October 2009 - TECHNION FOCUS MAGAZINE

T TE E CC H
H
N I I O ON N
N
Technion - Israel Institute
of Technology
www.focus.technion.ac.il
OCTOBER 2009
SOUND OF SILENCE
World-first
1
observation
Dr Jeff Steinhauer
of an acoustic
black hole
By Georgina Johnson
D
r Jeff Steinhauer recently
created an artificial
black hole in his lab in
the Faculty of Physics, paving
the way for proving Stephen
Hawkins’ prediction of radiation
that is said to be emitted by black
holes due to quantum effects.
The groundbreaking finding was
published on the physics Web site
arXiv.org in June 2009. Steinhauer
followed a suggestion made in
1981 by William Unruh of the
University of British Columbia
and created an analogue of a real
black hole in the laboratory, using
an extremely cold form of matter
called a Bose-Einstein condensate.
This analogue is dubbed a “dumb
hole” because it swallows sound
rather than light.
The light-swallowing abilities of real
black holes make them notoriously
difficult to observe directly, though
their gravitational effects on their
surroundings can be seen. Some,
such as those around which
galaxies are believed to accrete,
formed just after the beginning of
N E W
the universe. A lot, though, are the
result of huge stars collapsing in
on themselves at the end of their
lives. Whatever their origin, all black
holes have an “event horizon,”
within which gravity is so intense
that nothing can escape.
Steinhauer and his colleagues
created a condensate out of
a gas of rubidium atoms held
in a magnetic trap. They then
decompressed part of the gas,
resulting in high-speed flow. They
took photographs and used them
to calculate both the speed of
flow and the speed of sound
within the condensate. Their data
showed that the speed of part
of the condensate exceeded the
speed of sound, and they had
therefore made an acoustic event
horizon. Sound waves should be
trapped in the supersonic region
of the flow. “It’s like trying to swim
slowly against a fast current,” says
Steinhauer. “The sound waves are
never able to escape the sonic
event horizon and fall behind
because the current is moving
faster than the waves.”
The next step is to look for
sound waves emitted by the
sonic black hole — the yet
unobserved Hawking radiation,
predicted by theoretical physicist
Stephen Hawking. “This is about
understanding the basic laws of
physics,” Steinhauer said. “What
this research is good for in dayto-day life I’m not sure, but we as
humans want to understand how
the universe works.” H O R I Z O N S
With the opening of the 2009-10 academic year at Technion City, new discoveries are underway on a cosmic scale. New initiatives to protect the planet, international ventures, and the burgeoning
fields in which to discover, understand, and apply the science and technologies of tomorrow are bringing an atmosphere of excitement and anticipation to the New Year.
Q&A
MEET
THE
Prof. Peretz Lavie
PRESIDENT
EnergyFlow
Prof. Peretz Lavie was inaugurated as the 16th president of
Technion on October 1, 2009. Lavie, a world-renowned authority
on the psychophysiology of sleep and sleep disorders, heads the
Technion Sleep Laboratory. He is the incumbent of the André
Ballard Chair in Biological Psychiatry. Between 1993 and 1999,
Lavie served as dean of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, and
more recently, between 2001 and 2008, as Technion’s vice
president for resource development and external relations. Lavie
is the author of the acclaimed books, The Enchanted World of
Sleep, and Restless Nights: Understanding Sleep Apnea and
Snoring. Lavie is one of the founders and directors of Itamar
Medical Ltd., SLP Ltd., and Sleep Health Centers Ltd.
The ultimate solution
to diminishing fossilfuel reserves, and their
increasing cost, is the
development of noncarbon-based energy
cycles and improved
utilization of existing
hydrocarbons.
For an exclusive interview with incoming
President Lavie, see page 2
Stories by Amanda Jaffe-Katz
on page 4
In this issue…
03
Smart
Ventures
05
Water the
World
06
08
Big
Drama
Paint it
Green
OCTOBER 2009
PRESIDENT
…continued from page 1
“My personal vision is that every young person in
Israel, when thinking about a future in science and
technology, should believe that Technion is an
exciting place to be that is within his or her reach.”
News
The second challenge is to further develop
interdisciplinary research at Technion. We have
excellent research programs in nanotechnology,
life sciences, autonomous systems, and energy.
Interdisciplinary research is the future: we have made
good inroads in this area and want to expand with
nanomedicine.
Incoming president, Prof. Peretz Lavie (r), networks with Ben Rothman (l),
participant at SciTech 2009 summer research program.
2
By Barbara Frank
What are the challenges you face
assuming office at this time?
When the last administration, which I was a part of,
came into office it was right after the crisis of 2001.
The financial “bubble” had burst and I really believe
that the economic climate was no better than today.
The first challenge is how to continue to develop
Technion during the present economic reality that
includes budget cuts in education in Israel, and the
reduction of gifts from our supporters abroad as a
result of the difficult global economy and the Madoff
scandal in the USA.
What are your top priorities
for your term in office?
I would like to see the formation of a campuswide
graduate program for interdisciplinary research. This
would be an umbrella program where graduate
students would take basic courses from a wide variety
of disciplines and then find their niche research
program and receive a Technion Interdisciplinary
degree. It would provide a true merging of different
research fields.
Another important priority is to bring Technion closer
to the public and improve its image. In Israel, the
perception of the university and higher education
in general has been eroded. Technion plays an
unparalleled role in the history of the country and we
need to bring this message to the public in general
and to our potential students, in particular. We have
to emphasize that Technion not only helps build and
defend Israel but that Technion affects each and every
person in the world. Examples are how Technion
research helps Parkinson’s sufferers worldwide and the
cell phone user everywhere. Technion’s Nobel Prize for
the discovery of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation
led to the discovery of drugs, most notably Velcade®,
]
MEET
THE
which help cancer patients. I have no doubt that other
current exciting research programs in many faculties
will bear similar results in the future.
