Science is cool!!

We were told we were going to a startup that works on an accelerator. I thought it was some MechE something or other to measure acceleration. Nope. Siftech is a platform to help other startups in Jerusalem and was my favorite visit so far and the one I found the most interesting even though it does not relate to my field, chemistry.

Walking into their office space, it feels like walking into a very relaxed study lounge with food and drinks. Funny phrases and inspirational quotes adorn the walls and floors. There are a plethora of people, many who, we later learn, are from startups Siftech is aiding. I love the casualness of Siftech, characteristic of all of the startups, all at various stages of 'startupness' in Israel. I don't know what the startup culture in the U.S. is like, but the laid back way in which Israelis function travels straight into the work space, I realized. Siftech is connected to JVP (Jerusalem Ventures Partners) and their office space is located in the same compound. We got to engage with both JVP and Siftech in a private and exclusive tour which was very fulfilling.

After this, we went to the Weizmann Institute and met with two professors in the department of structural biology and one professor in planetary sciences who discussed both the work they do and life in Israel in general from the IDF to being Jewish. It was amazing seeing the diversity of majors of the extension participants reflected in the diversity of fields we were shown today. Everyone today understood the hardcore science or engineering jargon at some point. This reinforced my desire to come work in Israel after I finish studying, even if only for a few years, be it in industry or academia.