Hebrew University Researchers Crack the Code

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Nowhere is this principle more true than in the world of social media.  There, people choose cab drivers, Airbnb rentals and even life partners based on photos. 

In online transactions like Airbnb, photos play an outsized role in a renter’s decision-making process:  Which host looks trustworthy?  Who do I think will provide me a nice rental--one that closely resembles the photos they posted? 

When wild Egyptian fruit bats set out at night to forage in Israel's Hula Valley, they do so using advanced spatial memory and a flexible cognitive mapping of the fruit trees and other goals scattered in their foraging area. They seldom search randomly and their foraging patterns cannot be explained by simpler navigation mechanisms, a research team headed by Professor Ran Nathan of Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Movement Ecology Lab has found.

Largest-Ever German-Israeli Academic Grant to Promote Research on Human Rights and Minority Protections in Age of Rising Nationalism and Authoritarianism

The Alfred Landecker Foundation has awarded the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) a $13 million USD grant to fund academic initiatives that focus on the causes and consequences of the Holocaust, promote studies on human rights, minority protection, the rule of law, and reparations for historical wrongs and injustices.

Startups from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem raised $79 million in the first half of 2020, Yissum, the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University announced today.  Despite the continuing global uncertainty caused by the coronavirus and ongoing lockdowns around the world, 14 Yissum spinouts raised tens of millions of dollars in early stage funding rounds.  

Hebrew University Archaeologists Survey 737km “Genghis Kahn” Wall Along Mongolian Steppe

For the first time ever, researchers have fully mapped the “Genghis Khan’s Wall,” a 737km section of The Great Wall that resides outside of China along the Mongolian Steppe.  Hebrew University of Jerusalem archaeologist Professor Gideon Shelach-Lavi lead the international research team and published their findings in the latest edition of Antiquity.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) mourns the passing of Professor Zeev Sternhell.  Sternhell was a world-renowned expert on fascism and nationalism and Emeritus Professor at HU's Political Science Department.  He was 85 years old and is survived by his wife Ziva and two daughters, Tali and Yael.

We all know that DNA molecules express heredity through genetic information.  However, in the past few years, scientists have discovered that DNA can conduct electrical currents.  This makes it an interesting candidate for roles that nature did not intend for this molecule, such as smaller, faster and cheaper electric circuits in electronic devices, and to detect the early stages of diseases like cancer and COVID-19.

Promising Hebrew University - Mount Sinai Research Shows Coronavirus Causes Lungs to Accumulate Fat; Cholesterol-Lowering Drug May Hold Key to Stopping COVID-19 in its Tracks. 

Could a simple drug, that has been on the market for decades, be used to treat COVID-19?  A research team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU)’s Professor Yaakov Nahmias says that early research looks promising; their findings appear in this week’s Cell Press’ Sneak Peak.

Global Survey of 4,000 Coronavirus Patients Supports Link Between COVID-19 and Loss of Smell and Taste

The researchers’ updated analysis: “preparations must be carried out for tightening the current restrictions. Given the current rate of infection, another outbreak will be significantly worse than the first.” They are not warning of a separate wave, but rather a resurgence of the second wave. 

Join us for this special webinar series and learn directly from some of Hebrew University’s greatest minds about the implications of the coronavirus.

1. The Real Risk Of The Spread Of The CoronaVirus (French). Register Here.

2. Don't Panic: Dealing With Anxiety In The Age Of Coronavirus (English). Register Here.

The Edmond de Rothschild Foundation has generously provided the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) with 15 million NIS to fund coronavirus research.  The donation will fund 60 research teams at HU that are working to find a vaccine, produce faster and cheaper testing methods, and develop targeted treatments for those afflicted by COVID-19. 

A joint Israeli-Italian nanosatellite has been launched into space – with a Hebrew University experiment on board!