USD Humanities Center

05/26/2026

Now you can download and read Pope Leo XIV's Magnifica Humanitas, the first encyclical of his pontificate. The document was released by the Holy See on May 25, 2026.
The encyclical develops the Churchʼs social teaching in light of artificial intelligence, situating new questions of human dignity, labor, and the common good within the tradition that runs from Rerum Novarum through Centesimus Annus and Laudato Si'.
Download and read the full encyclical as a PDF here: https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/full-text-of-magnifica-humanitas-read-pope-leo-xiv-s-first-encyclical

05/26/2026

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Today, Pope Leo XIV released his highly anticipated first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas" (Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence). In an extraordinary Vatican launch alongside top theologians and tech pioneers, the Church has planted a firm flag on the digital frontier.

The core message is an urgent wake-up call: the challenge we face today is not technological, but deeply anthropological. In a world increasingly automated, Pope Leo XIV reminds us that "human beings can never be reduced to a statistic, a profile, or an algorithm." What is human is always a mystery and a divine call. The encyclical tackles the erosion of public truth, the exploitation of human relationships by artificial companions, the future of human labor, and the severe ethical risks of autonomous warfare.

Read the encyclical letter: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/it/events/event.dir.html/content/vaticanevents/it/2026/5/25/enciclica-magnifica-humanitas.html

05/13/2026

Sir George and the Humanities Center wish you good luck on finals. You got this! 🧐📚🙌

05/11/2026

Take a study break with snacks and crafts or find a comfy spot to study, we welcome all students to the Final Hail Mary study break hosted by the Humanities Center Student Board.

05/05/2026

We couldn’t agree more. The Humanities Center Gallery consistently displays relevant and thought-provoking exhibitions - two each semester.

Beyond famous art museums, those at public and private universities are often overlooked. Hit the comments for the 8 best college art museums in the U.S.

05/01/2026

The Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Presentations will begin at 4 p.m. with our Interdisciplinary Humanities majors and continue at 5:30 p.m. with the Keck Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellows.

Join us in person or watch live - link in calendar posting.

University of San Diego: College of Arts and Sciences English Dept

04/24/2026

Presented by the Judy Lewis Logue Alcalá Chapter of Mortar Board and the Humanities Center

Entitled "Mathematics, Machines, and the Art of Being Human," Satyan devadoss, PhD, Fletcher Jones Professor of Applied Mathematics and chair of the Department of Mathematics, will speak as if he is giving his last lecture ever.

Over the past century, mathematics has become increasingly valued in our world. And with the rise of AI, math has led us to an alternate 2D digital-reality, effectively making us less human. By exploring Albrecht Dürer and Salvador Dali, Burning Man and Beowulf, we move away from old encounters of math —ancient formulas, technical jargon, and painful memories— and offer a fresh perspective in redeeming our humanity.

University of San Diego Mathematics Department University of San Diego: College of Arts and Sciences .mortarboard

04/23/2026

Can you distill a year-long, independent research project into 2 minutes? Our Keck Undergraduate Humanities Research Fellows are giving it a try. They will present on Tuesday, April 28 at 1:15 p.m. 🙌

Shoutout to Cherry, our film assistant, who is presenting her collaborative research as well! 📖

04/22/2026

From the beauty and symmetry of zero to the symphony of sounds in our ocean, Drs. Hoffoss (Mathematics) and Boudrias (Environmental and Ocean Sciences) explored silence from their respective fields. Bravo to our faculty for such an inspiring dialogue on silence!

04/22/2026

Visit the Humanities Center Student Board (HCSB) table outside Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall to find your next great read! Books will be wrapped, so you will choose a book blindly. Unwrap your next reading adventure! Books are available until supplies last. Last time we had dozens of books given away within fifteen minutes!

Humanities Center Student Board Presents
Blind Date with a Book - Spring Fling
Thursday, April 16 at 12:15 p.m.
Outside Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall