Israel Active

Eran Ofek of the Weizmann Institute is head of a team of researchers that has discovered the dying signature of stars. Just prior to becoming a supernova, stars emit gravity waves and eject up to one percent of their mass. The researchers studied a star, which became a supernova 40 days later.

The eighth annual International Ilan Ramon Space Conference in Herzliya attracted the heads of 14 space agencies around the world. Israel announced that it planned to train another astronaut and was invited to join the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Three Israeli university researchers have designed a new encryption method for fiber optic communications. “It is analogous to many soft sounds of a lovely symphony scattered through a recording of background noise,” said the researchers. Only the authorized user can enjoy the symphony.

British Ambassador Matthew Gould outlined the scheme for Israeli and UK scientists to work on joint regenerative medicine research. And Israeli ministers welcomed the first group of post-doctoral students from India and China arriving on six-month research programs with Israeli Universities.

Israeli wind sensor company Pentalum Technologies has raised $5.5 million to expand production of SpiDAR, a cost effective device for remote sensing of wind. The device is 20% of the price of competitors, allowing wind farms to improve electricity production by up to 10% - equal to millions of dollars.

Israeli start-up 22Seeds is raising finance for Greenbox - a revolutionary iPhone-controlled wireless irrigation system. From the comfort of your home you can program your irrigation valves, optimize water usage, import water programs, integrate with weather forecasts and much more.

(Thanks to Israel21c) Israeli farmers in the Negev have cut their use of chemical pesticides by about 80%. They use natural predators – bugs that don’t harm the crops – to get rid of the pests. Also they allow the land to rest in the July heat to kill off any remaining insects and fungus diseases in the soil.

The Israel Union for Environmental Defense has launched a new online website to give eco-conscious Israelis comprehensive information about recycling centers, air and water pollution, cellular antennas, open spaces, beaches and various environmental hazards.

A dangerous section of Route 1 between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is being improved with a 16km new section. The NIS 2.5 billion cost includes an eco-friendly bridge, indistinguishable from the surrounding forests, which will allow animals to cross the highway in safety.

The President of Tel Aviv University has written a nice piece in the Huffington Post. He tells about Maor, whose father - a construction worker – insists he goes to university. 12 years later, with a Masters degree, Maor is preparing his siblings to become scientists.