Luncheon lectures spotlight A&S faculty research

A fall luncheon lecture series will serve up a wide range of topics from University of Louisville researchers, who will discuss recent views from space, laughter without humor, epidemics in medieval Europe and a fresh look at heroes of Spain’s reconquest.

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Liberal Studies Project offer the monthly Meet the Professor series to highlight the college’s research and cultural offerings.

The Thursday luncheon talks begin at noon in the University Club. Reservations are required, with $15 payment by check. To reserve a spot, contact Janna Tajibaeva via email by the Monday before each event. Here are the fall 2018 semester talks:

• Sept. 6: “Latest from the Proximity Orbits of Juno at Jupiter and Cassini at Saturn,” Timothy Dowling, physics and astronomy professor. The scientist will discuss the solar system’s two largest planets, showing recent images of giant windstorms and folded jet streams, updating on Jupiter’s interior and examining evidence about Saturn’s famous rings.
• Oct. 4: “Cracking Up: Laughter without Humor in 20th Century Philosophy and Literature,” Frances McDonald, English assistant professor. She will talk about how several artists and philosophers considered laughter eruptive, irrational and contagious rather than a traditional human response to humor.
• Nov. 1: “Epidemics, Pandemics and Now Syndemics: Lessons from Tuberculosis and Leprosy in Medieval Europe,” Fabian Crespo, anthropology assistant professor. He will talk about a modern look at the interconnectedness of infectious diseases in human evolution.
• Dec. 6: “Spain’s Reconquista: Fact and Fiction,” Gregory Hutcheson, classical and modern languages associate professor. Revisiting 1492 as Spain reclaimed the Iberian peninsula from Muslim rule, Hutcheson will examine the complex realities behind some of the reconquest’s touchstones, such as patron saint St. James the Moorslayer and epic hero The Cid.