On the theme of star circuits and public talks, Mary Ebeling and I also caught Manuel Castells speaking at City University, where he received an honorary doctorate. I was struck by how impassioned he is about his work. In other respects, it was what you might expect if you know Castells' work: his ideas about networks applied to the topic of universities, addressing the question of what role universities play. He ended by proclaiming that universities are the last remaining place of absolute freedom (!).

-kris