The wheel of time spins for eternity. It’s never-starting and never-ending, a concept our three-dimensional brains can not process. We only focus on the narrowest frame to look time at, as expanding it either back or forth breaks our mind. Such large concepts escape into the papers we write and the theories we formulate, hoping eons later, we shall peek out of the frame to finally see the bigger picture. While trying to zoom out, we lose the details of this collage of human experiences across millenniums; they seem to blur.

The only certainty time provides is the notion of all returns to where all starts; the nothingness is our true home. The universe is just one breath of our divine overlords and is as insignificant as it is brief. The ever-infinite universe pales compared to the vastness of time. We built our massive civilizations, something so much bigger than us, that we feel suffocated by this forest we planted generations ago. We are mere roaches in the world of the giants we gave birth to. But they, too, are victims of the Mandate of the Heavens, all falls that rise, replaced by another empire, just to fall into nothingness again. The wheel of time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legends. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again.

We say we are the masters of our fates. We have conquered whatever monsters were thrown at us, from the deadliest viruses, natural disasters, and the threat we pose for ourselves. We hold the key to our futures, made from the blood of those who have sacrificed themselves in pursuit of fate. The tools we have at our disposal are mighty and formidable but pale compared to the vastness of the unknown. It’s the call of the void, taunting us to jump head first. We have survived this long, but can we face the foes that cannot be seen? Or is illusioning ourselves the price we pay for free will?

Time is known to play cruel and wicked games. It flies over us but leaves its menacing shadow behind. Seconds turn minutes turn decades. Slowly but surely, all returns to where all began, which scares us immensely. We have always feared the unknown and have known this fear since time unknown. Some have surrendered, trying to embrace it with open arms; some have crafted fantastic stories of what lies ahead, either trying to provide some sense of control or just living in blissful ignorance, while some have been attempting to outrun time itself. We live off borrowed time; each instant, the clock ticks faster. 

But time doesn’t care. It is the fairest judge, the omnipresent jury, and the relentless executioner. This trial is inescapable, and the verdict is predetermined. So, how can we brag about being the masters of this universe’s fate if we cannot master our own? We have the laws of the universe at our disposal, but is it enough? The hand we have is not great, but we have the opportunity to turn the tables and rewrite the game itself. But then again, we face this great monster that silences our greatness over this dimension. 

Should we accept this life? Or should we continue fighting? We truly have nothing to lose until we lose ourselves. But sooner or later, we must decide; the sand slowly falls in the hourglass, louder and faster. Can we slay this beast and silence it for good, or fail like the trillions who have come before us? 

Writer: Daksh Loiya

Artist: Meenakshi Acharia

On April 30th, 2023, the seventh edition of TEDxMAHE kicked off with the MCH Hall opening its doors to welcome speakers and attendees alike, eager to gain wisdom and learn something new. The day was especially important as it was MAHE’s Founder’s Day and Dr. T.M.A. Pai’s birthday. Eager to hear distinguished speakers across different walks of life, the audience listened with rapt attention to the wisdom they had to share.

The first speaker was Major Pawan Kumar, a soldier with the Indian Army’s Jat Regiment and Shaurya Chakra awardee. He detailed his journey, about how he came from a small village in Rajasthan and went on to serve as a Major with the Indian Army. He hoped to inspire the next generation and teach them important lessons about agility, bravery, and perseverance. His accounts of his time in the military left the audience in both awe and admiration, for him and others like him who put their life on the line to protect their country.

Major Pawan Kumar at TEDxMAHE

This was followed by a presentation by Rebekah Sood, an entrepreneur who appeared on Shark Tank and owns India’s first major Kombucha brand. Although Rebekah’s parents encouraged her to pursue engineering, she discovered that her true calling was entrepreneurship. After gaining experience in the field, she utilized the Ikigai four-circle technique to identify her passion and founded India’s leading kombucha brand. Her appearance on Shark Tank gave her brand the platform it needed to flourish, and now her premium kombucha brand is paving the way for healthy living in India.

