University of Silesia in Katowice

• 9.00 a.m. –1.00 p.m. – Geodetic world of new technologies (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

Unmanned aerial vehicles, i.e. drones, until recently were used only by the armed forces and were used to observe military operations areas. Today, the sight of a drone moving just a few metres above our heads does not surprise anyone, and these devices find more and more applications in many areas of life, surprising with their simplicity and effectiveness.

During the workshops, you will feel like an operator of an unmanned aircraft and see the world from their perspective, as well as touch virtual reality by entering this world using the latest technology.

The event is addressed to primary and high school students. It will be led by Aleksandra Mierzejowska, PhD Eng. – employee of the Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology.

The event is addressed to primary- and secondary-school students.

Registration required. Limit: 20 people.

9.00 a.m. – registration form

10.00 a.m. – registration form

11.00 a.m. – registration form

12.00 noon – registration form

• 12.00 noon – Geocaching – treasure hunting game… – an outdoor game for Earth treasure hunters and beyond (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

What is geocaching? It can be said that it is an international field game that is a combination of alternative, individual tourism with orienteering using GPS receivers. Its main goal is to find a cache — a geocache — created by another participant in the game. The location of the “cache” is communicated to players by entering its geographical coordinates into the so-called geocaching websites. The author also publishes hints to help find it and information about where it is hidden. People who set up new caches try to use them to highlight all possible local attractions, enriched with various historical, natural and geological curiosities that are intended to encourage people to visit a given area.

The event will be led by Paweł Woźniak, an employee of the Upper Silesian Branch of the National Geological Institute in Sosnowiec.

The event is addressed to high school students.

Free entrance.

• 6.00 p.m. – Life after life of underground mines (the event will be held online in English)

The presentation will outline the basics of the problem of large-scale energy storage and currently available energy storage technologies, such as: energy storage in compressed air, pumped hydroelectric energy storage in power plants and storage of hydrogen and methane gases in power-to-X technologies. Then, the possibilities of using post-mining infrastructure for energy storage and current experiences in this area will be presented. The current state of knowledge will be presented against the background of the achievements of the HESS project “Hybrid energy storage system using post-mining infrastructure” financed by the EU Research Fund for Coal and Steel.

The event is led by Prof. Eng. Marcin Lutyński from the Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology.

Free entrance.

• 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. – Treasures in your hand – workshops on recognising minerals and rocks (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

Minerals are a natural component of the Earth’s crust. Of the approximately 4,000 known minerals, only 200 are called rock-forming minerals. As a part of the event, students will learn to independently determine the basic macroscopic features of minerals found in the Earth’s crust. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to conduct microscopic observations of these minerals.

The event is intended for secondary and primary school students. They will be led by Joanna Komorek, PhD, DSc and Ewa Strzałkowska, PhD Eng. from the Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology.

An event addressed to primary and high school students.

Registration required. Limit: 12 people

9.00 a.m. – registration form

10.00 a.m. – registration form

11.00 a.m. – registration form

12.00 noon – registration form

• 9.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. – Treasures and fakes  – gemological workshops (Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia, ul. Będzińska 60 in Sosnowiec, room 1223)

For centuries, gemstones have been objects of desire and adoration. The largest and most beautiful pieces can reach very high prices. Unfortunately, with the progress of technology and the developing knowledge of minerals, humanity has learned to create imitations of natural stones, the value of which is much lower. How to avoid fraud and distinguish between a real treasure and ordinary glass? During the workshops, participants will have the opportunity to learn how to distinguish natural gemstones from synthetic ones and their imitations.

The classes will be led by Dorota Środek, PhD from the University of Silesia.

Registration required. Limit: 15 people

9.00 a.m. – registration form

10.15 a.m. – registration form

11.30 a.m. – registration form

12.45 p.m. – registration form

• 11.40 a.m. –1.20 p.m. – Workshops ‘Alternative investments on the example of the precious metals market, analysis and methods of forecasting rates’  (University of Economics in Katowice, ul. Bogucicka 5, room 6/16 CNTI)

Part 1: In times of continued instability in financial markets, alternative investments are becoming more and more popular, i.e. those whose rate of return is not correlated with changes in the stock market. Investments of this nature include raw materials and precious metals. Participants will learn about the possibilities of investing in the raw materials and precious metals market, as well as learn about the risks associated with this type of investment based on the analysis of alternative funds with specialised investment policies.

