In order to understand what constitutes the specific aromas of food, we first need to study the chemical structure of their constituents. This is being done by researchers working at modern chromatography laboratories.
Lactic acid bacteria, utilized by mankind for millennia, are now earning a new place for themselves in the modern world in view of their vast diversity. They are beginning to be valued not only for their probiotic properties, but also intensively studied for potential applications in biotechnology, medicine, and pharmacology.
Five years of excavation at Mitrou in central Greece have toppled the existing view that only luxury pottery was traded in ancient Greece, demonstrating instead that much "ordinary" or everyday-use pottery moved from place to place as well.
For close to 200 years, a certain stereotype has lingered in Polish publicist commentary and frequently also in historiography - one contrasting the anarchical liberty of the Polish nobility to the modem, not to say .progresslve,' liberty of the enlightened. Yet the problem is not that simple.
The beautiful, intricate shells produced by foraminifera with astounding complexity turn out to be governed by simple mathematic rules. Once the underlying principles are discovered, foraminifera shapes can be "grown" on a computer screen.
For more than two centuries, scientists and technologists have been seeking better and cheaper methods of chemical synthesis using catalysts - molecules that can accelerate and boost the efficiency of certain chemical processes. But over millions of years of evolution, Nature itself has developed extremely specialized catalysts, called enzymes. Chemists are nowadays looking more and more to such extant bio-catalysts found in living organisms.
Mighty, robust trees like the chestnut or oak in fact produce surprisingly short-lived seeds. Fortunately, modern cryogenic methods can help prolong their conservation.
Knowledge of having a deadly disease usually causes severe psychological
problems, depression, or even PTSD. Can this be avoided? Can one find
something positive in a tragic situation?
When viewed against the backdrop of European standards, Poland's cńminal justice system (regardless of the political conditions and the degree of cńminality in the country) has remained highly punitive - although this trait has at times abated somewhat, chiefly as a consequence of the stance adopted by the scholarly legal community.
Vast volumes of data are constantly flowing across telecommunications networks, including the Internet. Every time a user connects to a webpage, a bitstream flows across the network to his or her computer.
Circumstances conducive to the emergence of a literary culture that allowed women to participate arose in Poland only as late as in the 1650s, following the appearance of two Frenchwomen on the Polish throne, namely Marie-Louise Gonzaga and Marie-Casimire.
Palaces, manor houses, and churches erected by magnates during the Baroque were an expression of the patrons' artistic passions and a demonstration of their families' power.
Can mathematical models foretell the course of future economic events? The answer turns out to be yes: they can help us discover the complex interconnections between various economic elements.
Although this cattle-threatening parasite conceals itself within the cells of its hosts, the routes whereby it spreads can be detected using modern diagnostic techniques.
Knowing the full sequence of the chicken genome will not only help us to breed more productive and healthier birds and to keep avian-borne diseases, such as bird flu, under control. By comparing the human and chicken genomes, we will also gain a better understanding of our own biology.
How can a properly functioning female immune system be reconciled with the events of fertilization and reproduction? Male sperm is foreign, after all, and should be destroyed by the female body. Female mammals cope with this dilemma through the cyclical influence of sex hormones on their immunity.
Innovation offers a way to narrow the development gap. While innovativeness chiefly manifests itself on the company level, successful innovation requires both conducive measures in many socioeconomic domains and a change of attitudes among entrepreneurs, investors, and public administration.
Active landslides are a significant problem in today's world, especially in highly urbanized mountain regions. We are now able to monitor changes to the existing landform using increasingly sensitive technologies. Our joint team of scientists from Poland and China is working on implementing state-of-the-art technologies for monitoring landform deformation, which will be used to assess future threats.
Among Poland's many Easter-time traditions are mystery plays which act out the Passion and Resurrection. Playing the role of Christ in such dramas, albeit difficult, is not an act of penance for actors, but rather a symbolic act in praise of the Savior.
A recent examination of the biodiversity and food web in Svalbard suggests that climate warming will have a negative impact on the occurrence of large marine carnivores (seabirds and sea mammals) and will favor smaller carnivores (fish).