Soon the spring season of "Meetings at the Front of Science"

The Davidson Institute for Science Education will hold on Mondays a series of 8 popular lectures on a variety of interdisciplinary scientific topics Spring, 2012

Cracking the secrets of the universe - Ilan Manolis, Prof. Oded Aharonson, Yair Harkabi, Dr. Ofer Yaron, Prof. Tal Alexander, Dr. Eran Ofek, Dr. Avishi Gal-Yam, Dr. Daniel Lalosh

The news about astronomy and astrophysics that make headlines every morning attests to the vitality and validity of this scientific branch. In the series of meetings we will try to clarify issues that are at the forefront of scientific research in the field, issues such as do gravitational waves exist and why hasn't the evidence for their existence been found until now?

What does the discovery of planets around distant suns mean for the possibility of intelligent life in the galaxy? How is a supernova discovered and what can be learned from this unique cosmic event? Is the Earth's biosphere in danger as a result of an asteroid collision with us in the near future? What is the sun? What are the processes taking place nearby? What is the elusive dark energy and how is it different from the dark matter that astrophysicists are looking for?

Man, woman, science - Dr. Ilan Samish, Dr. Tali Kimchi, Dr. Ilan Wolowitz, Prof. Mel Rosenberg, Prof. Michael Eisenbach

In the series, we will present issues concerning the biological mechanisms at the base of the relationship between men and women from the stage of initial attraction, through smells and looks, through the 'race of the million' to the egg and up to advanced treatments for diseases. Research from the fields of biological, biochemical, bioinformatics and biomedical engineering will be presented.

A journey into the immune system - Ykki Idelstein, Prof. Ronan Alon, Dr. Hila Gal, Prof. Michal Schwartz, Dr. Guy Shahar

The immune system of the human body has developed over millions of years of evolution into a powerful and sophisticated system that protects our bodies from external invaders (bacteria, viruses and fungi) and internal invaders, such as cancer. The many cells that make it up have developed an incredible ability to communicate with each other and with each other and have complex interactions with the rest of the body's systems. During evolution, the immune system acquired the ability to remember the battles with the invaders so that it improves its defense capabilities throughout our lives. Sometimes, when the control over its activity is undermined, we are exposed to its full force when it turns and attacks the body's systems. In this series we will learn about research and scientific breakthroughs that have significantly improved the ability of medicine to treat the many diseases that are related to the proper functioning of the immune system.

Challenges in brain research - Dr. Eyal Cohen, Dr. Nachum Olonovsky, Dr. Alon Chen

The brain is the most complicated system known to humans. Although this system has been intensively studied for over a hundred years, and many books have been written about it, there is still much that is hidden in it that is visible. In this series of lectures, we will discuss the tremendous challenge facing brain researchers in bridging the great gaps between the molecular and cellular level of brain research and the level of the whole. Bridging these gaps will be a key to solving many neurological problems and diseases and will also make it possible to improve the field of education and learning in an optimal way for the capabilities of the human brain. In the lectures we will discuss the complex relationships between different systems within the brain as well as the relationships between the nervous system and other body systems such as the endocrine system as they are studied at the Weizmann Institute and outside.

The series will be held simultaneously on Mondays, between the hours of 21:00 and 19:15 at the Davidson Institute for Science Education, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot. Start date: March 26, 2012, Nisan Tuesday, XNUMX

For details and registration