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The Wheel of Time

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




Time- A boundless Reality

Time is a funny concept. How ironically unpredictable it is. A minute in a lecture hall seems like an hour, and an hour of friends seems like a minute. It takes years to build a living — a home — and only a few days and a round of bad luck and fate to destroy it. It is fluid. It has big scientists breaking their heads over it to explain its enigma meanwhile also being a writer’s favourite topic to go deep and beyond. It takes turns, giving its good and bad to everyone, one by one. But it is biased and does not play fair. It does not give an equal amount of good and bad. Sometimes, it even forgets to give itself to some people. Fitfully, it does not show mercy to the eager faces of those who believe in “good times.” However, if it does give “good” to us we tend to forget those good times. Have you heard that “trauma” is caused by good times? Bad memories haunt us for years with precision. So much so you even remember the smell and taste of it. However, good memories just end up as nostalgia. Like it is supposed to end and be remembered when the time changes its course.

“Time teaches the best lessons.” It sounds obsolete, doesn’t it? A phrase so celebrated that no one remembers its parent. But it has not lost its meaning. After all, facts can never become untrue. Time is the best teacher and a very cruel one at that. It has the most heartbreaking fashion of teaching you the ways of the world. It does not give you second chances. It gives you experiences like no other. Wise men have given us wise phrases. We never considered them to be wise because they said those lines; we never understood them. Not like they do. They were just old people saying things like old people do. Only time makes us understand them. 

Understanding time has been humankind’s most difficult task — emotionally and technically. Humans still struggle to make the most of their time. Especially with the advent of technology. The amount of distractions has become overwhelming — predominantly for students. Amidst these, whoever makes time for their companion succeeds. It really does not wait for anyone, leaving us in a pool of regret and self-destruction. This is what time never heals. However difficult it is to understand time in our day-to-day lives, it is much more mind-twisting to understand its true nature. The whole universe depends on it. But how did it become reliable? When did the first-hour strike? Was there someone to witness it? Many movies and books have been made and written about it. I still remember how time was talked about in the movie Interstellar. How insignificant time and life on earth is. An hour in another galaxy is equivalent to seven years on Earth! 

Humans have played with everything that has existed in this world, used every aspect of nature to commute, and made fantasies true. But still, time has been untouchable since. We have yet to play with it, for example, traveling through it. Imagine being able to relive your mistakes and success; such an exhilarating yet scary thing. However unattainable it may sound, our boundless creativity and fantasy make it seem real. Writers and filmmakers have given us the very feeling of euphoria and perplexity through their mind-blogging theories and stories. Like,  Dark, a Netflix series which was based on time travel, and Recursion, a novel by Blake Crouch, were on the same concept – both depict a life where time travel is possible. How humans rush to change things they regret, and how they go against the laws of nature to extinguish their guilt. They show how it messes up a human life when we can play with time. People would go back in time to undo their wrongs, ultimately messing with hundreds of lives around them. Time is the most dangerous thing to play with. It has unimaginable consequences because our every action affects not only us but many around us. People in those series and books went back in time to save themselves but, in turn, sent death with a scythe in his hand to many doors. Humans tend to think about themselves, not realizing how interrelated we all are and that every one of our decisions decides the fate of so many others. Our every action has consequences in someone else’s life. We are not alone and were never meant to be.

Nature has given us so many things to explore nonetheless kept time exclusive to itself. We can only watch — metaphorically, of course — never disturb it. Never interfere but only feel. However, who knows if we follow this rule? Humans never cease to be surprised!

Writer: Udita Kumari

Artist: Deepali Vengala




The End Semester Playlist [Odd Sem’21]

Worried about exams? The Post is here with a playlist that alleviates your anxiety and jump-starts your preparations.

With the cumulative effort of the Staff, the playlists were carefully curated after numerous hours of listening to an assortment of genres. They are a perfect blend of productiveness and relaxation for your caffeine breaks, the never-ending group study sessions till dawn and the not-so-fifteen minute power naps. Our Study Playlist is the perfect choice for prolific study sessions, while the Unwind Playlist focuses on a more laid back ambience, slowly easing into a serene vibe with a few festive tracks to match the time of the year. Without leaving anyone’s genre of the year out, the playlists cater to all needs, be it rock, K-Pop, rap, indie pop, instrumentals, or alternative. We understand that the End Semester examinations are a tough time and hope these playlists enrich your all-nighters and last-minute revisions.

STUDY PLAYLIST

UNWIND PLAYLIST

Study and Unwind playlists curated by Aditya Narayan and Devangshi Debraj.

Featured image credits: in.pinterest.com




The End Semester Playlist [Odd Sem’20]

This exam season, the Post is here with a soundtrack for everyone.

