Advancing Human Understanding
Ken Urban on teaching playwriting at MIT
Graduate student spotlight: Mariano Salcedo
World-class
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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.
The tech revolution that wasn’t
Dwai Banerjee, an associate professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society, wrote the book “Computing in the Age of Decolonization: India’s Lost Technological Revolution,” an examination of the visionaries who wanted to turn India into a world power at making computers. “This book is about understanding how the current landscape of technological power came to be and the unequal way in which power is distributed across the world when it comes to anything to do with computing,” Banerjee says.
Why bother with plausible deniability?
New research from MIT philosopher Sam Berstler explains why we have social norms that let people engage in open deception. “What we mean can often be different from what we say, or enhanced from what we say,” Berstler says.
MIT graduates share how their SHASS education prepared them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.
Rujul Gandhi ’22
Linguistics and Philosophy (Course 24-2)
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course 6)
“SHASS classes, such as in theater or political science, gave me a chance to learn about human connection at levels from individual to global. My current work on communication falls into this broad theme of how people connect to each other.”
Ankita Reddy ’19
Anthropology (Course 21A)
Biology (Course 7)
“My classes, discussions, and connections fostered through SHASS taught me the value of deep listening, priming me to ask difficult questions about technological solutions (and to have the courage to do so).”
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 on the brain
Graduate student Claire Southard ’25 explores new frontiers in music technology.
Students learn theater design through the power of play
MIT Theater faculty invite students to draw upon their personal experiences to create evocative set, sound, and lighting designs.
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.
Some democracies are struggling to ensure safe drinking water
Countries with developing economies provide at least some public water, but safety may lag because it’s less visible, researchers say.
Technology usually creates jobs for young, skilled workers. Will AI do the same?
A new study of the postwar U.S. shows which kinds of workers historically filled new tech-enabled jobs.
Two from MIT named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The prestigious fellowship funds graduate studies at Stanford University.
In the media
Illness is not a personal failure
No, AI isn’t going to fix the loneliness epidemic — it may make it worse
I knew my writing students were using AI. Their confessions led to a powerful teaching moment
Trump and GOP test precedent with aggressive voter roll purges
SHASS videos
Learning about global music traditions and cultures
