Light O'Clock

Translational Sensory & Circadian Neuroscience Unit (MPS/TUM/TUMCREATE) · podcaster.eu

We break down the science behind circadian rhythms so you can be enlightened. In each podcast episode, we chat with experts in the field about a variety of topics, spanning from the effects of light on our biology and how it can be used for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and beyond.Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.deWebsite: https://tscnlab.org/podcast

32 episodes

1mo ago latest

monthly cadence

English language

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Episodes 30

Season 4 – Episode 2: The best time for a vaccine? Circadian rhythms and immunity
1mo ago · 31:59
Is there a best time for a vaccine? In this episode of Light O'Clock, we speak with Dr Cathy A. Wyse about whether the time of day when we receive a vaccine can influence how we respond to it. We first discuss how circadian rhythms shape the immune system, how vaccines work, and the difference between vaccine response (e.g., antibody levels) and vaccine effectiveness (i.e., protection against infection or disease). We then discuss why the current evidence remains mixed and how factors such as chronotype, sleep, age, sex, prior immunity, and vaccine type may influence results. Paper reference:
Season 4 – Episode 1: Why biological timing matters in medicine
2mo ago · 36:28
In the first episode of Season 4, we start with the foundations of circadian medicine. Together with our guest Henrik Oster, we take a tour through the circadian system and ask what biological timing has to do with health and disease. We discuss how the body coordinates different physiological and behavioural functions across the 24-hour day, what can happen when internal rhythms become disrupted, and why timing may matter in medicine. We then introduce three key ideas in circadian medicine: exploiting the clock to optimise the timing of treatments, targeting the clock as part of therapy, and
Season 4 – Trailer
2mo ago · 1:56
Light O'Clock is back with Season 4! In this new season, we explore how biological timing shapes health and disease, and how accounting for circadian rhythms may help improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We will discuss topics such as immunity and vaccination, cancer care, neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work. Join us as we take a tour through the emerging field of circadian medicine, and ask what it could mean for the future of healthcare.
Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 3: Built environment
3mo ago · 1:13:03
In the final episode of this mini-series, Caro, Anna, and Priji explore how the built environment shapes our interactions with daylight. From balconies and windows to schools, workplaces, and public spaces, the places we move through every day influence how much natural light we receive and how we experience it. These spaces are more than design choices. They are shaped by culture, climate, geography, and daily routines. Together with our interviewees, we discuss how architecture can either support or limit our relationship with daylight, and why paying attention to light in our environments m
Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 2: Culture & behaviour
4mo ago
In the second episode of our Interacting with Daylight mini-series, Caro is joined by Anna and Priji again to explore how cultural traditions and individual behaviours shape our interactions with daylight. Building on the previous discussion of location, this episode shifts the focus to how social norms, gender roles, and cultural traditions shape people’s experiences and interactions with daylight. Links and resources: Anna and Priji’s publication describing their framework: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00159-5 Visualisation of the framework’s “bubbles”: https://www.nature.com/articles/
Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 1: Geolocation
5mo ago
In this first episode of our new Interacting with Daylight mini-series, your host Caro is joined by Anna and Priji to discuss the Daylight Interaction Project, funded by the Daylight Academy. The project explores how people interact with daylight in everyday life and how this is shaped by factors such as location, built environments, culture and behaviours. The episode focuses on the first part of their framework: Location. Through interview snippets recorded during the Daylight Academy Summer School in beautiful Chexbres, Switzerland, the hosts reflect on how geography, climate, temperature a
Live episode – Night owl or early riser? A live podcast episode
6mo ago · 23:56
In this special episode of Light O’Clock, we share snippets from our very first live recording, captured on stage at Buch Wien in Vienna in November 2025. Host Caro Guidolin and her colleague Marie-Luise Schreiter answer audience questions on chronotype, light exposure, sleep, shift work, and why people feel more tired in winter.
Spotlight – Winter blues: SAD and how to winter well
7mo ago
Many people notice changes in mood, energy, and motivation during the dark winter months. In this episode, we explore Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the broader experience of feeling low in winter and, importantly, what science-backed strategies can help. We speak to Delainey Wescott about changes in sleep and circadian rhythms in SAD, and chat with Hester Parr and Hayden Lorimer about the Wintering Well project — an initiative that highlights the power of community, shared experiences, and collective coping during the darker months. Throughout the episode, we discuss practical approach
Light O'Clock goes live: Send us your questions!
10mo ago · 1:10