Technion graduates are the turbo engine for global
high-tech and are sought after everywhere. I want to
close the gap between Technion’s actual contributions
– what we do – and how we are perceived. I would
like to see an interactive Technion Web site for
youth. We have two new English-language degree
programs to attract international students to Technion,
the International School of Engineering and the new
Executive MBA program. It was heartwarming to meet
the first class of 23 international students who just
started their studies in the Technion. To attain our goals
we must continue to attract the very best students and
faculty to join us. I intend to be personally involved in
this effort.
After 85 years, what is Technion’s role in Israeli
national life today and how may this change?
At Technion there is an excellent mixture of applied
and basic research. This has enabled Technion to play
a leading role in the development of the country, and
to advance knowledge in general for the benefit of
mankind. Technion’s model of the balance between
applied and basic science must continue and available
funds must go to advance excellence in both areas.
What is your personal vision for Technion?
My personal vision is that every young person in
Israel, when thinking about a future in science and
technology, should believe that Technion is an exciting
place to be that is within his or her reach.
Another
League
Prof. Mordechai (Moti) Segev of
the Faculty of Physics was awarded
the top rank of Distinguished
Professor by the Technion Senate.
Segev, who holds the Trudy and
Norman Louis chair, is a worldacclaimed expert in nonlinear
optics. He joins the ranks of
Nobel Laureates Distinguished
Profs. Avram Hershko and Aaron
Ciechanover. The first such title was granted in
1977 to the late Nathan Rosen, former student of
Albert Einstein.
Published by the Division of Public Affairs and Resource Development
Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
Tel: 972-4-829-2578 > [email protected]
www.focus.technion.ac.il > http://www.youtube.com/Technion
VP Resource Development
and External Relations: Prof. Raphael Rom
Director, Public Affairs and
Resource Development: Shimon Arbel
Head, Department
of Public Affairs: Yvette Gershon
Editors: Amanda Jaffe-Katz, Barbara Frank
Design: CastroNawy
Photo Coordinator: Hilda Favel
Photographers: Yoav Bachar, Keren Grinberg, Gustavo Hochman,
Miki Koren, Shimon Okun, Shlomo Shoham,
Yosi Shrem, Haim Zach, and others.
Forward
Vision
The striking sculpture, Vision, was
dedicated in September 2009
in tribute to devoted friends of
Technion, Dr Irwin and Joan Jacobs,
in honor of their far-reaching
contributions to Technion over
the years, and most recently to
the Graduate School that bears
their name. The stainless-steel
sculpture, mounted on a 12ton basalt rock, alludes to the
imagination, ingenuity, and vision
of Technion; its soaring bird-like
form draws the Technion to new
heights. The latticed sculpture that
merges with the environment was
created by Israeli artist Yaël Artsi.
She explains that the local basalt
stone symbolizes the ancient, a
starting point, and flight symbolizes
the first condition for the evolution
of science.
Dr Irwin and Joan Jacobs, Technion
Guardians, are renowned patrons of
Knight Star
the Arts. Joan Jacobs said that while
she and her husband have many
buildings named for them, they had
never dedicated a piece of art and
that this was an important moment
in their lives. Dr Irwin Jacobs said
that although they had previously
seen pictures of the concept, it was
a wonderful sight when, coming
down the road, they caught their
first glimpse of the installation. “I
hope that students, faculty, and
visitors for many years to come will
enjoy it,” he said. “Sculpture causes
us to think more broadly.”
Dr Irwin Mark Jacobs is a
groundbreaking entrepreneur
who co-founded LINKABIT and
QUALCOMM. These companies
have employed hundreds of
Technion graduates – in Israel and
in the U.S. In 2000, Irwin Jacobs
received an Honorary Doctorate
from Technion.
Prof. Anath Fischer (right) was
awarded the Star of Italian
Solidarity with the rank of
Knight from the President of
Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, for
her important contributions in
promoting academic research
collaboration between Israel
and Italy. She received the
order of merit at a ceremony
held at the residence of
H.E. Luigi Mattiolo (left),
ambassador of Italy to Israel, in
June 2009 in honor of Italian
National Day.
E
Smart Ventures
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
A
unique partnership aimed at taking
management in Israel to new heights was
signed by Technion and the U.S.-based Andre
and Katherine Merage Foundation. The Andre
and Katherine Merage – Technion Institute for
International Business will offer an English-only international
executive MBA (I-EMBA) program designed to develop the
skills of Israel’s future high-tech leaders. The new institute,
established with a $12 m. gift and slated to launch its
first programs in 2010, will also house three centers for
international business development aimed at training
high-tech executives how to infiltrate the U.S., Asian, and
European markets.
Dean of the Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and
Management, Prof. Boaz Golany, noted that Technion needs
not only to educate and train scientists, engineers, and
physicians, but also the future managers of Israel’s scienceand technology-related firms and organizations. “Technion is
delighted to work in partnership with the Merage Foundation
and we are determined to make the new institute a success
story and a role model for others in Israel and abroad to
follow,” Golany said at the July 2009 inauguration.
Capital Scholars
I
n a July 2009 ceremony in Jerusalem, 57
undergraduate and graduate students received
scholarships from the Fund for Jerusalem Students at
the Technion, headed by Dr Erel Margalit – founder
and managing partner of Jerusalem Venture Partners
(JVP). The fund acts as an umbrella for different scholarships
given in honor of Jerusalem entrepreneurs, business leaders,
and supporters. Before the ceremony held at The Lab – JVP’s
media center – JVP delivered a presentation about The
Lab’s activities in the field of animation to show the students
some of the opportunities that exist in Jerusalem combining
creativity and technology. Margalit said, “It is important to
send a message to young Jerusalemites who are going to
study at the Technion that they can go out into the world,
get their education and come back to Jerusalem. Things are
]
C
H
N
O
N
(l-r) Katherine Merage and
her son Paul Merage at the
inauguration of the Andre and
Katherine Merage – Technion
Institute for International
Business
“Technion is head and
shoulders above anyone else.”
