Tony Awards, Trash Collection, and the First Photos on Mars

What we learned about the Tony Awards

The Tonys—short for the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre—are the live theater version of other US prestigious creative industry awards like the Grammys, Oscars, and Emmys. Since the Tonys debuted in 1947, more than 1,000 actors, directors, playwrights, and others have received awards.

Although the number of award categories has increased over the years, they have always fallen into three general buckets: performance, show and technical, and special honors. The self-governing, 24-member board of the Tony Awards Administration Committee selects roughly 50 individuals—a mix of theater professionals—to serve staggered terms of up to three years on the nomination committee. They must see every Broadway show during the yearlong April-to-April season—typically 30 to 40 productions.

Ceremonies often feature songs from nominated musicals and scenes from nominated plays, a tradition particularly popular since the event was first televised in 1967.

... Read our full explainer on the Tony Awards here.

Also, check out ... 

> Twenty-two celebrities have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony—known as an EGOT. (Read)

> Try your hand at Tony trivia. (Explore)

> The Tony statue features masks of tragedy and comedy. (Explore)

> Meet Antoinette Perry, the namesake of the Tony Award. (Read)

Trash collection, explained

The United States generates more municipal solid waste per capita than any other nation on Earth: roughly 292 million tons per year, or about 4.9 pounds per person per day. Trash collection in the US is a local responsibility, managed by city and county governments, often with help from private companies.

Waste flows through an industrial ecosystem that spans garbage trucks, transfer stations, landfills, and waste-to-energy facilities. As of 2018, roughly half of all municipal solid waste is landfilled, about 32% is recycled or composted, and nearly 12% is burned for energy recovery.

New York City became the first US city to implement public-sector garbage management in 1895. Around that time, less than 25% of American cities had waste management systems, but by 1910, 80% did.

... Read what else we learned about trash collection here.

Also, check out ... 

> An anthropologist spent years riding garbage trucks to understand what our trash says about us. (Listen)

> Modern landfills use layered liners, leachate systems, and gas monitoring to safely contain waste. (Learn)

> A solar-powered device with googly eyes is pulling trash from Baltimore's harbor. (Watch)

> Why some US cities pay thousands of dollars for a single public trash can. (Read)

Sleep, 101

Sleep is far more than just a period of rest—it’s a complex, active process during which the brain cycles through distinct stages, each marked by unique patterns of brain activity.

While scientists still debate sleep’s true purpose, research has proved it to be essential for survival. Both humans and animals suffer severe consequences without sleep, including cognitive decline, emotional instability, and eventual death. More than a third of adults regularly experience poor sleep, leading to increased risks of heart attack, Alzheimer’s disease, and motor vehicle accidents.

The drive to sleep is regulated by our internal circadian rhythms, body clocks mediated by cues including light and food, and directed by a master clock located in the hypothalamus. Once asleep, the human sleep cycle proceeds through four stages, each characterized by unique brainwave patterns and physiological changes.

During sleep, the brain performs several critical functions: consolidating short-term memories into long-term storage, preparing neurons for learning the following day, repairing tissues, and boosting the immune system.

... Read our full write-up on Sleep here.

Also, check out ... 

> Try these bedtime exercises to help you sleep. (Explore)

> Tips for ending that late-night scrolling habit. (Listen)

> Nearly everyone dreams, but why don't we always remember them? (Read)
> The best way to nap to improve your mood, cognitive function, and more. (Read)

Best of the Week

We added 258 resources this week to our knowledge collective—share your favorite link or outlet with us to see it featured here next week!

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Revisiting when an ancient Greek playwright was put on trial for his satire.

The first photos ever taken on Mars. 

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Historybook: Actress Jean Harlow dies (1937); Mathematician Alan Turing dies (1954); Musician Prince born (1958); US Supreme Court legalizes contraception use by married couples (1965); Writer Dorothy Parker dies (1967).