James Pryor, a philosopher at New York University and a member of the "Practical and Theoretical Rationality: A Comparative Study" research group at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies in 2012, grapples with the elusive concept of justification in his paper, "Is There Immediate Justification?" Immediate justification, as Pryor discusses, refers to the idea that beliefs can be justified without relying on other beliefs or evidence.

Prof. Ronit Ricci, a former IIAS fellow and recipient of the prestigious Michael Bruno Memorial Award, presents her latest edited volume, "Storied Island: New Explorations in Javanese Literature."

"Storied Island" offers a fresh perspective on Javanese literature, a rich yet often overlooked tradition spanning over a millennium. Ricci, both editor and contributor, delves into the nuances of Javanese literary expression, examining its evolution, cultural influences, and relationship with traditional arts like puppetry and dance.

Dr. Roi Baer, a former fellow at IIAS during the 2011-2012 academic year and the organizer of the Jerusalem Nonadiabatica conference in 2018, has contributed to a significant study recently published in The Journal of Chemical Physics.

In this study, Dr. Baer and his team delved into the intricate relationship between light and molecules, with a focus on a molecule called [2,2]-paracyclophane (PCP). Their objective was to uncover the mechanisms behind the formation of "excimers" within PCP—instances where molecules forge unique bonds when exposed to light.

Credit: Reichman University

Hodder Press is set to release "Synchronized: The Science of How and Why We Bond," the debut book by psychologist and neuroscientist Ruth Feldman, a former fellow at the IIAS and part of "The Influential Child: The Role of Children's Psychobiology and Socialization in Development" research group.

 Photo: Courtesy Charles Darwin Foundation

Historian and former IIAS fellow, Professor Jonathan D. Sarna, recently engaged in a thought-provoking discussion shedding light on the reverberations of the October 7 attacks in Israel. Hosted by Jeffrey Salkin, the conversation delved into the profound implications of these events on Jewish communities, both in Israel and the United States.

 Photo: Courtesy Metoc

Omer Bartov, a former fellow at the IIAS and participant in the "Galicia: Literary and Historical Approaches to the Construction of a Jewish Place" research group, delves into the resurgence of Holocaust references in public discourse in his Essay "Weaponizing Language."

Highlighting the alarming rise in antisemitism and violent actions against Jews, Bartov explores the misuse of terms like genocide and Holocaust, particularly within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, Ukrainian-American historian, artist, former fellow at the IIAS and part of the "Cultural Archaeology of Jews and Slavs: Medieval and Early Modern Judeo-Slavic Interaction and Cross-Fertilization" and " Cosmopolitan Spaces in an Urban Context: A Case Study of Odessa, 1880-1925" research groups, has launched his "Confronting Catastrophes" exhibition in Chicago.

 Photo: Courtesy Charles Darwin Foundation

Professor George Heimpel, a former fellow of the IIAS and part of the "Mathematical Modelling of Biological Control Interaction to Support Agriculture and Conservation" research group, has spearheaded an important project aiming to safeguard Darwin’s finches from a dire threat: the invasive avian vampire fly, Philornis downsi.

Credit: Courtesy K S Seshadri

Professor Maria Thaker (Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore), a former fellow of the IIAS and part of the "Health and the Environment: A Unifying Framework from Individual Stress to Ecosystem Functioning" research group, delved into the intriguing world of frog iris patterns to uncover potential ecological significance.

Oded Singer, a past fellow of the IIAS and member of the 2016 "Jewish Women’s Cultural Capital from the Late Middle Ages Through the Early Twentieth Century" research group, has recently published an important book titled Living with the Law. Delving into the marital disputes of Jews in medieval Islamic Egypt (1000–1250), Singer uncovers a wealth of historical narratives, shedding light on the everyday lives of men and women in a bygone era.

Eric Ford, a former fellow of the IIAS and key member of the "Big Data and Planets" research group at the Institute, along with Cullen Blake from the University of Pennsylvania, has secured a prestigious New Initiative Grant from the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation. Their project, 'Next-generation Techniques for Analyzing Precise Radial Velocity Data,' aims to revolutionize exoplanet detection.

On February 24, 2024, Mysore witnessed the inauguration of 'Karnata,' a research center dedicated to Classical Kannada studies (a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India).

Prof. H.V. Nagaraja Rao, a former fellow of IIAS' "A Lasting Vision: Dandin’s Mirror in the World of Asian Letters" research group, emphasized the center's importance in preserving Kannada heritage. Joined by scholars like Prof. Gil Ben-Herut, the event highlighted the cultural richness of Kannada literature.