What is mathematics? Are the lines, planes, and intervals of mathematics composed of points, or are there other ways of thinking about these objects? According to Professor Geoffrey Hellman, questions like these have always posed problems for the discipline of mathematics. In two new books, co-authored with Stewart Shapiro of The Ohio State University, Hellman takes on these and other questions, seeking to clarify what is at stake in the various answers one might offer to them.

Do scientific theories fully describe the world? Do electrons and electromagnetic fields really exist? What sets science apart from other kinds of inquiry? Philosophers of science like Professor Samuel C. Fletcher grapple with these complicated questions daily. Fletcher recently introduced this way of thinking to a group of bright high school students in the Honors Mentor Connection class at Wayzata High School.

Sara Parhizgari is a recipient for the award of a 2018–2019 Pre-Doctoral Fellowship through the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS).

How can writing a paper on Kant or giving a presentation on the philosophy of sports prepare students for their future careers? By having them reflect on their own learning, Professor Bennett McNulty is challenging his students to address these kinds of questions.