MIT School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

SSP Senior Fellow Charles Glaser speaks to Amherst College Professor Eleonora Mattiacci about his latest book “Retrench, Defend, Compete: Securing America’s Future Against a Rising China”. 🔖Bookmark now, 🎧listen later via @NewBooksNetwork: newbooksnetwork.com/retrench-defen… @ProfEMattiacci

In @NatureComms, researchers from the Media Lab's Sculpting Evolution research group and collaborators demonstrate the first mouse model of Lyme immunity, effectively blocking the transmission of the Lyme-causing bacteria to uninfected ticks. By engineering mice that not only express antibodies against the pathogen, but pass them along to their offspring, the team is laying the groundwork to actively break the Lyme disease transmission cycle in the wild — while pioneering an entirely new way to fight vector-borne and zoonotic diseases. media.mit.edu/publications/h…

In this week's newsletter, meet the 2026 Levitan Teaching Award winners, learn how an MIT economist recommends avoiding an AI job apocalypse, meet SHASS' Assistant Dean for Resource Development, and more. mailchi.mp/mit/shass-week…

Innovation doesn’t happen in silos. That’s why the MIT HEALS initiative is building a community where cross‑disciplinary teams work together to tackle challenges that no single field can solve alone. bit.ly/3RqN9u0

Shifting loan repayment deadlines can boost farmers’ profits. Our Agriculture Co-Chair @Craig McIntosh breaks down why, and what works best in a new @VoxDev podcast based on our latest policy insight. More here: bit.ly/49n9puV

At the event, Blueprint Directors @prof_parag and @metrics52 and Affiliate Clemence Idoux presented research on school quality and family preferences. Many thanks to @QualityCharters and all the speakers, facilitators, and authorizers who made this an engaging event.

Blueprint Labs hosted the NACSA Leaders Program during a 3-day event at MIT this week, where charter school authorizers joined presentations and discussions to advance their understanding of research and how to use evidence in their work.

🚀 18.8 million households now receive digital food vouchers in Indonesia 🇮🇩 The Government of Indonesia & @JPAL_SEA scaled Program Sembako, improving how aid reached those who needed it most and reducing admin costs: povertyactionlab.org/case-study/dig…

What will it take to close Africa's finance gap? Our new blog series explores 5 priority areas for inclusive finance, from AI-driven credit to currency risk. 🧵 povertyactionlab.org/blog?region=Al…

How can decisions made by Organ Procurement Organizations—nonprofits that coordinate organ recovery from potential donors—lead to more organ donations? New work by Blueprint Co-Director @agarwaln_econ and co-authors examines OPOs’ decision-making. blueprintlabs.mit.edu/research/impro…

@rema_nadeem @Ben_Olken @JPAL_SEA Read more about how digitizing social services in Indonesia transformed a national safety net from evidence to policy 👇 povertyactionlab.org/case-study/dig…

@rema_nadeem @Ben_Olken The scale-up is anchored by a deep partnership: the Indonesian government drives and funds the program, while @JPAL_SEA contributes expertise and research insights to ensure the system continues to reach the most vulnerable.

Social safety nets are vital for reducing poverty, but in-kind food aid can be difficult to manage and prone to leakage. 📦❌ Indonesia decided to fix this by going digital. Here's what happened. 🧵👇

SSP Director M. Taylor Fravel speaks with @NPR's Emily Feng about China’s expanding nuclear program and the escalating security dilemma. “What [China] worried about was that the U.S. was developing what's known as conventional long-range strike weapons that could be used to attack China's nuclear forces,” Fravel says. 🎧Listen now: wusf.org/2026-05-10/why… @fravel

MIT students! Get a jump on fall courses! Check out the new offerings available and set yourself up for a SHASS concentration, minor, or major! bit.ly/4umgJz6

In the latest episode of their podcast, @baselinescene and Gary Gensler discuss the Chinese economy. What should we expect from President Trump's talks with President Xi later this week? Who will be the world’s most influential country in the years ahead? powerandconsequences.com/p/episode-11-w…

What happens when an @mit_cmsw lecturer discovers his students using AI to write? A powerful teaching moment, according to lecturer Micah Nathan in a @guardian essay. theguardian.com/us-news/ng-int…

We're hiring a postdoc at MIT! The Postdoctoral Associate will work closely with @DAcemogluMIT and @baselinescene to conduct research on the history, social implications and future of technology. Learn more and apply by June 15: shapingwork.mit.edu/careers/james-…

“First, we talked to each other through machines. Now we talk directly to machines. We became accustomed to looking to a screen for attachment,” @MITPSTS professor Sherry Turkle says. edition.cnn.com/2026/05/09/hea… @cnni

Dear followers, Please see this sobering account of AI, data work and future of inequality by Karen Hao which also features an interview with me. youtu.be/aooiDA-AsNo?si… via @YouTube