All Stories
Geckos (Did you know?)
Sometimes, the best ideas aren’t invented—they’re borrowed from nature. 🦎
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to PhD Applications
From choosing universities to writing SOPs and surviving rejection, a practical guide to the messy reality of PhD applications.
What is the use of a map if we don’t know where we are?
We spend years learning equations, passing exams, and collecting degrees—yet rarely stop to locate ourselves on the map. This is question regarding the use of that map.
The Parts We Haven’t Read Yet
Sometimes, all it takes to keep a story going is one more morning, one unfinished conversation, or one reason to see what happens next. At twenty-one, I am learning that an unfinished story is not a failed one.
The Dream Market
A little boy, a big dream, and a promise to himself.
Student Suicides - Some Underlying Issues
A student is more thsan their grades, their research, their career, or their failures. This piece explores how academic pressure, financial burdens, isolation, and a lack of student representation can turn an institution of learning into a source of distress.
Education around the World
Every country has built its education system around a different set of needs and compromises. By looking across India, the USA, the UK, China, and Finland, perhaps we can imagine something better.
Celebrating ShilpSparsh
Years may pass, but some classrooms never really leave us. A journey back to ShilpSparsh and the children of T. Begur, where knowledge crossed boundaries, friendships took root, and learning became something beautifully mutual.
A never-ending affection
Some bonds never ask for words—they simply wait, quietly and faithfully, until the right moment brings them home. A gentle tale of autumn, kindness, and an affection that time could never erase.
A Philosophical Note on Careers: An Interview
An AI interviews a fourth-year undergraduate on what 'having a career' really means once you stop taking the sentence at face value, breadth vs. depth, borrowed dreams, and what's still worth mastering when AI can do the rest.
Outing in Bengaluru
A city of rain, trees, conversations, and unexpected adventures. Sometimes the best way to experience Bengaluru is simply to follow your curiosity.
Once upon a time in July…
The first days in a new place carry a kind of magic that quietly disappears with familiarity. Through rain-soaked paths, library aisles, and childhood-like wonder, this memoir celebrates the joy of being lost before a place becomes home.
Dear First-Year…
You are not the label you wear today. This essay celebrates the beautiful chaos of college, where changing your mind, your passions, and even yourself isn't failure—it's growth.
What happens when you take a ‘break’
The world continues spinning even when we stop. Yet, within that pause lies an opportunity to untangle our thoughts, question our assumptions, and return to life with a clearer mind.
Trekking to Heaven
A journey into the Himalayas becomes more than a trek through mountains—it becomes a journey inward. Amidst towering peaks, silent valleys, and moments of solitude, this story captures the beauty of nature and the lessons learned along the way.
People we meet on vacation
A heartfelt essay about the unexpected connections and kindness of people who make travel meaningful.
Cacophony of Silence
Behind every door lies a different version of pain. As the hallway unfolds, the boundary between the observer and the wounded becomes increasingly unclear.
Everything Means Nothing To Me: Part-2
A journey back home becomes a journey inward, as the narrator revisits memories, relationships, and versions of himself left behind. Between Chennai’s familiar warmth and Bangalore’s unsettling distance, he grapples with identity, nostalgia, and the quiet ache of growing up.
WONDERLA- A journey into the benefits of stupidity and teenage recklessness
A spontaneous escape from the rigours of first semester turns into a day of chaos, courage, and questionable decisions. Follow eleven IISc freshers as they discover that sometimes the best memories are born from bad planning, teenage recklessness, and a little bit of stupidity.
उस्ताद जी (Ustad Ji)
एक पुलिस वाले की यादों में बसा उस्ताद जी का वह घर, जहाँ संगीत की धुनों और घरेलू झगड़ों के बीच ज़िंदगी के कई रंग छिपे थे।
The Tour of Sound
A whirlwind journey through the world of musical instruments—from the sympathetic buzz of the Sitar to the otherworldly, contactless hum of the Theremin.
Spectrum of Melodies @ IISc
When headphones break, the campus begins to sing. A story of finding community and private joy within the shared private playlists of Rhythmica.
Rhapsody and Relativity
Why your main quest needs a side quest. Explore the deep structural similarities between music and physics, and how cross-pollinating ideas can ignite creative breakthroughs.
Music and the Window Seat
A heartfelt letter exploring the therapeutic power of watching the world through a window with calming music as your only companion.
Cosmic GPS
The Global Positioning System relies on billion-light-year-distant quasars to keep your phone's location honest. Discover the unlikely connection between black holes and Google Maps.
Introspections on the Third Step
Conversations with third-year IISc students revealing anxieties, ambitions, and the balance between research, internships, and life beyond academics.
The Mind of a Second-Year Undergraduate
The second-year undergrad stands at the crossroads of idealism and pragmatism, still holding onto a thread of youthful passion.