Light O’Clock is going live from Vienna at Buch Wien 2025 on Saturday, 15 November – and this time, you set the agenda for the episode! Together with Marie Luise Schreiter, we’ll be diving into your questions about how light shapes our brains, bodies, health, and daily rhythms – live on stage. What have you always wanted to know about light, sleep, or circadian rhythms? Send us your question through this link: https://form.jotform.com/252533837926365
Season 3 – Episode 5: Drowning in light – The hidden costs of light pollution
1y ago · 57:51
For our Season 3 finale of Light O’Clock, we dive into a timely and often overlooked issue: light pollution. Artificial light at night has become a constant in modern life — but what are the hidden consequences? Our guests, Barbara Harding, Travis Longcore and Karolina M. Zielińska-Dąbkowska, bring scientific insight into how nighttime light exposure may affect human health, including possible links to cancer, and how it disrupts wildlife, ecosystems, and natural rhythms. We also explore practical solutions: since we can’t simply switch off the lights, how can we use artificial light more resp
Season 3 – Episode 4: Too early to think? Why school start times matter for sleep and learning
1y ago · 41:25
Why do early mornings feel so brutal for teens? In this episode, we explore the science behind teenage sleep and circadian rhythms and why early school start times may be setting students up for failure. We talk to students from Italy and Germany, and sleep researcher Dr. Anna Magdalena Biller, to understand how biology, not laziness, is behind teen sleep struggles — and what schools, parents, and teachers could do about it. Big thanks to Margha, Lea, Giulia, Alice and Viola for sharing their perspectives on school start times! Links and resources related to the episode’s content: Review: Adol
Season 3 – Episode 3: Blurred vision – The myopia epidemic and indoor lifestyles
1y ago · 32:59
Today, more and more children around the world are developing myopia, or nearsightedness — especially in East Asia, where prevalence among school-aged children can reach up to 70%. Can simply spending more time outside in daylight help protect children from developing myopia? In this episode, our guest Asst. Prof. Raymond P. Najjar (National University of Singapore) breaks down: - What we know about the link between light exposure and myopia in children - Why kids aren’t spending enough time outdoors (and no — it’s not just because of tablets!) - How we might be able to rethink indoor lighting
Season 3 – Episode 2: City lights, country nights – Circadian rhythms in urban and rural life
1y ago · 33:19
How does life in cities versus rural areas shape our circadian rhythms? How does access to electricity — or the lack of it — impact sleep timing? And what happens to our circadian rhythms when we move from an urban setting to camping outside? Our guest Luísa Klaus Pilz (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) comments on field studies carried out when she was a PhD student and postdoc at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Laboratório de Cronobiologia e Sono - HCPA/UFRGS). Links and resources related to the episode’s content https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-29494-4 https://www
Season 3 – Episode 1: Tick-tock trouble – How clock changes affect our health
1y ago · 35:43
On 30 March 2025, Europe will switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST), moving clocks forward by one hour. While many people enjoy longer evenings, scientists in sleep and circadian research argue that DST can be harmful to our health. In this episode, we dive into the controversy surrounding DST and answer three key questions: Why do chronobiologists want to get rid of DST? What does the evidence say about DST’s impact on road traffic accidents? What does the public think about abolishing DST? We hear from experts, including Prof. Till Roenneberg, Prof. Sara Montagnese and Prof. Andrew Coogan, to
Season 3 – Trailer
1y ago · 3:36
Light O’Clock is back with a brand new season! In the next five episodes, we’re looking beyond the biology of body clocks to explore how our modern world shapes our biological rhythms — and how politics and society influence decisions about our body clocks. We’ll cover the controversies around clock changes and school start times, discuss how indoor lifestyles might be affecting our vision, compare rhythms of people living in big cities and rural areas, and assess the impact of light pollution on human health and on the environment. Catch you on Tuesday, 25 March 2025! New episodes released ev
Spotlight: Research, rooted in reality – The power of lived experience in scientific studies
1y ago · 33:29
How do individuals with lived experience and researchers come together to co-design a scientific study? In this special episode of Light O’Clock, we hear from Patrica Pelosi and Nomhle Nhlapho, who have lived experience of bipolar disorder and have contributed to shaping the HELIOS-BD study (more in our previous episode). We also hear from Dr Amy Ferguson, who works closely with the Lived Experience Advisory Panel of the HELIOS-BD study and is the coordinator of the Circadian Mental Health Network. Links and resources related to the episode’s content:More on the Circadian Mental Health Network
Spotlight: The dark side of daylight (Daylight Awareness Week 2024)
1y ago · 40:04
On the occasion of Daylight Awareness Week 2024 (28-31 October) and Halloween, Light O’Clock is partnering up with the Daylight Academy to bring you an extra special episode that blends the science, the spooky, and the supernatural! Our host dives into the eerie mysteries of circadian rhythms, sleep and daylight with Prof. em. Anna Wirz-Justice, a pioneer in the field of chronobiology. Tune in to learn about the witching hour, twilight, the forbidden zone, sundowning and much more! This episode is supported by the Daylight Academy. Links and resources related to the episode’s content:Daylight
