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The Great Problems

TTh 3:30-5    Instructor: Kevin M. Esvelt

At MIT, we can tackle the hardest of problems. Which ones are most worth solving... and why?                             

The future of civilization will primarily be determined by the technologies that we choose to invent and our wisdom in determining whether, when, and how to use them. As potential inventors of those technologies, we can influence the outcomes – if we choose the right problem.

Which problems are most in need of solutions, and by what sorts of pioneers? Which future technologies must be developed and disseminated in the right way, lest they create greater problems? Which are most likely to determine the course of the future?

We’ll develop a framework to analyze these problems by discussing which historical inventions proved critical, how pioneers influenced outcomes, which types of future inventions could be game-changers, whether we’d rather save lives or improve them, and who or what we might consider worth benefiting – all while diving into some of the great problems of our time.

Great Problem 1: Mental Health                                   (with Professor Rosalind Picard, MIT)
Great Problem 2: Health & Development                    (with Dr. Neil Buddy Shah, GiveWell)
Great Problem 3: Inequality & Development               (with Professor Amy Smith, MIT)
Great Problem 4: Energy                                                (with Professor Anne White, MIT)
Great Problem 5: Cooperation                                      (with Professor Joshua Greene, Harvard)
Great Problem 6: Animal Well-Being                            (with Kai Steinmetz, New Harvest / U. Auckland)
Great Problem 7: Climate & Geoengineering               (with Professor David Keith, Harvard)
Great Problem 8: Physical Catastrophes                      (with Professor Toby Ord, Oxford)
Great Problem 9: Civilizational Resilience                    (with Dr. Danny Hillis, Applied Invention)
Great Problem 10: Exponential Biology                        (with Professor Megan Palmer, Stanford)
Great Problem 11: Artificial Intelligence                       (with Dr. Paul Christiano, formerly of OpenAI)

As a breadth-focused class spanning many disciplines, there are no prerequisites; undergraduates and graduate students are welcome.

Enrollment is limited, but listeners are welcome.

Tuesday meetings will feature discussions of key concepts, past and future technological game-changers, and providing philosophical context.

Each Thursday discussion will focus on a different Great Problem, and will be led by a guest speaker who is a leader in the relevant area.

All meetings will be held by Zoom due to the pandemic.

Syllabus

Objectives

• To gain a broad appreciation for many of the greatest problems we face
• To understand what makes a great problem
• To improve our ability to benefit the world
• To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

Expectations 

Read the background material, participate in discussions, and contribute to projects focused on candidate solutions or thorough analyses.

Grading Scheme 

Grades will be heavily based on group projects due midway (30%) and at the end (50%) of the course, with the remainder determined by participation.

For projects, students will work in small groups to conduct research, write up, and present their findings on a potential way to address one aspect of a great problem, or make the case for the importance of a future great problem that hasn't yet been recognized.