Issue no. 9: LOOP

LOOP

An Elegy for the Eternal Loop

Loops are not mere shapes but the heartbeat of creation, echoing the rhythm of an unseen universe. They are the architects' secret whispers to the world, telling tales of time looping back, of moments reborn in the gentle embrace of continuity. 

Staircases in these dreamscapes coil with the elegance of a galaxy, each step a star leading to celestial realms. Rooms unfold like petals in a blooming flower, their windows framing slices of the world outside, capturing the cyclical ballet of nature – sunrise to sunset, moonrise to moonset. The very air in these spaces pulses with the rhythm of the loop, a symphony of circular echoes.

Even the shadows in these spaces play with the notion of the loop, shifting and morphing as the day cycles, a slow-motion performance of light looping through time. Furniture curves and loops back upon itself, functional yet fantastical, inviting one to ponder the infinite.

In this world, the loop transcends geometry; it is a living, breathing entity. It whispers of the cycles of life – birth, growth, decay, and rebirth – weaving through the fabric of existence.*

The loop can take many forms: our daily routines, patterns we get stuck in, tying our shoes, or airplane loop-the-loops. All loops continue infinitely until a condition is met that completes the process – or progress on to the next loop – leaving us to wonder what conditions are being met if and when we escape. Are we simply in a larger pattern we cannot yet see? A loop familiar to all is the cycle of life and the repetitive nature of human endeavor, and something that seemingly breaks that circle is technology. One loop we often find ourselves in and one that has become ever more relevant is the cyclical nature of fear and opportunity in the relationship between AI and human labor. 

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*This elegy was written by ChatGPT and the POOL team

POOL - Issue 9 - accepts submissions in any form of communicative media and encourages both content endemic to academic publishing such as essays and drawings, and unconventional media such as comics, experimental films, and syllabi.* Accepted content will be considered for the 2024 print issue or published digitally on a rolling basis. Submissions for print are due by February 12, 2024. All materials should be submitted digitally to pool@aud.ucla.edu.

*All body text should be 2500 words or less and submitted in the form of editable Word documents. Please include a cover image or summary text (50 words maximum) along with the submission. All text, including footnotes, should be edited according to the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition. All images must be submitted as high-res .png or .jpeg, in RGB. The maximum acceptable file size is 20MB, and max pixel width for display on POOL's website is 1500. Contributors are responsible for procuring the rights to any images they want to use. Video and audio can be submitted through an external site such as Soundcloud or Vimeo. Links to other related documents can be included. Previously unpublished work is preferred.