Hebrew University updates

Why We Can’t Wait: New Study Reveals Why Rewards Make Us Impulsive

Why We Can’t Wait: New Study Reveals Why Rewards Make Us Impulsive

9 July, 2025

From addiction to everyday decision-making, impulsivity shapes much of our behavior. A new study reveals how dopamine, reward size, and learned expectations combine to push us toward premature actions—even when we know better. By showing that impulsivity rises with the value of anticipated rewards, the research offers a new framework for understanding why we sometimes sabotage our own best interests.


 

Elisheva Baumgarten Appointed Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University

Elisheva Baumgarten Appointed Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University

6 July, 2025

Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten, a leading scholar in the social and religious history of the Jews of medieval northern Europe (1000–1350), has been elected Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University. Her work focuses on the social history of Jewish communities in medieval urban centers, with particular attention to the daily interactions between Jews and Christians. She is especially committed to uncovering the lives of those absent from written sources, with a special interest in women and gender hierarchies.

Hebrew University Joins RobustifAI: A Horizon Europe Consortium to Advance Trustworthy Generative AI

Hebrew University Joins RobustifAI: A Horizon Europe Consortium to Advance Trustworthy Generative AI

1 July, 2025

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is proud to announce its participation in RobustifAI, a groundbreaking Horizon Europe research consortium dedicated to strengthening the reliability and robustness of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) technologies. The project officially commenced on June 1, 2025, with a total budget of €9.3 million and a projected duration of 36 months.


 

Why Human Empathy Still Matters in the Age of AI

Why Human Empathy Still Matters in the Age of AI

30 June, 2025

A new study finds that people value empathy more when they believe it comes from a human—even if the actual response was generated by AI. Across nine studies involving over 6,000 participants, the research reveals that human-attributed responses are perceived as more supportive, more emotionally resonant, and more caring than identical AI-generated responses.