Scope

This program looks at how people are trying to hack their sleeping patterns. Marc Fennell chats to those affected and delves into hacks that have been proven to work.

Lawrence Leung lives a busy life - he's an actor, comedian and a dad to a young daughter. He doesn't always get enough sleep and often wonders if he should be getting more. In this episode of Catalyst, Lawrence explores the latest science behind sleep to find out what he's missing out on - and if he needs it at all. Lawrence meets some of Australia's top sleep scientists as he asks: What is sleep for? When should I go to bed? What happens if I don't sleep? And, how can I sleep better? Along the way he discovers that it's during sleep that the brain chooses which memories to strengthen and which to lose; that extreme sleep deprivation negatively affects a whole range of body functions; and that he should be sleeping more like an elite athlete - and a koala.

Discover why sleep is imperative for healing, staving off disease and brain function. Dr Shalin heads to the sleep clinic and finds out why we snore, if it's bad for our health, and most importantly, is there a cure?

Do you make your own luck, or does luck make you? Some scientists believe luck is strictly a matter of statistics and probabilities, but others believe unseen forces are at work.

Jesse learns about our threatened species at a wildlife hospital. Em pays a home visit to Laura from Junior Masterchef. Stacey introduces us to an adorable wombat joey born at Taronga Zoo as part of their breeding program. Find out what kind of things people are doing for the #21YourWay challenge as part of Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

Brook finds out how OzHarvest helps those in need and keeps food waste out of landfill at the same time. Stacey meets some sculptors taking part in the Swell Sculpture Festival on Currumbin Beach. The studio is also special because it gives work to artists with disabilities who create sculptures and learn new skills along the way.