About This Video

Curious observers have noticed for centuries that ducks sometime sleep with one eye open, but had never really looked into why or how. Neils Rattenborg, a neurophysiologist at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, is particularly interested in this phenomenon. While watching the ducks at his lab, he noticed this peculiar sleep pattern in a new light and gleaned new insight in the nature of sleep and group safety.
More from this series: Mind after Midnight

Image courtesy of Malingering; Recorded June 2011; Posted October 2011