The time is 11:33PM. Sky is pouring snow. I’ve been home for 17 days.
It feels as if we are approaching an object of huge mass, and time dilates. Time dilates around us, and everything looks to be happening slower than it does. In the morning I get up, make meals, attend classes; in the afternoon I work, attend classes, talk to friends over video. At night I too type away on laptop, write on papers, commit code. Has it only been 10 hours since the sun rose? My mind does not seem to agree with my body, not at least, my heavy eye lids.
Maybe I am living in an aquarium filled with high viscosity liquid. The walls are closing in, but my movements are reciprocal. Purcell [1] says therefore time and how long I keep flapping my arms are irrelevant. Unless I wag my tail, I cannot move away. This is a funny situation.
I feel that I am home and working on things. Slowly, steadily. But around my hut, things are changing. Number of cases of the pandemic are rising exponentially. The rate of exponential growth change everyday. People are dying by the minutes in some countries. Prices rise and fall in the market. Volatility is glass shattering. Exams are closing in. Graduate offer deadlines are nearing and I’m about to make decisions that can change the whole of my academic career.
All around me, things move. Supply chain problems everywhere. Efficiency in clinical trials for vaccines. How long does it take until financial institutions suffer? How about people missed out in the government aids? How is everyone doing? It’s hard to sit and watch, but even harder to mobilize. They announced alternative grading strategy, so I have to do better because there’s no grades to talk now–you need a letter. Maybe I shouldn’t be caring about graduate school? It’s keeping me busy and doing no good. Maybe knowing more will enable one to help more people? There are interesting studies that shed lights on the situation. This author recommends targeted approach, while these authors recommend strategies that impact the whole nation everyday.
The walls are closing in, but my movements are reciprocal. Purcell says therefore time and how long I keep flapping my arms are irrelevant. It’s a strange time to be in.
Reference
[1] E. B. Purcell’s work on small organisms in high viscosity
Written by Natasha. Last edited:2020-03-31 14:35:48