Essential Knowledge

Articles by authors in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series. Written by leading thinkers, the series offers accessible, concise books on subjects that range from the cultural and the historical to the scientific and the technical.

Latest Articles

Philosophy

Descartes and the Discovery of the Mind-Body Problem

The French philosopher René Descartes is often credited with discovering the mind-body problem, a mystery that haunts philosophers to this day. The reality is more complicated than that.

Jonathan Westphal |

Science & Tech

The Czech Play That Gave Us the Word ‘Robot’

Karel Čapek's play "R.U.R." premiered in January 1921. Its influence cannot be overstated.

John M. Jordan |

Culture

Writing the Future With Utopias

Literary utopias can provoke our critical faculties and open our minds to imaginative — and transformative — ideas.

Nick Montfort |

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