3 Questions: On humanizing scientists
The prolific MIT author and physicist Alan Lightman examines the working lives, contributions, and idealism of researchers.
A better understanding of debilitating head pain
Tom Zeller’s new book, “The Headache,” sheds light on one of the world’s most confounding and agonizing ailments.
Understanding shocks to welfare systems
Angie Jo’s doctoral studies find that when a collective crisis strikes, nations with shallow social safety nets, like the US, respond with massive spending.
Why countries trade with each other while fighting
Mariya Grinberg’s new book, “Trade in War,” examines the curious phenomenon of economic trade during military conflict.
SHASS announces appointments of new program and section heads for 2025-26
Sandy Alexandre, Manduhai Buyandelger, and Eden Medina take on new leadership positions.
J-PAL North America launches Initiative for Effective US Crime Policy
The IECP will generate rigorous evidence for fair and effective public safety solutions.
Can large language models figure out the real world?
New test could help determine if AI systems that make accurate predictions in one area can understand it well enough to apply that ability to a different area.
The “Mississippi Bubble” and the complex history of Haiti
Historian Malick Ghachem’s new book illuminates the pre-revolutionary changes that set Haiti’s long-term economic structure in place.
MIT gears up to transform manufacturing
The Initiative for New Manufacturing is convening experts across the Institute to drive a transformation of production across the U.S. and the world.
Better public service with data
MIT master’s student and Brazilian diplomat Davi Augusto Oliveira Pinto wants to help policymakers make informed choices to improve people’s lives.
MIT-Africa launches new collaboration with Angola
Through education and innovation, the new initiative aims to spark novel approaches to global sustainability challenges and strengthen academic ties.
Professor Emeritus Peter Temin, influential and prolific economic historian, dies at 87
The longtime MIT scholar and former department head used the tools of economics to shed new light on historical events and their profound implications for today’s society.
How government accountability and responsiveness affect tax payment
Study participants in an in-person tax-paying experiment in China were more likely to pay their taxes if government officials were monitoring and punishing corruption.
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences welcomes 14 new faculty for 2025
New professors join Comparative Media Studies/Writing, History, Linguistics and Philosophy, Music and Theater Arts, and Political Science.
“FUTURE PHASES” showcases new frontiers in music technology and interactive performance
Groundbreaking MIT concert, featuring electronic and computer-generated music, was a part of the 2025 International Computer Music Conference.