Anti-science wave sweeps Poland

Abstract

Benefits of trade in amber fossils Amber of great palaeontological significance is flowing into China's jewellery market, fuelling a trade that dates back some 13,000 years. Ironically, banning this trade could be more damaging to science than letting it continue. Fossiliferous ambers are being extensively destroyed by mining activity. The renowned Zhangpu amber from southeast China, for example, is being burned in the process of kaolin extraction. The Fushun amber site is closing after more than 110 years of adjacent lignite mining (B. Wang et al. Curr. Biol. 24, 1606-1610; 2014). Amber affords exceptional preservation of insects and microorganisms, shedding light on ephemeral behaviours such as parasitism, predation and camouflage. These fossils often provide more detail than rock fossils about an organism's morphology, ecology, ethology and evolutionary history (see, for example, D.-Y. Huang et al. Sci. Rep. 6, 23004; 2016). Amber excavation involves manpower and materials that are not available to palaeontologists. The jewellery trade instead provides them with the organismal inclusions, either directly as unwanted material or indirectly by preserving the fossils in finished gems for posterity.

Adherence to safety and self-isolation guidelines, conspiracy and paranoia-like beliefs during COVID-19 pandemic in Poland - associations and moderators

“…In these two independent studies, we aimed at exploring relationships of conspiracy and paranoia-like beliefs and adherence to safety measures during coronavirus pandemic. Such research seems essential on the basis of a surge of anti-scientific and conspiracy stances not only in polish media and politics ( Dobosz & Zawiła-Niedźwiecki, 2016 ) but also worldwide and in the context of current coronavirus pandemic (D. Smith, 2020) . Prior studies have explored various factors impacting adherence to self-isolation guidelines (Webster et al, 2020) .…”