Said and Done

May 2020
MIT SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES, ARTS, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

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QUOTABLE

"History shows that not all countries fare equally poorly when faced with climatic stresses. For example, how, in the nadir of the Little Ice Age, did the Dutch generate a Golden Age?"

— Anne McCants, MIT Professor of History, President, International Economic History Association


SOLVING CLIMATE | HUMANISTIC PERSPECTIVES FROM MIT


In this ongoing series, MIT humanistic faculty, students, and alumni share perspectives that are significant for solving climate change and mitigating its myriad social and ecological impacts. 
 


During the Little Ice Age, the Dutch thrived, establishing the largest merchant fleet in Europe.


HISTORY
Anne McCants | Clues from climate change in the past
"When faced with climatic stresses open-access societies, ones that tolerate a diversity of views and do not restrict agency to a preordained elite, have generally proved more innovative and resilient than less-open ones."
Commentary

PHILOSOPHY
Kieran Setiya | The ethics of climate change
"Almost anyone engaged with global issues of human well-being, the distribution of resources, or the future of society is doing moral philosophy."

SCIENCE JOURNALISM | KSJ AT MIT
Thiago Medaglia | On science journalism for a world in crisis
"Now, more than ever, we need to use science and journalism to inspire a reconnection with the natural world."

POLITICAL SCIENCE
Parrish Bergquist '19 | On climate change and civic opinion
"The political challenges of addressing climate change are at least as thorny as the technological challenges."

 


 


RESEARCH AND NEW WORKS
 


Quantum wave illustration; Iris Murdoch, novelist/philosopher; illustration, ancient Roman library
 

HISTORY OF SCIENCE
A century of evolution in quantum physics | David Kaiser
In a new book, Quantum Legacies, Dispatches from an Uncertain World, historian/physicist Kaiser describes how growth of the scientific enterprise influenced dramatic shifts in the history of an evolving discipline.
Story by Peter Dizikes at MIT News

PHILOSOPHY
"Five Questions" podcast series launches | Kieran Setiya
In this lively series, Setiya asks other philosophers questions about themselves — for example, "What are you afraid of?" The inspiration, he says, comes from Iris Murdoch, who wrote: "To do philosophy is to explore one's temperament and yet at the same time to attempt to discover the truth."
Preview | Episode One: with David Velleman


HISTORY
Taking a new look at ancient books | Stephanie Frampton
Frampton is at work on her next book, with the provisional title, Cicero’s Library: The Roman Book and the Making of the Classics. In this project, she explores the advent of the personal library in Rome, a practice that helped shaped a new literary canon.  
Story by Peter Dizikes at MIT News
 


 

MEDIA + AWARDS DIGEST

ONLINE BOOKSHELF
 


OUR STUDENTS 

 


Talia Khan '20


MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS
Profile: Talia Khan '20 | Music and Materials Science
“When I was looking for a university, I wanted one with access to top-quality music teachers and top-quality science. MIT really fit the bill." 

MEET THE MIT BILINGUALS
Profile: Michelle Xu '20 | Physics, Philosophy, and Writing
Xu’s interests all involve a desire to understand the universe.
Story by Becky Ham at MIT News

COMPARATIVE MEDIA STUDIES | CLIMATE 2020 SERIES
Skills to increase support for effective climate policy
In CMS375 / Reading Climate Through Media, students explore contemporary media to learn how views of climate change are shaped and received in the public sphere.  Story at MIT Climate
 


IN MEMORIAM 
 

LINGUISTICS
Wayne O’Neil, professor and advocate for linguistics in education, dies at 88
Longtime, influential, and beloved professor also participated in many efforts in support of peace and social justice. In a resolution to honor his extraordinary achievements, the Linguistics faculty wrote that O’Neil "guided the department with wisdom, compassion, and skill. His contributions to the field are marked by the same qualities."
In Memoriam, by MIT Linguistics
 

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
Yukio Okamoto, Japanese diplomat and MIT research fellow, dies at 74
The former special advisor to two Japanese prime ministers fostered US-Japan relations. “Yukio brought to MIT an unparalleled set of experiences on the world stage. A great loss of a great man—and friend of us all,” said Richard Samuels, Ford International Professor of Political Science and director of CIS. 
In Memoriam, by the Center for International Studies
 

    
L: Yukio Okamoto (1945-2020), Japanese diplomat, and MIT CIS research fellow; R: Wayne O'Neil (1931-2020), MIT Professor of Linguistics
 


RESEARCH + PERSPECTIVES FOR THE PANDEMIC
 

 
All entries
Pandemic-related perspectives from the MIT SHASS community that inform policy, increase public understanding, and provide contemplative space and uplift.
Explore the web portal

MIT ELECTION LAB + OTHER ELECTION EXPERTS
14 urgent recommendations to make the November 2020 elections safe and secure
Recommendations | Related: Interview with Charles Stewart on voting by mail

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES | STARR FORUM
Will the Covid-19 pandemic lead to a savvier, 21st C. national security strategy? 
Experts consider if the coronavirus crisis will catalyze a stronger security strategy, e.g. one that includes health care, aid for workers and communities, protection for democracy, and increased international collaboration to manage novel pathogens.
Story by Peter Dizikes at MIT News
 



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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 13 May 2020