The meeting is a chance to discuss research with other neuroscientists and to learn what is going on in other laboratories around the world. This meeting is huge. I recently received two volumes with summaries of all of the posters and talks. There are 2,291 pages of posters and lectures for a total of 13,303 different presentations. Of course it is impossible to see all of the posters and talks, so it is necessary for each person attending the meeting to plan which presentations are most important for him or her to visit.
Many companies attend the meeting to do business with neuroscientists.
Equipment manufacturers, book companies, software companies, and drug companies are just a few of the many businesses selling their products. Most companies set up booths with samples. In this book published in 1999, world-renowned sleep researcher Dr. William Dement recounts his many experiences, sometimes humorous, sometimes sobering, through four decades of work in the sleep field. He takes us through the fascinating world of sleep and cleverly shows us the inner workings of sleep and wakefulness. He reveals practical information on sleep disorders and their cures, the terrible costs of sleep deprivation to our society and how sleep affects our immune system, mood, productivity and longevity.