Not So Dumb
A new kind of genetic switch can target the activities of just one type of brain cell. Mysterious brain cells called microglia are starting to reveal their secrets thanks to...
Mapping Defenses Against HIV
The race to find a cure for AIDS, one of Earth’s most pressing epidemics for more than three decades now, is often more of a chaotic relay. Thousands of international...
Stem Cell Reprogramming Made Easier
Weizmann Institute scientists show that removing one protein from adult cells enables them to efficiently turn back the clock to a stem-cell-like state Embryonic stem cells have the enormous potential...
Science Tips, July 2013
GUIDED GROWTH OF NANOWIRES LEADS TO SELF-INTEGRATED CIRCUITS Researchers working with tiny components in nanoelectronics face a challenge similar to that of parents of small children: teaching them to manage...
Past Brain Activation Revealed in Scans
WEIZMANN INSTITUTE SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THAT SPONTANEOUSLY EMERGING BRAIN ACTIVITY PATTERNS PRESERVE TRACES OF PREVIOUS COGNITIVE ACTIVITY REHOVOT, ISRAEL—June 25, 2013—What if experts could dig into the brain, like archaeologists, and...
Mice in a “Big Brother” Setup Develop Social Structures
WEIZMANN INSTITUTE RESEARCH INTO MOUSE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR FINDS SIGNS OF LEADERSHIP AND REVEALS “AUTISTIC” MOUSE SOCIETY How does a social animal — mouse or human — gain dominance over his...
Oldest Use of Flowers in Grave Lining
RADIOCARBON DATING AT THE WEIZMANN INSTITUTE DETERMINES THE AGE OF FLOWERY GRAVES. A NEW ACCELERATOR TO HELP SOLVE LONG-STANDING ARCHAEOLOGICAL MYSTERIES. REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 10, 2013—When did people first begin to...
Weather on the Outer Planets Only Goes So Deep
WEIZMANN INSTITUTE RESEARCHERS AND THEIR COLLEAGUES SET AN UPPER LIMIT FOR THE THICKNESS OF JET STREAMS ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE REHOVOT, ISRAEL—May 16, 2013—What is the long-range weather forecast for...
Is Sleep Learning Possible?
A new Weizmann Institute study has found that if certain odours are presented after tones during sleep, people will start sniffing when they hear the tones alone – even when...
Up in a Cloud for Processing Computer Data
A declining amount of today’s computing is done on desktop computers; cloud computing, in which operations are carried out on a network of shared, remote servers, is expected to rise...
Vaccine Could Halt Autoimmune Diseases Such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn’s
A simple vaccine could stop the onset of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s, say scientists. The potential treatment has proved successful in animal studies and it is hoped...
The Hedonic Nose: Pleasure May Organise Your Sense of Smell
The nose has long been viewed as a disorganized sensory organ, its odor receptors strewn about with very little rhyme or reason. A study in Nature Neuroscience, published online September 25,...
An Immune System Trained to Kill Cancer
A year ago, when chemotherapy stopped working against his leukemia, William Ludwig signed up to be the first patient treated in a bold experiment at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr....
Early Diagnosis Possible for Autism
Weak synchronization in toddler brains may be a biological marker for autism. The finding, by Weizmann Institute scientists, could lead to the development of tools for early diagnosis. The biological...
Eight Hours of Resistance
Why do cancer cells easily give in to the temptation to divide? Temptations to exceed the speed limit are always plentiful, but only reckless drivers give in to such impulses....
Listening with One Atom
Weizmann Institute scientists set a new record for measuring magnetic vibrations using the spin of a single atom: 100 times more accurate than the previous record The lab, though it...
New Invention at the Weizmann Institute Enables Severely Disabled to Communicate and Steer a Wheelchair by Sniffing
A unique device based on sniffing – inhaling and exhaling through the nose – might enable numerous disabled people to navigate wheelchairs or communicate with their loved ones. Sniffing technology...
Snakes on the Brain
Researchers now can say what would happen in Samuel L. Jackson’s brain if he really were to confront snakes on a plane. In a terrifying sequel to that movie scenario, researchers convinced...
Weizmann’s Supernova Find May Shed Light on Some Universal Mysteries
By Judy Siegel Until now, scientists have been able to identify only two basic types of exploding stars known as supernovae. Now Weizmann Institute of Science astrophysicists and colleagues abroad...