Part 2: Technical analysis is a method that can be used to forecast prices in various markets, including the raw materials and precious metals markets. The workshops will consist of two parts: theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, participants will learn the basic issues of technical analysis such as: trend lines, support and resistance levels, as well as examples of linear and candlestick patterns. The practical part will be a workshop and participants will be able to independently try to determine the previously learnt elements on financial instruments charts.

The workshop will be led by Krzysztof Podgórski, PhD Eng. and Mateusz Muszyński, MSc from the University of Economics in Katowice.

Registration required. Limit: 30 people (registration form).

• 4.00 p.m. – Health as a treasure. How to take care of your health – your greatest treasure (Social Ministry for Loneliness in Katowice, ul. Mikołowska 44)

Most people place health at the top of their list of desired values. The classic expression of this is the most popular ‘first of all health’ wish. However, taking care of one’s health takes a distant place among many human activities. There is a common misconception that professional institutions where you can buy or “deal with” this “product” are responsible for its condition. Meanwhile, health is not a commodity, but a value – comparable to honour, which can be easily lost and much more difficult to regain.

Contrary to popular belief, a doctor does not produce or sell health. Their task is to strengthen factors that help maintain or restore the body’s balance and eliminate or weaken factors that disturb it and thus cause disease. The impact of lifestyle on health is estimated at over 50%, and the impact of the environment at approximately 20%. The remaining 30% is divided between genetic predispositions and the health care system. It means that the most important condition for improving the health situation of society is the general awareness of responsibility for the health of one’s own and others.

The event will be led by Prof. Jan Duława, MD, PhD – a specialist in internal diseases, nephrology, hypertensiology and angiology. He is the head of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice and the head of the Department of Internal and Metabolic Diseases at the Prof. Leszek Giec Upper-Silesian Medical Centre of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

Free entrance.

• 6.00 p.m. – Diamonds – our eternal treasures?  (online)

Diamond is a mineral that has become part of our culture as the most valuable and desirable gemstone. Large specimens are often shrouded in mystery, and their unique beauty makes them reach extremely high prices. But has it always been like this? Are diamonds worth the price? When did we start loving diamonds so much that today we can’t imagine getting engaged without them? The lecture will present the history of diamond, its properties, the most famous representatives and possible methods of treatment and synthesis.

The event will be led by Dorota Środek, PhD from the University of Silesia in Katowice.

Free entrance.

• 10.00 a.m. – Machines and robots discover treasures… Demonstrations of the operation of mining machines and robots (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

Mineral resources are crucial for the development of many branches of the economy and the everyday life of ordinary people. Obtaining key raw materials requires modern mining technologies based on the use of modern machines. The increasingly difficult working conditions of miners and the need to reach deposits in places inaccessible to humans (ocean depths, outer space) require the use of robots. As part of the event, we will present mining machines currently used in underground mines, as well as remotely controlled robots exploring hard-to-reach places. You will be able to learn how mining machines work and play the role of their operator. During the event, participants will be able to try their hand at searching for and obtaining minerals in space conditions.

The activity will be led by Piotr Cheluszka, PhD, DSc Eng., Associate Professor and Grzegorz Głuszek, MSc Eng. from the Silesian University of Technology.

Registration required.

10.00 a.m. – registration form

11.00 a.m. – registration form

12.00 noon – registration form

• 5.00 p.m. – Unearthly treasures  – lecture on meteorites (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

What are they, where do meteorites come from and why, what cosmic bodies are their source and what do they look like when they arrive on Earth? Specimens of meteorites as such will be presented, the characteristic features that allow them to be distinguished from terrestrial rocks and their basic classification will be discussed. The most interesting inheritances and stories related to them will be presented. We will show what tektites and impactites are, as rocks, also related to space. During the lecture, approximately 20-25 specimens will be presented, and the lecture participants will be able to hold them in their hands.

The activity will be led by Kazimierz Mazurek – one of the founders of the Polish Meteorite Society. For over 25 years, as a collector and owner of one of the largest collections of meteorites in Poland, he has been a populariser of meteoritics – an interdisciplinary field of science.

Free entrance.

