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/the-exquisite-precision-of-you/
Dec 01, 2017... You know that you have a circadian clock, or rhythm, that keeps you in time with the Earth’s 24-hour day-night cycle. Well, roughly in time, anyway; some of us are early birds, some are night owls, most are in between – and it’s very difficult for us night owls to change and go get that worm. Now we know why: studies in fruit flies show that these traits aren’t proof of superior moral fibre or laziness, but innate. That’s the way our circadian clocks are naturally set.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/are-these-ocean-dwellers-the-future-shape-of-humankind/
Jun 01, 2018...
The life aquatic with the Bajau: The islanders have evolved to remain underwater, at depth, for extended periods – even walking on the sea floor. Credit: BBCone
How long can you hold your breath underwater? If you’re untrained, it’s about 30 seconds. With practice: a minute, maybe two. But you’ll never be a Bajau.
A new study shows that these Southeast Asian ocean-dwelling people have changed genetically, enabling them to easily hold their breath for up to 15 minutes at a time as they drop to the ocean floor to dive, spearfish, or collect shellfish. Quoted in The Atlantic, researcher Dr. Melissa Ilardo says: “Underwater, the Bajau are as comfortable as most people are on land. They walk on the seafloor. They have complete control of their breath and body.”
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/learning-is-powered-by-inspiration-but-not-the-kind-you-think/
Mar 27, 2019...
Get inspired! Breathing in helps us solve problems more quickly, says Prof. Noam Sobel and his team. The group also found that our olfactory system can help us learn (including to quit smoking) while sleeping, and even shaped the evolution of our other senses.
It doesn’t matter if we’re in school, from pre-K to postdoc; working; or pursuing hobbies after retiring, we are always learning – and of course we want to learn smarter.
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/medications-good-for-you-bad-for-the-rest-of-the-world/
Feb 25, 2019...
Everything is connected: pharmaceuticals can be found throughout the environment. Fish seem particularly susceptible. Plus, we eat them – and, thus, consume whatever drugs are in their bodies.
Billions of us take medications on a regular basis, and while they help manage common conditions like viruses, depression, pain, menopause, thyroid disease, and the like, they are not so good for the environment.
https://weizmann-usa.org/blog/nourishing-the-future-with-plants/
Aug 21, 2018...
Soy superhero: Asaph Aharoni is developing a soybean plant that is easy to grow, has all seven dairy proteins, is lactose- and cholesterol-free … and can help fight malnutrition in impoverished areas, too.
Evolution is all around us … and in us. Just one of the many proofs: lactose tolerance.
We are practically drowning in dairy products, and most of us consume them – even if we shouldn’t. Until fairly recently – “only about 20,000 years — the evolutionary equivalent of a hot minute,” as an NPR story puts it – human digestive systems could not tolerate lactose, the primary sugar in milk, after infancy. Furthermore, until the late 19th century, milk was regarded as a child’s food and was not the household dietary staple it is today.
Jul 19, 2016...
Stress-coping molecule Urocortin-3 (green) and its receptor, CRFR2 (red), expressed in the mouse brain region responsible for social behavior. Viewed under a confocal microscope
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—July 19, 2016—Meeting new people can be both stressful and rewarding. Research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, reported yesterday in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that a molecule involved in regulating stress in the brain may help determine how willing we are to leave the safety of our social group and strike up new relationships.
https://weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/firework-memories/
Aug 15, 2019... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—August 15, 2019—Extraterrestrial scientists landing in a football stadium would be struck by the sight of the crowd suddenly standing up and shouting in unison. In a similar manner, since the 1990s, researchers have observed a special pattern of neuronal activity in rodents: tens of thousands of nerve cells firing in unison in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. But, like alien scientists, the researchers have not been able to understand the “language” of the rodents’ minds when these mysterious synchronous bursts occurred. Recently, however, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers succeeded in recording these rapid bursts of activity – called “hippocampal ripples” – in the human brain, and were able to demonstrate their importance as a neuronal mechanism underlying the engraving of new memories and their subsequent recall. These findings appeared in Science.
Mar 20, 2020...
Dear friends and members of the Weizmann Institute of Science community,
The coronavirus outbreak is a global challenge that forces us all to significantly and rapidly adjust our way of life and change our work routines.
Just a few months ago we might have imagined such an event playing out only in books or movies. But epidemiologists, immunologists, and public health officials have long anticipated the possibility of a pandemic. The theoretical policies developed during these more peaceful days are now being implemented worldwide to address the current crisis.
Sep 06, 2018...
Our guts stop most probiotics from colonizing, according to a study. Shutterstock
Probiotics are packed into all sorts of pills and products promising to keep our guts healthy. But not only do most of the bugs not stick around in our bodies, they could, in fact, be harming us, researchers believe.
As many as 3.9 million adults in the U.S. take prebiotic or probiotic supplements, according to recent estimates cited by the authors of two studies published back-to-back in the journal Cell. Users pop the pills in the hope of easing everything from gastrointestinal problems to fortifying the immune system, defending against infectious disease and preventing cardiovascular disease.
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