11^th edition of the all-nation “Paths of Physics” contest for high school students interested in the sciences will conclude in a show organized on the second floor of the Copernicus Science Centre at 20, Wy­brze­że Ko­ściusz­kow­skie 20 str. in Warsaw on Sunday, April 10, 2016. All interested persons are invited to attend.

Contest finals will be traditionally held in PAN Institute of Physics Lecture Hall at 32/46, Aleja Lot­ni­ków str. in Warsaw on Saturday, April 9, 2016 beginning 8:30 am. As each year, selected best au­thors guided by their tutors will present their works to the contest jury. Jury has carefully evaluated all works submitted before the end of February 2016 and selected the best ones. As usually, contest runners had a choice of three categories: (i) scientific paper; (ii) show to present some physical phenomena; and (iii) essay. The latter has traditionally been a favourite category of persons endowed with impressive eloquence or wishing to share their general thoughts on various science-related topics. Or­ga­ni­zers of the “Paths of Physics” contest are convinced that a good idea capable to attract interest of the audience is a key starting point for a passionate show rather than deep knowledge of intricacies of physics. To write a good essay, even a basic knowledge of physics is enough; ability to notice how physics is shaping our civilization and some knack for the written word are what counts much more. Scientific papers is a much more demanding category, although that challenge surely can be faced not only by persons of brains comparable with Einstein’s brain; all you really need is the courage and perseverance to master basic rules of conducting scientific research.

Contest jury has nominated 5 scientific papers, 7 shows and 3 essays to be presented during the coming Saturday finals. See the fizycznesciezki.pl Webpage for details.

All finalists of this year 11^th edition of the “Paths of Physics” contest have been invited to participate in the Discoveries 2016 Young Researchers’ Fe­stival. The Festival organized each year in Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw by Polish Children's Fund (odkrycia.fundusz.org) is an excellent opportunity for participants to presen­t their passions to their peers and to meet persons capable to give many valuable hints how to improve researcher’s skills.

Also, finals of Polish edition of EU Con­test for Yo­ung Scien­ti­sts (EUCYS) will be organized within framework of the Festival. A representation of Polish high school students for international finals of the contest to be held in Brussels in September will be nominated during the event.

All projects awarded by both EUCYS jury and the “Paths of Physics” contest jury will be presented in Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw during the event concluding the Discoveries 2016 Young Researchers’ Fe­stival. Starting 11 am you will be able to meet all runners of both contests nominated to finals. Start of the ceremony to announce winners and to award them is scheduled for noon. All interested are invited to second floor of the Copernicus Science Centre at 20, Wy­brze­że Ko­ściusz­kow­skie 20 str. in Warsaw on Sunday, April 10, 2016. Come and see the ceremony, as well as meet Polish young researchers!

The annual “Paths of Physics” contest is organized jointly by NCBJ (Świerk) and PAN Institute of Physics (Warsaw) under the patronage of several institutions, including Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Jagiellonian University (Cracow), and Polish Press Agency (PAP) for all students of secondary schools, high schools and technical colleges who are interested in physics. The contest enjoys great popularity.

Every “Paths of Physics” contest runner invited to take part in the contest final ceremony will receive a prize gift. Each high school graduate who has won the first, the second, or the third place in any contest category will be offered a special prize: right to enter the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Warsaw University or Bialystok University and to study astro­no­my, physics, biophysics, or computer sciences.