Latest news from Bar-Ilan University on Newswise en-us Copyright 2025 Newswise 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/luxury-brands-use-of-nfts-as-digital-twins-may-undermine-the-perceived-value-of-physical-products-study-finds/?sc=rsin /articles/luxury-brands-use-of-nfts-as-digital-twins-may-undermine-the-perceived-value-of-physical-products-study-finds/?sc=rsin Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:45:45 EST A new study by researchers from Bar-Ilan University and the University of Agder reveals that while luxury brands are increasingly linking NFTs to physical products through digital twinning, this strategy may actually diminish the perceived luxury of the physical items. Bar-Ilan University /articles/sexism-undermines-teams-by-disrupting-emotional-synchrony-s-role-in-performance/?sc=rsin /articles/sexism-undermines-teams-by-disrupting-emotional-synchrony-s-role-in-performance/?sc=rsin Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:00:00 EST Researchers found that exposure to sexist comments significantly alters how women interact emotionally during teamwork, increasing a key ingredient of successful collaboration: emotional synchrony. Emotional synchrony--shared, temporally aligned facial expressions among team members--has long been known to enhance trust, coordination, and performance. Bar-Ilan University /articles/new-research-reveals-nature-s-secret-to-healthy-longevity/?sc=rsin /articles/new-research-reveals-nature-s-secret-to-healthy-longevity/?sc=rsin Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:25:53 EST A recent study led by Prof. Haim Cohen at Bar-Ilan University, in collaboration with Dr. Sagi Snir and PhD student Sarit Feldman-Trabelsi, explores why some mammals live much longer and healthier lives than others. Bar-Ilan University /articles/earth-day-2025-bar-ilan-university-s-take-the-garbage-with-you-initiative-takes-a-bold-step-toward-ending-littering-and-safeguarding-our-planet/?sc=rsin /articles/earth-day-2025-bar-ilan-university-s-take-the-garbage-with-you-initiative-takes-a-bold-step-toward-ending-littering-and-safeguarding-our-planet/?sc=rsin Mon, 21 Apr 2025 07:50:44 EST The Take the Garbage with You initiative, founded by Prof. Michal Zion, from the Faculty of Education and the Center for Energy and Sustainability at Bar-Ilan University, introduces a new approach to tackling the global issue of litter in public spaces. Bar-Ilan University /articles/earth-day-2025-bar-ilan-university-professor-developing-environmentally-friendly-pesticides-to-combat-crop-diseases/?sc=rsin /articles/earth-day-2025-bar-ilan-university-professor-developing-environmentally-friendly-pesticides-to-combat-crop-diseases/?sc=rsin Mon, 21 Apr 2025 07:30:06 EST As Earth Day is marked on April 22, a collaborative effort between Israeli researchers is driving the development of environmentally-friendly pesticides that promise to reduce the harmful impact of traditional chemical alternatives. The ongoing research is focused on combating plant pathogens, particularly those responsible for widespread crop diseases, through innovative, sustainable approaches. Bar-Ilan University /articles/bar-ilan-university-researchers-develop-ai-model-to-predict-lightning-induced-wildfires-with-unprecedented-accuracy/?sc=rsin /articles/bar-ilan-university-researchers-develop-ai-model-to-predict-lightning-induced-wildfires-with-unprecedented-accuracy/?sc=rsin Thu, 03 Apr 2025 06:10:36 EST A groundbreaking new artificial intelligence (AI) model developed by Israeli researchers promises to revolutionize wildfire prediction, with a particular focus on lightning-induced blazes that are growing increasingly common due to climate change. Bar-Ilan University /articles/scent-sational-advancement-in-canine-research/?sc=rsin /articles/scent-sational-advancement-in-canine-research/?sc=rsin Wed, 19 Mar 2025 05:45:47 EST A pioneering study investigating the brain activity of dogs during scent detection has unveiled crucial insights into their remarkable olfactory capabilities. Researchers at Bar-Ilan University have developed an optical sensor capable of remote sensing dogs' brain activity in three key regions-- the olfactory bulb, hippocampus, and amygdala-- that play a critical role in how dogs distinguish between different smells. Bar-Ilan University /articles/new-framework-reveals-key-insights-into-time-persistence-in-human-brain-networks/?sc=rsin /articles/new-framework-reveals-key-insights-into-time-persistence-in-human-brain-networks/?sc=rsin Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:30:46 EST A new international and multidisciplinary study has unveiled a novel framework for understanding