ContentsA word from the editor........................................... 3

Cuisine War.............................................................. 4

Why are all the low-calorie diets unsuccessful?........................................................... 5

A look at the Universe through the eyes of Stephen Hawking................................................................... 7

Alternative medicine- a real alternative to modern treatment, or danger.............................................. 9

Approaches to religious diversity........................... 11

The Poles and Hinduists......................................... 12

Lemkos-one of the surviving ethnic gruops in Poland................................................................... 17

Why do we constantly deepen the process of social exclusion in Polish schools?...........................………. 19

Are there too many people on our Planet?............. 22

2

A Word from the Editor

I would like to present the first issue of our new magazine

“Knowledge in a pill” for those interested in the popular

science reports. You can read about many urgent problems of

our world and society, such as overpopulation in the world or

Stephen Hawkins's view on the Universe. I hope you will also

be interested in the phenomenon of the social exclusion in

Polish schools, religion diversity, alternative medicine, and the

ethnic groups still existing in Poland. Certainly you will relax

by reading the articles about a possible cuisine war and a low-

calorie diet.

So if you are ready, turn the page and read all this fantastic

reports.

Greetings,

Matylda Konstanty

the Chief-editor

3

Cuisine War

Who doesn't like eating? Food looks so tasty that we just can't only watching it! It works like a maghnet, nobody is able to resist sweets and delicacies.

We hear "So many countries so many customs" especially cuisine.

Sometimes we don't have only one favourite- we may like Italian pizza

and Japanese sushi. Others love Mexican spice or German and Polish

food full of meal.

Look at the result of our "teenagers questionaire" about favourite food:

Without any doubt the winner is Italy, but people also like Asian cuisine.

4

0246810

12

Mediterranean Spanish ItalianTurkish French PolishJapanese Chinese Indian ThaiMexicanVegetarian

Favorite Food

Mediterranean SpanishItalianTurkishFrenchPolishJapaneseChineseIndianThaiMexicanVegetarian

Why are all the low-calorie diets

unsuccessful?

First we have to remember what exactly a mysterious word – metabolism

means. In short, it is energy necessary by our organism, when we are relaxing or

sleeping. We need this energy to have an appropriate body temperature, make our

heart beat, get intestines and another organs work. The fact is that, when we

produce more energy in a given moment, we have to eat more at the same time.

Now let’s think, why do we always try to lose our weight only by no eating?

Perhaps we will manage to lose some kilograms but certainly it will lead to the

hateful yo-yo effect.

The basic principle is as follows: while we are on a low-calorie diet, our

organism and our metabolism work on a “calories – saving mode”. Why? Because

in such a way it prevents the body self – destruction, and additionally by slowing

the rate of energy acquisition it creates the adipose tissues. Energy is required for

all kinds of bodily processes including the use of muscles and producing a glucose

to ensure the longer work of all organs. This kind of adaptation will help us when

we find ourselves in a jungle or in a desert, if we do not eat for several days. But

unfortunately when we want to lose our weight it leads to failure. What is worse, a

couple days later we will probably get back to our old weight.

So, how many kilocalories should we eat daily to lose our weight?

That is the basic question, but the answer is not only one. The most

important is that the metabolic rate differs for everyone and it depends on age,

height, diet and family genes. The better thing we can do is to contact with a

dietician. When we want to compose our new diet by ourselves, remember that

eating less than 1200 calories a day can also slow down your body's metabolic rate.

Thus women should not eat fewer than 1200 calories a day and men should not eat

fewer than 1500

What do we need to remember while on a diet?

5

The rate of consumption of calories depends also on the amount of muscles

we have. The more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate; the less muscle

we have, the lower our metabolic rate. This is why a muscular man has a higher

metabolism, and a 20-year-old woman's metabolism is faster than a 80-year-old

woman. According to research, the body loses a proportionately high amount of

muscle with a very low calorie intake and this may considerably suppress

metabolism by up to 45 percent.

When want to lose our weight we need to increase the amount of activity

we have each day so we can burn more calories and shift some kilograms. Many

sports, like jogging, swimming, tennis or aerobic can help us to rebuild our muscles.

We also have to remember to increase the amount of protein in our diet. Sources

of protein include lean meats (chicken, lamb, pork, turkey), cheese, nuts, eggs, low-

fat yogurt, milk, tofu and fish. Certainly you must stop eating sweets and big

portions of bread.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it raises our

metabolism. If you eat nothing in the morning, your metabolism will be still

“sleeping”. Many specialists recommend eating 25% of daily calories for breakfast.

Also when you are on a diet you have to eat some synthetic vitamins and minerals.

Interesting is that spices help with reducing one's weight and getting slim! You

need to add spices, such as: pepper, chili, ginger, cinnamon, horseradish and

mustard , to everything because they increase the temperature of the body.

I hope that this article help you in losing your weight wisely and slowly

without giving in to peer pressure. You can create your special diet which will be

good, healthy and help you slim and maintain your weight for a long time.

M.K

6

A LOOK AT THE UNIVERSE THROUGH THE EYES OF STEPHEN HAWKING

"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very

average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very

special." These are the words of Stephen Hawking, one of the best physicists,

mathematics and cosmologists in the world. I agree with him, but I think that not

everyone knows the most important facts about the Universe. In this article I will try

to explain thoroughly the concept of the Universe as used in the Hawking's books.

Firstly, I must say what the Universe is. It will be simple - it is everything. It

is space, time, every form of matter, energy, planets, comets, stars, people, animals...

The synonym for "the Universe" is cosmos, earth or nature.

Secondly, perhaps not everyone knows who Stephen Hawking is. He is a 70-

year- old man, who suffers from motor neurone disease and he has the left side of

his body almost completely paralyzed. But... Who cares? He is one of the most

intelligent people in the earth! It seems that he does not care about his disease much

- he has had it since he was 21 and he still works and he is open to the world. He is

known for his contribution to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity,

especially in the context of black holes. He developed theoretical evidence that black

holes should emit radiation. He is a professor in Cambridge. He is known thanks to

the release of many bestselling popular science books.

His first book was "A Brief History of Time". In this short book he is trying

to describe the current state of theoretical physics. He is also telling about Einstein,

Galileo, Newton and... God. He is saying that the Universe does not need, nor did

not need the interference of any God – the Universe simply goes on.

The next book was "Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays."

That book is about the latest discoveries in the study of the Universe. Hawking goes

beyond the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics and the Big Bang and collides

matter with antimatter... It is a collection of essays, in which the author presents his

own insightful reflection on the Universe."The Universe in a Nutshell" is actually

complementary to "A Brief History of Time". The author is explaining how difficult

it is to combine general relativity with quantum theory. Hawking is comparing the

theory of Einstein with the theory of Feynman. He is describing some new theories,

but he actually repeats much of what he wrote in his first book. 7

"On The Shoulders of Giants. The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy".

In this book Hawking is writing about the greatest works of Copernicus, Galileo,

Kepler, Newton and Einstein. He is showing how their pioneering discoveries

changed the way we see the world. He is also telling the story of their times and

interesting facts from their lives.

His fifth book "A Briefer History of Time" is nothing more than an extension

of "A Brief History of Time".

His last book, bearing the title "The Grand Design" is about the Big Bang

theory. Hawking is saying that the Big Bang was a natural consequence of the laws

of physics, so God was unnecessary to the creation of the world. In this book he

brought down Newton's theory, who believed that the Universe must be created by

God, because it cannot arise from chaos.

That are all his books - now I will explain some concepts provided by them.

The Big Bang is considered the most probable model of formation of the Universe.

Before the Big Bang there was nothing, because there was no space, matter and

time.

We also know something weird about the two theories described in

Hawking's books – the theory of Newton and the theory of Einstein - both are good

and they describe world very well, but they cannot work together, because they are

mutually exclusive and we still do not know why.

The difference between those two theories perfectly illustrates the twin

paradox, which was described in one of Hawking's books - "A Brief History of

Time". Newton said that time is always the same and cannot change. Einstein - that 8

everything is relative - even a time. Twin paradox is a thought experiment, in which

a twins make a journey - one twin flies to Space in a high-speed rocket and returns at

Earth. And we realize, that the twin who flied into space is... younger than the

second twin! It says, that Newton's theory is true only on Earth and the Einstein's

theory is true only in Space.

