Expert: Silence is a 'scarce resource', synonymous with the comfort of life
Silence is a 'scarce resource', synonymous with the comfort of life, a luxury in the modern civilization of noise, says Dr. Sebastian Bernat, a geographer and professor at the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. The last Wednesday of April is the International Noise Awareness Day.
-
Hateful comments can be effectively countered, says linguist
Hateful comments are not the default way to communicate online. And fighting against toxic language does not violate freedom of speech, explains linguist Dr. Paweł Trzaskowski. The researcher describes the mechanisms of hate speech and effective ways to reduce this phenomenon.
-
Scientists working to improve effectiveness of companion robots for those with limited mobility
Every 10th person in Poland has mobility problems. In everyday life, they can be assisted by companion robots that will do shopping or administer medications. Now, scientists from Poland in collaboration with several foreign research centres, are working on a project concerning satellite navigation for a companion robot, which in the future may improve the quality of life of people with limited mobility.
-
Mothers, husbands and newly promoted managers more likely to vote, says new report
Participation in elections is more influenced by the moment of a given person's life than by the situations their generation has experienced, conclude the researchers conducting the Polish General Election Study at the SWPS University.
-
'Concretosis' seems profitable but is inhumane, says expert
A city covered with concrete is convenient for the authorities, easier to clean and cheaper to maintain. But such conditions are 'inhuman', believes the director of the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU), Dr. Marta Pogrzeba.
-
Study across 93 countries finds we spend an average of 4 hours a day on beautification
People spend an average of nearly four hours a day improving their beauty, according to a study on nearly 100,000 people from 93 countries. Among the groups that spend less time on it are men, middle-aged people, people in long-term relationships, people who avoid social media and those who consider themselves moderately attractive.
-
Parent pressure does not benefit children, say psychologists
Excessive expectations of children can expose them to the development of fear of judgement and low self-esteem. On the other hand, parents who expect perfection from their children, also expose themselves to the risk of parental burnout, say researchers from the SWPS University.
-
Natural selection will take care of low fertility, says expert
Natural selection will take care of low fertility rate. Even if a small proportion of women decide to have children, it will mean that people with a strong need to have children will remain in the gene pool. As a consequence, the trend may change, says Professor Bogusław Pawłowski from the University of Wrocław.
-
Scientists describe spontaneous avoid-dance of passers-by
Crowds of people heading in different directions meet at pedestrian crossings, stations and stadiums. Just like particles of matter in colloids or substances in some cells, these people spontaneously form traffic lanes. Researchers from Poland and the UK have just described the mathematical rules of this unusual dance in a publication in Science.
-
Understanding urban heat island phenomenon will help make life easier for residents, says expert
Heat islands that form in cities can be dangerous for many, especially when combined with heat waves. To check how climate change affects cities, the Polish Space Agency commissioned a heat island analysis for five large Polish cities, Jolanta Orlińska from POLSA told PAP. Understanding this phenomenon will help make life easier for residents on hot days.
Most Popular
Recommended
Researchers re-examine ancient crocodylomorph from Załęcze Wielkie
Scientists have re-examined the remains of a prehistoric marine reptile found in the 20th century in the village of Załęcze Wielkie (Łódź province). This distant relative of modern crocodiles was about four metres long and had a visible jaw injury, which it probably suffered in the first years of its life.
