Fine Minds

Fine Music Radio — In the Fine Minds lecture series, which has run since 2015, the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Extra-Mural Studies has aired lectures by famous South Africans (J M Coetzee, William Kentridge, academics. FMR says goodnight to the series with a lecture on sleep and its relation to health. Sleep is critical for our survival, but often one of the first aspects of our lifestyle to be compromised in a world in which we are forever seeking more hours in the day. Dr Dale Rae, senior researcher in UCT’s Department of Human Biology, will explore what exactly sleep is, its function, and its all-important link with health and disease. Dr Rae’s research focuses on chronobiology – the study of the body’s circadian (24-hour) rhythms – and sleep physiology. She is particularly interested in how sleep is associated with health, disease and obesity, and the relationship between sleep, the body clock and physical performance. The final Fine Minds lecture will be broadcast on Sunday 29 October, jus