Carefully curated after days of listening to some wonderful suggestions, the playlists are ideal for burning the midnight oil, studying until the crack of dawn, or taking a well-deserved break. Our Instrumental Study playlist is the perfect background for productive study sessions. The Unwind Playlist, whilst creating a relaxing ambience at the beginning, slowly accelerates into more energetic beats, finally easing into songs with a more tranquil vibe. The myriad of musical genres intends to cater to everyone’s needs, be it rock, K-Pop, rap, indie pop, instrumentals, or alternative. We hope these playlists help you breeze through the End Semester examinations and power you through those numerous all-nighters along with necessitous amounts of caffeine.

STUDY PLAYLIST

Study Playlist curated by Sagarika Seshagiri and Jahnvi Singh
UNWIND PLAYLIST

Unwind Playlist curated by Shirley Asangi and Diya Talwar

Featured Image Credits: freepik.com




The Mid-Term Playlist [Odd Sem’20]

With the online mid-terms right around the corner, it really makes one realise how the year has gone by with an erratic ebb and flow. To help you take a much-needed breather from all the stress and banality of the lockdown, The Post promptly presents this semester’s study playlist to help get you back into the groove.

Whether it be fervent vocals or soothing instrumentals, treat yourself to some energizing late-night euphonies when you hit the books!

VOCAL PLAYLIST

Vocal Playlist curated by Ramya N. and Arnaav Anand 

INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLIST

Instrumental Playlist curated by Devangshi Debraj

Featured Image credits: Spencer Imbrock




The Sessionals Playlist Vol.I [Even Sem’20]

As is tradition, The Post is back with yet another playlist to soothe your pre-exam nerves and help you get through the hectic days and nights ahead. With the overwhelming stress of exams, the struggle to focus can be intimidating. As you drown in pages of barely-comprehensible notes, use our carefully curated beats to carry you through the long hours.

Pick the playlist of your preference — the Vocal, for those who need a powerful voice to go with their beats, and the Instrumental, for those who need more mellow music to keep their focus.

VOCAL PLAYLIST

Vocal playlist curated by Prajyoth Kadamba.

INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLIST

Instrumental playlist curated by Varun S.

Featured image credits: The Learning Scientists




The End Semester Playlist [Odd Sem’19]

As the year draws to a close, the inescapable stress of exams sets in once again. We at the MIT Post bring you our final playlists of the year, to help get you through the long nights ahead.

Our Study playlist offers you the perfect background score for your intense study sessions, while the Unwind playlist helps you calm down in the few moments of respite you get in-between. Plug in your headphones and get studying!

The Study Playlist

Curated by Adithya Nayak

The Unwind Playlist

Curated by Vinayak Srivastava

Featured Image credits: Troy G Larson, Photography Blog




The Sessionals Playlist Vol.II [Odd Sem’19]

Tune out the world as you get into study-mode to beat the sessionals. The MIT Post’s vocal and instrumental playlists are the perfect companion to your caffeine-fuelled study sessions.
With a wide range of music, the vocals playlist will motivate you while you pull through gruelling all-nighters, and the instrumental playlist will help you focus with its ambient and mellow tunes. Find your rhythm and keep the momentum going with our playlist as you prepare for days ahead.

Instrumental Playlist

Instrumental playlist curated by Vibha Bhat

Vocal Playlist

Vocal playlist curated by Varun Srikanth

Featured Image credits: Corewallpapers.com




The Sessionals Playlist Vol.I [Odd Sem’19]

As the sessionals inch closer, the stress of pulling all-nighters and living on caffeine may start to get to you. Browsing through hundreds of pages of notes might prove to be difficult with the distractions that accompany college life. With this in mind, we at the Post bring you, as per usual, our carefully curated Sessional Playlists, with a wide range of selections that would appeal to every individual sensibility.

The vocal playlist, for those of you who need a powerful voice to go with your beats, and the instrumental playlist for more ambient, mellow music to help you focus.

Vocal Playlist

Vocal playlist curated by Ashwin Suresh

Instrumental Playlist

Instrumental playlist curated by Abhijit Rajanish

 

Featured Image credits: Matt Korman, The 405




The End Semester Playlist [Even Sem’19]

While the semester is ending and the enormous piles of notes keep you up all night, The MIT Post is here with its playlists to help you make it through these hard times.

With an ambient and soothing vibe to it, the Study playlist will keep you company as you battle against time to finish your portion. The perfect partner to your coffee and binge eating breaks, the groovy numbers of the Unwind playlist will lighten your mood and help you take some weight off your shoulders. Tune in and study away!

Study Playlist

Youtube

Spotify

Curated by Sanjana Srivastava and Vinayak Srivastava

Unwind Playlist

Youtube

Spotify

Curated by Kritika Batra and Prajyoth Kadamba