On the other hand
Another week and still no Government coalition has been formed. If ever there was a time to proclaim “enough already” it is now.
The country may be running on automatic pilot but serious issues need to be urgently tackled. Unfortunately egos and a refusal to accept that “times up” personify the political malaise now rampant.
Thank goodness that Israel’s achievements still prevail and keep the country in the forefront of innovative and life-changing events.
DIRECT FLIGHTS DOWN UNDER
El Al, Israel’s national airline has announced that 2020 will see trial flights of their new 787 Dreamliner, non stop from Tel Aviv to Melbourne and return. If these trials are successful and feasible it will be possible to fly between Israel and Australia without changing planes. Projected flight times will be 16.45 hours from Israel and 17.45 hours return.
It remains to be seen if this route will be economically and technically possible but if it is, exciting new possibilities will open up for tourism and trade.
BEST INNOVATIONS OF 2019
A personal robot 3-feet tall is among nine Israeli-made inventions that appear on the Time magazine list of the “100 Best Inventions” of 2019.
The evaluations were based on factors including “originality, creativity, influence, ambition, and effectiveness.”
Along with Temi by Robotemi, the personal robot, these are the Israeli inventions, according to the NoCamels website:
MyEye 2.0 by OrCam, a vision technology device for people with visual impairments.
ECONcrete, an environmental tech company that develops sustainable concrete for constructing ecologically active infrastructures.
Nerivio by Theranica, a device that provides acute treatment of migraines.
TytoHome by Tyto Care, remote medical examination device.
Genny by Watergen, a home generator capable of producing up to 7.9 gallons of drinking water per day by collecting water vapour in the air and putting it through physical, chemical and biological treatment.
Alice by Eviation Aircraft, the first all-electric commuter aircraft.
ElliQ by Intuition Robotics, a tabletop social robot to help the elderly stay engaged, independent, and connected to family and friends.
Giveback by Lemonade, which leverages unclaimed money from its renters’ and homeowners’ insurance policies for charity.
ANOTHER POTENTIAL MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH
Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in partnership with Bar-Ilan University recently created a new technology to deliver treatment to Alzheimer’s patients that can help inhibit the development of the disease.
The Israeli research team developed a nanoscale silicon chip that can be loaded with protein busters, which is small enough to get through the blood-brain barrier without being detected.
The blood-brain barrier, which protects the nervous system from all foreign substances, cannot differentiate between what is good and what is bad, and tries to keep both out. This is why most medicine that could potentially treat brain diseases rarely ever reaches the brain.
Treatment for the disease requires the insertion of a specific protein into the brain that busts the abnormal accumulation. While this is easier said than done, the new Israeli chip may be able to do that on a consistent basis.
BABY NEWS
In 2018 there were 184,094 births, an average of 504 births a day. Women over the age of 45 are having more children, in 2010 there were 500 births, there were 900 in 2018. Women, from 40-44 had 6,000 in 2010 and 9,000 in 2018.
The latest statistics show that Israel’s fertility rate at 3.1 births per woman far outstrips all countries in the OECD. In the USA it has just been reported that the fertility rate of 1.8 births is the lowest recorded in recent times. The trend in Europe and it seems the USA is for births to fall below population replacement numbers.
In another interesting statistic released recently, it is revealed that women in Israel are having less and fewer C-section births, in 2018 it dropped to an all-time low, 17.4% half of the percentage of the US, which stand at 32%.
WINTER IS DUE ANY DAY
We have not yet had the first blast of winter but no doubt it will arrive. It is hard to associate Israel with snowstorms and ski resorts but these are a reality for at least a few short months.
Watch this video and if you have never visited Mount Hermon be prepared for some amazing sights.
THE DEAD SEA COMES “ALIVE”
There are some incredible developments taking place at the Dead Sea which this short video explains. Israel is indeed a land where miracles take place.
