Concluding its spring season, the Lewes Public Library’s Science and Society lecture series will host Dr. David R. Samson, a University of Toronto professor, for an online conversation about sleep in human evolution, based on his forthcoming book, “The Sleepless Ape,” at 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, offered via Zoom.

Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining health and cognitive function, yet humans sleep less than any other primate. Samson will discuss how this apparent paradox evolved, why sleep is a critical but often overlooked aspect of human evolution, and how its evolution in humans led to their success as a species. These deeper understandings are important for understanding sleep disorders, and improving overall health and well-being.

Samson’s pioneering research has been featured in National Geographic, Time magazine and The New York Times, and on NPR and the BBC.

To register for the online event, go to tinyurl.com/LPLScienceSpring26 or call the library at 302-645-2733.

The Lewes Public Library’s Science and Society - Making Sense of the World Around Us lecture series is co-organized and moderated by Colin Norman, former news editor at Science; Fred Dylla, executive director emeritus of the American Institute of Physics and author of “Scientific Journeys”; and Lynda Dylla, former public information officer at the Jefferson Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy.