Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Hippopotamuses

Last paragraph of the Neuroscience paper that I just turned in:
(I assure you that the other ten pages were slightly more scientific.)

Eventually, however, the caffeine wears off, and I am powerless against the biological clock forcing my body to sleep. I resignedly climb into bed, and within an instant, I have already entered the first stage of sleep. In approximately an hour, I am in the deep, restful realm of slow-wave deep sleep, and my body is thanking me for the rest that is helping replenish everything from motor function to emotional control. As the night progresses, the periods of slow-wave sleep become shallower and brief, while REM sleep stages gradually increase in both length and frequency. During one of these REM cycles, I have a vivid dream about a brightly painted hippopotamus munching on baked-not-fried potato chips. When my alarm goes off the next morning, I wonder if this might be an auspicious sign.