[
Paul Merage, president of the foundation which bears
his parents’ names, said that it was a “truly deep honor
to be associated with the Technion – one of the most
wonderful institutes of higher learning throughout the
world.” Merage explained his involvement in business
schools – a commitment commensurate with his own
background and knowledge. Over the last five years, the
foundation has taken more than 250 Israeli executives to
the U.S. for intensive workshops in which they learnt how to
penetrate their products and their services into the United
States. These executives received a completely new outlook
on international business and suggested extending the
opportunity to many more executives.
“We went through an exhaustive and competitive search
process to find the appropriate partner and found that
Technion is the right place,” Merage said. “Technion is head
and shoulders above anyone else in the approach and in the
vision, and I have to applaud you for that and thank you for
that partnership.”
Merage continued, “We are living in a new global village…
Capital basically flows freely and often fleetingly in search of
the best technology. The only place that Israel can really be
in years to come is as a technology center – if you will,
a technology workshop and technology powerhouse.”
Israel is less adept as a business and management base
for marketing the byproducts of that technology throughout
the world, and this is where this new institute comes in,
Merage explained. “Unlike his U.S. counterpart, the Israeli
businessman from Day One has to learn how to market
outside the country. It takes a tremendous amount of
education and know-how,” he said.
“Technion will bring a high level of excellence that it has
always manifested in everything it has done to this Institute
as well, and we are very much looking forward to this
partnership for years to come,” concluded Merage.
happening here. Today when we look at our country after
61 years we can be very proud of what’s been created here.
During the past 20 years Israel has become a focal point for
research and development in the world. This is very much
due to Technion.”
Gen (Res.) Amos Horev, chairman of the Israel Technion
Society, said that he had had the privilege in 1976 to suggest
to former Mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, to establish this
fund with an aim to change the socioeconomic fiber of the
city. In 1977, the Eliahu Sochazewer Fund for Jerusalem
Students at the Technion was set up as a way to encourage
talented students from Jerusalem to study engineering and
technology at the Technion and then return to the capital.
To date more than 1,300 scholarships have been awarded.
Every recipient signs a non-binding agreement to return
to the city upon completion of studies and, according to
representatives of the fund, most do relocate to the capital.
Winning
Entrepreneurs
Also announced at the ceremony was the establishment
of a joint program between Technion’s Faculty of Civil and
Environmental Engineering and the Jerusalem College of
Engineering (JCE). Students in this unique program will study
two years at JCE followed by two years at Technion for a BSc
degree in civil and environmental engineering.
Drug for Heart Disease
The winners of the annual national BizTEC
entrepreneurship competition, led by Technion and
leading financial newspaper TheMarker, were recently
announced. BizTEC is open to students and staff from
all Israeli institutes of higher learning. The winners
receive cash prizes and start-up business services.
Coming in first this year was 2.5-Touch/Point
Technology, a project that aims to enable every
screen to perform as a touch screen at minimal
cost. The concept was developed at Ariel University
Center of Samaria by an R&D group led by Leonid
Minutin. Second place went to Vizmo for a patentpending technology that creates a new and efficient
way for businesses to serve their mobile calling
customers. Founded in 2008 by Tomer London and
Asaf Revach, Vizmo is a member of the Technion
Innovation Lab – a pre-incubator for Technion
students with promising ideas. Third-place winner,
I
Pan VR, is developing a product targeted to the PC
accessories and hardware/DIY market.
Among BizTEC’s supporters are the Technion’s
Bronica Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center,
Faculty of Computer Science and the Israel
Technion Society. BizTEC’s sponsors include Intel
Capital, Canaan Partners, and Luzzatto & Luzzatto
patent attorneys.
CardiAmit, the first company
established by the Alfred Mann
Institute for Biomedical Development
at Technion (AMIT), is developing
a new drug to protect the heart
muscle. The drug is based on a novel
cardioprotective molecule that can
protect heart cells against damage and
death from ischemia and reperfusion injury. Profs. Moussa Youdim, Ofer Binah,
Zaid Abassi and Dr Yaron Barac of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine began
developing the molecule in 2004. The drug will be able to provide heart-attack
patients with a complementary treatment to percutaneous coronary intervention
(PCI) to improve clinical results and in cases where PCI is unavailable or
unsuitable for the patient.
The new drug is a derivative of the anti-Parkinson’s drug rasagiline (Azilect®)
developed by Technion Profs. Moussa Youdim and John Finberg with Teva
Pharmaceuticals. Youdim comments, “It is apparent that in both cardiac
myocytes and neurons this new drug’s protective activity is related to its
activation of a key signal transduction protein. We have great hope for this
cardioprotective drug that may have disease-modifying activity similar to
rasagiline.” First clinical trials should begin in 2010.
Business
T
3
OCTOBER 2009
EnergyFlow
“Solar energy is abundant, while
fossil fuels are limited in supply.”
Energy
Here Comes
the Sun
4
the world at Tel Hashomer Medical Center. Hospitals
require AC year-round, thereby giving maximal return on
capital-intensive investment.
“Solar energy is abundant, while fossil fuels are limited
in supply,” says Prof. Gershon Grossman, the ShermanGilbert Chair in Solar Energy. At Technion’s Research
Center for Energy Engineering and Environmental
Preservation in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,
Grossman is perfecting techniques for solar AC (air
conditioning), using solar energy to dehumidify the
air. “Unlike solar space heating, AC is a very good
application for solar energy,” says Grossman.
