Popular science publications
Polar research is a part of our national culture, a showcase of Polish science, and builds the brand and prestige of Poland on an international scale. The activity of Polish polar stations is of great importance here, in particular the Stanisław Siedlecki Polish Polar Station in Hornsund, which runs, inter alia, research in the field of oceanography, geology, geomorphology, glaciology, meteorology, seismology and ecology.
We invite you to read the latest articles created as a part of the EDU-ARCTIC.PL project, carried out by our Institute, financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education as a part of the DIALOG program.
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Glaciers are usually perceived as gorgeous, if rather dangerous, white and blue components of polar and high-mountain landscapes. They store fresh water, reflect solar radiation and shape the functioning of marine and land ecosystems. Unfortunately, during the age of man, known as the Anthropocene, they are also becoming dumping grounds, repositories of pollutants, which our civilization generates as it develops. |
What lurks in glaciers and permafrost
Glaciers provide fertile ground for film productions. In “The Day After Tomorrow” the Earth is suddenly plunged into an ice age; “Snowpiercer” presents a futuristic vision of the world, where the remaining humans live their lives on a train darting across the frozen Earth; and the blood-chilling horror “The Thing” deals with an extraterrestrial "thing", dug out of the ice in Antarctica.
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EDUSCIENCE is the largest innovative project implemented in the field of mathematics and natural sciences, aimed at popularizing these sciences among students. It is co-financed by the European Union under the European Social Fund. In June 2014, the testing phase was completed in 250 schools across Poland. The project reached students at every educational stage, and its offer was used by both the youngest in grades 1-3 of primary schools, as well as high school and technical students.
We encourage you to read the report on the implementation of the EDUSCIENCE project.
The report contains basic information about the project, a summary of evaluation studies on its effectiveness and practical tips.
Polish version for download here.
English version for download here.
Archival articles from the EDUSCIENCE project are available here.
The book describes the profile of activities of the Center for Polar Studies and the specifics of its activities. In the publication we can find a lot of information about people connected with the "Center" initiative and examples of completed scientific works.
The edition was financed by the pro-quality funds of the Leading National Research Center (KNOW) received by the Center for Polar Studies for 2014–2018.
Polish version for download here.
English version for download here.
The Polish Polar Station Hornsund in Spitsbergen has for many years held a special place in the hearts of the authors.
This album provides information not only about the history of the Station and its equipment, but is also a rich source of information on environmental monitoring, landscapes, climate, as well as fauna and flora in the Hornsund region.
The publication for download here.
Currently there is a boom as for the interest in the Earth's polar regions, especially in the Arctic.
The Arctic has become available not only to sailors or groups of professional travelers, but also to ordinary tourists, from Poland too.
The book by prof. Jan Szupryczyński can be a great opportunity to memories and compare their own experiences for many polar explorers and their families. For those who dream of getting to know this area of the Earth, the book may become an inspiration to direct one's steps to this (so far not fully known) corner of the globe.
More about the book here.
"I like to whistle, especially on duty, when I know that I am alone in the kitchen and no one will say: "Uwe, how are you faking!". And I whistle beautifully, all animals like it when I do it. So I bustle and whistle old hits to myself under my breath. After all, we like the songs that we know best. "So much sunshine in the whole city…”. By the way, it's a shame you can't store the sun and turn it on whenever you want. The constant darkness outside is tiring. Well, you will get used to everything. The power generators are buzzing softly, the light in the station is not blinking, and if everything is fine, let the mechanic sleep, eventually he has to. I'm on duty, it's my twenty-four hours, so apart from cooking, catching alarm signals from the sea, if they appear, I have my eye on humming aggregates. I am listening to see if they work equally well. But no, take it easy, nothing is happening, the day is lazy, the hours are pouring slowly like honey."
(excerpt from the book "Białe na białym i inne opowiadania o przygodach geofizyków z Polskiej Akademii Nauk", based on the memories of Piotr Uwe Głowacki, 1985)
You can buy the book here.
"Apart from a narrow, literally several hundred meters long coastal strip, there is actually no life there. Some may be hidden under the ice, somewhere very deep, but the human eye and machines have not got there yet. It is not difficult to believe that it is the only continent in the world, where no one was born then...
That expedition, which began in the fall of 1965, was the beginning of my journey. Although 50 years have passed, I remember almost in detail every day of these 17 months of the trip, despite the fact that in the book I only talk about the most important ones. I realized then that it is not enough just to be somewhere, to go somewhere, but to know very well, to have this inner conviction, what you are going for and why... "
(excerpt from the book "Rok na lodach Antarktydy" by R. Czajkowski)
You can buy the book here.