• 4.00 p.m. – How much gold is in your smartphone? – the most valuable and expensive metals  – presentation of metal ores used in new technologies (Museum of Deposit Geology – Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

Our smartphones contain dozens of composites, compounds and metals that include almost 75% of the elements on the periodic table. More than half of all elements in a mobile device – including its screen, casing, microprocessor, cables, battery, speaker and microphone – could not be created if it were not for the raw materials that are used to produce all these components. Some of them are only present in small amounts (like the very thin layer of indium-tin-oxide that makes the screen work like a touchscreen), but all of them must be extracted from a mineral deposit before they are used in your smartphone. The exhibition will present minerals that are sources of elements necessary for the proper functioning of your smartphone.

The event will be led by Magdalena Kokowska-Pawłowska, PhD, DSc Eng. and Jacek Nowak, PhD Eng. – employees of the Department of Applied Geology at the Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology.

Free entrance (registration form).

• 5.00 p.m. – Glowing treasures – the mysterious face of minerals… (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

Fluorescence of minerals is a natural phenomenon, which is a type of luminescence, consisting in the emission of light when exposed to ultraviolet radiation of various wavelengths. At the event, we will present a collection of fluorescent minerals from the collections of the Museum of Deposit Geology, as well as those obtained during student research trips. We will learn what luminescence is, what types of it there are and why minerals glow.

The lecture and presentation will be led by students from the Student Scientific Club of Geologists of the Silesian University of Technology, who will tell how they searched for glowing treasures in museum warehouses and during field work, as well as by Prof. Eng. Małgorzata Labus from the Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology.

Free entrance (registration form).

• 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. The Earth Treasures Sales Exhibition and more… Day I – sales exhibition of minerals, rocks and fossils with a jewellery fair (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

The Earth Treasures Sales Exhibition will be a meeting place for collectors, exhibitors, hobbyists and supporters of geology and mineralogy. The collections of several dozen exhibitors will be presented, and the event will be attended by a group of minerals and fossils hunters who will present specimens from Poland and various parts of the world, and even extra-terrestrial rocks – meteorites.

Minerals, fossils, and multi-coloured precious and decorative stones are also valuable raw materials carefully processed by craftsmen and artists offering a wide range of jewellery products during the Sales Exhibition.

Planned additional activities:

• • Jurapark educational stand in Krasiejów – sandbox with a skeleton (excavations for children), dinosaur models, fossils, skamieniałości,
  • PGI-PIB educational stand:
    • ‘First steps in the world of minerals,’
    • ‘Fossils – traces of life preserved in rocks,’
  • Handicraft workshops ‘Finger knitting’ – participants leave the workshops with the skills to make a bracelet, headband, scarf or one of these things. Anyone can take part in the workshop, even if they have never worked with knitwear before. We invite people who already knit or crochet and want to try something new.

Free entrance.

• 5.00 p.m. – Lecture ‘Why do stars shine?’  (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

The evolution of stars may seem like a very complicated process, but this popular science show will prove otherwise.

The event will be led by Andrzej Boczarowski, PhD from the University of Silesia.

Free entrance.

• 6.30 p.m. – Lecture ‘All the stars of the Universe’ (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

The event will be led by Andrzej Boczarowski, PhD from the University of Silesia.

Free entrance.

• 10.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. – The Earth Treasures Sales Exhibition and more … Day II – sales exhibition of minerals, rocks and fossils with a jewellery fair (Faculty of Mining, Safety Engineering and Industrial Automation of the Silesian University of Technology)

The Earth Treasures Sales Exhibition will be a meeting place for collectors, exhibitors, hobbyists and supporters of geology and mineralogy. The collections of several dozen exhibitors will be presented, and the event will be attended by a group of minerals and fossils hunters who will present specimens from Poland and various parts of the world, and even extra-terrestrial rocks – meteorites.

Minerals, fossils, and multi-coloured precious and decorative stones are also valuable raw materials carefully processed by craftsmen and artists offering a wide range of jewellery products during the Sales Exhibition.

Planned additional activities:

• • Jurapark educational stand in Krasiejów – sandbox with a skeleton (excavations for children), dinosaur models, fossils, skamieniałości,
  • PGI-PIB educational stand:
    • ‘First steps in the world of minerals,’
    • ‘Fossils – traces of life preserved in rocks,’
  • Handicraft workshops ‘Finger knitting’ – participants leave the workshops with the skills to make a bracelet, headband, scarf or one of these things. Anyone can take part in the workshop, even if they have never worked with knitwear before. We invite people who already knit or crochet and want to try something new.

Free entrance.