I think, that when you read my article you may be really surprised and some

of you can see, that physics can be very interesting.

W.CZ

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE - REAL ALTERNATIVE TO MODERN TREATMENT, OR DANGER?

Nowadays treatment is on really high level. We have equipment, fantastic

doctors, clean hospitals etc. But sometimes treatment is very expensive and it is not

always possible to cure the diseases like AIDS or cancer. That is why some people

try to cure themselves using alternative medicine.

Firstly, I want to present some forms of alternative medicine. It can be -

acupuncture, herbalism, voodoo... People usually come to a shaman - he is a person

like a doctor, but he uses unconventional methods of treatment. Most of all, I am

convinced to acupuncture - it is proven, that people from Far East live longer than

we do because they make use of it.

Secondly, I must say, that I understand people who try alternative medicine

instead of modern treatment, but only if they are too poor to pay for an operation or

treatment.

On the other hand, I see many really bad things in alternative medicine - for

example some shamans are awful people - they just wheedle money out of patients

and do not help, sometimes their treatment may lead to health damage.

I think that alternative medicine has its own pros and cons and, if people are

going to professional doctors at the same time- it is not dangerous and can even

help.

9

Are you curious what surgeons think about alternative medicine? You can

read it the interview with a Polish surgeon, Wojciech.

the Interview:Journalist: Good Morning!

Wojciech: Good Morning, I'm very happy, that I can talk with you.

J: That's good, do you know what is the subject of our talk?

W: Alternative medicine, isn't it?

J: Yes, exactly. In short - what do you think about it?

W: Hmm, I think that it can be something really good, but only if it's used together

with conventional treatment. It mustn't be applied alone, we shouldn't forget about

appropriate treatment, because sometimes it can be dangerous.

J: What do you mean by dangerous?

W: I think that it may even lead to death... But as I said - only when it is used

irresponsibly!

J: Are there any pros of alternative medicine?

W: In my opinion yes. The biggest one is that it can help for example in some cases

when "normal" medicine fails. People just think "I'm sure - it helps me" and it really

helps them!

J: You're talking about the placebo effect...

W: Yes.

J: ...so you think, that it exists?

W: I think that all alternative medicine is mainly based on placebo.

J: Ok. What about the cons, I'm sure that you can mention many of them, can't you?

W: I told you about one really big minus of alternative medicine. Another... It may

lead to some abuse...

J: What does this mean?

W: It means that if you (for example) go to a shaman, who doesn't really know

anything about medicine and wants only to extort money, then this can end badly.

J: Oh, it sounds really bad... So you're against alternative medicine?

W: No, did I say something like that? I can see bad and good sides of it.

J: Have you ever met somebody, who has tried alternative medicine?

W: No, I don't remember. Even if so, I don't ask everyone if they had tried

alternative medicine (laughs).

10

J: Yeah, it can be really weird (laughter). And you? Have you ever tried alternative

medicine?

W: No, I haven't needed this.

J: Aren't you curious how it is like?

W: No, probably not.

J: Last question - I have heard that some people in Far East live longer than us,

because of using acupuncture. Do you think it's true?

W: Maybe yes, I don't know exactly, but it's likely that it is true. Really, last

question? (laughter)

J: Unfortunately - yes. What a nice talk, readers will certainly learn from this

interview a lot of interesting things.

W: Oh, that's good! I'm glad that I can help.

J: So... Goodbye!

W: See you!

W.CZ

Approaches to religious diversity

Nowadays there exist a lot of religions, but fortunately our

Planet is so big, that it can hold all of them. So what is the goal of

writing this article?...

The problem is not about the amount of surface area or lack of

it but about people who just can't accept others' choice. Everyone

thinks their religion is the most valuable and true. That's natural,

because we always want our best- also in the case of faith. In the

past there were only a few kinds of religion, but it didn't prevent

conflicts. The example is East West Schizm (also known as the

Great Schizm), which took place in 1054. Then the State Church Of

Roman Empire split up into the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman

Catholic Church. So now, we live among people who believe in 11

different gods profess other religions than we do. Therefore it is not

easy to avoid wars. We should believe in our God, fulfill the duties

and develop knowledge about neighbouring religions. Fights won't

help anyone, they aren't needed. On our Planet there live so many

different people and it isn't possible to share the same views on

world, rules, future and death. If we are more calm and peaceful, life

will be happier and better than today!

