History

The term “wild,” is receiving renewed attention from academics and popular authors alike. MIT historian Harriet Ritvo notes that even those who are critical of the term employ it frequently, and that most of us remain uncertain of the word's conceptual parameters.

3Q: Historian Harriet Ritvo on what it means to be "wild"

Scientists, social scientists, and humanists heed the call of the wild at MIT workshop.

November 4, 2016

Rendering of United States filled up as thousands of people

Analyzing the 2016 election: Insights from 12 MIT scholars

Experts from the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences weigh in on topics from polling to rhetoric to individual campaign issues.

October 12, 2016

Pioneering women of science, tech, engineering, and math represented in the MIT Libraries' collections include: Ada Lovelace, Alice Ball, Hertha Ayrton, Marie Curie, Mary Somerville, Rachel Carson, Emelie du Chatelet, Caroline Herschel, Maria Agnesi, and Maria Mitchell.

Celebrating pioneering women in STEM at the MIT Libraries

For Ada Lovelace Day, a look at 10 women in STEM history from MIT’s rare books collection.

October 11, 2016

“Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line,” published by HarperCollins, and written by Heather Hendershot, professor of film and media in MIT’s Comparative Media Studies/Writing program.

Changing the face of conservatism in the U.S.

New book by professor Heather Hendershot explores impact of William F. Buckley’s “Firing Line.”

October 4, 2016

Randomly assigned to tables of 10, participants at an open forum engaged in extended conversations about values, sources of intolerance, and ways to help MIT sustain an inclusive community during a time of social tension.

At open forum, MIT community discusses recent U.S. tragedies

More than 600 attend event emphasizing commitment to “stand together against injustice, intolerance, and hatred.”

July 14, 2016

Unlocking the past with the future of imaging

New grants help MIT Libraries, DMSE, and CSAIL push the boundaries of examining artifacts.

July 7, 2016

“Groovy Science,” from the University of Chicago Press, was co-edited by David Kaiser (pictured), head of MIT’s Program in Science, Technology, and Society.

Groovy science, man!

Q&A: David Kaiser on our debt to science’s countercultural turn.

June 29, 2016

"We got to learn how to use saws, a drill press, and other machines," says Kathryn Hendrickson, rising senior and computer science major (at left with Theodore Mouratidis and Lauren Huang). "It was cool to make something physical, where I'm used to just code. Building a printing press is awesome."

Mens et manus in the MIT History workshop

Students gain insights into early book-making technology and cultural systems by creating paper and a handset printing press from scratch.

June 10, 2016

“We are still trying to understand the economics of theater-going over the course of these 113 years. For example, we have limited records about the casting of plays, but we have already recognized that when new actors or actresses debuted, there would be spikes in attendance,” Jeff Ravel says.

3 Questions: Jeffrey Ravel on bringing data to cultural history

MIT conference stems from data-rich historical project on French theater.

May 18, 2016

On Wednesday, James Lovell (right) spoke at MIT as a special guest, invited by the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Lovell attended a pre-talk reception in AeroAstro’s Neumann Hangar.

Apollo 13 commander James Lovell: “Crises don’t bother me anymore”

Astronaut’s visit to MIT draws capacity crowd as he recounts lunar mission’s “successful failure.”

April 28, 2016

Anne McCants is a professor of history and Margaret MacVicar Faculty Fellow; housemaster for Burton-Conner; director of the Concourse Program, a freshman learning community dedicated to exploring fundamental questions that lie at the intersection of science, social science, and humanistic inquiry; and vice-president (soon to be president) of the International Economic History Association.

How history can help us solve global economic issues

MIT economic historian Anne McCants discusses the connection between innovation and opportunity.

April 22, 2016

“Small Infinities,” written by professor Alan Brody (pictured) will be performed at the Kresge Little Theater, April 7-9 and 14-16, at 7:30 pm.

3 Questions: Alan Brody on “Small Infinities”

As part of MIT 2016 celebration, play about Isaac Newton debuts in U.S.

April 7, 2016

The Temple of Bel at Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was reduced to rubble by the terrorist group ISIS in 2015. MIT professor Nasser Rabbat helps tell the story of this lost heritage as part of "The Museum of Lost Objects," a new BBC Radio series on sites and objects that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria.

Nasser Rabbat and the Museum of Lost Objects

MIT architect and historian helps the BBC trace the destruction of Syrian antiquities.

March 16, 2016

Administration addresses student recommendations

Earliest actions on inclusiveness will focus on orientation, mental health counseling, student surveys.

March 16, 2016

International team exploring 17th-century postal archive to speak at MIT

Interdisciplinary group of experts will discuss their collaboration on the "Signed, Sealed and Undelivered" project.

March 8, 2016

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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