Israel Active

Scientists in Israel, the USA and Japan have recalibrated rock-dating clocks due to a previous erroneous estimate of the half-life of samarium-146 (146Sm). The solar system is now thought to have been formed much quicker – although it is still reckoned to be over 4.5 billion years old.

Is it a bird or a plane? No, it’s an Israeli Unmanned Ariel Vehicle. It weighs less than 20 grams and can “see” into the most sensitive establishments. Watch out Ahmadinejad – Israel is watching you.

Daniel Hershkowitz, Israel’s minister of science and technology, was interviewed by Scientific American magazine about Israel’s homegrown platforms for launching satellites into space.

One of the many Israeli innovations featuring at Agritech 2012 in Tel Aviv includes a solar-powered drone that can fly for six months without landing and extract water from the atmosphere to irrigate crops. And 2000 Indian farmers, including 600 from Gujarat flew in to attend the event.

Delegates from over 54 countries observed Israel’s innovative use of plastics in irrigation systems, greenhouses, netting and other systems, at the 2012 International Committee for Plastics in Agriculture Conference: Plasticulture for a Green Planet, held alongside Agritech 2012 in Tel Aviv.

60,000 people visited the Israeli pavilions at the Floriade agriculture expo in the Netherlands. At Israel’s high-tech lounge, visitors created imaginary fruits or vegetables For each new fruit, Israel pledged to donate 100 seeds to be sown in hunger-stricken countries.

Yissum – the research and development company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – is spinning off the discovery of four HU professors. Their cyclopropene derivative both increases wheat crop yields and extends shelf life of harvested crops and flowers.

In the heat of the Negev sun, Ness Ziona-based firm HelioFocus opened the demonstration phase of its HelioBooster system, a solar-thermal process that aims to back up existing power plants. The system is jointly funded by Chinese and Israeli entrepreneurs.

Two Israeli brothers developed eToro, which provides users with a social investing platform for easy trading of forex, commodities, and stock indices. eToro has 2.5 million users in 80 countries (including Arab countries). See the video clip for its latest innovative facility.

Boeing has purchased Elbit’s Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) for the US Navy and Air Force, plus Finland, Australia, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland.