Pathetic and grotesque, or worthy of respect? Valued for their wisdom and experience, or of no use to anyone? Able to assist the young, or only hampering their development? How are older people portrayed in the Polish literature of the late 19th and early 20th centuries?

“We should not have any inferiority complex – we contribute a lot of novelties to world science and are interesting as an important EU country,” says Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, President of the Polish Academy of Sciences

We talk to Dr. Anita Abramowska-Kmon about aging in the Polish population and its social and economic impact

Dr. Ewelina Knapska, head of the Laboratory of Emotions Neurobiology at the Nencki Institute, tells us about why our brains strive for success and how humans differ from animals in this regard

Jakub Mielczarek  

The term “structure” is quite commonly encountered on the pages of ecology textbooks. It is especially popular in descriptions of populations in relation to their spatial, age, sex and genetic organization, and of course social structures, which describe interactions and links between individuals, and group configuration

It sometimes happens that a mother’s body reacts against certain particles present on the blood cells of the child she carries, with consequences that may be quite serious. Can such reactions be prevented?

Prof. Marek Konarzewski, a corresponding member of the PAS whose work deals with issues of evolutionary biology, ecology, and physiology, discusses the lives of people and animals in post-reproductive age

– International efforts should be initiated to address the problem of the threatened physician-scientist career path. Comparative study should be undertaken to understand differences amongst countries in terms of the current issues that confront physician-scientists – says Andrew I. Schafer, an invited speaker at the international conference "Is the Physician-Scientist Vanishing?" taking place in 

What kind of electoral system is the best? This question, easy to formulate in theory, has considerable practical significance. However, the answer is as widely known as it is disappointing: it has been shown that, given certain reasonable conditions, there is no such thing as a perfect voting system. This is the upshot of several different mathematical discoveries made in the latter half of the 2

Transplants can save lives, but only if the donor tissue is compatible with the recipient’s body. Understanding how the body identifies and rejects foreign tissue is crucial for success. The molecules responsible for this are known as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins

In natural forests trees tend to die slowly and gradually, whereas commercial forests are managed by chainsaw-wielding lumberjacks who take a rather different approach – says Prof. Jacek Oleksyn

What we say often conveys far more than just literal meaning of the words said. One of the riddles of communication, therefore, is how we actually work out what a speaker meant

Following a debate that took place during the 131st General Assembly of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the members of the Academy adopted a position statement on the issue of migration. In it, they underscored the need for Poland to cooperate with other countries of the European Union and to strive to promote attitudes of mutual openness between the receiving communities and immigrant communities

Forget idly lying about on the beach or in the garden – nowadays many of us are increasingly spending our weekends walking or jogging, taking our holidays hiking round mountains and visiting the seaside, lakelands, and forests. If you find rambling an enjoyable and thrilling pastime, why not try “geotourism” – experiencing the beauty of inanimate nature the smart way?