By: Sarit Gervais
We have an enormous list of inventions coming from Israel, many of which are important enough to have changed the world. The list is vast and spreads to every possible aspect: physics, medicine, science, robotics, biotech, defense, optics, energy, economics, computer science software, physical exercise, agriculture and breeding consumer goods and appliances, and the list goes on. Some of my favorite inventions are in computers such as the USB flash drive, the first laser keyboard, the first PC microprocessor and apps galore. I spent 2 days researching and validating each of them. The result is mind boggling. A tiny country, so young and with a population so relatively small, indeed produced inventions, that not only scientists and medics are familiar with but even you and I use in our daily life.
Out of an endless list that I investigated and found to be true, I’ll give you a list of 10 of my favorite.
1. USB flash drive
This brilliant and practical, external drive is used by everyone with a computer. Anyone who wishes to store files in a compact little carry-on plug in device, can download and store files until needed, or transfer them to another computer when ready to use. It’s tiny, easy to carry in one’s pocket and it’d hard to imagine life without it.
2. Waze
My favorite GPS based travel app leads me to all destinations, giving turn-by-turn info, up to the moment traffic events, routes to take or avoid. At least 100 countries make use of it, and since I discovered it I said goodbye to any other motorist app.
3. The PillCam
A camera so futuristic it’s something that prevents intrusive surgeries, biopsies and allows doctors to view your insides. The PillCam is an average sized capsule, easily swallowed and records images of digestive tract with the tiny camera inside it.
It’s used now all over the world, and without trauma tells the medical pro information which just a few years back was possible only by cutting the patient open. The images it produces are so clear that an MRI machine, though amazingly thorough with exposing damage or disease in areas of the body can’t even come close to the visual precision and clarity.
4. Epilady
Originally came from a Kibbutz in Israel, and since 1986 became the home epilator of many hairy beauties, who got tired of shaving and prickly ingrown hairs after waxing. It sold 30 million units.
5. The BabySense
This device was developed in Israel to monitor a baby’s breathing. It has prevented a great many deaths with sleeping babies. It has an auditory and visual alarm, which is activated the second it senses irregularities of movement or breathing in sleeping tots. The parents or babysitter is warned by a loud sound plus visual alerts thus the most horrific tragedies are averted.
6. The Viber
Brilliant, money saving app, it’s ready to upload to any smart phone. Incredibly this app allows you to make calls all over the planet using Wi-Fi. It’s high speed and allows you to keep in touch without breaking the bank. Used in free Wi-Fi spots you get to speak to anyone, anywhere. I actually use Viber always on my Kosherica cruises. Its great for all travelers in 2016. Crazy brilliant!
7. The Cherry Tomato
Delicious, pretty and sweet, two Israeli professors from the Hebrew University modified the regular tomato and created this beautiful, beloved staple.
8. Modern drip irrigation
Invented in the early 60’s, allowing the often parched earth to hydrate through drip irrigation. This saves sorely needed water, while fertilizing the roots of plants through a network of plastic pipes. Earth is full of places where water is scarce and this brilliant invention helped keep the areas from becoming inhabitable and dying.
9. Water
Israel found a way of creating drinking water out of air. This technology, developed by the Israeli company EWA, is producing water out of thin air by using a condenser. It absorbs the humidity from the air, holds it in silica-based granule then condenses it into pure water. The extra beauty is that 85% of energy used is pumped back into the system. In other words, an existing resource is used to create a much-needed resource, without which we can’t exist.
10. Solar Energy
Solar Energy by Pythagoras solar, does the same thing for heat and uses the sun for energy and warmth, while saving on the cost of conventional means. Their unique invention of a glass panel generates power, is also transparent, therefore can be integrated into construction and building.
11. Milk
Israel found a way to used technology in a most amazing way. Israeli cows produce far more milk than other countries: about 10.5 tons a year. Far exceeding Germany by 50% and the taste is delicious and clean. Based on a combination of air conditioning, hygiene and constant monitoring and pedometers, which tell whether the animals get fidgety. It’s been found that relaxed and comfortable cows produce far more milk, thus the use of research, animal behavior science and the monitoring equipment’s were used again, to make a naturally occurring thing better. The huge flow of delicious milk and dairy products are a testament to this clever use of technology.
12. Physical exercise
Not unlike eastern or Russian Martial Arts, Israel developed one of its own. It’s called Krav Maga, and many of my friends are devout practitioners. It’s powerful and was developed for the Israeli army making it a serious workout. Feldenkreis is a method developed for perfect posture, effecting the inner organs and general feeling of the body and mind. It’s gentle and to my mind, even more powerful in it’s quiet way than the rambunctious Martial arts, Israeli or otherwise. Acting and Ballet schools include it in their curriculum since it’s body enhancing and elongates the spine, often preventing spine curvature that comes with age. Feldenkreis practitioners look younger and their stature tends to be more regal.
This is a short condensed list, picked out of at least 50 intensely brilliant inventions and life changing Israeli contributions. I chose them because they are most likely to interest lay people and that are of practical use.
If you are into technological discoveries, computer sciences and electronic engineering you’ll be a like kid in a candy store. Psychological and medical research invented in Israel is taught and replicated in the best Universities world-wide.