Sciences

Novel Method Developed at Hebrew University Reveals Details of Nerve Connections in the Brain

Novel Method Developed at Hebrew University Reveals Details of Nerve Connections in the Brain

7 October, 2021

The human brain is a constant buzz of activity, with its 86 billion nerve cells (neurons) sending electrical signals from one region of the brain to another. The signals travel along the white matter fibers, a maze of wire-like fibers, ultimately giving rise to all brain functions. Uncovering these wire-like highways between neurons has been a longstanding challenge for neuroscience.  Existing methods for mapping this neural circuitry at the cellular level are either limited to animal studies or require highly specialized equipment for data acquisition and processing.

Research
Sciences
Lead Found in 12,000 Year Old Skeletons Reflects Increasing Rates of Lead Production, Toxic Exposure and a Harbinger of Things to Come, HU Study Finds

Lead Found in 12,000 Year Old Skeletons Reflects Increasing Rates of Lead Production, Toxic Exposure and a Harbinger of Things to Come, HU Study Finds

17 August, 2021

In our increasingly industrialized world, what we produce “out there” has a direct impact on what happens inside our bodies.  A new study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) reveals the link between rates of metal production and toxic lead exposure in humans.  The research team closely examined human remains from a burial ground in central Italy that was in consecutive use for 12,000 years.

Research
Sciences
Hebrew University Researchers Decipher the Sweet Taste of Heavy Water

Hebrew University Researchers Decipher the Sweet Taste of Heavy Water

6 May, 2021

A long-standing, unresolved puzzle concerns the taste of heavy water.  Regular water has no distinct taste but rumors indicate that heavy water tastes sweet.  Why is this so if heavy water, D2O, is practically identical to ordinary water, H2O? 

Research
Sciences

Hebrew University Researcher Introduces a New Approach to The “Three-Body Problem”; Predicts its Outcome Statistics

12 April, 2021


The “three-body problem,” the term coined for predicting the motion of three gravitating bodies in space, is essential for understanding a variety of astrophysical processes as well as a large class of mechanical problems, and has occupied some of the world’s best physicists, astronomers and mathematicians for over three centuries. Their attempts have led to the discovery of several important fields of science; yet its solution remained a mystery.

Research
Sciences
Joint Hebrew U-Yale University Study Provides New Glimpse into Animal Cognition: Monkeys Have Conscious and Non-Conscious Minds

Joint Hebrew U-Yale University Study Provides New Glimpse into Animal Cognition: Monkeys Have Conscious and Non-Conscious Minds

30 March, 2021

It has long been known that humans possess the ability to process information and behave both at the conscious and non-conscious levels. It is this duality which allows us to think, feel, make rational decisions and plan for events well into the future.  We have long wondered whether we are truly unique in this regard: are dogs conscious? What about ants? Or even an object, like an iPad or Siri? Most pet owners would swear they’ve caught their dog or cat (or fish…) thinking about and plotting their next move.  However, can we ever really know whether animals are consciously aware?

Research
Sciences
Can A Miniscule Worm Hold the Secret to Genetically Reversing Brain Damage?

Can A Miniscule Worm Hold the Secret to Genetically Reversing Brain Damage?

4 February, 2021

Hebrew University Research Successfully
Produces Genetically Engineered Synapsis, Circumventing Neural Damage

A team of Hebrew University researchers have successfully used genetic engineering as a first step to what one day may allow scientists to genetically repair damaged brain circuits.  The process, which was performed in tiny translucent C. elegans worms, saw the introduction of synthetically engineered connections (or synapses), as a means for bypassing missing connections between neurons in an impaired brain.  

Research
Sciences