PHYSICS IN POLAND More By Reason Than By Force

Jozef Spalek from the Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, places the evolution of physics in Poland in perspective.

A MODEST HISTORY Several conclusions can be drawn from Compared to the Polish school of mathe­ the history of the post-war period. First, matics, associated with the names such Polish physics was brought back to life. as W. Sierpiński, S. Banach, K. Kuratowski, However, an emphasis on nuclear research, S. Ulam, S. Lukasiewicz, A. Tarski, and H. motivated more by ideology than anything Steinhaus, our achievements in physics are else, overshadowed the development of much more modest. This is so even though “small” physics involving, for example, con­ the tradition of science had its roots in the densed matter and quantum optics and bio­ The Assembly Hall of Jagiellonian Universi­ liberal arts when the Cracow Academy (now physics and medical physics, in particular. ty’s Collegium Maius. the Jagiellonian University) was established The second factor which haunts us now was in 1364 by Casimir the Great. This is where the relaxation of strict selection standards Federal Republic of Germany before unifi­ Nicolas Copernicus studied in 1491-5 (but when promoting young people. Their ab­ cation). Some 75% are school teachers, never graduated), and where air was lique­ sence often led to a suppression of diversity about 13% scientists, and fewer than 10% fied in 1883 for the first time by Wróblewski in border areas through the predominance are in industry and the research institutes and Olszewski. of large projects that were sometimes crea­ attached to ministries. By comparison, The history of Polish science in the 19th ted solely to ensure the survival of large, about 50% of physicists in the USA and and early 20th centuries reflects our tragic specialized institutes. Germany work in industry or in industry-rela­ history for during this period one had to be ted research. However, numbers are chan­ abroad to carry out science successfully. AN EVOLVING COMMUNITY ging drastically because many young phy­ The period is highlighted by Marie Curie The physics community comprises more sicists are entering the computer business (who always signed her name as Maria than 35000 people (of which only half are or being employed as specialists in a vast Sklodowska-Curie), and by Marian Smolu- now active) in a nation of 38 million inhabi­ programme of computerization involving chowski, the main champion of atomic theo­ tants (the ratio is about half that for the banks, insurance companies, hotels, travel ry after the death of his mentor, Ludwig Boltzmann, and a creator of Brownian mo­ Major Classical Universities and Polytechniques tion theory which is in some ways more Place Institution Physics institute Staff * general than Einstein’s theory. We can also Katowice Silesian Univ. Institute of Physics 71 add Wojciech Rubmowicz, who discovered Cracow University of Mining Faculty of Physics 96 selection rules in optical transitions within & Metallurgy & Nuclear Techniques the Bohr-Sommerfeld theory of the atom. Jagiellonian Univ. Institute of Physics 176 The post-World War II period is essen­ Astronomical Observatory 22 tially marked by people who were both Lodz Lodz Univ. Divisions of Physics 79 Lodz Polytechnic Institute of Physics 64 scientists and organizers of our scientific Lublin Marie Curie-Sklodowska Univ. Institute of Physics 76 structures, notably: Poznań A. Mickiewicz Univ. Institute of Physics 177 - Leopold Infeld, first Director of the Institute Toruń Nicholas Copernicus Univ. Institute of Physics 88 of Theoretical Physics at Warsaw Univer­ Warsaw Warsaw Polytechnic Institute of Physics 86 Warsaw Univ. Institute of Experimental Physics 124 sity, whose work with Albert Einstein gave Institute of Theoretical Physics 57 rise to Bom-Infeld non-linear electrodyna­ Astronomical Observatory 14 mics and co-authorship of the much-appre­ Institute of Geophysics 15 ciated book Evolution of Physics ; Division of Mathematical Methods 15 - Marian Miesowicz who discovered liquid Heavy-Ion Laboratory 20 Wroclaw Wroclaw Polytechnic Institute of Physics 98 crystals while working for his habilitation in Wroclaw Univ. Institute of Experimental Physics 55 the 1930s at the Academy of Mining and Institute of Theoretical Physics 44 Metallurgy in Cracow; Astronomical Institute 19 - Wlodzimierz Trzebiatowski, the organizer Poland has 11 classical universities, 19 polytechniques, 8 pedagogical universities, and 10 universities of agricul­ of the Institute of Low Temperatures and ture that teach physics. * Academic staff (1992/3) Structural Research in Wroclaw, who led the first group to study magnetism in actinides. Major Research Institutes in Physics Among others who also helped reorga­ Place Affiliation Institute