About Us
Founded in 1944, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science develops philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute in Israel, and advances its mission of science for the benefit of humanity.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/meet-steve-the-purple-atmospheric-phenomenon/
Jul 06, 2018...
Hello, My Name Is Steve, a purple ribbon of hot ionized gas, manifests farther south than most auroras. Photo courtesy Vanexus Photography
The universe is big. While that’s a ridiculously oversized understatement, such vastness means that there’s much to see and learn – and scientists can’t be everywhere. Enter citizen scientists: knowledgeable amateurs who contribute to research by looking for new phenomena, species, etc.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/scientists-inspiring-scientists-with-cartoons/
Oct 25, 2018...
“Still life: mouse with T-body.” A work by Zelig Eshhar, scientist and cartoonist. From A Cure Within: Scientists Unleashing the Immune System to Kill Cancer, Neil Canavan
The Weizmann Institute is rightly proud of its scientists’ creativity. It is actively encouraged, and has led to many important advances and partnerships (research projects and jazz combos alike). And recently, our Prof. Zelig Eshhar inspired other immunologists with a sketch on a bit of paper.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/is-your-new-year-s-resolution-to-lose-weight/
Jan 23, 2019...
You might be surprised at which foods are healthy for you, thanks to the makeup of your gut biota
More than one-third of Americans are overweight or obese. And, every year, around 40% of us make New Year’s resolutions. As you can tell from the resolve-dampening wait for the ellipticals at your suddenly popular gym, or the news-making lines at the salad place, these two statistics have come together, yet again, in that noble annual goal: lose weight and be healthier.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/new-year-of-the-trees/
Feb 05, 2018...
Just one view of the mighty and diverse trees on the Weizmann Institute campus. Credit: Matthew Roberts
All species of holidays get absorbed into the culture at large – and one that you might want to start celebrating is the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shvat: New Year of the Trees.
After all, what would life be without trees? Besides likely nonexistent, since we need them for food, wood, climate regulation, ecosystem creation and maintenance, etc., it would be awfully bleak. Who hasn’t gone dreamy in drifts of cherry blossoms, or been grateful for the shade of an oak in August, or gained perspective among giant redwoods, or realized that an apple straight from the tree was the best thing you’ve ever tasted?
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/night-owls-are-wired-that-way/
Jun 18, 2019...
Working when your brain does: Dr. Matthew Walker says that night owls, about 30% of the population, “are bound to a delayed schedule by unavoidable DNA hardwiring. It is not their conscious fault, but rather their genetic fate.” Prof. Gad Asher shines a light on why.
Our culture celebrates early risers, valuing them as harder workers more worthy of success. But scientists like Gad Asher are now proving that night owls don’t choose their fates; it’s in their genes. Will research help owls gain respect?
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/cloud-spotting/
May 31, 2019... The first time The Curiosity Review saw a picture of the new cloud type asperitas, it looked so much like the definition of “forbidding” that we thought it had to be fake. It was spring 2017, and there was news of a citizen-science group’s success in convincing the World Meteorological Organization to add asperitas to the august International Cloud Atlas. Ten other new cloud types were also added – the first since 1975 – in large part due to the efforts of that group, the Cloud Appreciation Society.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/kilauea-and-keck-the-volcano-and-the-telescopes/
May 11, 2018...
The 6.9-magnitude earthquake that freed Kilauea’s lava also damaged the island’s telescopes. Is volcano goddess Pele angry about the construction of a massive new telescope? Credit: USGS
You have likely seen the stunning images of Kilauea erupting on Hawaii’s Big Island – the 2,000-plus-degree lava inexorably consuming everything in its path, the mighty expulsions of fire and matter.
But there’s another reason to keep an eye on the eruption: the island’s telescopes. The Big Island’s mean elevation of 3,030 feet and its crystalline skies – typically calm, dry, and free of light pollution – make Hawaii prized by astronomers, including those at the Weizmann Institute. Indeed, some of the world’s most busiest, most powerful telescopes live on the Big Island, not far from the erupting Kilauea, with the W.M. Keck Observatory perhaps the most famous.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/the-curiosity-review-s-top-10-science-stories-of-2019/
Jan 06, 2020... It’s time again to look back at the previous year and honor the best in any number of fields: movies, books, music – and, of course, science! Choosing only a handful of achievements was challenging, as Weizmann Institute scientists produced some truly amazing work in 2019. Our Top 10 may not have made the most headlines, but are more than worthy of the spotlight: they’re important, compelling, hope-giving … even fun.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/science-hope/
Jan 18, 2018...
Even if you feel that things might be a little bleak right now, the start of any new year is a time to be optimistic. And the best, most realistic place to look for hope is science.
After all, science is universal and unifying and knows no boundaries. In every corner of the world, scientists of every stripe are taking on today’s problems. Tomorrow’s, too. Here are just a few rays of sunshine that gave us hope:
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/followed-by-a-moonshadow-the-great-american-solar-eclipse/
Aug 17, 2017...
This map shows the path the Moon’s dark inner shadow will take August 21, 2017. Source: Astronomy: Richard Talcott and Roen Kelly
What will you be doing on August 21? If you’re like millions of other Americans, you’ll be watching the first coast-to-coast solar eclipse since 1908.
Over 12 million of us are lucky enough to live within the 70-mile-wide band of “totality” – when the moon will cover 100 percent of the sun – which will cut a diagonal swath across the continent, beginning a bit south of Portland, Oregon, then sweeping across the country before heading out to sea from the South Carolina coast.
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