There are two basic functions of AC: one is to cool the
temperature and the other is to lower the humidity.
Typically, the consumer is not given separate control
over these two factors, and in humid climates, such as
Florida or Israel’s Coastal Plain, reducing the humidity
is more important. “A person can feel comfortable
in 90°F (32°C) if the relative humidity is, say, 30
percent, and will feel very uncomfortable at the same
temperature if the humidity is 70 percent,” Grossman
points out. “In our solar-powered system we dehumidify
fresh or recirculated air that is then injected into the
conditioned space. We bring the air into contact with a
Back in 1980, Grossman was part of a team that
pioneered one of the biggest solar AC projects in
Hydro Power
]
“Hydrogen is the most attractive
alternative fuel… and the aluminum
used in the process can be recycled.”
[
revolutionary milestone in the search for its practical
utilization. For their novel approach, Gany and
Rosenband received the 2009 Hershel and Hilda Rich
Technion Innovation Award.
Fuel Cell System
Hydrogen is one of the natural candidates for
alternative fuel, yet the costly infrastructure required to
store and transport it safely is uneconomical.
Dr Valery Rosenband and Prof. Alon Gany’s research
in the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering represents a
Benny and the Jets
Prof. Benny Natan develops a gel fuel, which is hydrocarbon plus metal particles,
to achieve superior performance in rocket or ramjet propulsion applications.
Hydrogen is attractive because of its enormous
combustion heat and its environmentally friendly
byproduct — water vapor. The most efficient utilization
of hydrogen energy is in fuel cells, where chemical
energy is converted directly to electrical energy. “Our
invention consists of original chemical treatment
and activation of aluminum powders,” explain the
researchers. The activated aluminum then reacts with
water, generating hydrogen.
Initial experiments have revealed that a fast, selfsustained, complete reaction of the activated aluminum
with water can take place at room temperature. This
Prof. Benveniste (Benny) Natan of the Faculty of
Aerospace Engineering is improving rocket or ramjet
propulsion performance with a jelly-like substance,
based on gasoline. “Gel fuel is a liquid fuel to which
you add a gelling agent, and you get something that
looks like the Jell-O in your kitchen,” he explains. The
addition of metal particles to the gel – analogous to the
fruit segments added to Jell-O – leads to much better
performance than regular fuel. “We’ve calculated that
it’s feasible for a ramjet air-breathing engine, using gel
and metal particles, to cover large distances.”
“I address the safety of gel propellants, as well as
performance issues,” says Natan. “If the fuel storage
tank is hit, then the fuel won’t leak because the gel
forms a crust and keeps it in place. Even if it does leak,
it’s at a reduced rate – so it’s a safer fuel.”
“With the gel alone, you just get the advantage of
safety. For performance, you need the metal particles,”
he says. Boron and aluminum are the metals of
Prof. Gershon Grossman
desiccant material which absorbs the humidity from the
processed air in a special reactor called a dehumidifier.
Then we regenerate – or dry – the desiccant in a
second reactor, where we apply solar heat, pretty much
like in a laundry drier. The dry desiccant can now go
back to the dehumidifier to dehumidify more air.”
“If we make this technology work, people will be able
to use solar air conditioning in the middle of the day,
during hours of peak demand,” Grossman advises.
method has been tested systematically revealing 100
percent yield of the reaction and patent application has
been filed. Applications include fuel cells and power
generation on Earth, Sea, Air and Space; energy storage
for emergency power generation, battery replacement;
and direct automotive and marine propulsion.
“Of all available methods for hydrogen production
based on a reaction of metals with water, our method is
superior in most relevant parameters,” says Gany, who
holds the Lena and Ben Fohrman Chair in Aeronautical
Engineering. The production method offers significant
advantages: safe and compact hydrogen storage
(four times more compact than liquid hydrogen) and
controlled in-situ production, using pure water, tap
water or seawater; energy bonus: not only does the
aluminum reaction with water not consume energy, but
it releases 17 kJ of heat per gram of aluminum, which
can be harnessed; non-polluting solid-state residues
(aluminum oxide or aluminum hydroxide); and, in
contrast to oil, the aluminum used in the process can
be recycled.
choice. “You get much more from the metals than
from the regular hydrocarbon; the problem is that they
sink down in a liquid fuel. But with gel, there is no
sedimentation. They stay in place, like the banana stays
in Jell-O.”
]
“The result is a device that gives you
more mileage with less fuel.”
[
This, Natan maintains, is a unique solution. “It’s
important from every aspect, and there is simply no
additional damage to the environment. If you compare
with regular hydrocarbon,” Natan explains, “the particles
can give you 30 to 40 percent more energy per unit
mass when they burn, and sometimes three times
more per unit volume. This means you get a more
compact motor and save space, and thus reduce the
aerodynamic drag. The result is a device that gives you
more mileage with less fuel.”
E
C
Step out of the state-of-the-art labs and networked
offices and take a trip round the 24-dunam (6-acre)
plot of unspoiled Nature on campus. And if it happens
to be the last Wednesday of the month, you’ll enjoy
a guided tour conducted by the Ecological Garden’s
manager, Daniella Kopel.
Midsummer, with Israel’s enduring drought and ensuing
water regulations, and Kopel discusses the necessary
measures to cut watering to a minimum while
maintaining healthy private gardens. She begins her
tour, attended by participants who braved the extreme
heat, on the terraces of the “amphitheater” constructed
entirely from recycled materials—plaster-covered tires
filled with building rubble. She then leads the group of
students, researchers, and administrative staff through
the wooded areas, explaining the role of each plant in
the food chain, the effect that every leaf in the canopy
has on the growth or absence of other species. Her
observations have prompted her to make forestation
recommendations to the relevant authorities.
