This is a list of inventions and discoveries by Israeli scientists and researchers, working locally or overseas.
Mathematics Johnson–Lindenstrauss lemma, a mathematical result concerning low-distortion embeddings of points from high-dimensional into low-dimensional Euclidean space contributed by Joram Lindenstrauss. Development of the measurement of rigidity by Elon Lindenstrauss in ergodic theory, and their applications to number theory. A proof of Szemerédi's theorem using ergodic theory, by mathematician Hillel Furstenberg. Expansion of axiomatic set theory and the ZF set theory by Abraham Fraenkel. Development of the area of automorphic forms and L-functions by Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro. Development of Sauer–Shelah lemma and Shelah cardinal. Development of the first proof of the alternating sign matrix conjecture. Development of Zig-zag product of graphs, a method of combining smaller graphs to produce larger ones used in the construction of expander graphs by Avi Wigderson. Development of Bernstein–Sato polynomial and proof of the Kazhdan–Lusztig conjectures by Joseph Bernstein Generalization of the marriage theorem by obtaining the right transfinite conditions for infinite bipartite graphs. He subsequently proved the appropriate versions of the Kőnig theorem and the Menger theorem for infinite graphs by Ron Aharoni. Development of the Amitsur–Levitzki theorem by Shimshon Amitsur. The Benjamini-Hochberg procedure for controlling the False discovery rate, a statistical method for regulating Type I errors.
Science Chemistry Discovery of quasicrystals by Dan Shechtman of the Technion. The discovery led him to receive the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Discovery of the role of protein Ubiquitin by Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover of the Technion Institute (together with the American biologist Irwin Rose). The discovery led them to receive the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Increased understanding of how proteins are made - Ada Yonath of Israel alongside Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of India and Thomas A. Steitz of the US shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for increased understanding of the structure and function of ribosomes. Development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems by Arieh Warshel and Michael Levitt of the Weizmann Institute of Science (presently at University of Southern California and Stanford University, respectively), together with the Austrian-born American chemist Martin Karplus. The discovery led them to receive the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Discovery and Isolation of the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid found in cannabis, by Raphael Mechoulam while working in the Weizmann Institute of Science, 1964.
Physics
Discovery of the Aharonov–Bohm effect by Yakir Aharonov and David Bohm. Jacob Bekenstein was the first to propose Black holes also have Entropy while working in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Discovery and classification of hadrons through the SU(3) flavour symmetry, led to the development of Eightfold way, by Yuval Ne'eman, 1961.Yuval Ne'eman Dies at 80 – Watson 2006 (426): 1. ScienceNOW
Optics
Pillcam by Given Imaging, the first Capsule Endoscopy solution to record images of the digestive tract. The capsule is the size and shape of a pill and contains a tiny camera. Created by Israeli engineer Gavriel Iddan who sold the company to Irish medical device maker Covidien for $860 million. Iddan has expressed regret for the sale due to the companies fulfillment of an ancient Jewish prophecy “The Pillcam was based on military technology... It was a good example of how we shall beat our swords into plowshares", as the Hebrew prophets predicted. Covidien was acquired by Medtronic in 2016, and is now the provider of Pillcam. Line free single power bicentric prismatic spectacle lens for correction of anisometropia. Sydney J. Bush UK patent no. 1539381.
Medicine The flexible stent, also known as NIR Stent or EluNIR. Developed by Israeli company Medinol, which is headquartered in Tel Aviv. The pressure bandage - known widely as the Israeli Bandage is a specially designed, first-aid device that is used to stop bleeding from hemorrhagic wounds caused by traumatic injuries in pre-hospital emergency situations. First used for saving lives during a NATO peacekeeping operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by inventor, Israeli military medic, Bernard Bar-Natan. The bandage was successfully used during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and is widely used today, across the world. The bandage was nicknamed "Israeli bandage" by American soldiers, and has been "the bandage of choice for the US Army and special forces". Before the Israeli emergency bandage was invented in 1998, wounded soldiers were told to find a rock and wrap it on top of hemorrhaging wounds in order to hold direct pressure. Bar-Natan sold his company to PerSys Medical Inc in Houston, Texas, the company that first introduced the bandage to the US military. Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation – a notation system for recording movement on paper that has been used in many fields, including dance, physical therapy, animal behavior and early diagnosis of autism. Development of the Copaxone immunomodulator drug for treating multiple sclerosis. It was developed in the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel by Michael Sela, Ruth Arnon and Deborah Teitelbaum. Development of bioengineered recombinant interferon proteins by Michel Revel from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Development of taliglucerase alfa (Elelyso), a recombinant glucocerebrosidase enzyme produced from transgenic carrot cell cultures. Taliglucerase alfa won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2012 as an orphan drug for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher's disease. Development of ENvue, a feeding tube placement system with advanced methods of navigation, integrated sensors and body mapping, for accurate enteral tube placement, by the Israeli company ENvizion Medical, used in Hospitals and Medical centers in the US. Development of engineered recombinant Chimeric Antigen Receptors by Professor Zelig Eshhar of the Weizmann Institute of Science and his trainee Gideon Gross, today a component of novel cell-based immunotherapy for various cancers. Development of Azilect, a drug for Parkinson's disease, by Moussa Youdim and John Finberg from the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, and commercialized by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.
