Volume XVI – Environment, ecology, culture
The volume includes the lectures and introductions to discussions presented at the Studium Generale seminar in the academic year 2010/2011. The principal themes of the lectures were the problems of the environment, ecology, and culture.
The first section discusses the natural resources in the form of deposits of copper, gold, and silver in various regions of the world. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., this part presents the history of the discovery of copper deposits in Lower Silesia and the activities and strategy of the company. The first section discusses the phenomenons occurring in the world of inanimate and animate matter. It also tries to define the relations between the body and brain in man, as well as the location of the “I” phenomenon in the brain. This part of the volume considers the intraspecies differentiation in man.
The second section is devoted to ecology, which defines the interrelationships of living organisms among themselves and the abiotic environment. It addresses IVF, the limitations of reproduction by this method, and the consequences of breaking them. This section discusses the influence of cultural customs in preventing genetically determined degenerations and, as a result, how they improve biological adaptations. It presents problems related to the protection of Tatra National Park and the issues regarding lichens.
The third section is devoted to culture. It begins with a discussion of aesthetics and attempts to provide criteria for defining an artwork. It shows examples of art and architecture from ancient Egypt and Persia to present-day Iran. The final chapters are devoted to selected works of art, and the interpretation of contemporary art.
