
Partial sleep in the context of augmentation of brain function (2014) - jumasheff
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013465/
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choxi

      However, it is possible to consider another, fundamentally different, scenario. What if the brain, as all other visceral organs of an organism, does not need any special recuperative rest connected with total interruption of functionality? What if the brain, like a computer, can work efficiently for long periods of time, and observed “sensory isolation” of the brain during sleep just reflects switching over for processing of another flow of incoming information?
    
      We should not forget that sleep-deprived animals die not because they become blind, deaf, have forgotten the ways to a food tray or because of serious problems with decision making. They die mainly because of multiple visceral disorders in virtually all life supporting systems, including the immune system (Rechtshaffen and Bergmann, 2002). At the same time, the brain appears to be the most resistant organ.
    

...

    
    
      Thus, the central nervous system during sleep might be involved in the process of visceral regulation.
    

That's a fascinating theory, I never realized the brain is never the primary
cause of sleep-deprivation induced death. What sort of regulation do "visceral
organs" like the immune system need that, if you don't sleep for long periods
of time, they start to fail?

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PhasmaFelis
> _We should not forget that sleep-deprived animals die [...] mainly because
> of multiple visceral disorders in virtually all life supporting systems_

It is really disturbing to read clinical facts like this and realize that we
know them because someone dedicated, at a minimum, several months to slowly
torturing a bunch of animals to death.

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ss248
>several months to slowly torturing a bunch of animals to death.

How about years of slowly torturing a lot of humans to death then? (Unit 731,
Nazis, etc.)

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PhasmaFelis
How is that relevant? I mention a bad thing, you mention an even worse thing,
case closed somehow?

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ss248
How is that relevant? I will tell you.

Experiments on animals are not pretty, but they are the least harmful way of
moving science forward.

The only thing we can do is to make sure no animal have to die/suffer without
real necessity and be grateful for their sacrifices.

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PhasmaFelis
> _The only thing we can do is to make sure no animal have to die /suffer
> without real necessity_

Where's the necessity in this experiment? How many human lives were saved by
"gosh I wonder how long I can keep a rat awake before it literally dies"?

And why did you lump me in with Nazis, again?

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ss248
>How many human lives were saved by "gosh I wonder how long I can keep a rat
awake before it literally dies"?

Following your logic, Nazis/Unit 731 did nothing wrong, because after war a
lot of human lives were saved by them/thanks to them. If you don't understand
why i bring them up in the first place, go read about them. Specifically on
what happened to them after war. It may change your view on modern science.

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PhasmaFelis
> _Following your logic_

Uh, no, I was following _your_ logic. You proposed the "real necessity" test.
You can't turn it around and pretend that I said that first.

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dmichulke
This theory also opens the door to understanding all the other studies where,
e.g., your intestine bacteria population determines your mood.

It also provides the causal connection between how your brain affects your
body (e.g., via meditation) and vice versa (e.g., reflexology, acupuncture)

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jacobsimon
This is a really interesting article that I hadn't come across before. Thanks
for posting!