A.B

THE POLES AND THE BELIEVERS OF

HINDUISM

Hinduism? Yeah, I have heard about it….

Be honest. We know nothing about Hinduism – the religion professed by billion of

people all over the world, and we also have no idea of how many people in Poland

are adherents of Hinduism. We know something about Buddhism but what about

Hinduism? Only Holy Cows and dots on foreheads. But this religion is in fact more

complicated and interesting and yet surprising in its simplicity. The knowledge

about it came to Poland directly from the English. By the way, this religion is so

much different from ours that it is difficult to decide what is true or false.12

One God of Hinduism

People in the West think that Hinduism has plenty of gods and idols, but it is not

true. There is only one God – the powerful and endless Brahma, the Supreme,

Universal Soul. Yet Hindu religion is also populated with myriad gods and

goddesses who personify aspects of the one true God. Here are just some of the

many Hindu gods and goddesses : Brahma – the creator, Vishnu – the protector and

Shiva – the destroyer.

India and religion

In Hinduism there are some key beliefs such as the concept of dharma which can be

described as right conduct, righteousness, moral law, and duty. The rules guide the

followers through life in order to create inner peace for themselves and collective

peace for the rest of the world. People do not live separately but human society is

like a huge machine. Each part of it has to work properly. Hinduism perceives all

human beings as Divine and having the power of awareness, sacrifice, and

adherence to the divine order. A Hindu believes that everyone is the embodiment of

God. Another concept is that the individual soul (Atman) is immortal. The soul does

not die but is reborn into another life form when the body dies. This is known as

transmigration. The kind of body the soul inhabits next is determined by karma

(actions accumulated in previous lives). The goal of the individual soul is Moksha

which is the soul’s release from the cycle of death and rebirth. It occurs when the

soul unites with Brahman by realizing its true nature because everything except for

Brahma’s reality is an illusion.

Do you think it is complicated? Everything is complicated for us because our

concept of soul and God is totally different.

Hinduism – an individual religion

The main difference between these religions is that Christianity recognizes one

omnipotent God in three persons, while Hinduism has in its roots thousands of gods

and believing that all of them are a manifestation of one god and one omnipotent

power. The Hindu people believe that the liberation of soul may be achieved by

several paths , while Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to get to

Heaven.

13

The dot on the forehead

It appears that the dot on the foreheads of many Hindu women called “bindi” is only

a kind of decoration. It can be a blessed symbol, a traditional symbol of marriage

and there are also several other explanations

Heavy black makeup

It is interesting why even children wear kohl or heavy black makeup. It is believed

that the human eye is also considered to be a mirror of the soul. Mothers apply it to

to their infants' eyes soon after birth to prevent the child from being cursed by the

evil eye or to "strengthen the child's eyes". Kohl was originally used as protection

against eye ailments. Another reason is that it may protect one from the harsh rays of

the sun.

Woman in Apsara’s costume, a

Hindu female spirit of the clouds and waters

14

Hinduism – the extreme reincarnation

As other societies, the Hindu society is divided into four classes or castes (“varna” in

Sanskrit) and multiple smaller groups, or subcastes (“jati”). The system was once

based on the occupation an individual decided to take up and their characteristics

and inclinations. Thus it was their own choice, nowadays the circumstances of a

person's birth dictates their caste. It suggests that people are born into a certain

worldly position because of 'karma' and they should accept that. It is hard for us to

understand their point of view. For example, when a child is born without arms or

with some disease they believe that it is a punishment for the sins committed in his

past life. The rich treat the poor very badly because they think that they are really

better than others and the poor deserve their fate.

How many Hindu people are there in Poland?

There is no reliable information about the number of Hindu people in Poland. The

most popular is a group of Hare Krishna with around 915 to 50 000 members. There

is also (Czaitanii Mission), with 97 to 1500 people. The Sathya Sai organization has

hold plenty of meetings in Poland and reported that the number of participants was

about 200 believers in 2002 and it is increasing each year. There are also people of

Indian origins in Poland. They usually work as sellers, wholesalers, brokers or

young employees of international corporations, especially in computer industry.

