Turning science into stories
The World at MIT: Daron Acemoglu
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Without human understanding, there is no understanding. We are home to scholars and artists doing transformative work in fields vital to addressing the world’s most important challenges. Our faculty develop the values, vision, and ethical compass of tomorrow’s leaders.
Our faculty are among the world’s leading experts in their fields. Here you’ll find a selection of recent publications from SHASS scholars.
3 Questions: On humanizing scientists
In the new book “The Shape of Wonder,” co-author Alan Lightman, professor of the practice in Comparative Media Studies/Writing, prolific MIT author and physicist, examines the working lives, contributions, and idealism of researchers. “While humanizing scientists in the book, we show how critical thinking works in science,” he says.
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. “There is a lot of variation in which products get traded, and in which wars, and there are differences in how long trade lasts into a war. But it does happen,” Grinberg says.
Many MIT undergraduates major or minor in a SHASS discipline, often paired with studies in STEM. Class of 2025 graduates share how a multidisciplinary education prepared them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
Rachel Loh
Computer Science and Engineering major
Music major
Business Analytics minor
“Because MIT values a well-rounded education that includes both science and humanities, I have been able to continue pursuing my passion for music.”
Ari Peró
Urban Science and Planning with Computer Science major
Music major
“I quickly immersed myself in the Institute’s unique opportunities for exploring diverse musical traditions and techniques, fostering a profound appreciation for the role of music in fostering community and promoting cultural understanding.”
Music & Theater Arts gives students the opportunity to explore these disciplines as artistic practices and as cultural, intellectual, and personal avenues of inquiry and discovery.
Music and technology intertwined
Graduate program in music technology and computation brings new dimension to interdisciplinary offerings.
Digital instruments for musical togetherness
Engineering graduate student Joseph Ntaimo ’23 took music classes, played in the MIT Symphony Orchestra, and became a respected DJ on campus, routinely mixing pop songs with lesser-known international genres.
Broadening student minds
If you want to make the world a better place, you need to understand how it works. SHASS plays an essential role at MIT, ensuring our students have a deep understanding of the human implications of the world’s biggest challenges.
Latest news from SHASS
Our work has broad impact at MIT and across the globe. Read the latest about new ideas coming out of SHASS.
Study reveals the role of geography in the opioid crisis
The findings point to state policies involving the presence of “pill mills” as influences on addiction over time.
Studying war in the new nuclear age
MIT political scientist Caitlin Talmadge scrutinizes military postures and international dynamics to understand the risks of escalation.
MIT students thrive in internships in the Arab World
The MISTI Arab World program offers MIT students invaluable work and life experiences in a dynamic region.
In the media
Mass layoffs: Full list of companies cutting thousands of jobs
Ron DeSantis suggests change to health care for under 50s
Life’s work: An interview with Esther Duflo
Nobel prizes this year offer three cheers for slow science
SHASS videos
Graduate student spotlight: PhD candidate Angie Jo
