Forty years of research on Unrealistic Optimism - a delusion that negative events are less likely and positive events are more likely to happen to oneself (in comparison to others) - has proved to be robust. Importantly, as a result, people holding this bias reduce their engagement in health prevention and following medical recommendations, etc., leading to the conclusion that this bias is dangerous. However, there is hardly any research on how to reduce this bias. To address this issue, an experiment in the real-life context of the COVID-19 pandemic was run. It was found that participants’ Unrealistic Optimism was reduced when they were exposed to the behavior of others who did not follow medical recommendations.

We talk to Professor Andrzej Trautman, Full Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences and Emeritus Professor at the University of Warsaw, about the consequences of the general theory of relativity, the theoretical foundations of gravitational waves and the difficulties in proving their existence.

The presence of women in science, methods of supporting them in pursuing careers in science, and the Polish Young Academy’s plans are discussed by Dr. Anna Ajduk of the University of Warsaw, who is chair of the Polish Young Academy, and its three deputy chairs – Assoc. Prof. Nicole Dołowy-Rybińska from the PAS Institute of Slavic Studies, Assoc. Prof. Monika Kędra from the PAS Institute of Oceanology, and Assoc. Prof. Monika Kwoka of the Silesian University of Technology.

O konsekwencjach ogólnej teorii względności, podstawach teoretycznych fal grawitacyjnych i trudnościach z udowodnieniem ich istnienia mówi profesor Andrzej Trautman z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, członek rzeczywisty PAN.

O obecności kobiet w nauce, tym, co mogłoby wspomóc ich kariery naukowe, oraz planach Akademii Młodych Uczonych mówią przewodnicząca AMU w IV kadencji dr Anna Ajduk z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego oraz wiceprzewodniczące dr Nicole Dołowy- -Rybińska z Instytutu Slawistyki PAN, dr hab. Monika Kędra, prof. Instytutu Oceanologii PAN, i dr hab. inż. Monika Kwoka, prof. Politechniki Śląskiej.

O atrakcyjności bagien, odporności pokładów torfu i kulturze, która może uratować nas od zagłady, mówi dr hab. Wiktor Kotowski z Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.