I think Poles are ready to meet people from other cultures and religion. Hindu

people are seen better than Muslims, they are associated with Bollywood

productions. We do not understand them but we are fascinated by their interior

peacefulness and the ability to wait for the unknown.

M.K.

15

16Lakshimi- Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, wisdom and fortune

LEMKOS - ONE OF THE SURVIVING ETHNIC GROUPS IN POLAND

I think that very few people know about Lemkos.. That is why I am writing this article - I want to bring you their history and culture.

There are still several surviving ethnic minorities in Poland. For example Lemkos – a distinct ethnic group from the southeast corner of the country. Lemkos belonged to the eastern branch of Christianity, used the Cyrillic alphabet and spoke East Slavic language - they were half-Polish and half-Ukrainian. Their onion-domed wooden churches are still scattered over mountainous areas of the Beskid Sądecki, Beskid Niski and the Bieszczady mountains. The northern slopes of the Polish part of the Carpathian Mountains has been Lemkos’ home for centuries. Due to the inaccessibility of these areas, Lemkos lived here freely for many years. This state of things has changed with the arrival of the 20th century and the two World Wars. In the interwar period, both Poland and neighbouring Ukraine tried to get Lemkos on their side and make them think about Polish or Ukrainian nationalist causes, but with no success. Near the end of WW2, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) sent some of its members to fight in Lemkovyna (that’s how Lemkos are calling their region). Only few of Lemkos actually sympathized with the UPA, but the new Polish People’s Republic didn’t see it that way. Since that time Lemkos are sometimes considered by Poles as Ukraino- and Russophiles.

The result of this opinion was Operation Vistula (Akcja Wisła), the worst tragedy to befall the Lemko this century. In the spring and summer of 1947 the entire region was depopulated, whole villages emptied, as the Lemko were scattered throughout the northern and western territories of Poland. After 1989 they started to try restoring their cultural identity.

Nowadays in Poland there live about 5600 Lemkos. We can find them in that regions of Poland like Lesser Poland, Lower Silesian Voivodeship and Podkarpackie Voivodeship. I know personally 8 Lemkos, they live in a small village in Beskid Niski called Zdynia. November 24, 2008 officially introduced the first additional language named Lemko to the village in Poland.

17

I said that few people know about Lemkos, but I am sure, that many people know about famous artist Andy Warhol who was of Lemko origins. There has been a lot of Lemko artists in Poland and abroad.

For example Nikifor Krynicki, or Bohdan Ihor Antonycz. Nikifor was a primitive painter who lived in the 20th century in Krynica - Zdrój. He lived alone in poverty and most of his life he was regarded as mentally retarted cripple. He was passionately absorbed in painting. Bohdan was a 20th century Ukrainian poet. He lived only 28 years, but he wrote many books of poetry.

I think it is a great nation - their culture, traditions and history are very interesting. I am interested in them very much. Lemko people are slowly becoming more recognised in Poland. There are a lot more information and exhibitions about them than in the past. I wish the world was also familiar with their heritage because they are many people among them who changed the world. Just like the brilliant painter, Krynicki.

W.CZ

18 Lemkos from the village of Zavadka

Why do we constantly deepen the process of

social exclusion in Polish schools?At first let’s try to define the areas of a social exclusion in Polish

schools. We must consider some questions, such as: who or why

promotes exclusion, who is isolated and what are the criteria of this

process?

The socially excluded is a group of students who theoretically are

a part of the school community, but because of some reasons they

cannot fully participate in school life. At the origin of this process may

be some decisions of school authorities local governments, the

approach of school principals, teachers, parents, and finally the students

themselves. I will try to show in this article some of the root causes and

the criteria of social marginalization in Polish schools. Social exclusion

may take place because of some wrong decisions of the government

officials which prevent the equal access to the certain goods. There were

introduced scholarships for the poorest children from small villages in

Poland a couple of years ago. It turned out very quickly that only few

people have taken advantage of this. This is not because they did not

need nay money, quite the opposite. The parents or the students had to

buy the necessary items first on their own. Next, they had to go with the

invoice to the institution, and after this they could have their money

back. The system was designed to monitor whether the money received

is really spent on the students' needs, rather than on alcohol for the

parents. But unfortunately, those families had no money to purchase

some goods for their children, so instead of help, the situation has

deteriorated.