Season 2 – Episode 5: Shedding light on… circadian rhythms and mental health
1y ago · 40:42
In today’s episode, we dive deep into the relationship between light, circadian rhythms and mental health with Prof. Daniel Smith from the University of Edinburgh. What role do light sensitivity and circadian rhythms play in bipolar disorder? How can we design studies to answer key questions in this area, and how can the involvement of patients ensure the success of a research study? Tune in to get the answers to these and many other questions about light, circadian rhythms and mental health. Links and resources related to the episode’s content:The HELIOS-BD study: https://www.heliosbd.com/ Th
Season 2 – Episode 4: In and out of sync
1y ago · 25:56
Did you know that your body has many body clocks? Like instruments in an orchestra, they each have a specific role to play, but how do they stay in rhythm with each other? In today’s episode, Dr. Laura Kervezee dives deep into the different body clocks, who is the conductor that makes our body run in harmony, and what happens when the rhythm goes out of sync. Timestamps(00:00) Intro (01:18) Introducing Dr. Kervezee (01:46) The different body clocks (03:20) How do these clocks sync? (05:00) The orchestra and the conductor (06:31) Clocks out of sync (09:18) Desynchrony in real life (10:25) Socia
Season 2 – Episode 3: Early birds and night owls – what is chronotype?
1y ago · 34:03
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Can you choose to be an early type? In this episode, Dr. Anna M. Biller from the Technical University of Munich explains what chronotype is, how it changes throughout the lifespan, what happens when your biological clock and your social clock are out of sync, and how can you measure your type. Listen to uncover the answers to these and many other fascinating questions about chronotype. Links and resources related to the episode’s contentMorningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) [https://qxmd.com/calculate/calculator_829/morningness-eveningness-questionna
Season 2 – Episode 2: Sleep and circadian rhythms – same or different?
1y ago · 28:35
In today’s episode, we dive deep into the relationship between circadian rhythms and the sleep-wake cycle with Dr. Renske Lok from Stanford University. Are they different or the same? What other processes in the body regulate your sleep? Can you catch-up on lost sleep? How can you even know if you are sleep-deprived and need more sleep? Tune in to get the answers to these and many other questions on sleep and circadian rhythms. Links and resources related to the episode’s contentGraphic of sleep pressure (process S) and circadian rhythms (process C) [https://static.physoc.org/app/uploads/2019/
Season 2 – Episode 1: Cave studies and fruit flies – the history of chronobiology
1y ago · 25:58
In this episode Prof. Orie Schafer, based at the CUNY Advanced Research Center, takes us through the history of the field of chronobiology, from its beginnings in plants, through studies in bunkers with humans, and the discovery of the clock genes thanks to the tiny but mighty fruit fly. Links and resources related to the episode’s contentPhotos of Jürgen Aschoff’s 1960’s bunker experiment [https://www.spiegel.de/geschichte/chronobiologie-schlaflabor-im-bunker-a-951188.html] Original publication on the discovery of the period gene by Ronald Konopka and Seymour Benzer [https://www.pnas.org/doi/
Season 2 – Trailer
2y ago · 4:26
Light O'Clock is back with a brand-new season starting next week! In this season, we will dive deep into the relationship between circadian rhythms and health (mental and physical), shedding light on what happens when we "break" the rhythms, when we do not live according to our chronotype and much, much more! Stay tuned for new episodes starting next Tuesday, 3 September 2024. Follow us on social media to stay up to date with our episodes and discover related content: Twitter/X: https://x.com/lightoclock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightoclockpodcast/ Website: https://www.tscnlab.org/
Season 1 – Episode 6: You ask, we answer – special Q&A episode
2y ago · 33:39
[This episode is available as a video episode on YouTube and Spotify.] In occasion of International Day of Light (16 May 2024), the Light O’Clock team is bringing you an extra special episode: We answer your burning questions on the topic of light and circadian rhythms! Our host unpacks listeners’ questions with guest Prof. Dr. Manuel Spitschan from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics and the Technical University of Munich. Links and resources related to the episode’s content: UNESCO International Day Of Light: https://www.lightday.org/ Recommendations for light exposure (Brown
Season 1 – Episode 5: Shedding light on… pupil size across the lifespan
2y ago · 38:09
In this episode of Light O’Clock, Caro Guidolin chats with Rafael Lazar, a PhD student in the field of chronobiology at the University of Basel. Rafael studies the real-world effects of light on the pupil. He elaborates on the impact of light on the pupil as he talks us through his remarkable study of pupil measurement under authentic, real-world conditions. Additionally, our guest highlights why current metrics for measuring light may not reflect our non-visual perception of light. Tune in to explore the relationship between light and the human pupil. Contact us: lightoclock@tuebingen.mpg.de

