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The MIT Press Podcast

The MIT Press
Artificial Intelligence
Education
Technology
Climate Change
Video Games
Social Justice
Architecture
Telecommunications
Cognitive Science
Flint Water Crisis
Globalization
Code For America
Environmental Justice
Art
Public Health
Civic Tech
Trans Technologies
Democracy
Game Design
Alien Daughters Walk Into the Sun

Interviews with authors of MIT Press books.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes584Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

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Artwork for The MIT Press Podcast

Latest Episodes

We often blame social media for the rampant problem of disinformation, but the truth is that mainstream news media is often equally at fault. Not only do news outlets disguise paid content to look like online news articles, a practice called “native ... more

The Military Entertainment Complex: Chimurenga Afrosonic Making of Zimbabwe (MIT Press, 2026) by Dr. Mhoze Chikowero is the story of the making of post-independence Zimbabwe from the sounds and songs born of the country’s armed liberation wars, waged... more

The Land of Happiness: How the Japanese Department Store Visualized Modern Life

(MIT Press, 2026) explores the far-reaching influence of the Japanese

department store on modern life and our imaginations. In this gorgeously

illustrated volume, Dr. ... more

Some of the earliest canals in colonial America, referred to as the Inner Passage, were constructed by enslaved people living in the Lowcountry of South Carolina in the early 1700s. In a paradox of history, for over a hundred years enslaved Black ... more

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Recent Guests

Nozomi Naoi
Author of The Land of Happiness, How the Japanese Department Store Visualized Modern Life
National University of Singapore
Episode: Nozomi Naoi, "The Land of Happiness: How the Japanese Department Store Visualized Modern Life" (MIT Press, 2026)
Virginia McGee Richards
Author of The Inner Passage, An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway
Author, The Inner Passage
Episode: Virginia McGee Richards, "The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway" (MIT Press, 2026)
Khiara M. Bridges
Author of Expecting Inequity, Professor of Public Law at UC Berkeley School of Law
UC Berkeley School of Law / MIT Press Book Author
Episode: Khiara Bridges, "Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans" (MIT Press, 2026)
Fenwick McKelvey
Professor in communication studies; author
MIT Press, University (as referenced in interview)
Episode: Fenwick McKelvey, "SimPolitics: America’s Quest to Solve Politics with Computers" (MIT Press, 2026)
Soraya Murray
Professor, Film and Digital Media, University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
Episode: Soraya Murray, "Technothriller: Film and the American Imagination" (MIT Press, 2026)
Mordecai Kurz
Joan Kenney Professor of Economics Emeritus at Stanford University
Stanford University
Episode: Are Capitalism and Democracy Fundamentally Incompatible? A Conversation with Mordecai Kurz
Joe Davidson
Author of Saving Utopia, Research fellow at Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Episode: Joe P. L. Davidson, "Saving Utopia: Imagining Hopeful Futures in Dystopian Times" (MIT Press, 2026)
Michael Brownstein
Professor and Chair of Philosophy at John Jay College and Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate Center, CUNY
John Jay College; CUNY Graduate Center
Episode: Michael Brownstein et al., "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change" (MIT Press, 2025)
Alex Madva
Professor of Philosophy, Director of the California Center for Ethics and Policy, Co-Director of the Digital Humanities Consortium
Cal Poly Pomona
Episode: Michael Brownstein et al., "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change" (MIT Press, 2025)

Host

Miranda Melcher
Host with affiliation to New Books Network and MIT Press contexts; multiple episodes.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 64 ratings
  • Insightful podcast from MIT

    MIT Press remains on the cutting edge of human thought: not just trendy buzz words like “artificial intelligence,” but rather on the cutting edge of concepts across the humanities. Tune in…you won’t regret it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TagBerg
    United Statesa year ago
  • Good concepts, poor production

    I would expect MIT to have a well produced podcast. While the content is interesting the sound quality and audio from the host is VERY sub-par.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Scott, not a bot
    Australia3 years ago
  • the Director’s Cut

    Magnificent insight into the production of texts…like a Director’s Cut with critic’s commentary.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Le Matrix
    United States6 years ago
  • Amazing

    Literally the best

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    zizekluver1994
    United Kingdom6 years ago
  • So great to see this podcast up and running again!

    This was one of the first great publisher podcasts so it was a shame when it went quiet a while back, wonderful to see it up and running again now and going from strength to strength!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Katie.Stileman
    United Kingdom6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

guests are consistently diverse and topic-rich, delivering actionable takeaways for researchers and practitioners.
listeners appreciate the rigor and depth of scholarly dialogue.
production quality is sometimes noted as a weakness in some reviews, though content remains strong.
audience values conversations that connect theory to real-world impact.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#83
Norway/Education

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Khiara Bridges, "Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: Could you tell us about your research methods for this book?
She describes a two-year ethnography in a well-resourced San Francisco obstetrics department, combining participant observation with in-depth interviews of 200 individuals (125 non-Black, 75 Black) and interviews with clinicians and administrators to understand lived experiences of pregnancy and care.
Khiara Bridges, "Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: Could you tell us one of the stories that you found to be very enlightening about this situation?
Bridges introduces Annette, a highly educated Black woman who faced repeated symptom dismissals during pregnancy; her eventual pancreatitis was only diagnosed after delivery, highlighting how discrimination persists even among the highly educated and well-off, and how class privilege cannot shield Black patients from harmful medical neglect.
Virginia McGee Richards, "The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: How do you balance preserving history with artistic expression in your photography?
I used the wet plate collodion process to create images that feel rooted in the past while keeping the present in view, allowing a fluid movement between present and history, and I tied the visuals to authentic maps and plats to honor the documented history.
Virginia McGee Richards, "The Inner Passage: An Untold Story of Black Resistance Along a Southern Waterway" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: How did you start this project and what drew you to New Cut and the Inner Passage?
I began by exploring maps and archives in the library, realizing the Inner Passage was far more extensive than I first thought, with multiple canals that connected Charleston to the interior, and I felt compelled to document both the landscape and the people connected to it.
Fenwick McKelvey, "SimPolitics: America’s Quest to Solve Politics with Computers" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: What motivated you to write about the history of politics and computing?
McKelvey explains that the drive was to understand how computers could solve political problems and to reveal the long history from early attempts to modern computational imaginaries, tying together domestic and international contexts.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The MIT Press Podcast

What is The MIT Press Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program features in-depth interviews with authors of MIT Press books, spanning topics from culture, history, science, and public policy to technology and social change. Listeners can expect rigorous, scholarly conversations that connect detailed research to broader social implications, with hosts guiding nuanced discussions about design, infrastructure, equity, and the future of societies. A notable strength is the program's ability to pair standout academics and authors with accessible, thoughtful dialogue, often highlighting methodological approaches and real-world case studies. The show stands out for its blend of historical insight, interdisciplinary perspectives, and a clear emphasis on how ideas translate into policy, practice, a... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The MIT Press Podcast?

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1. MIT Technology Review Narrated
2. Uncanny Valley | WIRED
3. London Review Bookshop Podcast
4. The Gray Area with Sean Illing
5. Radio Atlantic

How many episodes of The MIT Press Podcast are there?

The MIT Press Podcast launched 8 years ago and published 584 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The MIT Press Podcast?

Recent guests on The MIT Press Podcast include:

1. Nozomi Naoi
2. Virginia McGee Richards
3. Khiara M. Bridges
4. Fenwick McKelvey
5. Soraya Murray
6. Mordecai Kurz
7. Joe Davidson
8. Michael Brownstein

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