# Event Details - **Event Name**: NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 10 Jun, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Wed, 10 Jun, 2026 at 07:00 pm (+01:00) - **Event Description**: Why Our Minds Wander & What does sleep do for our brain?About this EventThursday 10th June 2026 | 6pmNU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8A series of talks in partnership with Northumbria UniversityWhy Our Minds Wander: The Neuroscience Behind DaydreamingA talk by Prof Leigh Martin Riby, Professor Cognitive NeuroscienceWe 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/dementiaA talk by Dr Greg Elder, Associate Director/Assistant Professor, Northumbria Centre for Sleep ResearchResearch interests: Sleep, ageing, dementia and healthGood 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)There is no set ticket price for this event, but if you would like to make a small donation to support the good work of The Lit & Phil we would be very grateful. Click the link above to donate via Paypal.Broken Sleep | Image source copyright free, from Unsplash - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/newcastle-upon-tyne/nu-ideas-|-season-4-talk-8-|-wandering-minds-and-sleep-for-brains/100001896656493629 - **Event Categories**: nonprofit, health-wellness - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Newcastle Upon Tyne - **state**: EN - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: The Lit & Phil - **lat**: 54.9694099 - **long**: -1.614005 - **full address**: The Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/cbb1ce7dd129114036a74b7b20e91b4e7497553ab984d16374a40a4c6528d869-rimg-w1200-h581-dcffffff-gmir.jpg?v=1761975450 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains being held? - **A:** NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains takes place on Wed, 10 Jun, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Wed, 10 Jun, 2026 at 07:00 pm at The Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains? - **A:** NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains is organized by The Lit and Phil. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "NU Ideas | Season 4 Talk 8 | Wandering Minds & Sleep for Brains", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/cbb1ce7dd129114036a74b7b20e91b4e7497553ab984d16374a40a4c6528d869-rimg-w1200-h581-dcffffff-gmir.jpg?v=1761975450", "startDate": "2026-06-10T18:00:00+01:00", "endDate": "2026-06-10T19:00:00+01:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/newcastle-upon-tyne/nu-ideas-|-season-4-talk-8-|-wandering-minds-and-sleep-for-brains/100001896656493629", "eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventScheduled", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "The Lit & Phil", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "23 Westgate Road", "postalCode": "NE1 1SE", "addressLocality": "Newcastle Upon Tyne", "addressRegion": "EN", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "54.9694099", "longitude": "-1.614005" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Why Our Minds Wander & What does sleep do for our brain?", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2025-11-01", "availabilityEnds": "2026-06-10T19:00:00+01:00", "validFrom": "2025-11-01", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/newcastle-upon-tyne/nu-ideas-|-season-4-talk-8-|-wandering-minds-and-sleep-for-brains/100001896656493629" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "GBP", "availabilityStarts": "2025-11-01", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2025-11-01", "url": "https://allevents.in/newcastle-upon-tyne/nu-ideas-|-season-4-talk-8-|-wandering-minds-and-sleep-for-brains/100001896656493629", "price": 0, "name": "General Admission" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Lit and Phil", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/the-lit-and-phil/19029843", "description": "The Lit & Phil is a beautiful independent library and educational charity, opened in 1825. Free to visit and browse, the library is a great space for research, study and relaxation.Situated a few minutes from Central Station, the library hosts an exciting and diverse range of events including lectures, concerts, book launches, poetry and theatre." } ] } ] ```