Science Week Ireland: Which invention has helped you most with your working life?

If it wasn't for my alarm clock, I would be unemployed right now. Most scientists and politicians argue that this is rarely a good thing. The amount of times that annoying ticking device has saved me from sleeping through the morning is a Godsend.

I had to get rid of it though, because the ticking noise drove me insane after a few weeks. All of my dreams revolved around that damn ticking. Sometimes it works out well and I've dreamt that I'm Jack Bauer in 24 or that Johnny Depp fellow in Nick Of Time (except much more handsome). In other dreams I just stare at a large annoying clock and that's... not quite as fun.

I'm actually thinking about buying myself one of these fancy hanging alarm clocks. The idea is that every time you want to have a few more minutes of dreamy sleepy nighty snoozy snooze, you have to touch the ever-raising orb, making you stretch more every time you do. It also plays soothing music apparently. As you might notice on the picture to the side, the man seems awfully happy with his magical floaty orb. That will be me someday (except much more handsome).

Now that I'm currently without a proper alarm clock, I have to make do with my phone. It's a nice bonus that I can wake up to the tune of Bill Withers because that's how we gangstas do. My phone isn't exactly suspended from the ceiling, so as motivation to wake up, I flake my phone across the room to force myself up.

This is all based on the fact that I'm a hard person to wake up. After a week in Spain with a large group school friends, we were held up by a cancelled in England and we were forced to stay in a five star hotel for free. I was knackered after a long week without sleep and chose to go to bed rather than make use of the all night restaurant and free phone calls. I woke up to find my hair covered in shaving cream and a nice fluffy beard to go with it, under another mattress and surrounded by the entire group playing poker using me as the table. I've a history of sleeping sitting down, sideways, while watching movies, and once I slept under a couch. I was drunk at the time, so that's alright.

What this all has to do with Science Week Ireland, I don't know. Props to Damien though for his hand in organising a brilliant competition for Irish bloggers to show off.