The background of Peter Paul Rubens’s Miracles of St. Francis Xavier, painted in 1617 for the Jesuit church in Antwerp, contains a surprising detail - a horned Hindu idol that is being destroyed by rays of light emanating from an allegory of the Catholic Faith. Far from being meaningless exotica, the Hindu idol plays an important iconographic role in the larger decorative scheme of the Antwerp Jesuit church.

Come to the German Conversation Table at Caribou Coffee from 8-10 pm. Practice conversing with other German speakers or just learn a little more about the language.

Come to the Italian Conversation Table from 5-6 pm at Crazy Mocha to practice speaking in Italian or to learn more about the language. Listen and speak with other Italian speakers as a way to improve your knowledge of the language.

Come to Crazy Mocha on Oakland Ave. from 5:30-6:30 pm to participate in the French Conversation Table. Converse with other French speakers to improve your own language skills or simply to learn more about the language.

Come to the Portuguese Conversation Table in room 527 of the William Pitt Union at 4 pm to practice speaking Portuguese or to learn more about the language. Meet other Portuguese speakers and make some new friends too!

Provost Lecture at Science 2012
Miranda A. Schreurs, PhD, is a recognized leader in the field of comparative environmental politics and policy in Europe, the United States, and East Asia.

David M. Andrews is the Jean Monnet Chair of EU Interdisciplinary Studies, Gabrielle Marie-Louise Jungels-Winkler Chair in Contemporary European Studies, Professor of International Relations, and Director of the European Union Center of California at Scripps College in Claremont, California. His talk will be about the European Debt Crisis, as he is an expert on monetary union and Germany’s place in the EU.

Dan Selcer will lead an informal seminar on chapters two & three of Ann Blair's Too Much to Know: "Information Management in Comparative Perspective," as a lead-up to the author's visit in October.

Email Jennifer Waldron for directions.

Adam Shear will lead an informal seminar on chapter one of Ann Blair's Too Much to Know: "Information Management in Comparative Perspective," as a lead-up to the author's visit in October.

*Part of the The A. W. Mellon Distinguished Lectures in the History of Science

"Newton’s Shadow: Francesco Algarotti and the Passion for Science in the Eighteenth Century"

Paula Findlen is the Ubaldo Pierotti Professor of Italian History at Stanford University.