Manchester Science Festival 2016-Part two

Saturday 22nd October was my first days volunteeering at the festival.Always exciting but today saw me at one of three headlining events. This year the festival's main events were Cloud Crash, and art exhibit at MOSI by Paris based artists HeHe. Three ste specific works depict micro-climates. In their engagement with the industrial landscape, HeHe blur the boundaries between natural and man-made clouds. The second headliner was Public Service Broadcasting: The Race for Space. This acclaimed band played their hit album at Albert Hall which of course was a ticketed (not free) event. Also included a conversation with Jodrell Bank's Professor Tim O'brien. The third headliner was the one I volunteered at here. It was (The Chronarium or sleep lab) in our Arndale shopping Mall. Also free and there for the entirety of the festival. This event debuted in Singapore last year and was fully booked the whole time. Due to its success there, Manchester Science Festival wanted it and got it! It is a place for relaxation and wellbeing where you get to lie back in a hammock while an audiovisual experience aims to reset your circadian rhythmns to give a better, more harmonius sleep. I didn't know what to expect but to me, it is the same as mindfulness. We volunteers got there early as instructed, 9am, and were shown inside the sleep lab.We helped set up the lights inside and started to get into the hammocks to have a go ourselves. Customers started to arrive so we had to end that be fore it had begun. No matter, I managed to have a go at a later date. Wow, was this really popular or what? I spent the whole day on the front desk booking people in on the Mac. I never stopped, and I never stopped talking. I don't think I have talked so much in my life, I was horse at the end of the day but had such a fantastic time. I am so grateful to MOSI for putting me on this event. If you ever get the chance to try this out, then you should. Here are some photos :)

 The Chronarium (sleep lab) in Manchester Arndale shopping centre. There was also a scientist on standby from Manchester Metropolitan University on Twitter, ready to answer questions about sleep.

The interior of the chronarium. Here you can see a volunteer setting up a light nearone of the swinging hammocks. They were hung at various heights and you get to choose your own.

My Einstein selfie in a hammock. The masks were kindly supplied by MOSI, all volunteers had one! This is my favourite photo of him, with his tongue out.