The Speed of Life: Free Thinking Festival 2017

2017's Free Thinking Festival was devoted to the theme of The Speed of Life.

You can revisit the 2017 festival's programmes, clips, panel events and discussions by clicking the link above and browse articles below.

Are you taking sleep seriously enough?

The 36% of our lives we spend unconscious is some of the most valuable time we have.
Why medieval monks loved their gadgets just as much as we do

Could this device – an astrolabe – be the 14th-century equivalent of a smartphone?
Why music can literally make us lose track of time

Try a simple online experiment to explore how tempo can warp our ability to keep time.

Tips for switching off from work

Turn your phone off – or set a permanent out-of-office?
Nine intensely long musical marathons

Discover nine composers who delighted in experimenting with the constraints of time.
The moment I realised I had to slow down

Two former speed demons reflect on how age can increase our sense of vulnerability.