Enter The Sandman

BBC:

US researchers kept volunteers awake for 35 hours and found huge increases in brain activity when shown images designed to make them angry or sad.

The research in the journal Current Biology points to links between mental illness and sleep problems, they said.

[...]

After the volunteers had stayed awake for an extended period, they were scanned while being shown picture cards designed to provoke an emotional response.

Well, I can certainly vouch for the fact that if I go a few days without a decent amount of sleep, I'm well on my way to batshit crazy, collect $200 and pass Cranky. It is kind of cool that they can actually measure the brain activity in this state to prove that there are definitely heightened reactions going on. That got me thinking...

Now, I know we don't have access to the really cool devices (even the machine that goes ping!) used in this research, but I think we can initiate our own Shakestudy on sleep deprivation, using the same picture card images, and analyze the results. So, here's what you need to do:

1. Don't go to sleep for a couple of days.

2. Come back to this post.

3. Go below the fold and analyze each image one-by-one. Elaborate on how the image makes you feel. You know, like you've an urge to repeatedly slap yourself or run around your room with scissors. Spill those beans!

Remember, the Shakestudy is only as good as your participation. So, we're counting on you!