Now, what can we say about a true phenomenon of creating

special classes only for the talented students in many public high

schools in Cracow? In this way, an education gap has been created 19

between the talented ones and those who are not. It may lead to the

crisis of adolescence and increase the possibility of drug use. The

scientific research shows, that around 40% of high school students think

that school is a bad institution and teachers don’t understand them, don’t

have enough time for them and are unjust towards them. Sometimes, it

is very hard to get to school because of architectural barriers that

prevent people with disabilities from accessing buildings. Parents of a

disabled child may prefer to chose a school near their house instead. It is

easier when the family lives in a big city as there are usually several

schools with special program for such students. But what if the family

lives in a small village? The only thing that parents can do is to send

their child to the special school far away from the house and meet him

only at weekends. It has to do with emotions and difficult choices they

have to make.

Another problems are related to the school life. A teacher may

organise an expensive abroad trip for his class. Some parents can afford

it but some don’t have enough money and these children have to stay at

school and take part in normal lessons. The main cause of social

exclusion here may be traced to lack of money. What happens to the

class community? The class is divided into those who can afford much

and those who can't, those who have been abroad and may share

experiences and those who had to stay at home and go to school. Thus

teachers have to be aware of different social backgrounds of their

students and try to integrate students.

The marginalization can be a result of stereotypization. A

stereotype is a relatively stable ability to feel, think and act in a certain

way. It helps us to live easier, we do not need to learn everything all

over again. Well, what happens if the learned stereotype does not fit the

reality and causes that we cannot, and what is worst, we don’t want to

communicate? There are many children from other countries in Polish 20

schools. How do they integrate into a new school community? What is

the reaction of other students? Are they friendly and polite or quite the

opposite? How can we help the new students from different cultures or

another race? Sometimes they do not know Polish well enough ant it

may result in poor grades.

Maybe we all should try to think about what we can do to reduce

the effects of marginalization. There are many schools where the

wealthier parents pay for meals for the poorer children. Also children

bring lunch for two and share with friends. A teacher can organize a

cheaper trip or ask the parents to pay a bit more to allow everyone to

participate in this event. I am sure all of us can find a lot of similar

ideas. I think we should have more discussions about social exclusion

and related topics during our lessons.

Usually we are afraid of what is unknown. Sometimes people

express aggression towards others because they do not understand them.

Let’s stop being afraid. It is important to remember that there is the

phenomenon of social exclusion in schools, be able to see it, and think

what is possible to do to help, recognizing the beautiful difference

instead of prejudices and fears.M.K.

21

Are there too many people on our Planet?

• It is estimated that there are 5 babies born every second. 2 to 3 babies survive (wiki.answers.com). There are approximately 490,000 babies born every day worldwide.• In October 2011 the world’s 7 billionth human inhabitant of our planet was born.• An average human drinks around 60670 litres of water in his lifetime.

These facts may shock you, but they are really true. In

Europe there are more and more couples who do not want to

have children. Thus the birthrate is dropping constantly.

Financial crisis, long working hours, lower average salary or

the cost of living may be blamed for the situation. It is typical

for highly - developed countries such as the USA and West

Europe.

On the other side, there is Asia where 60% of all people

live. China and India are the only nations with more than

milliard citizens! But children there are another source of

income as they may get a job and earn money. Living

conditions don't matter.

Overpopulation causes problems with fresh water,

which comprises only 2,5% of water resources. Our planet will

run out of room and natural resources.

We must start living a different way – it is no longer a

question of maintaining our standard of living, but of

surviving on the planet. A.B

See more:

22

A swimming pool in one of Chinese towns- Daying

Muslims going to annual meeting in Bangladesh

23Birma- one of the loosely-populated country in South-East Asia

Boys and girls from Philippines, who live at rubbish tip

50 % of inhabitant of India are younger than 25 years. Here:Pupils from New Delhi on their way home

24

Muslims going to annual meeting in Bangladesh

Students in a dorm (China)

25

The crew of Knowledge in a pill wants to say “thank you” to all readers,

we hope that you like our newspaper and

you will buy it again!

Let science be with you!26