Economics Work of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem explaining irrational human economic choices. The work led Daniel to receive the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics. Developments in Game theory. Israel Aumann of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem received the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work in this field. The Rubinstein bargaining model, one of the most influential findings in game theory, refers to a class of bargaining games that feature alternating offers through an infinite time horizon. The proof is from Ariel Rubinstein 1982.
Biotechnology
Nanowire – a conductive wire made of a string of tiny particles of silver, a thousand times thinner than a human hair. Developed by Uri Sivan, Erez Braun and Yoav Eichen from Technion. World's smallest DNA computing machine system – "the smallest biological computing device" ever constructed, according to Guinness Book of Records, which is composed of enzymes and DNA molecules capable of performing simple mathematical calculations and which uses its input DNA molecule as its sole source of energy. Developed in 2003 in the Weizmann Institute of Science by professor Ehud Shapiro and his team. OrCam MyEye, is a portable, artificial vision device that allows the visually impaired to understand text and identify objects through audio feedback describing what such people are unable to see. TraitUP – a new technology that enables the introduction of genetic materials into seeds without modifying their DNA, immediately and efficiently improving plants before they're even sowed. It was developed by Hebrew University agricultural scientists Ilan Sela and Haim D. Rabinowitch.
Theoretical computer science RSA public key encryption, introduced by Adi Shamir with Ron Rivest, and Leonard Adleman The concept of nondeterministic finite automatons, introduced by Michael O. Rabin Amir Pnueli introduced temporal logic into computing science Lempel–Ziv–Welch algorithm, a universal lossless data compression algorithm created by Abraham Lempel and Jacob Ziv of the Technion institute, together with the American Information theorist, Terry Welch.HP Labs : About HP Labs : HP Fellows : Abraham Lempel Feige–Fiat–Shamir identification scheme - a type of parallel zero-knowledge proof developed by Uriel Feige, Amos Fiat, and Adi Shamir in 1988.
Computing
The Intel 8088 – This microprocessor, designed at Intel's Haifa laboratory, powered the first PC that IBM built, which is credited with kickstarting the PC revolution. The 8088 was designed in Israel at Intel's Haifa laboratory. The widespread use of the IBM's PC, using the 8088 processor, established the use of x86 architecture as a de facto standard for decades. The IEEE wrote that "almost all the world’s PCs are built around CPUs that can claim the 8088 as an ancestor." Intel has credited the 8088 with launching the company into the Fortune 500. Quicktionary Electronic dictionary – a pen-sized scanner able to scan words or phrases and immediately translate them into other languages, or keep them in memory in order to transfer them to the PC. Developed by the company Wizcom Technologies Ltd. Kernel-based Virtual Machine, was developed by Avi Kivity at Qumranet in 2006. Laser Keyboard – a virtual keyboard is projected onto a wall or table top and allows to type handheld computers and cell phones. Developed simultaneously by the Israeli company Lumio and Silicon Valley startup company Canesta.Marriott, Michel (September 19, 2002). "No Keys, Just Soft Light and You". The New York Times.Hesseldahl, Arik (September 18, 2002). "Typing on the table". Forbes.Shiels, Maggie (October 15, 2002). "The keyboard that isn't there". BBC News. The company subsequently licensed the technology to Celluon of Korea.Kanellos, Michael (September 19, 2006). "Honda investing in chips to help cars see". CNET News. Stateful Inspection as part of firewalls - Although academic work on this had been performed by others, Gil Schwed and Nir Zuk, at Israeli company Checkpoint, released the first commercial, stateful firewall. TDMoIP (TDM over IP) − in telecommunications, the emulation of time-division multiplexing (TDM) over a packet-switched network (PSN), developed by engineers at RAD Data Communications
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) - technology for voice based communications using the internet instead of traditional telephone systems. VoIP was originally conceived by Danny Cohen, an Israeli-American scientist, but was first created, implemented, and commercialized by Netanya-based, Israeli company VocalTec and its founder Alon Cohen Thunderbolt, a widely used interface technology, was developed as a joint venture between Apple Inc and Intel, in Israel The first instant messaging (IM) service, ICQ. Originally developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis in 1996. Mirabilis invented a system for creating unique identifiers (UINs) that could be applied over IRC leading it to be the first widely adopted IM service. Umoove, a high-tech startup company that invented a software only solution for face and eye tracking is located in Israel. EPROM - a type of programmable read-only memory (PROM) chip that retains its data when its power supply is switched off. invented by Dov Frohman in 1971. led to the development of Intel MCS-48 and other microcontrollers.