Opening the doors of perception: Perspectives on SHASS
Does technology displace workers or create new work?
World-class
research
Our distinguished faculty do field-defining work and develop the values, vision, and ethical compass of tomorrow’s leaders. They produce operas alongside research that makes the world a better place.
Without human understanding, there is no understanding. The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is home to scholars and artists who are doing transformative work in fields that are vital to addressing the world’s most important challenges.
Building bridges between science and the humanities
Senior Omar Orozco wants to use storytelling and the arts to help educate the next generation of computer scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.
Aligning AI with human values
Senior Audrey Lorvo is researching AI safety, which seeks to ensure increasingly intelligent AI models are reliable and can benefit humanity. The growing field focuses on technical challenges like robustness and AI alignment with human values, as well as societal concerns like transparency and accountability.
Learn more about the research of our exceptional faculty.
Supersize me
A new book from MIT political scientist Kathleen Thelen, “Attention, Shoppers! American Retail Capitalism and the Origins of the Amazon Economy,” examines the political dynamics behind the huge U.S. retail economy. “The markets that we take as given, that we think of as the natural outcome of supply and demand, are heavily shaped by policy and by politics,” she says.
Decoding a medieval mystery manuscript
“My argument is that this physical object adds up to more than the sum of its parts, through its creative interplay of text, image, and materials,” MIT Literature professor Arthur Bahr says. His book, “Chasing the Pearl-Manuscript: Speculation, Shapes, Delight,” explores the Pearl-Manuscript, a singular bound volume from the 1300s containing the earliest versions of the masterly medieval poem “Pearl,” the famous tale “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” and two other poems.
SHASS offers an wide array of events through our departments, programs, and centers. We’ve featured some upcoming events below. See our events calendar for opportunities to drink tea with luminaries from SHASS fields, hear groundbreaking ideas at a symposium, or attend a film screening.
Political Conditions and Perceptions of U.S. Nuclear Credibility
The Security Studies Program presents “Divisions at Home, Divisions Abroad? How Domestic Political Conditions Shape Foreign Perceptions of U.S. Nuclear Credibility” on Wednesday, April 16 at 12 p.m. in Building E40-496. Lauren Sukin will share findings regarding how political party, partisanship, polarization, and divided government affect foreign publics’ perceptions of U.S. nuclear credibility.
Interasian Intimacies across Race, Religion, and Colonialism
MIT’s History Section presents “Interasian Intimacies across Race, Religion, and Colonialism” on Thursday, April 17 at 5 p.m. in MIT’s Building E51-275. Historian and director of the Institute for Research on Women Chie Ikeya will examine historical depictions of intimacy, race, religion, and colonialism in Asia through a non-Eurocentric lens.
SHASS community spotlight
The SHASS community is made of inspiring students, staff, and faculty. Meet these individuals who have big impacts in the corridors of MIT and beyond.
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.
Unparalleled student support
Professors Andrew Vanderburg and Ariel White are honored as “Committed to Caring.”
Building for Ukraine: A hackathon with a mission
No venture capital, no competition — just real-world problems in urgent need of solutions.
MIT Press announces new Faculty and Alumni Book Awards
Awards honor the enduring importance of books and their authors within the MIT community.
