2011 Non-boring and non-difficult – the Science Festival in Warsaw

When it was first organized in 1997, it was only two days long, while today, on its 15^th Anniversary, it runs for ten. Still, then as well as now, the objective remains the same – to promote science among the "man in the street" and show that it is neither boring nor difficult, but rather an integral part of our lives.

The festival attracts more and more people every year, both in terms of the audience and organisers – a thousand people preparing the programme, hailing from over one hundred institutions and thousands of visitors… Everyone will be able to find something of interest – be it history, chemistry, physics (incl. nuclear physics), geology, mathematics, IT, astronomy or technology – there is not a single field absent from the Festival.

The Festival's exceptionally clear website (WWW.festiwalnauki.edu.pl) is another plus – divided into fields of science, type of event (demonstrations, lectures, workshops) and a detailed programme – everything is included! Graph theory, Javanese gamelan lessons, the whole truth about food preservatives, bioindicators... There were even plans for a research study entitled "how many sinners are there in Poland", although this one has been scrapped. We wonder why...

One thing's for sure – it would be a sin not to go.

Why it's worth investing in science

"Science discovers mankind and the reality surrounding it according to the methods it has developed. Although it does not answer all the questions a thinking individual may ask, it is the most universal of mankind's achievements. The application of its output changes the lives of each and every one of us, as well  as the face of the entire planet.

This is why we believe that the results of scientific research, the methods applied in science, their possibilities and limitations should be clearly understandable to everyone".

The initiative to organize the Science Festival in Warsaw, started by prof. David Shugar (physicist and molecular biologist, the creator of the Polish school of molecular biophysics), was conceived at the Warsaw University's Interdisciplinary Center for Mathematical and Computer Modelling in September 1996.

From the very beginning, the aim was to show how useful knowledge is and the benefits that can flow from its development in an accessible way. The Festival will also provide an opportunity to discuss the threats associated with scientific knowledge and the burden of responsibility for using scientific discoveries. Visitors will get an inside look at universities, science institutes and other locations where people of science work.

"We wish to reach the widest target group possible, including children and teenagers, as well as spark an interest in science among those who haven't had much contact with it up to now. This will decide whether our talented youngest generation will develop Poland or the economies of different parts of the world".

The document which formally founded the Festival was the Agreement signed in 1996 by the Rectors of Warsaw University, Warsaw Polytechnic and the President of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Currently, the Festival is run by the Warsaw University Faculty of Physics and the Polish Academy of Sciences Biochemistry and Biophysics Institute with the Warsaw University acting as the official representative.

"It is the level of science, its application and the good education of society which will determine our understanding of the world and ability to exist in it. The Science Festival is the scientific community's contribution to building a thoughtful, better Poland".

We are no the first. The most well-know Science Festival in the world, with over a decade of tradition, is the Edinburgh Science Festival. Website: http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/

Take a look at the Archives to find out more about the events and schedule of the Festival's previous editions.

http://www.festiwalnauki.edu.pl/node/464

More at: www.festiwalnauki.edu.pl

http://www.poland.gov.pl/Obok.,Polska,–,Niemcy.,1000,lat,historii,w,sztuce,Kalendarium,5577x1485.html