Scientific staff * nize and redirect physics from the ground Cracow NAEA Institute of Nuclear Physics 256 up after World War II one should mention Poznań PAS Institute of Molecular Physics 78 Marian Danysz and Jerzy Pniewski, from Warsaw PAS Institute of Physics 160 Warsaw University, who discovered nuclei NAEA Institute of Nuclear Chemistry 98 with hyperons and then helped to establish & Technology the Nuclear Research Centre in Otwock ministry Institute of Electronic Materials 103 Technology near Warsaw. Organization of the Institute ministry Institute of Electronic Technology 86 of Nuclear Physics in Cracow was carried PAS Space Research Centre 50 out by Jerzy Niewodniczański, a Professor PAS Astronomical Centre 49 at Jagiellonian University and the discoverer PAS High Pressure Research Centre 40 of forbidden optical transitions in the spectra ministry Institute of Plasma Synthesis 35 & Microsynthesis of stars. The famous “Warsaw school’’ of ministry Institute of Applied Optics 21 semiconductor physics owes its existence Warsaw-Otwock NAEA Institute of Atomic Energy 193 principally to Leonard Sosnowki, Professor NAEA Institute of Nuclear Studies 176 at Warsaw University and the organizer of Wroclaw PAS Institute of Low Temperature 123 Warsaw’s Institute of Physics of the Polish & Structural Studies Academy of Sciences. NAEA: National Atomic Energy Agency; PAS: Polish Academy of Sciences. * Total scientific staff (1992/3) 54 Europhys. News 25 (1994) and maybe even more advanced, under­ graduate programmes than elsewhere. Poland’s basic educational system is largely based on pre-war values. By this I mean that the main emphasis is placed on formal skills in mathematics and on the theoretical consistency of given system of thought, i.e., on sophistication factors. Much less effort is directed towards intuitive model building and the invention or ingenuity nee­ ded in solving problems. The system used Jagiellonian University’s Institute of Physics. to be a defense against the political invasion Jozef Spalek, on the left, with M.D. Mateev. of our minds, and is expressed beautifully agencies, etc. (where they usually earn by the moto of Alma Mater Jagiellonicae: as the solving of complicated problems will much more than full professors at the best “Plus ratio quam vis” (more by reason than involve all these disciplines to obtain holistic universities). by force). As we gain confidence in our free­ answers. For instance, is the brain merely The economic situation naturally affects dom we have to become more adaptable in an information system ? Or is it a collective the physics community. Newly formed en­ an ever-changing society. physical system, that reveals itself in an terprises appear at a remarkable rate, but We are probably behind in developing in epileptic attack? almost all are launched in the anticipation of our students the proper physical intuition, Physics is not only a strategically impor­ quick profits, that is, without any strategic although this is also true of most French, tant discipline but also part of our culture, planning, particularly in R&D. Life seems German and Italian universities. The deve­ provided one can afford it. Its impact on very disturbing, especially if one considers lopment of an intuitive feeling for physics technology in Poland is very limited today Poland’s technological future. However, 45 and of model building of our world requires a because we lack the link to industry years of neglect shows up acutely and there top-notch creative education and teachers (although the situation is changing, albeit is no way to create a sound, long-term tech­ of the highest quality. Such an education in slowly). On the other hand, if our advanced nological (and scientific) policy when the creative thinking is built over generations, education system breaks down, the country fundamental structures in banking, telecom­ but we lack the necessary continuity since will be reduced to providing physical labour munications and the like are missing, and pre-technological thinking still flourishes to the affluent world. Help is needed to where the work force is highly demoralised. through a rapidly strengthening trend to­ enhance links to industry as it was given to The government’s priority is the essential wards a traditional upbringing. Research individuals for many years so that the best transformation of the production sector for and academic physicists through well-esta­ people could be promoted by cooperation without an efficient economy, health, educa­ blished contacts with North America and the schemes to create a self-sustaining mass of tion and social security are doomed; the rest of Europe represent the avant garde human excellence. Individually, as scien­ need for an unavoidable austerity for the in transforming our research and