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Light O'Clock

Episodes 30

Season 4 – Episode 2: The best time for a vaccine? Circadian rhythms and immunity

Season 4 – Episode 1: Why biological timing matters in medicine

Season 4 – Trailer

Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 3: Built environment

Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 2: Culture & behaviour

Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 1: Geolocation

Live episode – Night owl or early riser? A live podcast episode

Spotlight – Winter blues: SAD and how to winter well

Light O'Clock goes live: Send us your questions!

Season 3 – Episode 5: Drowning in light – The hidden costs of light pollution

Season 3 – Episode 4: Too early to think? Why school start times matter for sleep and learning

Season 3 – Episode 3: Blurred vision – The myopia epidemic and indoor lifestyles

Season 3 – Episode 2: City lights, country nights – Circadian rhythms in urban and rural life

Season 3 – Episode 1: Tick-tock trouble – How clock changes affect our health

Season 3 – Trailer

Spotlight: Research, rooted in reality – The power of lived experience in scientific studies

Spotlight: The dark side of daylight (Daylight Awareness Week 2024)

Season 2 – Episode 5: Shedding light on… circadian rhythms and mental health

Season 2 – Episode 4: In and out of sync

Season 2 – Episode 3: Early birds and night owls – what is chronotype?

Season 2 – Episode 2: Sleep and circadian rhythms – same or different?

Season 2 – Episode 1: Cave studies and fruit flies – the history of chronobiology

Season 2 – Trailer

Season 1 – Episode 6: You ask, we answer – special Q&A episode

Season 1 – Episode 5: Shedding light on… pupil size across the lifespan

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Episodes 30

Season 4 – Episode 2: The best time for a vaccine? Circadian rhythms and immunity

Season 4 – Episode 1: Why biological timing matters in medicine

Season 4 – Trailer

Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 3: Built environment

Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 2: Culture & behaviour

Interacting with Daylight Mini-Series – Episode 1: Geolocation

Live episode – Night owl or early riser? A live podcast episode

Spotlight – Winter blues: SAD and how to winter well

Light O'Clock goes live: Send us your questions!

Season 3 – Episode 5: Drowning in light – The hidden costs of light pollution

Season 3 – Episode 4: Too early to think? Why school start times matter for sleep and learning

Season 3 – Episode 3: Blurred vision – The myopia epidemic and indoor lifestyles

Season 3 – Episode 2: City lights, country nights – Circadian rhythms in urban and rural life

Season 3 – Episode 1: Tick-tock trouble – How clock changes affect our health

Season 3 – Trailer

Spotlight: Research, rooted in reality – The power of lived experience in scientific studies

Spotlight: The dark side of daylight (Daylight Awareness Week 2024)

Season 2 – Episode 5: Shedding light on… circadian rhythms and mental health

Season 2 – Episode 4: In and out of sync

Season 2 – Episode 3: Early birds and night owls – what is chronotype?

Season 2 – Episode 2: Sleep and circadian rhythms – same or different?

Season 2 – Episode 1: Cave studies and fruit flies – the history of chronobiology

Season 2 – Trailer

Season 1 – Episode 6: You ask, we answer – special Q&A episode

Season 1 – Episode 5: Shedding light on… pupil size across the lifespan