Kopel, who graduated from the Faculty of Chemistry in
1994, explains the location of this unique north-facing
part of Mount Carmel and its native flora. In the earliest
written record of the area that she found, dated 1858,
the vines covering this area were abundant—Carmel,
she points out, means God’s Vineyard.
Water the World
Using wastewater to ease the
region’s water shortage
Technion researchers from the Grand Water
Research Institute (GWRI) recently installed an
advanced membrane system for the ultimate effluent
purification, yielding water for unrestricted use.
Sustainable agriculture is conditional upon irrigation
with good quality water, yet farmers are rapidly losing
their share of this precious resource. Irrigating with
recycled wastewater fills this loss and presents an
environmentally acceptable way for wastewater disposal.
This system is located at the Carmel Coast Regional
Council’s secondary wastewater treatment Nir Etzion
site. It is the second stage of a Palestinian–Jordanian–
Israeli Project supported by the Peres Center for Peace
and the USAID–MERC program, jointly. Prof. Emeritus
Josef Hagin, coordinator of the project, says,
“A similar membrane system is under construction at
the Jordanian National Center for Agricultural Research
and Extension – within our cooperative project. We
expect that within a year, the tertiary and quaternary
wastewater treatment processes will be optimized
and our membrane plant will serve as a model for
constructing larger scale plants at most secondary
wastewater treatment plants operating in Israel and
the region. This will make a considerable contribution
toward increased availability of high quality water and
will ensure irrigated agriculture sustainability.”
N
I
O
N
Magical Mystery Tour:
Daniella Kopel leads an
educational visit round
Technion’s Ecological Garden.
Eden at Technion
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
H
Sitting in the shade of the vines by the water-lily pond,
the group learns how to keep their gardens alive with
reduced water consumption. Kopel recommends:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Water early in the morning – not at night –
so that the leaves can dry and not get sick;
Teach the plants to make do with less watering, gradually reaching the optimal dose of
once every 10 days;
Plant only local Mediterranean vegetation
or boost this with flora from Australia;
Do not fertilize lawns during the summer,
only when autumn approaches;
Sprinkle with potassium nitrate;
Cover any exposed area of soil
to eliminate evaporation.
The tour ends alongside the bubbling Ben Dor
stream which flows through the Gutwirth Ecological
Garden, where Kopel describes her efforts to help
the indigenous salamander population find a friendly
breeding ground, and where she points out the river
bank flora that grows abundantly such as creeping
cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) and willows (Salix alba
and Salix acmophylla).
“Come back late winter and you’ll be able to see
the first flowering of the orchids which we saved
from areas on campus undergoing construction,”
Kopel promises. A local patriot, she qualifies this by
]
“A considerable contribution
toward increased availability
of high quality water.”
[
According to Hagin, most of Israel’s effluent undergoes
secondary treatment and is used for irrigation. It typically
contains salt and some contaminants, which, with
time, damage agricultural soils and groundwater. For
example, avocado yield near Acre declined with the
use of secondary treated effluent, due to the presence
of contaminants and water salinity. In Palestinian and
Jordanian agriculture, even less efficiently treated
wastewater is used for irrigation.
At the Nir Etzion site, the new membrane system
pumps secondary treated wastewater and removes salts,
bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants from it. The
system was conceived by Prof. Raphael
Semiat, head of GWRI and a renowned
water desalination scientist, in cooperation
with Prof. Carlos Dosoretz, who specializes
in the removal of pharmaceuticals and
similar compounds from wastewater. It
was constructed at the Wolfson Faculty of
Chemical Engineering by expert technician
Albert Bin-Nun.
Engineer Ilan Katz, who planned and
now supervises the advanced wastewater
treatment and reuse project, explains how
it works: “The membrane units, pumps and
control units are installed in a closed container,
saying that the indigenous Ophrys or Carmel bee
orchid although smaller, “is no less beautiful than
the imported orchids. Good things come in small
packages, like me!” she laughs.
Green Day
Environment
T
ening took place in
ay Afternoon happ
n,
A special Wednesd
Students Associatio
ed by the Technion
y,
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June 2009. Organiz
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explaining Technio
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there were stands
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acrobatics,
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Recycling; and activit
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Th
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to save Israel’s rive
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the Green Campus
in conjunction with
ns. Some 1,000
tio
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an
nmental org
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5th year that Green
in this event – the
students participated
chnion.
Day was held at Te
outside of which storage tanks are located.
Particles – even nanosized ones – are
removed by an array of ultra-filtration
membranes, followed by reverse osmosis
membranes for removal of salts and other
soluble compounds. Organic fouling and
inorganic scaling are also reduced.”
A data-logging unit and cellular connection also enable
control and monitoring from remote computers.
Technion graduate student, Dan Peled, monitors the
membrane system’s performance in real time, both in
situ and remotely in the lab, adjusting the operational
parameters where indicated. Katz further noted that
because the salinity level of the wastewater is much
lower than that of seawater, it is cheaper, using less
energy, to purify it.
Researchers from Technion’s Grand Water Research Institute in the membrane
room of the advanced wastewater treatment facility: (l-r) Engineer Ilan Katz,
Profs. Carlos Dosoretz, Josef Hagin, and Raphael Semiat.
5
OCTOBER 2009
Talk Science
Science Communication
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari is flying the banner for a science
communication track within the Department of Education
in Technology and Science. “This is my vision,” she says,
“to train scientists how to reach the public via the mass
media, and train journalists in speaking to scientists.”
Baram-Tsabari, a year-and-a-half into her appointment,
gives a science communication course at Technion, which
is open to all Technion students. Science Communication:
Theory and Practice is, to the best of her knowledge, the
only such course in Israel.