the concept of time persistence in the human brain, shedding light on its essential role in brain functioning and cognition. Bar-Ilan University /articles/bar-ilan-university-study-reveals-how-being-alone-can-weaken-social-identity-with-broad-implications-for-group-processes-and-societal-cohesiveness/?sc=rsin /articles/bar-ilan-university-study-reveals-how-being-alone-can-weaken-social-identity-with-broad-implications-for-group-processes-and-societal-cohesiveness/?sc=rsin Mon, 17 Feb 2025 06:10:48 EST A new study sheds light on the effects of aloneness on group processes, demonstrating that simply being alone can significantly weaken group identity and esteem. Led by Prof. Liad Uziel, from the Department of Psychology at Bar-Ilan University, together with Martina Seemann, from Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany, the study was recently published in the British Journal of Psychology. Bar-Ilan University /articles/bar-ilan-university-study-reveals-high-vaccination-rates-among-israeli-arabs-offering-insights-for-minority-populations-worldwide/?sc=rsin /articles/bar-ilan-university-study-reveals-high-vaccination-rates-among-israeli-arabs-offering-insights-for-minority-populations-worldwide/?sc=rsin Mon, 10 Feb 2025 04:30:27 EST A study led by researchers at the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University has uncovered the unique reasons behind the high vaccination rates among Israeli Arabs, a phenomenon rarely observed among minority groups globally. Bar-Ilan University /articles/researchers-reveal-ancient-dietary-habits-and-early-human-use-of-plant-foods/?sc=rsin /articles/researchers-reveal-ancient-dietary-habits-and-early-human-use-of-plant-foods/?sc=rsin Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:00:00 EST A new archaeological study, conducted along the Jordan River banks south of northern Israel's Hula Valley, offers a fresh perspective on the dietary habits of early humans, challenging conventional wisdom about prehistoric diets. The research reveals that ancient hunter-gatherers relied heavily on plant foods, particularly starchy plants, as a major energy source. The findings suggest that, contrary to popular belief, the diet of early hominids was not solely focused on animal protein, but rather, featured a diverse range of plant-based foods, including acorns, cereals, legumes, and aquatic plants. Bar-Ilan University /articles/from-adolescence-to-adulthood-unlocking-cognitive-potential-in-individuals-with-down-syndrome/?sc=rsin /articles/from-adolescence-to-adulthood-unlocking-cognitive-potential-in-individuals-with-down-syndrome/?sc=rsin Wed, 18 Dec 2024 06:05:12 EST A new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University, Ariel University and Levinsky College of Education has revealed encouraging findings about cognitive growth and development in adults with non-specific intellectual disability (NSID), especially those with Down syndrome (DS), and challenges previous assumptions about cognitive potential of individuals with Down syndrome. Bar-Ilan University /articles/the-best-ai-strategy-to-recognize-multiple-objects-in-one-image/?sc=rsin /articles/the-best-ai-strategy-to-recognize-multiple-objects-in-one-image/?sc=rsin Tue, 10 Dec 2024 07:40:47 EST Image classification is one of AI's most common tasks, where a system is required to recognize an object from a given image. Yet real life requires us to recognize not a single standalone object but rather multiple objects appearing together in a given image. This reality raises the question: what is the best strategy to tackle multi-object classification? The common approach is to detect each object individually and then classify them. But new research challenges this customary approach to multi-object classification tasks. In an article published today in Physica A, researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Israel show how classifying objects together, through a process known as Multi-Label Classification (MLC), can surpass the common detection-based classification. Bar-Ilan University /articles/implementing-ancient-agricultural-practices-to-confront-modern-day-challenges-of-water-scarcity-and-food-insecurity2/?sc=rsin /articles/implementing-ancient-agricultural-practices-to-confront-modern-day-challenges-of-water-scarcity-and-food-insecurity2/?sc=rsin Mon, 02 Dec 2024 19:55:05 EST A new study exploring traditional sunken groundwater-harvesting agroecosystems in coastal and inland sand (SGHAS) bodies of Israel, Iran, Egypt, Algeria, Gaza, and the Atlantic coast of Iberia offers fresh perspectives on ancient agricultural techniques that could inform modern sustainability