Said and Done
July 2020
MIT SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
QUOTABLE
"In this pandemic era, what a mask really says is, ‘I care about you.’ This is a powerful message to champion and commend. Today, the mask is a badge of honor — indicating that you are protecting the health of others during a crisis."
— Eric Klopfer, Head, MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing
HUMANISTIC MIT
Bookshelf Online
New knowledge and analysis; innovation and insight; guidance for policy and nourishment for lives.
Browse the Bookshelf
LINGUISTICS
The Mental Life of Modernism | Samuel Jay Keyser
Drawing on cognitive science and the humanities, Professor emeritus Keyser shows "how the traditional sources of aesthetic pleasure...gave way to abstraction and puzzle-solving." (MIT Press, 2020) About
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
Enduring Cancer: Life, Death, and Diagnosis in Delhi | Dwaipayan Banerjee
Banerjee explores the efforts of Delhi's urban poor to create a livable life with cancer. (Duke University Press, August 2020) Read the introduction | Banerjee webpage
HISTORY
In the Manner of the Franks | Eric Goldberg
Tracing the history of early medieval hunting from the late Roman Empire to the death of the last Carolingian king in 987, Goldberg focuses on the changing role that hunting played in articulating status. (UPenn Press, August 2020) About | Goldberg webpage
INSIDE THE CLASSROOM
A window on the world of music technology at MIT
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
Video: Final Projects for 21M.383 | Computational Music Theory & Analysis
Students in Associate Professor Michael Cuthbert's new course describe their final projects. Wow!
Video on YouTube | About MIT Music Technology
ONGOING EXPLORATIONS
MAKING A JUST SOCIETY
"The Gospel According to James Baldwin;" co-created and directed by Charlotte Brathwaite; image
WEB PORTAL
MIT Humanistic Resources for a Just Society
Explore the Collection
FEATURES
Policing in America and Beyond
Moderated by Dean Melissa Nobles, experts discuss a range of underlying issues with policing, and the importance of trusted, effective, resilient police organizations. Video
America's Civil-Military Crisis
Experts discuss the shifting nature of the civil-military relationship in this country and its impact on America’s role in the world. Video | Event Transcript
What is Race? | Philosopher Sally Haslanger
For all we speak about race, do we know what race is? Most fundamentally, is race real? Haslanger argues that gender and race are not purely "natural categories," they are also "social constructs."
3Q interview with Sally Haslanger | Book
SOLVING CLIMATE
FULL SERIES
Humanistic perspectives from MIT SHASS faculty, students, and alumni
Explore the series
FEATURE
An agenda for climate change research | J-PAL North America
Poverty and climate change issues are closely related. In this commentary you'll find a overview of J-PAL North America's contributions to the evidence base in environment, energy, and climate and a look at its agenda for further climate research. Commentary
RESEARCH + PERSPECTIVES FOR THE PANDEMIC
Metaphors for a pandemic, including "waves," influence how a society judges scientific knowledge.
FULL SERIES
Research + Perspectives for the Pandemic
FEATURES
The Shape of Epidemics
MIT Anthropologist Stefan Helmreich and David S. Jones, of Harvard, discuss waves, fires, and other metaphors for the Covid pandemic. "The language that scientists use — their metaphors and rhetoric — influence how members of society at large judge and implement scientific knowledge." Story at The Boston Review
3 Questions: Heather Hendershot on media coverage of the pandemic
MIT professor and comparative media expert discusses the stark differences in pandemic reporting and coverage across U.S. media platforms. | Heather Hendershot
MIT and Stanford team up for healthy 2020 elections
The Stanford-MIT Project on a Healthy Election brings experts together to help ensure the 2020 election can proceed with integrity, safety, and equal access.
Healthy Elections Website | MIT Election Lab | Charles Stewart III on the 2020 Elections
EXPLORE
Follow us
Subscribe to Said and Done
10 issues a year
Media Digest
Current coverage
Making a Better World: Impact and Research
Basic Research | Citizenship | Computing and AI | Education
Health of the Planet | Human Health | The Human Factor
Arts Innovation | Social Innovation
Perspectives for the Pandemic
Explore the Series
Making a Just Society
Explore the Resources
Solving Climate
Browse the Series
Ethics, Computing, and AI: Perspectives from MIT
Browse the Series
Computing and AI: Humanistic Perspectives from MIT
Browse the Series
MIT Climate website
A major source of research, innovation, and discussion
Join us!
SHASS on MIT News
Research and Features
MIT Campaign for a Better World
Story | Join Us
Published by SHASS Communications
Office of the Dean, MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Editor and Designer: Emily Hiestand
Publication Associate: Alison Lanier
Published 8 July 2020