On her wavelength: Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari leads the Interest Group: (l-r) Magi Mualem, Alaa Kaadni, Galit Hagay,
Dr Ayelet Baram-Tsabari, Esti Laslo, and Ran Peleg discuss science teaching and science communication.
]
6
3 Minutes of Fame
The local heat of the British
Council initiative
FameLab, organized by PhD
student Roey Tzezana,
was held at Technion in Ma
rch 2009. Judges,
including Dr Ayelet Baram-Ts
abari, listened to
some one dozen contestants
under the age of 32,
including winner Ravid Barak,
pictured, 28-yearold third-year student of Nan
otechnology. She
described “The Green Flash”
that may appear at
sunset when the Earth’s atm
osphere acts
as a prism.
“I really enjoyed being a jud
ge at FameLab,” says
Baram-Tsabari. “It was inspirin
g to see young
scientists who are aspiring to
speak about true and
clear science – all in the spa
ce of three minutes.”
“The media is a tool we
have to learn to use in
order to reach the public.”
[
The course discusses models of communication through
the media. For example, the Deficit Model which holds
that it is solely the fault of the media that any gaps exist
between what the layperson and the scientist think.
Baram-Tsabari explains that the public requires context to
assimilate scientific information. For example, in order to
become interested in a specific breakthrough, the man in
the street needs to know its relevance. For the practical
work, students are required to write a scientific news
item; to interview a scientist; film a TV-news item; and to
prepare a TV script for a non-news or feature program. The
best interview from each of the two courses so far taught
were published on the Web by the science editor of the
leading daily, Ynet.
“The public owns the knowledge since it partially funds the
university and its research,” says Baram-Tsabari. “Divulging
this information is what we owe to the public. We need
the public to be on the same wavelength as us – and this
is important not just for funding.”
“The media is a tool we have to learn to use in order to
reach the public. We have to keep the public – and the
government – on our side,” she advises. “Maintaining the
distance? That’s a privilege we don’t have!”
Big
Drama
Learning by Theater:
(l-r) Ran Peleg and Ruti Tamir
perform Atom Surprise
g experience
in
rn
a
le
c
ti
s
li
“A ho
cultures
in
tw
e
th
ts
c
e
that conn
humanities.”
e
th
d
n
a
e
c
n
of scie
Baram-Tsabari organized the first conference of its kind
on science and the media in Israel, and is now planning
the second one. “Just think,” she exclaims, “There’s not
a single journalist in the Israeli Hebrew-language press
whose only job is to write about science. In the Egyptian
newspaper Al-Ahram, on the other hand, there are 20!”
Baram-Tsabari is also spearheading Technion’s
involvement in the 2009 Researchers’ Night European
Union initiative to be held at MadaTech – The Israel
National Museum of Science, Technology and Space. She
explains, “To commemorate 400 years of Galileo and
200 years of Darwin, the two subjects we are highlighting
are Astronomy and Evolution.” In addition to lectures on
astronomy and a simulation of the moon, she is involving
members of the Faculty of Biology in direct dialog with
the public who will attend the September event. The
museum-goers will have unmediated access to discuss the
issues they find interesting regarding Evolution. “Lecturing
to the public is important, but talking to the public is more
important,” she says.
Having completed her PhD at the Weizmann Institute
of Science in 2008, Baram-Tsabari chose to join
the Technion faculty for its internationally acclaimed
department of science education. In spring 2010, joined
by her husband and two preschoolers, she will embark on
a one-year postdoctoral stint at Cornell University, “to learn
from the world expert, Bruce Levenstein.”
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
Ran Peleg, doctoral student in the Department of
Education in Technology and Science, brings drama
to the learning process – not to literature class, but
rather to explain science. Peleg’s philosophy holds that
theater is a means to increase children’s motivation
and boost their learning experience.
While living in England, Peleg earned two degrees
in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University
as well as becoming an accomplished ballroom
dancer. The switch from full-time chemical engineer
to performer came about after Peleg had returned
to Israel in 1999. After a brief career in the chemical
industry, Peleg received an offer he could not refuse
from an internationally performing dance company.
Further training in dance, theatre, and mime and
several years of science teaching experience later,
Peleg led a group that created Atom Surprise, a play
inspired by the need to raise interest and scientific
literacy among youngsters. “Through this play, I aim
to teach elementary school children about different
aspects of materials including atoms, molecules, and
the states of matter… but with plenty of humor and
fun,” he says. Taking his comic, interactive show on
the road, Peleg tours schools, community centers, and
science museums and provides an experiential lesson
in scientific principles for the primary school age-group.
“Theater and drama allow for emotional involvement,
opening the door for cognitive learning and increased
motivation. They pave the way for a holistic learning
experience that connects the twin cultures of science
and the humanities. In addition they also court the
current obsession with celebrity by putting science in
the spotlight,” explains Peleg.
Peleg’s doctoral research interests are the application
of theatre and drama in science education. “The aim
of my research is to characterize science education
plays from the perspectives of the viewers/students,
creators, and teachers,” he says. Peleg has already
analyzed preliminary findings regarding kids’ reactions
to the play and attitudes toward science, finding gender
differences that in some cases favored girls’ improved
learning. He is also formulating research-based design
principles for the creation of future plays.
His advisors are Prof. Avi Berman, head of the
department, and new faculty member, Dr Ayelet
Baram-Tsabari. She heads the Interest Group within
the department whose members – including Peleg –
study what people want to know about science and
technology using novel methodologies. Baram-Tsabari
says, “In the past decades we changed our goals from
science education for future scientists to ‘science for
all’. It is naïve of us as science educators to change
the goals of science education without changing the
means. Ran’s novel approach gives us another tool that
wasn’t there before. Ran – a Cambridge graduate – is
doing good, solid science, but he is also a professional
actor. Thanks to Ran, we can now strive to teach real
science in a new way, catering for as many as possible,
and matching the aims with the methods.”
