Women in Politics: Representation and Reality

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Women are chronically underrepresented in U.S. politics. Yet TV shows, fictions, and films have leapt ahead of the electoral curve. Political consultant Mary Anne Marsh and children/teens book author Ellen Emerson White look at the connections (if any) we can draw between representation and reality.

Is There a Future for In-Depth Science Journalism?

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

The leadership and reporting team of STAT -- a new publication that focuses on health, medicine and scientific discovery -- will discuss the publication’s progress and how the field of science journalism is changing.

Excellence in Teaching

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

What separates a good teacher from a great one? Former poet laureate Robert Pinsky, Weisskopf Professor of Physics Alan Guth and MIT biology professor Hazel Sive--all honored teachers--will explore these issues with Literature professor and Communications Forum director emeritus David Thorburn.

Being Muslim in America (and MIT) in 2016

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Cambridge City Councilman Nadeem Mazen and Wise Systems co-founder Layla Shaikley--both MIT alumni--join engineering student Abubakar Abid to explore how hateful, discriminatory rhetoric influences public opinion, discuss its impact on the lives of Muslim-Americans, and examine strategies to combat it.

Time Traveling with James Gleick

MIT Building 2, Room 190 182 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA

International best-selling author and science historian James Gleick discusses his career, the state of science journalism, and his newest book Time Travel: A History, which delves into the evolution of time travel in literature and science and the thin line between pulp fiction and modern physics.

The Turn to “Tween”: An Age Category and its Cultural Consequences

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

How are “tweens” represented in popular culture, including music, television, and YA literature? And how does this relatively new age category intersect with--or elide--issues pertaining to race, class, and gender identity?

An Evening with John Hodgman

MIT Building 26, Room 100 Access Via 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA

John Hodgman brings his razor-sharp wit to MIT for a moderated discussion on his career and the state of comedy today.

Race and Racism in the 2016 Presidential Election

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Slate's Jamelle Bouie on how race and ethnicity framed the election and how journalists and content creators can improve coverage of these issues moving forward.

Sexual Harassment and Gender Equity in Science

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Azeen Ghorayshi, MIT astronomer Sarah Ballard, and Harvard history of science professor Evelynn M. Hammonds discuss barriers to gender equality in the sciences and steps to over come them.

An Evening with Aparna Nancherla

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Aparna Nancherla heads to MIT this spring for a moderated discussion on her career and her honesty about her struggles with depression.

An Evening with Sarah Vowell

MIT Building 26, Room 100 Access Via 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA

On October 5th, best-selling author Sarah Vowell brings history and humor to MIT.

Has Silicon Valley Lost Its Humanity?

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Author Noam Cohen, technology critic Sara M. Watson, and technology journalist Christina Couch discuss the rise of Silicon Valley and whether the drive for innovation degrades our humanity.

Designing for a Neurodiverse World

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Sometimes simple changes can significantly expand accessibility to people who have neurological differences like autism, dyslexia, ADHD, or epilepsy, but designers and policymakers frequently aren’t aware of issues affecting this neurodiverse community.

Republican Resistance in the Age of Trump

MIT Building 3, Room 270 33 Massachusetts Ave (Rear), Cambridge, MA

Stuart Stevens believes Republicans are in a “GOP apocalypse,” and he’s mobilizing conservatives to stop it.