Though Paarlberg said that he had guessed anywhere from 60 to 140 students would turn up, even that wide range turned out to be too low.
“The seats were full and there were people standing in the aisles” he said of Harvard Hall 202, which holds 180 people. “It’s probably the greatest inconvenience to teaching fellows who want to get their schedules nailed down. They’re not sure if there will be one, two, three or no sections offered to them.”
Students in last semester’s Computer Science 96, “System Design Projects” created a computer model that they say can predict enrollments with greater accuracy than humans, and administrators may use the program in the future (see related story, page 1).
But Pinker’s TF said that the massive turnout for The Human Mind had some benefits.
“I think it added to the mystique of the new course,” Shtulman said.
“It’s fine for me,” he added. “ I wanted to teach more sections.”
Stanley Cavell, Cabot professor emeritus of aesthetics and the general theory of value, found scores of people packed in the basement of the Barker Center Wednesday for his 25-person seminar, Literature 142, “Topics in Philosophy and Literature.” Instead of shutting the door on them, Cavell picked up the class and took his students to Emerson Hall 305—where people were still sitting in the aisles of the 80-seat room.
Cavell said that he will choose his students based on one-paragraph statements due at today’s meeting.
“I feel sorry for Prof. Cavell, having to read one hundred of those statements,” said John A. Hulsey ’04, who ultimately decided not to apply for the course.
Not everyone taking up space in Emerson 105 yesterday even had any interest in enrolling in Pinker’s course.
“There are some people who showed up today at lecture who are interested in TFing the course instead of taking the course,” Shtulman said.
But Pinker said walk-on TF applicants will be carefully vetted.
“I certainly won’t be dragging people off the streets,” he said. “The TFs have to be qualified.”
—Staff writer Joshua D. Gottlieb can be reached at jdgottl@fas.harvard.edu.