The science festival concept originated in the US and Western Europe, but in Poland, due to great passion and goodwill shown by scientists, such festivals have grown into grand-scale events with unprecedented flair.

Prof. Bohdan Paczyński, one of the most distinguished contemporary Polish scientists, passed away on 19 April 2007.

The International Center for Ecology focuses on advancing the science of ecohydrology and on the practical application of its principles, so as to regenerate our drinking water resources and improve their quality.

The principle of sustainable development has stood the test well, and should continue to be pursued.

Białowieża forest has survived to the modern day retaining a broad diversity of animal and plant species, while at the same time hosting a centuries-old human presence.

The history of modern research in the field of organic chemistry in Poland began at the Institute of Organic Chemistry.

Although the possible existence of extrasolar planets, similar to the Earth or different, has intrigued astronomers for centuries, it was only in the early 1980s that the technical capacity to discover them emerged.

The long hyphae of fungi-like Streptomyces bacteria contain many chromosome copies, yet a precisely controlled mechanism ensures only one copy ends up in each newly-formed spore.

The identity of every ethnos - from tiny groups to great nations - is defined not only by its common history or culture, but also by the space it inhabits.

We have now reached the 50th anniversary of when mankind first began exploring space - the traditional start of the "space era" came with the launch of the first artificial satellite on 4 October 1957, followed by the first manned spaceflight on 12 April 1961. Nowadays we rarely stop to notice how many aspects of our daily lives are derived from this half-century of space research.

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.

Fallow wasteland, seemingly worthless for agriculture, may in fact be of great natural value. We need to be very cautious when using it for cultivating energy plants.

In four years of salvage work in the region of the Fourth Nile Cataract, Polish archeologists have discovered and studied many artifacts of the Nubian culture. These objects have enabled them to reconstruct the history of these territories abounding in dramatic events.

The UN has declared 2008 the International Year of Planet Earth, an opportunity for pursuing ground- breaking research and promoting greater Earth-science awareness.

On every continent and in every habitat, grasses discretely pervade our environment. But despite their ubiquity, grasses have a subtle beauty and still pose a challenging subject of scientific inquiry.

The paper presents an analysis of using a TCS3430 light colour sensor to verify the chromaticity of navigation lighting installed at airports. These measurements can help determine the correct operation of the tested lamp using of specialised measuring devices. The emitted light colour is critical for pilots during flight operations such as take-off, landing and taxiing, especially in low visibility conditions. Chromaticity standards (in CIE1931 colour space) are specified in the relevant regulations of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and require regular inspection of each light point (both in-pavement and elevated lamps). Tests were carried out for various types of aviation navigation lighting lamps. The stability of measurements and possibilities of visualization on the chromaticity chart were assessed. The article also presents software that allows for quick verification of the operation of a given lamp, intended for airport maintenance services.