Rethinking Human Creativity in the Age of AI

Is sustainability as simple as raising prices? A new study by Prof. Itai Ater and Dr. Michal Hodor (Management), examines Israel’s short-lived tax on single-use plastic tableware. The research found that the tax initially reduced sales through high prices — but after repeal, neither prices nor sales returned to their original levels. This shows that, either for economic or behavioral reasons, buyers lowered their consumption of single-use plastic such that the environmental effect of the tax continued after it was gone. In a diverse society like Israel’s, the study is further revealing as to how cultural and economic contexts shape the effectiveness of environmental policy.

Prof. Inbal Talgam (Exact Sciences) of the Blavatnik School of Computer Science and AI is exploring how to make AI work for everyone, safely and responsibly. Her team received funding from the AI Security Institute to study ways to prevent advanced AI systems from causing harm, whether by accident or design. She was also selected for the second cohort of Microsoft’s AI Economy Institute, a program dedicated to understanding how AI spreads across industries, economies, and communities. Through this work, Prof. Talgam is shaping the future of AI, ensuring it delivers innovation while staying safe, fair, and beneficial for society.

After being critically wounded in the October 7 war, engineering student Alon Kaminer spent months recovering at Sheba Medical Center, where he noticed inefficiencies in transporting patients between departments. Together with fellow students Bar Yitzhak and Noga Paz, and under the guidance of Prof. Eran Toch (Engineering), he turned the challenge into a final project in industrial engineering and management. The team developed a data-driven system that matches patient transport requests with available ambulances based on urgency, waiting time, and location. A simulation showed the system could reduce average transport time by 21 percent. The project received a faculty excellence award, and its findings are now helping Sheba improve hospital logistics and plan transportation systems for its future campus in the Negev.

During wartime, teachers face a double challenge: coping with hardship in their own lives while supporting students of all ages experiencing trauma, instability, and fear, and ensuring they meet educational requirements as well. A recent study by Prof. Ricardo Tarrasch (Humanities) examined the resilience of Israeli teachers during ongoing national crisis. Drawing on survey data and personal accounts, it identified key protective factors: Psychological flexibility, optimism, mindfulness, and social support. The findings are highly relevant to Israeli society, where schools function as anchors of stability during prolonged insecurity. By highlighting concrete resources, the study informs educational policy and practice for safeguarding teachers’ well-being and sustaining the education system under conditions of collective threat.

When disaster strikes, affected community members often must rely on fellow civilians for assistance, as formal emergency services quickly become overwhelmed. To study how best to prepare communities to spring into action, the lab of Dr. Reut Noham (Engineering) and Prof. Moran Bodas (Medical and Health Sciences) earned a prestigious grant from the Israeli Ministries of National Security and Science, Innovation, and Technology. Their interdisciplinary team is creating a reproducible framework for community-level rapid response centers that can provide essential resources in the first hours of a disaster such as an earthquake or terrorist attack. The study is designed to produce practical, policy-relevant tools for national ministries and local authorities.

In Israel, effects of war are broadly felt. Continued research is critical to address these challenges, from individuals to families to communities. A book detailing up-to-date findings by Prof. Zehava Solomon (Social Sciences) was published this year, with a book launch event at the Bob Shapell School of Social Work held in January. The book examines the human cost of war, with a focus on the psychological toll of combat and trauma, the importance of recognizing mental injury, and broader societal processes in Israel such as the growing mainstream acknowledgement of the importance of mental health. It contributes meaningfully to academic scholarship and public discourse on trauma, resilience, and the long-term social implications of war.

A new study suggests that non-invasive brain stimulation may help reduce intrusive memories in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Led by Prof. Nitzan Censor and Prof. Yair Bar-Haim (Social Sciences), together with Prof. Ido Tavor (Medical & Health Sciences), the research focuses on the process of memory reconsolidation, when recalled memories briefly become open to change. Participants first reactivated traumatic memories and then received personalized magnetic stimulation targeting brain regions connected to the hippocampus, which plays a key role in memory. After five treatment sessions, participants reported a clear reduction in flashbacks and intrusive thoughts. The preliminary findings suggest a promising new direction for PTSD treatment by directly modifying the neural representation of traumatic memories. Full clinical trials are now underway.

Pollination Unveiled, a new exhibition at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History developed over nearly two years, explores the fascinating relationships between flowers and the animals that pollinate them. Curated scientifically by Dr. Zohar Yanai (Steinhardt Museum) the exhibition reveals how plants actively communicate with pollinators, using colors, scents, and even responses to wingbeats, to attract them and ensure the transfer of pollen. Visitors discover how this delicate interaction supports ecosystems and helps produce more than one-third of the food humans eat. Through engaging displays and scientific insights, the exhibition highlights both the beauty of pollination and the growing threats facing pollinators today, encouraging visitors to look more closely at one of nature’s most essential and intricate partnerships.