Podcast
I Can’t Sleep
Hosted by Benjamin Boster · EN
Trouble sleeping? You could count sheep, or let I Can’t Sleep do the heavy yawning for you. Host Benjamin Boster reads slow-paced, fact-filled content on science, history, and everyday oddities with zero plot twists and even less urgency. It’s calm. It’s consistent. And yes, you might accidentally learn something. So get comfy, press play, and let your brain wander off without you.
79episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The International Space Station | Can’t Sleep? Learn About Life in Orbit
1w ago00:33:25Tap to summarizeThe International Space Station has been continuously inhabited since the year 2000, serving as a laboratory, home, and engineering marvel orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth. This episode explores the station’s purpose, the international partnership behind it, how astronauts live and work in microgravity, and the research conducted aboard the station. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from International Space Station, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →King Tut | Can’t Sleep? Learn About the Famous Pharaoh
2w ago00:30:09Tap to summarizeTutankhamun ruled ancient Egypt for only a short time, yet he became one of the most famous pharaohs in history. This episode explores the story of King Tut, from his place in Egypt’s royal dynasty to the remarkable discovery of his nearly intact tomb. Along the way, you’ll hear about royal succession, the restoration of traditional religion, and the discoveries that continue to shape our understanding of ancient Egypt. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Tutankhamun, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Violas | Can’t Sleep? Learn About the Orchestra’s Hidden Gem
2w ago00:32:20Tap to summarizeViolas have long occupied the middle voice of the string family, bridging the bright sound of the violin and the rich depth of the cello. This episode explores how violas developed, what gives them their distinctive tone, how they differ from violins, and the important role they play in orchestras and chamber music. Along the way, you’ll hear about instrument design, famous composers, playing techniques, and the enduring appeal of an instrument that has often lived just outside the spotlight. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Viola, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Airliners | Can’t Sleep? Learn About Commercial Aviation
2w ago00:30:20Tap to summarizeAirliners have transformed the way people travel, making it possible to cross continents and oceans in a matter of hours. This episode explores the history of commercial aviation, how airliners evolved, the different types of passenger aircraft, and the engineering that makes modern flight possible. Along the way, you’ll hear about famous airliners, airline operations, aircraft design, and the remarkable systems that keep millions of passengers moving safely through the skies every year. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Airliner, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airliner), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Otters | Can’t Sleep? Learn About Nature’s Playful Mammals
3w ago00:32:27Tap to summarizeOtters are found in rivers, lakes, coastlines, and oceans across much of the world. This episode explores how otters are adapted for life in the water, where they live, how they move through their environments, and the characteristics that distinguish them from other members of the weasel family. Along the way, you’ll hear about dense waterproof fur, webbed feet, streamlined bodies, and the behaviors that have made otters some of the world’s most recognizable mammals. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Otter, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otter), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Flags | Can’t Sleep? Learn About the Symbols of Nations
3w ago00:31:19Tap to summarizeFlags have served as symbols of identity, communication, and history for thousands of years. This episode explores how flags developed from military standards into national symbols, why they use particular colors and designs, and the traditions and rules surrounding their display. Along the way, you’ll hear about maritime signaling, vexillology, and the many roles flags have played throughout history. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Flag, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Oregon Trail | Can’t Sleep? Learn About America’s Great Migration
3w ago00:36:46Tap to summarizeThe Oregon Trail was more than a single path across the American West. This episode explores the network of routes that carried hundreds of thousands of emigrants toward Oregon, California, and beyond, and how those trails changed over time. Along the way, you’ll hear about famous cutoffs, river crossings, mountain passes, frontier forts, and the geography that shaped one of the largest overland migrations in American history. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Oregon Trail, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Trail), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Cereal | Can’t Sleep? Learn About the World’s Most Important Crops
4w ago00:30:57Tap to summarizeCereal crops have shaped human civilization for thousands of years. This episode explores the grasses that produce the world’s most important edible grains, how cereals are cultivated and harvested, and why crops like wheat, rice, maize, barley, and oats became the foundation of societies across the globe. Along the way, you’ll hear about ancient agriculture, plant biology, global food production, and the remarkable versatility of these everyday grains. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Cereal, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cereal), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Concrete | Can’t Sleep? Learn About the Foundation of Modern Cities
4w ago00:30:22Tap to summarizeConcrete has shaped the modern world in ways most people rarely notice. This episode explores the history of concrete, how it is made, why it became one of the most widely used building materials on Earth, and how engineers continue to use it to create everything from roads and bridges to dams and skyscrapers. Along the way, you’ll hear about ancient Roman construction, cement production, reinforced concrete, and the science behind structures designed to last for generations. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Concrete, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Crop Circles | Can’t Sleep? Learn About One of History’s Strangest Mysteries
Jun 2600:34:27Tap to summarizeCrop circles transformed ordinary farm fields into the setting for one of the modern world’s most persistent mysteries. This episode explores the history of crop circles, where reports originated, how increasingly complex designs appeared across the countryside, and why so many people became convinced something unusual was happening. Along the way, you’ll hear about famous formations, scientific investigations, media attention, competing theories, and the artists who eventually demonstrated that creating enormous geometric patterns in crops required more planning than extraterrestrial assistance. It’s steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Crop circle, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crop_circle), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: icantsleep.supportingcast.fmHave a topic in mind? Request a topic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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