latest developments on the situation in libya coming your way and less than half an hour i would micronesian thomas in the meantime it's crosstalk stay with us from the. world. bringing you the latest in science and technology from around the world. we've got the future covered. and you can. follow in welcome to cross talk i'm peter lavelle what do we mean when we use the word quest is it a place a state of mind or even a specific time in history also what is meant by the decline of the west particularly when so many ideas associated with it are now global. take. to cross out the meaning of the word west i'm joined by he's in cambridge he's the director of the humanity center at harvard university in chicago we go to richard lee he is a professor at the department of philosophy at de paul university and in washington we cross to william burns he's a professor at george washington university all right gentlemen crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want there are difference of opinion here and i'd like my viewers to see it if i go to home in cambridge first when the word w