Will Deringer

Will Deringer is an associate professor in MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society. His scholarship focuses on how quantitative reasoning has become part of public life. Through his research, he identified a time in British public life from the 1680s to the 1720s as a key moment when the practice of making numerical arguments took hold — a trend deeply connected with the rise of parliamentary power and political parties. Crucially, freedom of the press also expanded, allowing greater scope for politicians and the public to have frank discussions about the world as it was, backed by empirical evidence.