The next speaker was Pranav Mahajan, a motivational speaker and police officer, also known as the “spiritual cop”. He delivered a captivating speech on unlocking the power of the subconscious mind and the power of metaphysics. Drawing from his personal experiences and those of his friends, he shared instances where the subconscious mind had a negative impact on otherwise positive situations. With practical tips and insightful anecdotes, he inspired the audience to unlock the potential of their subconscious minds and harness its power to achieve success in all aspects of life.

Parth Bajaj, a celebrated chef and television host with a significant online following shared his inspiring journey from being an engineer to becoming a renowned food blogger. Having pursued engineering, he found solace in cooking and baking as a creative outlet. He shared his story of struggle as an amateur chef, creating a place for himself online as a uniquely talented cook and baker. His content garners millions of views across platforms. Having stepped out of comfort zone, he followed his passion and found success in an unlikely place.

Indian chef Anahita Dhondy is renowned for advancing the traditional Parsi culinary style. She formerly worked as the head cook at the SodaBottleOpenerWala, Bombay Irani Café, and Bar franchise. She was included in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list in 2019 for her work to promote Parsi cuisine and ensure food sustainability. Anahita Dhondy was invited to share her experiences in the culinary field and offer students valuable advice on life and career. She compared one’s life to a pot of biryani, with each layer representing different aspects of one’s career and life and ended the talk asking students to discover the ‘spice’ in their life.

Anahita Dhondy delivering her talk.

Abhishek Asthana is an entrepreneur and a former software engineer, who goes under the handle Gabbbar Singh on Twitter. He spent over ten years working for corporations before founding his own ad firm, Ginger Monkey, in 2019. He co-founded the anonymous social networking platform Zorro (now Hood), which is his most recent endeavor. Abhishek Asthana started the talk with sharing experiences from his childhood and stories behind his start-ups GingerMonkey and Hood. He also talked about his career, his stint as the Brand Head for Reckitt, known for Durex and Dettol, his early days at Samsung India, and his television debut on Shark Tank India. 

The event concluded with a round of thanks to the speakers, the administration, the organisers, and all those behind the scenes that made this chapter of TEDx the grand success it was.

Speakers and organisers pose for a photo.

Dr. A. K. Ghosh, a professor at the Department of Aerospace at IIT Kanpur and a highly regarded scientist in his field was invited to give a guest lecture at MIT about his life experiences and the most recent advancements in aeronautics and aviation. He has multiple feathers in his cap, including mentoring a number of start-ups such as Aurora Integrated Systems in Bengaluru and Shastra Automation Laboratories in Kanpur among others.

Dr. Ghosh expressed how he never lies to the young and never tells the truth to the old. The young have the power to bring about change, so withholding information from them will impede progress, while the elderly will worry about change, so keeping the truth from them will prevent this worry. He used the phrase “Noblesse oblige,” which refers to the idea that being noble entails responsibility, and that if you are in a position of privilege, you must make sure that you lend a hand to those without it. 

Dr. A. K. Ghosh takes to the podium. [Image credit: Lakshya]

He claimed that the field of aeronautics is only for those who are romantic; loving what you do is one of the essential components of success in a profession that is characterised by constant disappointment and failure. When everything does come together eventually, the time and effort you put in will be entirely worthwhile.

As he began to discuss the significance of electrical and avionic systems replacing their fuel-based counterparts, he encouraged the institute to work with the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Electrical and Electronics Engineering to add an elective on battery technology. He urged the students to explore these fields and to advance and innovate in them, noting that one of the biggest challenges the Indian aeronautical industry is currently facing is a lack of domestic manufacturing of components, particularly the sensors and materials needed for aerial vehicles.

The audience listens with rapt attention. [Image credit: Kushala]

He then dove into an equally enlightening, lengthy Q&A session, during which he went into more detail about his personal experiences, his time at ARDE, Pune, his thoughts on supersonic travel, its difficulties, its potential, and the future of electric aviation. It was a brilliant talk by a brilliant academic, surely inspired a new era of aviation enthusiasts.

[Featured image credit: Lakshya]