Dear alumni

Can you believe that the mild month of March is already here? The sizzling summer silently came to an end and autumn is knocking on our doors.

Yes, time flies, we say. 2019 is now in the past, 2020 has already lost much of its initial novelty and the coming year has a new name: 2021.

Most people look at time from this linear perspective: moving from the past through the present and into the future in a straight line.

Time may be an illusion

However, most of us also realise that this is only our way of “organising” time in a way that is understandable. According to science, time is nonlinear – even an illusion, some scientists say.

After famous physicist Albert Einstein helped develop the idea of space-time as part of his theory of relativity, other scientists have developed many more intricate theories about time.

According to some theories there are no referential points, as if everything in time is either connected or alternatively occurring simultaneously. Picturing this in my mind, I see myself hovering above the linear timeline, looking at the past, present and future at the same time.

Tick-tock, goes the clock

In our everyday lives, however, we still see time as something determined by the clock; something flowing from past to present to future. This somewhat limited perspective at least gives us the opportunity to learn from the past, live in the moment and plan for the future.

At the NWU the year will run its course: lecturers and researchers will discover new information and share their knowledge with our students.

Wherever you may find yourselves in 2020, life will also keep on happening – sometimes as expected, and other times with startling unpredictability.

Let’s make the best of this multifaceted and sometimes “flying” occurrence that we call time. Let’s use every moment to make the best choices possible, so that we can create the best future that we can.

Regards,

Nelia and the

NWU & U team