T
E
C
H
N
Summer
Acceptance into the program is highly
selective, and this year 35 youngsters took
part. The participants live in dormitories and
experience cultural and social activities, as well
as off-campus trips.
At the closing ceremony when prizes for best
posters and presentations were awarded,
Minister of Science and Technology and
Technion professor of mathematics, Daniel
Hershkowitz, told the youngsters that his
career essentially started in a similar camp,
N
“Science is not a profession,
it is a way of life.”
- Prof. Peretz Lavie
[
some 40 years ago. “Seeing the level of
things you did here, I don’t think today I
would even be admitted to the math
group!” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Dobri
Dobrev from Bulgaria thanked everyone who
had made it possible for them to experience
Israel, “that wonderful country,” he said.
SciTech is held within the framework of the
Harry and Lou Stern Family Science and
Technology Youth Activity Unit.
Technion president-elect Prof. Peretz Lavie
said, “It is a great pleasure to make my
first appearance as president-elect with
youngsters. I believe each one of you,
being exposed to science, has endless
opportunities.” He continued, “Science is not
a profession, it is a way of life.”
Outreach
High school students from Bulgaria, Canada,
Israel, Italy, Serbia, Turkey, the UK and the
USA participated in this summer’s SciTech
science and technology research program,
working with Technion researchers.
O
]
Science
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
I
7
Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz, Minister of Sicence and Technology, congratulates SciTech
participant Amal Zoabi of Israel, for her winning project, “We Want Borate!”
Chemists 2Cambridge
accompanied by Prof. Asher Schmidt, head
mentor of the delegation, and team mentor
Dr Iris Barzilai, both from the Schulich Faculty
of Chemistry. The Faculty selects the team via
a national competition and prepares them for
the international event. Prof. Gabriel Kventsel
serves as academic director and financial
support for this activity is given by the Ministry
of Education and the Chais Family Foundation.
Schmidt commented, “This is our fourth
participation at the international Olympiad,
where the youngsters have been improving
their achievements steadily every year. The
recent success is a tremendous step up as it
has placed Israel at the international summit.”
He added, “Both Assaf and Eviatar should be
able to compete at the 2010 Olympiad
in Tokyo.”
Israel’s delegation to the International Chemistry Olympiad in Cambridge, UK: (l-r)
Prof. Asher Schmidt, head mentor, Neta Caspin, gold medalist Assaf Mauda, Michael
Michelachvili, and bronze medalist 15-year-old Eviatar Degani.
Sheikh Muwaffak Tarif (center left), the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, receives a
modest token of appreciation from MK Ayoob Kara, deputy minister for development of the Negev and
the Galilee. From the right, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Majalli Whbee and MK Hamad Amar; on
the left, Dr Hussein Zarka, principal of the Peki’in High School and Mayor of Peki’in, Nasrallah Kheir.
GET THE
MAX
The Technion-coached Chemistry Olympics
team brought home gold and bronze medals
from the July 2009 international competition.
Some 250 competitors from 64 countries
convened in the UK — the first time in the
contest’s 41-year history — at the University
of Cambridge, which this year celebrates
its 800th anniversary. The Olympiad tests
the theoretical and practical abilities of
international competitors who must be under
20 and have yet to start university education.
Students compete as individuals and form part
of a typically four-person national team. The
winner of Israel’s gold medal was 17-year-old
Assaf Mauda, who also earned a silver medal
in last year’s competition. The bronze medal
was won by the youngest competitor on
Israel’s national team — 15-year-old Eviatar
Degani. Together with team-mates Michael
Michelachvili and Neta Caspin, the team was
By Barbara Frank
The three-year anniversary of the
“Poalim From 3 to 5” program was
celebrated in the Druze village of
Peki’in in the Galilee in July. Poalim
From 3 to 5 is a tutoring and
mentoring initiative where Technion
graduates help high school students
from the periphery all over Israel.
It is sponsored by Bank Hapoalim,
and Technion – through its Alumni
Association and the Israel Technion
Society – operates the program,
with pedagogic support from the
ORT education and vocational
training schools. The program aims
to enable the students to raise
their mathematics and science
matriculation scores from three
points to the maximum five points,
to meet the entrance requirements
for Technion and other universities.
Today 2,000 high school students
from disadvantaged areas take part
in the program with great success.
The spiritual leader of the Israeli
Druze community, Sheikh Muwaffak
Tarif, together with the three Druze
Knesset members addressed
the audience. All the speakers
congratulated those involved in
making the program such a success.
Technion graduate Salach Shaanan
tutors two high school students
from Peki’in and reported that both
of them scored 100 percent on
their 5-point matriculation exams.
OCTOBER 2009
4
Planners
International
By Barbara Frank
8
A group of invited urban planning scholars
from distinguished universities around the
world (Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, UCLA, UBC,
Westminster, U. of Milano and others),
participated in an international workshop at
Technion in June 2009 convened by the
Philip and Ethel Klutznick Center for City and
Regional Studies. The workshop — Planning
for/with People — was initiated and headed
by Prof. Naomi Carmon, incumbent of
the Joseph Meyerhoff Chair in Urban and
Regional Planning at the Technion Faculty
of Architecture and Town Planning. It was
dedicated to the social concerns at the
core of urban research, policy-making and
planning. The international experts decided
Bridge
to the
WORLD
New international
school opens
By Amanda Jaffe-Katz
The first intake of 23 students in the newly
launched International School of Engineering
(ISE) made its debut on campus at the
end of July. Greeted by Dean of the Faculty
of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Prof. Arnon Bentur, the group of young
students were introduced to campus life and
learned about each other. The international
People
International participants at the Planning for/with People workshop.
