▁and ▁that ▁they , ▁as ▁the ▁surv iv ors , ▁are ▁setting ▁sail ▁to ▁re build ▁society ▁from ▁the ▁ground ▁up . ▁There ▁are ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁profess ors ▁v ying ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁cov et ed ▁O ar ▁and ▁get ▁on ▁the ▁ra ft , ▁and ▁only ▁one ▁seat ▁is ▁left . ▁Each ▁professor ▁has ▁to ▁argue ▁that ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁discipline ▁is ▁the ▁one ▁ind isp ens able ▁area ▁of ▁study ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁civil ization ▁will ▁need ▁to ▁fl our ish . ▁ ▁Each ▁professor ▁gets ▁to ▁give ▁an ▁intro duct ory ▁account ▁of ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁discipline ▁then ▁a ▁brief ▁re but tal ▁to ▁the ▁others . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁debate , ▁the ▁audience ▁votes ▁and ▁the ▁luck y ▁winner ▁claims ▁the ▁O ar ▁and ▁clim bs ▁ab o ard , ▁w aving ▁good bye ▁to ▁the ▁others . ▁O ften , ▁a ▁sevent h ▁particip ant , ▁the ▁Dev il ' s ▁Adv oc ate , ▁appears ▁and ▁tries ▁to ▁conv ince ▁the ▁audience ▁that ▁the ▁entire ▁panel ▁is ▁un worth y ▁and ▁that ▁all ▁should ▁be ▁left ▁behind ▁to ▁d rown . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁the ▁def ending ▁champion ▁faces ▁five ▁new ▁challeng ers ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁debate . ▁To ▁date , ▁no ▁one ▁has ▁successfully ▁def ended ▁the ▁O ar . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁event ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁before ▁an ▁audience ▁of ▁roughly ▁ 2 0 0 ▁people . ▁Michael ▁Stern er ▁of ▁the ▁Mathemat ics ▁Department