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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
Globalization
Flint Water Crisis
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.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes580Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Education

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Latest Episodes

An unsettling exploration of the persistence of racism in reproductive healthcare in the US—and why even affluent Black women are imperiled by substandard care.

From a leading expert on race, class, maternal health, and reproductive rights.

Racism in... more

This book is available open access.

For

more than six decades, the public has been promised that computers will

revolutionize politics, both nationally and internationally. In SimPolitics: America’s Quest to Solve Politics with Computers

(MIT Pr... more

Technothriller: Film and the American Imagination

(MIT Press, 2026) is the first dedicated examination of popular movies

classified as “thrillers” that channel societal anxiety or dread about

advanced technologies like supercomputers, robotics, AI... more

Today I'm speaking with Mordecai Kurz, Joan Kenney Professor of Economics Emeritus at Stanford University. We are discussing his latest book, Private Power and Democracy's Decline: How to Make Capitalism Support Democracy (MIT Press, 2026). After it... more

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Recent Guests

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)
Daniel Kelly
Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University
Purdue University
Episode: Michael Brownstein et al., "Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change" (MIT Press, 2025)
Rahul Mukherjee
Associate Professor of TV and New Media; author of Unlimited
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Rahul Mukherjee, "Unlimited: Aspirational Politics and Mobile Media Distribution" (MIT Press, 2026)
Yosef Grodzinsky
Professor Emeritus and Director of the Neurolinguistics Lab, Hebrew University; author of How Deeply Human Is Language
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Episode: Yosef Grodzinsky, "How Deeply Human Is Language?: Chomsky, the Brain, and the AI Fantasy" (MIT Press, 2026)

Host

Gregory McNiff
Host known for interview-style episodes; part of The New Books Network.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 63 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.

Audience appreciates the clear connections between academic work and real-world issues.
Some note production quality can be uneven, but the depth of ideas remains compelling.
Listeners praise the rigorous, book-centered conversations and thoughtfulness of guests.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
Yosef Grodzinsky, "How Deeply Human Is Language?: Chomsky, the Brain, and the AI Fantasy" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: What is the central question of the book and why does it matter?
The central question is whether language is exclusively human or can be owned and emulated by machines, explored from linguistic theory, neurolinguistics, and AI perspectives to assess implications for both science and technology.
Nikki Luke, "Electric Life: Utility Regulation and the Fight for Energy Democracy" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: What made you choose Atlanta as the focal point for your study of energy democracy?
Atlanta provided a clear case where a privately owned utility operated under state regulation, revealing how local political dynamics, race, and labor history interact with modern energy policy, making it an ideal lens for examining democratic accountability and the social dimensions of electricity.
Adrian Woolfson, "On the Future of Species: Authoring Life by Means of Artificial Biological Intelligence" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: How do you view the relationship between genes, development, and environment in shaping organisms?
Genes set the landscape, but development, learning, and culture fill in many details, making outcomes variable and often not strictly predictable, though the genome remains the core infrastructure.
Adrian Woolfson, "On the Future of Species: Authoring Life by Means of Artificial Biological Intelligence" (MIT Press, 2026)
Q: What led you to write On the Future of Species and who is the primary audience?
I wanted to explain how biology is moving from description to design, guided by AI, and make the topic accessible to non-specialists so that a broad audience can participate in the debate about the future of life.

Audience Metrics

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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?

The program showcases conversations with authors, editors, and scholars whose MIT Press books explore technology, culture, philosophy, and the humanities. Episodes typically dissect a book's core ideas, its research method, and broader implications for society—ranging from infrastructure in peacebuilding and reparative media to energy democracy, space biology, and digital culture. A notable pattern is the blend of rigorous academic insights with accessible storytelling, often featuring cross-disciplinary perspectives, real-world case studies, and thoughtful reflections on ethics, governance, and the future of knowledge. The show is likely particularly valuable for listeners who want well-argued intellectual content grounded in current schol... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The MIT Press Podcast?

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1. MIT Technology Review Narrated
2. The LRB Podcast
3. Free Thinking
4. War on the Rocks
5. A History of the World in 100 Objects

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The MIT Press Podcast launched 8 years ago and published 580 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. Fenwick McKelvey
2. Soraya Murray
3. Mordecai Kurz
4. Joe Davidson
5. Michael Brownstein
6. Alex Madva
7. Daniel Kelly
8. Rahul Mukherjee

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