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 future of humanity.
Jun 26, 2013...
The brain image at the back presents spontaneous (resting state) patterns before a fMRI-based neurofeedback training session. The front brain image presents spontaneous (resting state) patterns a day after the training session. Photo credit: Weizmann Institute of Science
New research at the Weizmann Institute of Science shows that scientists can explore the brain, like archaeologists, and uncover the history of past experiences. The research shows that spontaneous waves of neuronal activity in the brain bear the imprints of earlier events for at least 24 hours after the experience has taken place.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/less-than-meets-the-eye/
Mar 07, 2016... We do not merely recognize objects – our brain is so good at this task that we can automatically supply the concept of a cup when shown a photo of a curved handle or identify a face from just an ear or nose. Neurobiologists, computer scientists, and robotics engineers are all interested in understanding how such recognition works – in both human and computer vision systems. New research by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) suggests that there is an “atomic” unit of recognition – a minimum amount of information an image must contain for recognition to occur. The study’s findings, which recently appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), imply that current models need to be adjusted, and they have implications for the design of computer and robot vision.
Aug 12, 2011...
As I learn about the latest discovery by the Weizmann Institute, I smile thinking that life is about to become sweeter for the paralyzed human beings whose lives have so far been, literally, entrapped by their bodies.
Usually, such patients have disabilities that range from quadriplegia to “locked–in syndrome” –where a person is completely paralyzed, save for eye blinks– but retain the ability to sniff with precision.
Feb 20, 2018...
11 days of brain research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel.
Israeli researchers have managed to grow tiny model brains in the lab to discover how the brain’s convolutions are created.
A normal brain is as wrinkly as a walnut. And in cases where a person is born with a smooth brain, devoid of folds, he faces severe developmental difficulties.
It has long been known that these folds and wrinkles are meant to enable the brain to be compressed into the space of a skull, and that they develop in embryo. But the question of how they develop, biologically and physically, has preoccupied brain researchers for years, as has the no less important question of what causes problems to arise in this process.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/science-tips-february-2009/
Feb 03, 2009... Even when our eyes are closed, the visual centers in our brain are humming with activity. Weizmann Institute scientists and others have shown in the last few years that the magnitude of sense-related activity in a brain that’s disengaged from seeing, touching, etc., is quite similar to that of one exposed to a stimulus. New research at the Institute has now revealed details of that activity, explaining why, even though our sense centers are working, we don’t experience sights or sounds when there’s nothing coming in through our sensory organs.
Feb 25, 2019...
Machine learning is being applied to an ever-widening variety of fields, including biology and chemistry, and is becoming increasingly crucial to Israel’s high-tech success.
REHOVOT, Israel — For years, Israeli scientist Tamar Flash has been fascinated with the octopus, and the unusual way the invertebrate’s eight arms propel it effortlessly through the water.
Her interest is no mere hobby. A renowned professor who does research in artificial intelligence at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Flash is using the octopus as a model for methods of diagnosis and treatment of disorders from Parkinson’s disease to autism.
Mar 05, 2018...
A mouse, illustrative image. (photo credit: INGIMAGE)
It has been known that male rodents are allured by scent to the opposite sex. But now, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot have discovered how a mechanism in the brain that processes behavior-changing chemical signals called pheromones determines the sexual preference of male mice, motivating them to prefer females over males.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/feature-stories/bats-offer-new-directions-in-brain-research/
Jul 01, 2012...
"Our memories are basically who we are," says Dr. Nachum Ulanovsky of the Department of Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute of Science. "I suspect that this is why people are so afraid of the various memory dysfunctions—because if you lose your memory then, in some way, you lose your identity and personality."
Dr. Nachum Ulanovsky
Dr. Ulanovsky investigates memory using an unconventional subject: bats. In addition to shedding light on the basic function of the memory system, his work could lead to new understanding of a range of neurological conditions. "There are dozens and dozens of disorders of the brain," he says, "and these are some of the most difficult medical problems to tackle."
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/news-media/news-releases/the-smell-of-white/
Nov 19, 2012...
REHOVOT, ISRAEL—November 22, 2012—You can see the color white; you can hear white noise. Now, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers show that you can also smell a white odor. Their research findings appeared November 19 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The white we see is actually a mixture of light waves of different wavelengths. In a similar manner, the hum we call white noise is made of a combination of assorted sound frequencies. In either case, to be perceived as white, a stimulus must meet two conditions: The mix that produces them must span the range of our perception; and each component must be present at the exact same intensity. Could both of these conditions be met with odors, so as to produce a white smell? That question has remained unanswered, until now, in part due to such technical difficulties as getting the intensities of all the scents to be identical.
Feb 09, 2018...
The good news is that we’re living longer than ever. The not-so-good news is that age-related diseases – including vision problems – are also sticking around. As just one example, the National Institutes of Health says that because of increased longevity, the number of people with age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, grew 18 percent – from 1.75 to 2.07 million – over a single decade.
Fortunately, the Weizmann Institute of Science’s dedicated researchers are investigating age-related diseases from a number of angles, from the basic biochemistry of the retina to imaging the brain in action. Interdisciplinary groups study computer-aided and artificial vision and experiment with vaccines that could prevent degenerative eye diseases. By finding ways to better understand, protect, preserve, and treat the eyes, Weizmann scientists are improving life for people worldwide.
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