Show notes

When someone goes into a coma or vegetative state, it is only natural for their doctors and loved ones to try to understand their level of awareness of the world around them. But, every patient is different and it’s not as simple as it looks in the movies. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by a noted expert in the field of covert consciousness, Dr. Adrian Owen. They discuss his work on how the brain perceives the world from an unconscious state. Sam also looks into new research that solves a years-old puzzle about the physics of sprinklers and a study that is trying to give our brains the benefit of sleep without sleeping at all. Link to Show Notes [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w3Ckz9mL7\_EH079WbW\_NCO\_XJ\_DayhwRcdcPfSLjj80/edit?usp=sharing"]( HERE _Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with_[https://twitter.com/producercody"]( [https://www.instagram.com/science.sam/"]( _Dr. Samantha Yammine_ _— for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to_ [https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity"]( [https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity](https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity ) _to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply._ --- Hosted on Acast. See [acast.com/privacy]( https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy for more information.