practices. The research, which combines geospatial analysis, archaeological findings, and historical documentation, sheds light on the innovative use of water-harvesting and soil-enrichment technologies developed in the early Islamic period and their continued relevance to contemporary agricultural challenges. Bar-Ilan University /articles/new-method-discovered-for-controlling-molecular-patterns-on-liquid-droplets/?sc=rsin /articles/new-method-discovered-for-controlling-molecular-patterns-on-liquid-droplets/?sc=rsin Mon, 02 Dec 2024 13:55:02 EST A team of researchers from Bar-Ilan University, in collaboration with researchers from Leiden University (The Netherlands) and Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), has uncovered a previously unknown phenomenon that could revolutionize the way we design materials at the molecular level. By unlocking a transformation between two types of structural defects on the surface of liquid droplets, the research opens new possibilities for controlling molecular patterns with unprecedented precision. This discovery has broad applications across a range of technologies, including vaccine design, the creation of self-assembling structures, and the synthesis of complex nanoparticles. Bar-Ilan University /articles/new-theory-of-flexible-multimodal-synchrony-advances-understanding-of-human-interaction/?sc=rsin /articles/new-theory-of-flexible-multimodal-synchrony-advances-understanding-of-human-interaction/?sc=rsin Sat, 30 Nov 2024 15:35:31 EST Researchers from Bar-Ilan University and Haifa University have unveiled a new theory of interpersonal synchrony that redefines how we understand social coordination and its role in human interaction. Titled "A Theory of Flexible Multimodal Synchrony," the paper, recently published in Psychological Review, provides an innovative framework for understanding synchrony across behavioral, physiological, and neural modalities. Bar-Ilan University /articles/hapvida-and-bar-ilan-university-investigate-the-factors-that-affect-maternal-health/?sc=rsin /articles/hapvida-and-bar-ilan-university-investigate-the-factors-that-affect-maternal-health/?sc=rsin Sat, 30 Nov 2024 13:55:52 EST A new international partnership between Bar-Ilan University and Hapvida NotreDame Intermedica (HNDI) in Brazil will facilitate innovative research on genetic and phenotypic factors that affect maternal health, including age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Bar-Ilan University /articles/bar-ilan-university-s-launches-free-online-course-on-ancient-jerusalem/?sc=rsin /articles/bar-ilan-university-s-launches-free-online-course-on-ancient-jerusalem/?sc=rsin Sat, 30 Nov 2024 13:05:15 EST Bar-Ilan University has just launched a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) titled Jerusalem: A Journey Through Time. This comprehensive, introductory course delves into the history and archaeology of one of the world's most fascinating cities, covering its evolution from its earliest foundations to the Muslim conquest. Bar-Ilan University /articles/transplanting-healthy-reef-ecosystems-to-damaged-reefs-improves-coral-health/?sc=rsin /articles/transplanting-healthy-reef-ecosystems-to-damaged-reefs-improves-coral-health/?sc=rsin Tue, 26 Nov 2024 02:30:45 EST A pioneering study has revealed significant improvements in coral health through an innovative approach of transplanting healthy reef ecosystems to damaged reefs. The study offers new hope for coral reef restoration and the fight against widespread coral decline. Bar-Ilan University /articles/tattoos-to-confront-the-terror-of-death2/?sc=rsin /articles/tattoos-to-confront-the-terror-of-death2/?sc=rsin Wed, 30 Oct 2024 03:35:47 EST The October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel resulted in widespread trauma, impacting not only the direct victims but also the broader population. Many experienced posttraumatic symptoms. This collective trauma blurred the lines between witnesses and victims, leading to a shared experience of pain and grief across Israeli society. In the wake of these attacks, a notable phenomenon emerged: memorial tattoos reflecting personal narratives while also representing collective trauma experienced by the entire nation. A new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University uses Terror Management Theory (TMT, Solomon et al., 1991) to explore the rise of memorial tattoos in Israel following the attacks, offers insights into how individuals cope with trauma and find meaning through tattoos, using TMT as a theoretical framework, and ultimately contributing to the understanding of psychological resilience in the face of terror. Bar-Ilan University