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.
Jun 15, 2020... REHOVOT, ISRAEL—June 15, 2020—During the pandemic lockdown, as couples have been forced to spend days and weeks in one another’s company, some have found their love renewed while others are on their way to divorce court. Oxytocin, a peptide produced in the brain, is complicated in that way: a neuromodulator, it may bring hearts together or it can help induce aggression. That conclusion arises from unique research led by Weizmann Institute of Science researchers in which mice living in semi-natural conditions had their oxytocin-producing brain cells manipulated in a highly precise manner. The findings, which were published in Neuron, could shed new light on efforts to use oxytocin to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions, from social anxiety and autism to schizophrenia.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/blog/what-is-happening-to-our-sense-of-time-during-covid/
Dec 31, 2020...
We have all experienced a warped sense of time during these Groundhog Blursdays of the pandemic – but why?
Some reasons are obvious. We have lost our guideposts, and events that occurred like clockwork – holidays, birthdays – have largely been cancelled. Seasons and school days aren’t well-defined. Weekends – what’s the diff?
And if you are fortunate enough to work remotely, you no longer have the adjustment period of a commute; going straight from bed to the kitchen coffeemaker to one’s makeshift office is simply not the same. Our environment, clothing, and habits are unchanging.
Jan 19, 2022...
Human beings did not invent democracy. Among certain animal species, decisions are also made in accordance with the majority opinion, with each individual having an equal degree of influence. For example, certain flocks of birds decide how and when to fly based on how the majority chooses to move.
In a frequently observed phenomenon unique to human beings, the majority will concede to the minority on a certain issue in order to avoid conflict, while compromising on its needs, convenience or views in the process. Now, for the first time, scientific research has identified a similar concession by the majority among animals. The experiment was conducted on carpenter ants (Camponotus sanctus), a Middle Eastern species commonly found in Israel in the mountainous areas around Jerusalem. The findings were published last week in the journal Current Biology.
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