People who suffer from amblyopia, more commonly known as “lazy eye,” have traditionally been given an eye patch to help correct their vision. Dr. Uri Polat has a different idea that looks more effective than the eye patch–and more fun.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons With today marking the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, we thought it would be fitting to note the impact his theory of evolution has had on research in Israel. Of course, the theory of evolution underlies much biology research today, but this is, after all, a blog exploring the latest in [...]

Photo: Getty Images Yesterday’s New York Times outlines a plan for a new type of learning environment, modeled on the social networking communities that have recently become extremely popular. This University of the People, as envisioned by Shai Reshef, who founded several educational companies, would allow people from around the world–including from poorer countries–to learn [...]

Photo: Getty Images Israeli scientists have some great news in the field of stem cell research.  By transplanting nerve stem cells directly into the brains of mice born with birth defects (thanks to exposure to drugs and toxins), a Hebrew University team was able to get these mice to function at levels approaching normal. Where [...]

Photo: Getty Images For years, scientists have looked for good ways to treat Type I diabetes, a serious disease that reduces or eliminates the body’s ability to process sugars. (See Wikipedia for more.) For more than 85 years, the best way to manage diabetes has been through carefully monitored injections of insulin hormone. Now, however, [...]

Photo: Getty Images Since the dawn of their profession, surgeons have been bedeviled by the suturing process. A wound closed using traditional methods invites inflammation, scarring, and occasional infection. Now a team at Tel Aviv University headed by Professor Abraham Katzir has refined a novel approach using lasers to bond tissue layers. This is not [...]

Photo: Getty Images One of the foods traditionally consumed during the New Year’s celebration is the pomegranate, because it (traditionally) has 613 seeds or because it is supposed to usher in a fruitful year. Of course, the fruit has also been suggested to have a number of health benefits quite outside the spiritual realm. Whatever [...]

Photo: Getty Images The 05 September edition of Science magazine features an article about how the brain works. For years, scientists have been trying to figure out how we recall individual memories; scientists at Tel Aviv University and Weizmann Institute report that they have watched people remeber individual thoughts. Even better, they could anticipate which [...]

Photo: Getty Images Using gel derived from common seaweed, researchers at Beer Sheva’s Ben-Gurion University believe they can help fix damaged hearts. The Telegraph reports that the gel allows heart muscle to regrow after a heart attack, thereby lessening the chances of a second attack or heart failure. While the process may not cure every [...]

Photo: Getty Images A new study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that a Mediterranean diet, including wine, olive oil, fruit, and whole grain may be a more effective diet than the low-fat diets commonly prescribed. The study was conducted in Israel by researchers from Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheva [...]