NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains

Thursday 10th June 2026 | 6pm

NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8

A series of talks in partnership with Northumbria University

Why Our Minds Wander: The Neuroscience Behind Daydreaming

A talk by Prof Leigh Martin Riby, Professor Cognitive Neuroscience

We all do it. You’re listening to this lecture, on a walk, or staring out the window, and your mind drifts to unrelated thoughts and feelings. You’re suddenly thinking about a conversation from last week, planning a romantic dinner, imagining a different life, or even ruminating about a painful event from years ago. This everyday experience, which is difficult to measure, isn’t just a distraction and sign of boredom, it can be helpful.

In this talk, we’ll explore why our minds wander and what happens in the brain when they do. I’ll share insights from my own brain imaging studies and electrophysiological recordings to illustrate how our brain shifts focus from the external to the inner world. We’ll look at how these moments of zoning out can sometimes help us solve problems, boost creativity, and plan for the future but also how, if left unchecked, they can make us feel anxious or low.

You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of what daydreaming is and, at times, a powerful mental resource. Then, perhaps next time your mind wanders, you’ll understand what it’s trying to do and how to guide it more constructively.

What does sleep do for our brain? Healthy aging/dementia

A talk by Dr Greg Elder, Associate Director/Assistant Professor, Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research

Research interests: Sleep, ageing, dementia and health

Good sleep is essential for good health. As the climate gets hotter, this is changing the weather, at a global, national and also regional level. But an increasing body of evidence indicates that this is bad for our sleep. In this talk, I will explore why as the planet (and Newcastle upon Tyne) gets hotter, this is very likely to be bad for our sleep, and what impact this could have upon our physical, psychological and brain health.

A LIVE Lit & Phil Event | FREE

(If you would prefer to book directly over the phone, please call the Library Desk team on 0191 232 0192 and they will be happy to help)

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Broken Sleep | Image source copyright free, from Unsplash

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