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How do humans learn about other persons? How do we make decisions about our social behaviour towards them? These are key questions in social decision making research. Laboratory studies usually address passive forms of learning (e.g., trial-and-error learning). However, insights from artificial intelligence demonstrate that learning in real-life is less passive and much more self-directed. Humans select specific inquiries to acquire specific, relevant information (active learning). Importantly, there are social costs of information gathering to consider (e.g., too extensive question asking can be offensive, or time consuming). Understanding how people learn about others and make social decisions, requires understanding how people: 1. prioritize inquiries depending on which information is most relevant. 2. balance the benefit of gathering more information against the social costs. I propose a series of studies that combine methods from behavioral economics with computational models from artificial intelligence. This allows for the study of active social information gathering and the role of social costs. Project 1 and 2 examine multiple social information gathering costs. Project 3 systematically compares active with passive social learning. This novel, integrative approach will provide a mechanistic understanding of active social learning.

Strassen’s theory of asymptotic spectra aims to understand problems of asymptotic nature in mathematics, computer science and physics, and in particular the problem of fast matrix multiplication. This research develops novels directions in the study of structural aspects and applications of this theory. Strassen’s theory of asymptotic spectra aims to understand problems of asymptotic nature in mathematics, computer science and physics, and in particular the problem of fast matrix multiplication. This research develops novels directions in the study of structural aspects and applications of this theory.

Internet bans and asset freezes are examples of anti-terrorism measures employed by governments to constrain individuals without making use of jail sentences. The increased use of such measures and the impact of them on individual liberty and autonomy raises the following question that has not been addressed in philosophy of law: Should the employment of anti-terrorism measures that deprive individuals of their liberty outside the prison cell be accompanied by legal safeguards similar to the safeguards assigned to individuals subjected to incarceration? This question needs to be addressed if one wants to assess existing anti-terrorism measures or propose new ones. The task of this interdisciplinary project is to set guidelines for how individual liberty and autonomy can be secured by law in times of terrorism. It aims to rethink anti-terrorism measures from a normative perspective and provides a framework to consider amending them. This philosophical basis may function as a justificatory framework for contemporary practices, which will be beneficial for legal scholars and policy makers. It is essential to conduct this project at Rutgers University’s Institute for Law and Philosophy because this will provide me with the best network in the field and supervision from leading scholar Douglas Husak.