Latest news with #HebrewUniversityofJerusalem
The Star
21-07-2025
- Science
- The Star
Human brain focuses in quick flickers, not in steady stream: study
JERUSALEM, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have discovered that the human brain does not pay attention in one smooth stream, but in quick bursts, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said in a statement on Monday. Although it might seem like the human eyes and brain take in the world in a steady, continuous way, a new study published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences shows otherwise. It was found that attention works more like a strobe light, flickering on and off at a regular rhythm. As people scroll through their phones or switch between tasks, the brain is already doing something similar, the researchers explained. Rather than processing everything at once, it takes rapid mental snapshots, more like a slideshow than a movie. This process, named "attentional sampling," helps the brain handle the constant flood of information. The study found that the brain focuses on visual input around eight times per second. When attention is split between two things, it alternates between them at about four times per second. Attention is always shifting, even when feeling deeply focused. This flickering focus helps the brain manage competing visual inputs by quickly switching between them, often without being aware of it. The idea builds on a long-standing theory called "biased competition," which suggests that different parts of the visual system compete to process information. What drives this rhythm is still unknown, with some scientists believing higher-level brain regions may control the pattern, while others point to local brain circuits. The researchers said this mechanism may apply not just to vision, but to all the senses, and could have wide-reaching implications for interface design, education, and neurological treatments.
The Star
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Israeli researchers create AI tool to predict age from DNA with 1.36-yr accuracy
JERUSALEM, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have created an AI-powered tool that determines a person's true age from tiny DNA samples with high precision, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said Monday in a statement. The method, detailed in Cell Reports, analyzes age-related chemical changes in DNA called methylation, read the statement. Using just two DNA regions, the tool "MAgeNet" detects molecular aging signs. A deep learning model then predicts age with a median error of only 1.36 years for people under 50, unaffected by smoking, weight or gender, read the statement. The method could help doctors offer treatments that match a person's biological age rather than their birthdate, facilitate forensic study in determining the age of a suspect with a tiny trace of DNA, and enhance the understanding of the aging process, read the statement.
The Sun
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Iran raids drone workshop linked to Israeli agents in Tehran
TEHRAN: Iranian security forces raided a suspected drone workshop in the capital Tehran, claiming it was operated by Israeli agents. Authorities released footage showing drone components and explosives seized during the operation. The exact location was not disclosed, but officials confirmed it was within Tehran. This raid follows recent tensions between Iran and Israel, including last month's Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and civilian sites. Iran's Health Ministry reported 606 deaths and 5,332 injuries from those attacks. In retaliation, Tehran launched missile and drone strikes on Israel, resulting in at least 29 fatalities and over 3,400 injuries, according to Hebrew University of Jerusalem data. Earlier in June, Iranian forces had shut down multiple workshops allegedly producing drones for Israel in cities like Tehran and Isfahan. The conflict, which began on June 13, ended under a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24. - Bernama-Anadolu
The Star
11-07-2025
- Science
- The Star
Polar vortex shifts trigger U.S. extreme cold snaps despite warming: study
JERUSALEM, July 11 (Xinhua) -- An international research group has found that extreme cold snaps in the United States are driven by disruptions in a high-altitude Arctic air mass called the polar vortex, Hebrew University of Jerusalem said Friday in a statement. The study, published in Science Advances, reveals that when the vortex stretches over 16 km above Earth, it pushes freezing air into North America. Two distinct patterns were identified: one targets the U.S. Northwest and western Canada, while the other brings icy conditions to central and eastern states, according to the statement. These events link to atmospheric wave shifts that bend the jet stream, dragging Arctic air southward. Since 2015, U.S. Northwest cold extremes increased due to a westward-shifting vortex pattern amplified by Pacific climate cycles. The study underscores that climate change causes not just warming but also unpredictable severe weather, said the statement, adding that the study helps explain recent deadly freezes in Texas and the Central Plains.
Euronews
08-07-2025
- Science
- Euronews
How climate change is threatening your glass of milk
A single day of extreme heat can cut milk production by 10 per cent. And it doesn't stop there – the effects of heat stress on dairy cows can linger for more than a week. That's the finding from a comprehensive assessment of how rising global temperatures affect livestock, published this week in Science Advances. Researchers focused on Israel, considered one of the world's most innovative dairy-producing countries because of its high milk production per cow and use of advanced technologies. Even there, widespread adoption of fans, ventilation and water-spraying systems only mitigated half the losses – and less on the hottest days. 'Even the most high-tech, well-resourced farms are deploying adaptation strategies that may be an insufficient match to climate change,' co-author Eyal Frank said in a release. What happens to cows during high heat? The research team tracked more than 130,000 cows over 12 years, using detailed weather records and farm surveys. The threshold for heat stress quickly became clear. When 'wet-bulb' temperatures exceed 26°C, milk yields begin to fall steeply. Unlike ambient air temperature, wet-bulb readings reflect the humidity present on especially hot days. Cows exposed to these muggy conditions – an effect the researchers compared to a 'steam bath' – can need more than 10 days to recover fully. While nearly all farms in the study had invested in some form of cooling, the systems proved only partly effective. At a wet-bulb temperature of 20°C, cooling cut losses in half. At 24°C, that figure dropped to 40 per cent. Still, the cooling equipment paid off. It took just 18 months on average for farmers to pay back the costs of installing the equipment. Global losses and uneven impacts Using the Israeli data as a benchmark, the researchers modelled future losses in the world's top 10 dairy-producing countries. Without cooling, average daily milk yields could decline by 4 per cent by the middle of the 21st century. But India, Pakistan and Brazil are expected to see steeper drops – as much as 4 per cent per cow per day. Even with cooling, these countries could still lose 1.5 to 2.7 per cent of their milk yields. For low-income farmers and producers in hot climates, the costs of adaptation may be unaffordable. 'Adaptation is costly, and farmers need to carefully balance the benefits they obtain versus the costs. This is why we see some investment in cooling measures, but not a complete insulation of cows from their environment, which would be far too costly to implement,' said Ayal Kimhi, associate professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. And milk itself isn't the only concern. Heat stress affects animalwell-being and behaviour in several ways, fromfertility patterns to their ability tosurvive at all. Farmers are already on the front lines Extreme weather is no longer a distant threat for farmers. Around the world, producers are already battling more frequent floods, heatwaves and unpredictable rainfall. In Europe, rural farmers have voiced support for green policies, citing the impact they have witnessed on crop yields and their daily lives. Some have described themselves as the 'first affected' by climate change. Climate-linked disruptions have also put some of Europe's favourite crops – including cocoa, coffee and wheat –at risk. Evenbananas, a global kitchen staple, are under pressure, as flooding, heat and degraded soils shrink suitable growing regions. Milk may be next. Even though cows are particularly vulnerable to heat, most countries are not adequately preparing for livestock losses or supporting the farmers most at risk, according to the study's authors. They warn that future-proofing dairy production will depend not just on better cooling systems, but on broader reforms, from improved animal welfare to policy support that helps farmers in hot, low-income regions to adapt. 'Policymakers should look into more strategies to not only cool cows but reduce stressors, like confinement and calf separation,' said lead author Claire Palandri. 'Stressors make cows more sensitive to heat and less resilient.' Without faster action, the effects of climate change won't just reshape what farmers grow. They could also upend what we eat and drink. 'Climate change will have wide-ranging impacts on what we eat and drink,' said Frank. 'Including that cold glass of milk.'
