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? 

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.

First Agreement between AWS and an Israeli Academic Institution to Develop Quantum Technologies

Hebrew University students aren’t the only ones getting smarter!  Smart Cities are radically changing the way we live - using technology to provide services and solve city problems – improving everyday essentials like transportation, accessibility, and sustainability for the lives of that cities citizens. At the forefront of this initiative in Israel is Hebrew University’s Department of Geography in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

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?

Malaria is a major global health issue, killing half a million people each year – mostly very young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

In pursuit of a cure is Dr. Anat Florentin, a science and nature enthusiast, who joined Hebrew University’s Faculty School of Medicine in July 2020. On this episode of HUJI Bites, Florentin discusses her ground-breaking research into the apicoplast – an organelle inside the parasite cell and a promising candidate as a potential drug target against the disease.

With urban areas growing dominant globally, cities  are increasingly being challenged to develop the urban environment in ways that both embrace technology but also preserve and enhance urban quality of life.  This motivation has popularized the idea of designing ‘smart cities’ equipped to confront  the challenges and opportunities of the ever-growing city.  

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.  

Hebrew University Researchers Advance Simple and Inexpensive Diagnostic Blood Test

A new blood test has the potential to diagnose a wide array of diseases including cancers, liver diseases, immune disorders and more.  Extremely accurate, the test can report on the exact state and location of the disease without need for invasive and painful biopsies.