The history of the world in just one minute

Sixty seconds is sometimes all it takes to learn about the history of the world or whether American government is obsolete.

At least at the compass on Locust Walk.

Yesterday, the School of Arts and Sciences kicked off this year's 60-Second Lecture series, for which four different professors will each give a lecture on a topic from their field.

Their challenge: to cram the whole topic into a minute.

English professor Suvir Kaul spoke about the humanities for approximately one minute yesterday at 37th Street and Locust Walk.

All the lectures take place at noon because many students are passing by on their way to and from classes.

"It is a fun way to showcase the best SAS faculty in an informal environment," SAS Dean Rebecca Bushnell said.

The lecture series began in the fall of 2003 and will feature a different professor each Wednesday in April.

Kaul's lecture was entitled "The Humanities are in Crisis! No, the Humanities are the Crisis!"

"What I want to call attention to is the fact that the humanities have the power to diagnose what is both wrong in our world and also to imagine possibilities for change or renewal," Kaul said.

Professors giving the lectures are chosen on many criteria.

"We try to pick people who are doing especially interesting research ... who are engaging speakers and good teachers. We try to get a variety and often new faculty," College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis DeTurck said.

Each professor is allowed to choose the lecture topic. They are only required to reveal the title beforehand.

"Basically, we don't know what they're going to say," SAS spokesman Joe McLaughlin said.

The topics and professors vary each semester.

"We have a good representation from the school, some [professors] from humanities, arts, and sciences," McLaughlin said.

If passing students have more than 60 seconds to spare, the lectures are followed by snacks and music from the Nooney Tunes folk band.

"It's kind of a fun celebration of arts and sciences," DeTurck said.

It is an "interesting, intellectual challenge to distill the essence of what you want to say and try to say it in an engaging, entertaining way," DeTurck said.

The lectures often run longer than one minute.

But History professor Alan Charles Kors has the opposite problem.

His lecture, which is slated to take place on April 26, is called "Human History."

"I will try to expand it so I take up the whole 60 seconds," Kors said. "I may be selective in my history of humanity."

Other participants are Psychology professor Martha Farah and Fels Institute of Government Director Donald Kettl.

According to DeTurck, a large crowd usually gathers to hear the lectures.

"It's just 60 seconds, so I can stand out there on my way back from class and listen to an interesting thought," Engineering sophomore Ray Sehgal said.

Kors said the lectures help make the liberal arts more fun.

"I think the University needs a little more whimsy. And this [struck] me as wonderfully whimsical," he said.

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