How to earn R100,000 by staying in bed!
Are we dreaming or is this the dream job?
Sometimes, the urge to stay in bed is so overwhelming.
Like when it's cold and rainy outside, your alarm goes off on a Monday morning, or you're cuddled up next to the love of your life.
While on the other end of the spectrum, there are those who can't stay in bed one second longer after waking up.
If that's the case, then this might not be the right job for you.
The European Space Agency (ESA) is recruiting volunteers for their pioneering dry immersion study.
The experiment is called Vivaldi III and takes place at the Medes Space Clinic in Toulouse University Hospital.
ESA will be recreating some of the effects of spaceflight on the body through this study.
Volunteers will be need to spend 10 days on a waterbed.
Although this is not your average waterbed.
During Vivaldi III, 10 volunteers lie down in containers similar to bathtubs covered with a waterproof fabric. This keeps them dry and evenly suspended in water. Submerged to above the torso and keeping arms and head above water, participants experience a sensation of floating without physical support – something close to what astronauts feel while on the International Space Station.
Before deciding if this is something you could handle, consider this – what about bathroom breaks?
For bathroom breaks, participants are temporarily transferred onto a trolley, maintaining their laid-back position at all times.
The Vivaldi III study is part of a three-part experiment that aims to understand the effects of weightlessness on the human body.
Volunteers will be hospitalised for a total of 21 days, 10 of which will be spent in the "waterbed".
Not only will you help further space research, but you'll also earn €5,000 (about R100,000).
According to the ESA, "Participants take part in a wide range of medical experiments and scientific studies to help researchers understand how space affects the human body. During meals, they use a floating board and a neck pillow."
Unfortunately, this is exclusively for men, leaving no option for women to participate.
Here are the criteria for the study for participants to be eligible:
Male
20 to 40 years old
In perfect health, without medical treatment
Non-smoker
Body Mass Index between 20 and 26 kg/m²
Measure between 1,65m and 1,80m
Be in good physical shape and practise regular sporting activity (criterion verified by stress test)
Have no allergies or dietary restrictions
While this might seem like a lonely experience, you're free to call or video chat with your loved ones as often as you like, but visitors are not allowed.
Even though the actual bed rest or dry immersion only lasts 10 days, your presence is required at the MEDES Clinic for 21 days (+2 days of follow-up). The pre- and post-bed rest/immersion periods are part of the study in the same way as the bed rest or immersion period.
This sounds strangely exciting and boring – all at the same time!
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Main image courtesy of iStock