A new Tel Aviv University study finds that microplastics — tiny pieces of plastic ingested by aquatic life — are present in solitary ascidians all along the Israeli coastline. Ascidians are sac-like marine invertebrate filter feeders. The research also confirmed the presence of plastic additives, i.e. “plasticizers,” in ascidians. Plasticizers are substances added to plastics… Read More
A new Tel Aviv University study describes a process to make bioplastic polymers that don’t require land or fresh water — resources that are scarce in much of the world. The polymer is derived from microorganisms that feed on seaweed. It is biodegradable, produces zero toxic waste and recycles into organic waste. The invention was… Read More
In 1963, astronomer Maarten Schmidt identified the first quasi-stellar object or “quasar,” an extremely bright but distant object. He found the single quasar, the active nucleus of a far-away galaxy known to astronomers as 3C 273, to be 100 times more luminous than all the stars in our Milky Way combined. Now, the GRAVITY international… Read More
Public protests are a vital, common tool for expressing grievances and creating communities. The political and social aspects of protests have been extensively studied, but little attention has been paid to the physical spaces in which they take place. The Design of Protest, a new book by Prof. Tali Hatuka of Tel Aviv University, addresses… Read More
A team of astronomers from Israel, the United States and Russia have identified a disrupted galaxy resembling a giant tadpole, complete with an elliptical head and a long, straight tail, about 300 million light years away from Earth. The galaxy is 1 million light-years long from end to end, 10 times longer than the Milky… Read More
A new collaborative venture between Northwestern University and Tel Aviv University brings together researchers and students in the field of nanotechnology through joint research and development projects, student exchange programs and research grants. Under the new partnership, two researchers from each university will receive post-doctoral fellowships supporting two years of research at the partner institution…. Read More
Flash floods occur with little warning. Earlier this year, a flash flood that struck Ellicott City, MD, demolished the main street, swept away parked cars, pummeled buildings and left one man dead. A recent Tel Aviv University study suggests that weather patterns that lead to flash floods may one day be tracked and anticipated by… Read More
Neutron stars are the smallest, densest stars in the universe, born out of the gravitational collapse of extremely massive stars. True to their name, neutron stars are composed almost entirely of neutrons — neutral subatomic particles that have been compressed into a small, incredibly dense celestial package. A new study in Nature suggests that some… Read More