4th Years in Conversation
The final year at IISc’s UG program is a time of crucial decisions, deep reflection, and a mix of pride, gratitude, and uncertainty about the future, as captured through interviews with nine diverse students.
Everything Means Nothing To Me: Part-1
An introspective train vignette where a brief nap unfolds into reflections on memory, music, anxiety, and identity. A quiet portrait of restlessness and the search to understand oneself.
The End of My World
When the train of existence roars past, leaving us on a cold platform of loss, can we find the strength to keep the fire burning for those who left?
Memories We Carry
Life at IISc is a whirlwind of deadlines and laughter, but the hardest part is realizing when a chapter is finally closing. A tribute to the people who became 'home'.
मौत तू एक कविता है
ज़िंदगी एक अधूरी किताब है जिसका आखिरी सबक है मौत। एक पुलिसवाले की डायरी और जेल की दीवारों पर उकेरी गई वो शायरी, जो मरकर भी ज़िंदा रही।
Endnotes: Beyond Grades
Beyond grades and CGPAs lies the real soul of IISc. From midnight relativity sessions to radioactive rocks in the Main Building, this is how learning actually feels.
Women of March
A reflection on the March sisters from 'Little Women' and how their story continues to celebrate womanhood across generations.
When Exploration Refuses to End - The Opportunity Rover
A look at the legacy of the Opportunity Rover, a mission that redefined our understanding of Mars and the endurance of human curiosity.
The Sixth Sense: Biological right to art
Every human being is blessed with a natural ability to appreciate and interpret art—a 'sixth sense' that is an integral part of being human.
Leap of faith!
The story of Professor Anand Srivastava and the 'leap of faith' that led him from naval architecture to biophysics.
The Journey of Life
A thrilling account of a 1500km road trip across Andhra Pradesh, exploring the 'Grand Canyon of India' and the resilience of friendship.
Away from Home…
An extract from the 2nd edition, reflecting on the last day at home and the love of a mother's cooking before heading to IISc.
The Proof
A gripping fiction piece from the 3rd edition about a mathematician's discovery that challenges the foundations of logic itself.
Logic and Life
A non-fiction piece from the 2nd edition exploring the connection between logic, reason, intuition, and our decision-making processes.
Quarks has seen it all!
Quarks, the IISc UG magazine, stands as a collective voice of undergraduates, capturing their science, stories, struggles, and creativity across generations.
The Sound of Forest in an Urban Rising
An exploration of the rich flora and fauna coexisting within the 400-acre haven of the Indian Institute of Science.
Takeaways from “The Uncertainty Principles of Careers”
Insights from the 4th edition on the unpredictable nature of career paths and the importance of self-discovery in education.
The Old Physics Building
A historical account of the Old Physics Building (OPB) at IISc, tracing its origins, founding departments, and its role in the institute's early controversies.
Bharathnatyam
A personal narrative on the journey of learning Bharathnatyam and how it shaped the author's life, focus, and happiness.
Anthropology Redefined
Exploring the paradigm shift towards deep ecology, moving from an anthropocentric view to recognizing our place within the web of life.
A Magical Morning at ISKCON Bengaluru
A spontaneous 4 AM cycling trip to the ISKCON temple that turned into an unforgettable experience blending spirituality, art, and culture.
A dozen problems all around
A deep dive into how simulating conversations and analysing conversational parameters can reveal the intricate structure of human interactions.
A first-year perspective
The first year at Indian Institute of Science is a whirlwind of change — new academics, new friendships, and a completely new way of life. Through conversations with students across the batch, one thing becomes clear: amidst the chaos, stress, and uncertainty, IISc gradually turns into a second home. From discovering independence to finding a community bound by curiosity and passion for science, the journey leaves every student transformed in their own unique way.
Exploring Skandagiri and Kuntibetta
A thrilling adventure exploring two of Bangalore's most beautiful trekking locations: Skandagiri and Kuntibetta.
AthleticIISM and CulturalIICM
An account on IICM and IISM
FiRST SEM KI जुगलबंदी
A humorous and nostalgic reflection on the chaotic, overwhelming, yet ultimately rewarding experience of the very first semester at IISc.
The Wall
A natural aspect of human life is aging, but coming to terms with it, is a very complicated process. This wonderful piece explores and builds a very beautiful, yet poignant image.
Ramblings on Epistemology, Science, and Cognitive Biases
The appeal to rationality, has become something of a very popular phrase in the recent past. But, in some sense, how do we even know if the basis of such appeals, is logical in itself!
The Importance Of Being Earnest
In this very monotonous life, students require the daily help for myriad of tasks, this article wonderfully elucidates and interviews many such people.
Contentment
In a consumerist world, this piece asks whether we can truly be content with who we are and what we have.
Everyone here has one
The one you only tell on the hostel roof.
The viva that went sideways. The last bus from Yeshwanthpur. The lab week nobody quite believes happened. We are writing more — but the best ones are always somebody else's.
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the Quarks post office