Front row, 3rd and 4th from left: Co-Academic Heads Profs. Susan
Fainstein of Harvard and Naomi Carmon of Technion.
to adopt the principle of Looking Back for
the Future, reflecting on their decades
of experience researching, teaching and
practicing with “people in mind,” aiming at
delivering their conclusions and lessons to
the next generation of students, scholars and
practitioners of urban and regional planning.
Planning for Diverse Social Groups. The
group addressed questions pertinent to all
represented countries such as, “What does
planning for people mean, if a plan makes
some people winners and some losers?”
and “Planning for the aged and children, is it
the same everywhere?”
More than 30 participants gave
presentations over the five-day period which
also included on-site visits to villages and
organizations in the Galilee, the National
Water Carrier, the new town of Yokneam,
and Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Lively discussion sessions
included topics such as Urban Planning
as a Social Endeavor; Democracy, Public
Participation and the Planning Process;
Poverty, Housing and Urban Renewal; and
Conference co-academic head Prof. Susan
Fainstein of Harvard explained that this
university has a very strong professional
relationship with MIT and Harvard. “The
general theme of this conference of social
justice and planning could be repeated in
other international forums. It is up to the
people in planning to change their focus to
one that encompasses social equity. This is
a senior group of planners and researchers
Dr Ken Reardon, director of the Graduate
Program in City and Regional Planning,
University of Memphis commented: “The
conference was a remarkable assembly
of people and viewpoints. It was an
honor to have had the opportunity to
participate in the program. I left with a
deeper appreciation of the complexities
and challenges on building peace in the
region and many new insights into the role
planners can play in building a more just
and democratic planet.”
“pioneers” – as Bentur called them – hail
from 15 countries on five continents. At
the festive ceremony launching the school,
Bentur said that this group represents
“the nucleus for realizing the vision of
establishing an international school in all the
fields of engineering at Technion,” at which
1,000 students from all corners of the world
will study within a decade.
within the Faculty of Civil and Environmental
Engineering. “We have allocated you tutors
and have translated all the material for you,
laying the best infrastructure to ensure your
success,” he told the students. Katz added,
“We will turn graduates of the program into
leaders in their field and ambassadors of
goodwill for Israel.”
“We’re very glad that you are here,” said ISE
Director, Ariel Geva, as he welcomed the
inaugural group and outlined the special
extracurricular activities that he has lined up
for them. “You will receive individualized
mentoring in academic and social areas and
a hands-on program for getting to know
Israeli society and the country.”
Following a week of orientation on
campus and in the country, the students
will commence their 4-month intensive
preparation course before starting the
4-year study program that will award them
the BSc degree in Civil and Environmental
Engineering. All studies will be conducted in
English. The Academic Head of the program,
Prof. Amnon Katz, explained that the first
year of instruction will be dedicated to
basic science after which studies will move
gradually into the multidisciplinary topics
Paint it Green
T
echnion graduate Dr Joseph Cory’s
conceptual design “Contour - Umm alFahm Museum for Modern Art” was chosen
among the 20 winners of the World Architecture
competition.
“This competition aims to publicize remarkable
projects around the world (realized and conceptual)
that have the potential to inspire exciting questions
about contemporary architectural discourse,”
says Cory, who holds a PhD from the Faculty of
Architecture and Town Planning. “Even though
we got the second prize in the original design
competition for the museum in 2008, it is great to
know that this project has a positive impact on the
architectural community worldwide.”
Together with Cory on the Contour Museum design
team were Technion alumnus Farah Farah and
Flavio Adriani. They used sustainable architecture in
Shayma Sharif, age 18, who lives in East
Jerusalem, said that she was recruited from
her high school. Fjordi Bisha and Andi Basha,
classmates from Albania, just completed
their final school exam at home days before
coming here to embark on their new
studies at Technion. Akshay Vajpayee, age
18 from India, said that although he was
accepted to the well-known Indian Institute
of Technology (IIT) he chose Technion as it
is “a top-class university.”
The concept for the Umm
al-Fahm art museum
includes minimal footprint
using floating structure
frames above the main
street. The interior lets in
optimal natural light and
glass walls allow maximum
exposure to the view.
the entire design via minimal impact on the ground,
creating clean energy, green roofs and using energy
efficient systems inside the museum.
“The museum allows synergetic dialog between
urban and nature, tradition and modernity, old and
new, east and west. The landscape architecture has
a minimal design approach in the spirit of the local
identity, giving contemporary interpretation to local
terms such as terraces, Mediterranean groves and
plantations,” explains Cory, whose Geotectura studio
specializes in sustainable architecture.
The project was exhibited in the 40/40 promising
young architects in Israel exhibition in Jaffa in
July 2009.
who are looking backward in order to look
forward,” she commented.
Akshay Vajpayee (second from right), and fellow students
at the International School of Engineering
Technion
Thespians
The Technion Theater’s production
of An Enemy of the People – an
1882 play written by Norwegian
playwright Henrik Ibsen – will
feature at the international
university theater festival in
Benevento, Italy, in October 2009.
Eight theater groups from all over
the world are participating at
Universo Teatro. Technion’s novel
and contemporary production,
directed by Dr Ouriel Zohar, places
the social-ethical drama within
a scientific setting. The cast of
three, who perform on a stage
void of scenery, includes two
former engineering students, Olga
Shatsman and Naama Elissar,
and Prof. Ronie Navon of the
Faculty of Civil and Environmental
Engineering. The drama group
functions under the auspices of
the Department of Humanities and
Arts. Zohar has directed numerous
plays, ranging from classics, via
modern theater, to original plays
written by himself and his students.
(l-r) Prof. Ronie Navon
and Olga Shatsman