Scottish Cafe at Silesian University of Technology
The Library of the Silesian University of Technology opened a Scottish Café, referring to the tradition of the Scottish Café, operating before World War II in Lviv. It was a place where outstanding mathematicians met and created new mathematical theories.
The Scottish Cafe opened at the Silesian University of Technology on July 12th. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska, Silesian University of Technology and Gliwice authorities and Prof. Zbigniew Marciniak, who witnessed the famous passing of the live goose as a reward for solving a mathematical puzzle.
The Café is a reference to the tradition of our university, the origin of which is connected with the Lviv Polytechnic. After World War II, many scientists, PhD students and students of this university settled in Gliwice, and they formed the first scientific staff of the Silesian University of Technology.
- Lviv employees brought with them not only programs of studies or concepts of scientific research, but also many interesting stories that influenced the development of Polish scientific centres. One of them is the Scottish Café, which was located in Lviv and was a meeting place for Lviv mathematicians. In this place, not only coffee and cookies were served and consumed, but also scientific topics were discussed – says the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology Prof. Arkadiusz Mężyk.
The Scottish Café at the Silesian University of Technology is to refer to the Lviv one. “We want to recreate this spirit, this atmosphere of creating science and discussion and cooperation. The Scottish Cafe was a special place. Mathematicians met there for many hours, talked a little but focused on solving mathematical problems, solved puzzles, set prizes for solving them, and played chess. I would like to transfer all this here to Gliwice, to our university, primarily in order to activate young people and show them that you can develop your passions in the spirit of cooperation - emphasized Dr Hab. Renata Frączek, Director of the Library of the Silesian University of Technology.
One of the elements of the Lviv Scottish Cafe was a book of mathematical puzzles. The researchers entered mathematical tasks and assigned prizes for solving them: Coffee, a bottle of wine, lunch and even a live goose. And it is with goose that a unique story, which was witnessed by Prof. Zbigniew Marciniak from the University of Warsaw, is connected. In 1972, Per Enflo, a Swedish mathematician and pianist, solved one of the puzzles left in the book by Stanisław Mazur in 1936. The reward for its solution was a live goose. The young scientist was invited to Warsaw, where he met with Prof. Mazur to collect his prize.
- I was then a student of the second year and a witness of the award presented by Professor Stanisław Mazur, who after the war was at the University of Warsaw – recalls Prof. Zbigniew Marciniak. "The whole event was moving, there was a crowd of mathematicians and this young scientist Per Enflo, happy that he managed to solve this mystery after 36 years, but also embarrassed what to do with the prize of a living goose," says Professor Marciniak.
Since the young scientist could not take the living goose abroad, its fate was doomed. And according to the story, it ended as the main dish.
In the Scottish Cafe at the Silesian University of Technology there will also be a book of riddles, where our scientists will write tasks. The prize for their solution will be books and small goose figurines.
- In this way, we want to encourage not only students, but also school youth to become interested in mathematics - says Dr Hab. Renata Frączek, Director of the Library of the Silesian University of Technology.
- If two good students meet, and they start discussing something and then another one joins them, there is already a chance that together they will create something absolutely revealing and new - which I wish the Silesian University of Technology - adds Prof. Zbigniew Marciniak.
The Scottish Café is located on the ground floor of the renovated building of the Silesian University of Technology Library and the Faculty of Applied Mathematics. It will be open from the new academic year. In addition to solving mathematical puzzles, you will be able to play chess and eat a meal there.
