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The term “wild,” is receiving renewed attention from academics and popular authors alike. MIT historian Harriet Ritvo notes that even those who are critical of the term employ it frequently, and that most of us remain uncertain of the word's conceptual parameters.

3Q: Historian Harriet Ritvo on what it means to be "wild"

Scientists, social scientists, and humanists heed the call of the wild at MIT workshop.

November 4, 2016

“I don't think you can hack the election,” says MIT political scientist Charles Stewart III. The distributed nature of America's voting system is a key reason why rigging the election is not really possible. But also, observers are stationed in every polling place; ballots are counted in public, post-election audits spot-check results; and machines that record and count ballots are all offline...

How healthy is the U.S. voting system?

Professor Charles Stewart III explains why the U.S. electoral system is strong and how MIT research is making the voting process even more seamless.

October 20, 2016

Fotini Christia (left), associate professor of political science; and Ali Jadbabaie, the JR East Professor of Engineering.

3Q: Fotini Christia and Ali Jadbabaie on researching the dynamics of sociopolitcal change

MIT faculty discuss how a multidisciplinary, multi-university collaboration helps us understand the mechanics of social and political change.

October 14, 2016

Bruno Perreau, the Cynthia L. Reed Professor of French Studies at MIT, has been named a chevalier in the French Order of Academic Palms.

Bruno Perreau named to the French Academic Palms

Humanities scholar honored with France's highest distinction for academics.

October 5, 2016

Andrea Campbell, the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and head of the MIT Department of Political Science

How political science can help us solve global health care issues

MIT political scientist Andrea Campbell discusses the impact of equity on health care innovation and outcomes.

July 12, 2016

"We got to learn how to use saws, a drill press, and other machines," says Kathryn Hendrickson, rising senior and computer science major (at left with Theodore Mouratidis and Lauren Huang). "It was cool to make something physical, where I'm used to just code. Building a printing press is awesome."

Mens et manus in the MIT History workshop

Students gain insights into early book-making technology and cultural systems by creating paper and a handset printing press from scratch.

June 10, 2016

Cara Lai, MIT Class of 2016, is double-majoring in literature and mechanical engineering.

Powered by literature on her way toward an MD

Senior Cara Lai cites MIT Literature studies as key to her preparation for medical practice.

June 1, 2016

Primary factors

Political scientists Charles Stewart III and Devin Caughey weigh in on the 2016 U.S. presidential primaries.

May 25, 2016

MIT political scientist Kenneth Oye has discovered that collaborating with technologists is a very effective way to inform good policy on the issues he cares about most — from climate change to synthetic biology.

Ken Oye and the art of sociotechnical problem-solving

May 13, 2016

“The kinds of technologies that people are building today are much more connected to how people interact in social aspects of our culture. Technology and humanity are now deeply interlinked," says Eran Egozy, engineer, musician, new media pioneer, and MIT professor of the practice in music technology.

Sharing a passion for music and interactive technology

Harmonix co-founder Eran Egozy returns to MIT as professor of the practice in music technology.

May 4, 2016

Anne McCants is a professor of history and Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow; housemaster for Burton-Conner; director of the Concourse Program, a freshman learning community dedicated to exploring fundamental questions that lie at the intersection of science, social science, and humanistic inquiry; and vice-president (soon to be president) of the International Economic History Association.

How history can help us solve global economic issues

MIT economic historian Anne McCants discusses the connection between innovation and opportunity.

April 22, 2016

Agustín Rayo, professor of philosophy, is the new associate dean of the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

Philosopher Agustín Rayo named associate dean of MIT-SHASS

MIT's "mathy philosopher" makes mind-blowing ideas accessible.

February 16, 2016

Thomas Levenson, professor of science writing and director of the MIT-SHASS Graduate Program in Science Writing

Thomas Levenson receives the 2016 Levitan Prize in the Humanities

Award will support research on the South Sea Bubble crisis as an example of connections between scientific developments and their larger social consequences.

February 2, 2016

Students selected as Burchard Scholars are some of MIT's liveliest undergraduates. They are unafraid to wrestle with new ideas.

35 exceptional MIT students named Burchard Scholars for 2016

Sophomores and juniors who excel in the HASS and STEM fields are honored.

January 29, 2016

Incentives matter

Working with the Tata Center, two MIT economics students are testing projects to reduce industrial pollution in India.