One of the sleep study's authors, Lynn Nadel, will give the first of six public "Mind and Brain" lectures at the UA tonight.
Nadel said he won't be talking about babies and naps in what he bills as an introduction to the series.
He said he'll start with general background and the history of our ideas about the brain, and then explore the modern concept of the brain as a predictive device.
"The brain is constantly making predictions about what you're going to see and feel, etc., but you only become aware of them when your expectations don't get fulfilled," Nadel said. That's why stepping onto an escalator that isn't moving is such a "weird sensation," he said.
The talk also will explore the role of memory in predicting the future and the way in which we make predictions about the value of our experiences.