His crime: jaywalking

A Tufts history professor was jailed in Atlanta over the weekend for -- of all things -- jaywalking. While attending the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, Felipe Fernandez-Armesto was thrown to the ground by no fewer than five cops after crossing against the light. The professor's improbable story was first reported by the History News Network, which posted a video of the scholar recounting his arrest. (You can watch the video on YouTube.) Fernandez-Armesto told us yesterday he was pinned on the tarmac after asking a plainclothes cop for ID. The professor, who calls himself "pathologically law-abiding," was then handcuffed and hauled away in a "filthy, fetid [police] wagon" to jail, where he was held for eight hours. "Aside from the degradation and humiliation, I was concerned about my livelihood," he told us. "It's unusual for an aging bourgeoisie to join the underclass and I learned a lot." The Atlanta police didn't return a phone call yesterday. In the end, Fernandez-Armesto was released from jail and the jaywalking charges have since been dropped.

For now, Lester takes over at ART

With Robert Woodruff out, the American Repertory Theatre needs a new artistic boss. For now, it'll be Gideon Lester, Woodruff's right-hand man during the last five years. Lester, the ART's associate artistic director under Woodruff, will be his interim replacement as the organization searches for a new, permanent artistic director and plans its 2007-08 season. In an e-mail, ART executive director Robert Orchard stated "it's obviously essential that we maintain the quality of artistic oversight and planning central to our work." Lester, reached yesterday, threw his hat into the ring for the permanent ART gig. But he said he's not viewing this appointment as a tryout. "Right now, I'm not really thinking about that," said Lester. "I'm focusing on steering the organization through next season. I know I'll learn a tremendous amount."

Expert advice: More wine and pine

Harvard medical professor David Sinclair , whose research focuses on finding the genes and small molecules that slow aging, has regularly seen his work reduced to over simplified pronouncements like "the secret to living longer is found in red wine and pine trees." But we couldn't help ourselves from asking him directly: Will we live longer if we drink copious amounts of wine and chew on pine cones? "The amount of red wine you'd have to drink would kill you," said the associate professor of pathology whose work is featured on a "NOVA: scienceNOW" airing tonight on PBS. "But what we did find is that there are molecules found in red wine and other things that can slow down aging in complex organisms like mice," said Sinclair, who also is an associate member of the Harvard-MIT Broad Institute for bioinformatics. If you have any questions for Sinclair, he'll be at the Thirsty Scholar in Somerville at 6 tonight for a "Cafe Sci" with the NOVA folks. So what will be Sinclair's beverage of choice? "A red wine, of course."

Richard J. Hewett wasn't fired by Donald Trump, but he's still suing the real estate mogul. In a lawsuit filed last week in US District Court in Boston, Hewett claims that only two finalists in six seasons of "The Apprentice" have been older than 40. Hewett was 49 when he was rejected as an applicant for the show in 2005. "People watching it get the impression that if you want to work for a big organization like the Trump Organization, you have to be young," the Hampstead, N.H., resident told the Associated Press yesterday. Hewett's lawsuit names Trump, producer Mark Burnett, and several affiliated companies, but not NBC. In a statement released by his spokesman, Trump said: "We have had very few people over a certain age apply to be on the show. If they did and we liked them, we would love to cast them on the show." . . . Is it possible Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam will play at Fenway next summer? Theo Epstein didn't rule it out after Sunday's Hot Stove, Cool Music concert. "We're working on it," said the Sox GM, who's a serious fan of the Seattle rockers.

Both Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon were in New York for Sunday's New York Film Critics Circle Awards at which "The Departed" director Martin Scorsese was honored.

Doug Flutie held his annual bowl-athon last night at Lucky Strike Lanes to raise money for the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.

Geoff Edgers of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.