They decorated graves with flowers, held ceremonial meals before their funerals, and – as a new study from the University of Haifa now shows – the Natufians who lived in our region 15,000 – 11,500 years ago also created massive mortars that were used to pound food at their burial ceremonies. The pounding sound of these large mortars informed the members of the community that a ceremony was underway. “The members of the Natufian culture lived during a period of change, and their communal burial and commemorative ceremonies played an important role in enhancing the sense of affiliation and cohesion among the members of the community,” explain Dr. Danny Rosenberg and Prof. Dani Nadel, from the Zinman Institute of archaeology who undertook the study.

The “Baron de Rothschild’s Ship” was one of three ships used to carry raw materials from France to a glass factory established by the baron at Tantura. The ship vanished without a trace in the late nineteenth century. Has it now been found more than a century later? In a new study, researchers from the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies seek to show that a shipwreck discovered at Dor Beach in 1999 may be identified as the missing Baron’s Ship. “We know that two of the baron’s three ships were sold, but we have no information concerning the third ship. The ship we have found is structurally consistent with the specifications of the Baron’s ships, carried a similar cargo, and sailed and sank during the right period,” explained Dr. Deborah Cvikel and Micky Holtzman, who are investigating the shipwreck.

A new study at the University  has used “big data” analytical methods to reveal the “social character” of genes – a phenomenon in certain diseases whereby genes operate jointly rather than independently. “The problem is that the possible number of combinations of different genes is enormous, and it is almost impossible to examine them all effectively and reliably,” the researchers explain. “Our study offers a solution to this problem.” The study, which was undertaken as part of a master’s thesis by Pavel Goldstein from the Department of Statistics, and was headed by Dr. Anat Reiner-Benaim from the department in cooperation with Professor Abraham B. Korol from the Department of Evolution and Environmental Biology, proposes a new method for discovering complex and rare genetic effects that form part of the mechanism of creation of complex diseases, such as autoimmune diseases.

Prof. Uri Shanas of the University's Oranim campus has launched an unusual new initiative: a massive, international, and democratic “purchase group” open to all that aims to save the Earth. “It is neither possible nor necessary to conserve the entire planet all the time,” Prof. Shanas explains. “But if we manage to conserve even a small percentage that is home to an unusual diversity of plant and animal life in danger of extinction, we can go some way to halting the current process of species extinction.” Prof. Shanas is using the crowdsourcing technique to raise the funds needed to launch the initiative.

A groundbreaking new study at the University has found, for the first time, that emotions are not only the product of the processing of information by the brain, but that they also directly influence processes of learning and memory in the brain. Dr. Shlomo Wagner of the Sagol Department of Neurobiology, who undertook the study, explains: “It turns out that different emotions cause the brain to work differently and on distinct frequencies.”

Resistance training in the gym leads to a fall in liver fat levels. This is the finding of a new study held at the University in cooperation with Tel Aviv Medical Center and Tel Aviv University. “For patients suffering from physical limitations or low motivation that prevents them performing aerobic exercises, resistance training can be an effective alternative,” comments Dr. Shira Zelber-Sagi from the School of Public Health, who undertook the study.

According to new research conducted at the University of Haifa, eating salty foods does not necessarily increase a sense of thirst. “Based on the notion that the consumption of salt increases thirst, the concern has arisen that it also leads to an increased consumption of sugary drinks. However, our study found little support for the assumption that salt invariably increases drinking,” said Prof. Micah Leshem of the Department of Psychology, who conducted the research.

More than half of the Israeli respondents are willing to let the government monitor their Internet activity in order to increase their sense of security against cyberattacks. This is the finding of a new study conducted at the University, shortly after threats were made by the network of hackers calling itself Anonymous to wage an “electronic holocaust” against the State of Israel.“

University news and updates at a glance

Young people’s brains cope with stress in a completely different way to adults, in complete contrast to the conventional wisdom that the brains of humans of all ages act similarly. This is the conclusion of a study conducted on rats at the University of Haifa. The study found that young rats not only extinguished fear much more rapidly, but that while in adult rats the plasticity of the prefrontal cortex declined, among young rats a different mechanism actually enhances plasticity.