Reindeer Can Sleep and Chew (Their Cud) at the Same Time

It’s 5 a.m. on a cold, dark December morning in Tromsø, Norway. The Arctic town is in the midst of the polar night. The sun won’t break the horizon for six weeks. Inside a large barn, two bundled-up women pace, sing, and dance down an aisle, in front of reindeer fitted with makeshift halters. They’re not prepping Santa’s ride, but rather doing anything they can to keep the animals awake, for science. Most animals, including humans, are ruled by a circadian rhythm. Think of it as an internal clock that…

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