Is This Already World War III? The New Conflicts Don't Look Like the Old Ones

Gideon Rachman: Global conflict is one of the main elements of world leaders' strategic thinking. Should we be ready for a new axis of evil? By Mateusz Mazzini and Gideon Rachman Mateusz Mazzini: You're about to publish a book on the risk of a new global war.

Anne Carson's Eros the Bittersweet: The Whirling Meaning of What we Read

Anne Carson, the Canadian poet and essayist, has for years been named among the leading contenders for the Nobel Prize in Literature. It's no wonder Polish publishers are showing growing interest in her books. By Monika Ochędowska Written in the mid-1980s, Eros the Bittersweet is both Carson&

A Botched Execution in the US. Where Does Barbarism Begin?

After nearly 30 years on death row, Christa Pike survived an attempted execution. Does the state have the right to try to kill her again? By Włodzimierz Wróbel On Wednesday, 30 September, Tennessee attempted to carry out the death sentence on Christa Pike, convicted in 1996 of murdering 19-year-

Living Like It's the Paleolithic: New Research Challenges the Dogmas of the Famous Paleo Diet

A Paleolithic lifestyle, involving giving up grains, dairy, and processed foods, still has its followers — though new archaeological discoveries make things awkward for them. By Łukasz Kwiatek It's 1987. The biologist Jared Diamond — already a respected scientist and science writer, but not yet the author of bestsellers like

Putin the Sage and the Fools of the West: What Can You Laugh At in Russia?

In Putin's neo-totalitarian, warmongering state, humor is permitted today only if it serves those in power. Russian émigré humor, meanwhile, remains in the grip of nostalgia. By Bartłomiej Mayer After Putin struck Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the unwritten rules about what kind of humor was acceptable

History Under Pressure: Peter Frankopan on How Nature Writes the Planet's History With Us

Peter Frankopan, historian: If we go back to the beginnings of recorded history, we'll notice that nearly all the world's great texts warn of some environmental catastrophe. By Jacek Stawiski and Peter Frankopan Jacek Stawiski: Your monumental book The Earth Transformed: An Untold History was published

And They Lived Happily Ever After as Friends: What Can We Say About Non-Romantic Love?

Loves me, likes me, respects me: love has many faces, and perhaps it's the unassuming second line of that daisy rhyme that holds the key to lasting happiness. By Olga Drenda "The most important thing is to like each other" — this recipe for a successful life

Living With Borderline: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and the Relief That Comes With Reaching Out for Help

Hurtful stereotypes, fear of rejection, and overwhelming emotions. This is what people with borderline personality disorder face every day. Monika, Ola, and Justyna tell us how they took back control of their lives. By Anna Korytowska "For me, borderline shows up mainly as very intense emotional experiences and as

The New Academic Year: A University Can No Longer Be a Diploma Factory

Universities have no chance of rising to the challenges of the future. So maybe they should play an entirely different role? By Mateusz Mazzini The turning point came on a particular autumn afternoon. We were, technically, still in one place — my twelve first-year journalism students and I — but beyond

Theologian Phyllis Zagano on the Diaconate of Women: There's No Theological Argument

Phyllis Zagano, theologian: The People of God have already decided on the diaconate of women, even though many Church leaders seem unwilling to accept it. By Dawid Gospodarek and Phyllis Zagano Dawid Gospodarek: You've documented fifty years of the work of Vatican commissions on the diaconate of women.

The Sound of Leonardo da Vinci

Sławomir Zubrzycki: From the very start, the instrument promised to be a revelation. According to Praetorius, the viola organista could play both town and country music, convey all kinds of feelings, and even imitate a drunk. By Jacek Ślusarczyk and Sławomir Zubrzycki Jacek Ślusarczyk: At a time when The Da

A Conversation With Olga Tokarczuk: On Her New Book, the Right to Forget, and an Epidemic of Stupidity