education tists, we would like to acknowledge the help rest of the century is largely ignored by the systems. and cooperation we received for all those public at large. Finally, some general remarks. The most years from colleagues abroad. We cannot prosperous societies of the future will be afford loosing them now in this decade of A SOUND EDUCATION SYSTEM those with the majority of people properly our first-order transition. educated in an interdisciplinary manner. This text is taken from Physik in Polen - Heraus- Physics can be studied at the 5-year MSc The division into physics, chemistry, biology forderung und Chance published in Phys. BI. 49 level at 10 classical universities, 7 technical and even psychology may become obsolete (1993) No. 6. universities (polytechnics educating mainly technical physicists), and in a few pedago­ gical universities (mainly involved in the POLISH PHYSICAL SOCIETY training of future school teachers). PhDs are awarded at several research institutes and The Polish Physical Society, founded in - Delta (popular 20-page bimonthly for universities (see list) either by pursuing gra­ 1919, operates from a Secretariat based at school teachers and students in Polish edited Warsaw University’s Institute of Physics. It by the physical, mathematical and astronomi­ duate studies or through research while on has some 1800 members; 13% teach physics cal societies). a teaching assistantship for a maximum of in schools while the rest are mostly university Acta Physica Polonica now has 500-600 8 years. In the late-1980s, about 1000 stu­ academics and research scientists in institu­ subscribers, down from 700-800 when the dents received master’s degrees in physics tes. Professors pay 80 kPZL (about 3.5 ECU) former Soviet Union took 150 subscriptions each year and some 20% went on to receive in fees, research scientists and teachers (something needs to be done about the a PhD (this is a factor of 2-3 times less than 40 kPZL, and students 20 kPZL. There are sharp reduction in the number of exchanges). in the USA, Germany and France). Over sections for teachers and optical physics and Unlike other scientific journals in the region, the last few years, student numbers have 18 branches. The Society’s executive arm, there is no marketing agreement with a west­ fluctuated strongly, but the general trend is called the Main Board, has 11 members with ern publisher (which tends to raise overseas positive. the Presidency generally alternating between cover prices considerably), but conference Undergraduate education in physics is universities and the institutes (Professor proceedings are published to maintain in­ concentrated mainly at the classical univer­ Henryk Szymczak, Director of the Institute of come as they can be produced to interna­ sities (which have no engineering schools). Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, tional standards and distributed for only The first three years comprise general edu­ is currently the President). The Society used ECU 6.3-72 per issue. The Editor aims to cation involving 240 hours of mathematical to receive the bulk of its funding from the ensure that proceedings will not exceed the analysis, 240 hours of general physics, 2 Polish Academy of Sciences at a time space assigned to original articles in all semesters of information theory, 1 semester when membership numbered 3000-4000 branches of physics, where the rejection rate (2500 in universities, 1200-1400 in institutes, is a stiff 30%. of classical electrodynamics, atomic phy­ and a few in industry). Support now also The Society oriented its biennial general sics, and introductory wave mechanics, 2 comes via grants from the Committee for conference away from research to physics semesters of classical mechanics, and 1st Scientific Research (the KBN) for meetings teachers a few years ago. The 500 or so and 2nd year student labs. The remaining and publishing activities. The latter include: participants hear plenary lecturers, display two years (4 semesters) are devoted to ad­ - Acta Physica Polonica A & B (original arti­ posters and attend an exhibition. The Society vanced and specialized courses. Undergra­ cles, monthly); also helps organize several scientific meet­ duate studies end with the master’s thesis - Reports on Mathematical Physics (original ings and schools (see p. 59) and arranges and the MSc degree. From my own expe­ articles, bimonthly); grants for students to attend international rience in Poland, the UK, and the USA, - Advances in Physics (popular 30-40 page conferences, the funds coming from support­ I would say that our best universities quarterly of reviews & news in Polish sent to ing institutions. A section to promote science (Warsaw and Cracow) offer comparable, members); in the media is being created. Europhys. News 25 (1994) 55