Many people assume that ignorance is always bad. Ph.D. student Manasa Gopakumar’s dissertation Rethinking Ignorance in Science argues that we should often embrace, acknowledge, and even maintain our ignorance. Ranging widely across autism studies, vaccine research, psychiatry, and other areas, she defends precaution in engaging in research with risks of severe harm, and humility and forthrightness about the limitations of scientific knowledge. She passed her defense on November 11, 2026. Congratulations Dr. Gopakumar!