> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://site.ashoat.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://site.ashoat.com/about/research.md). # Research interests One of my favorite questions when I meet somebody new is “what are your favorite Wikipedia topics”? I’m not really a “researcher” per se, but that’s kinda what I mean by “research interests”. ## Humanity at scale I am fascinated by “humanity at scale”, in other words how people organize themselves, collaborate, and communicate. I frame a lot of human history this way – civilization, markets, etc. I think a lot about how incentive structures affect social structures, and am particularly interested in organizing models that try to manage the accrual of power instead of amplifying it. In this light I have a particular interest in “structure without hierarchy”, and take inspiration from the open source movement. I believe the biggest variable underpinning progress is how quickly ideas spread. ## Biology Perhaps the Wiki subject I spend the most time on is biology. I’ve spent hours reading about things like the evolutionary lineage of ducks, monoamine neurotransmitters, the inflammatory immune response, etc. If I could travel to the future, the first thing I’d want to look up is the human brain. ## Philosophy My head is always in the clouds. I gravitate towards abstract questions and philosophy. I have a particular interest in ethics and epistemology. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://site.ashoat.com/about/research.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.