Jerzy Adam Gracjan Vetulani (; 21 January 1936 – 6 April 2017) was a Polish

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, neural circuits, and glial ...

pharmacologist Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemic ...

and biochemist,

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

natural sciences Natural science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer review and repeatab ...

, member of the

Polish Academy of Sciences The Polish Academy of Sciences ( pl, Polska Akademia Nauk, PAN) is a Polish state-sponsored institution of higher learning. Headquartered in Warsaw, it is responsible for spearheading the development of science across the country by a society o ...

and the

Polish Academy of Learning The Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences or Polish Academy of Learning ( pl, Polska Akademia Umiejętności), headquartered in Kraków and founded in 1872, is one of two institutions in contemporary Poland having the nature of an academy of scie ...

, one of the most frequently cited Polish scientists in the field of

biomedicine Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine)

after 1965. Associated with the Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, at which he was a professor, head of the Department of Biochemistry (1976–2006), deputy director for Science Affairs (1994–2002) and vice chairman of the Scientific Council (2003–2017), he published more than 240 original research papers. He first gained recognition for an early hypothesis of the mechanism of action of antidepressant drugs, suggesting in 1975 together with

Fridolin Sulser Fridolin Sulser (2 December 1926 – 3 January 2016) was a Swiss-American pharmacologist who specialized in the treatment of mental disorders. Life and work He was born in Grabs, Switzerland and grew up in the town of Maienfeld. He graduated ...

that

downregulation In the biological context of organisms' production of gene products, downregulation is the process by which a cell decreases the quantity of a cellular component, such as RNA or protein, in response to an external stimulus. The complementary pr ...

of beta- adrenergic receptors is responsible for their effects. At the time, Vetulani was a Research Associate Professor at the

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

(1973–1975). In 1983, he received Anna-Monika Prize for research on the mechanisms of the

electroconvulsive therapy Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a psychiatric treatment where a generalized seizure (without muscular convulsions) is electrically induced to manage refractory mental disorders.Rudorfer, MV, Henry, ME, Sackeim, HA (2003)"Electroconvulsive th ...

. Beside depression, his scientific interests included

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered ...

addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...

and neurodegeneration. He was active in the field of popular science and became a recognizable

science communicator Science communication is the practice of informing, educating, raising awareness of science-related topics, and increasing the sense of wonder about scientific discoveries and arguments. Science communicators and audiences are ambiguously def ...

in Poland. He headed the popular science magazine ''

Wszechświat ''Wszechświat'' ("The Universe") is a Polish popular-science magazine, currently issued as quarterly by Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists, supported by AGH University of Science and Technology and Polish Academy of Learning. History ''Ws ...

'' as its editor-in-chief (1981–2002), and was known for his popular lectures that gathered large audiences on various occasions. Since 2010 he ran a blog and social media channels, and authored several popular science books, some of which became bestsellers. In the

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million ne ...

, he was active in the democratic opposition and became a member of the Solidarity in 1980. In 2002 he unsuccessfully ran for the presidency of Kraków. Throughout his life, he engaged in several cultural and social initiatives. In his twenties, he was an announcer at

Piwnica pod Baranami The Piwnica pod Baranami ( en, The Basement, or the Cellar under the Rams) is a Polish literary cabaret located in Kraków, Poland. For over thirty years, in the People's Republic of Poland, Piwnica pod Baranami served as the most renowned politica ...

cabaret (1954–1961), and in his seventies he became a performer in the live magazine '' Gadający Pies'' (''The Talking Dog'', 2010–2015). He publicly argued for the

legalization of marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These ...

and wide depenalization of drugs for adult users, severely criticizing repressive

drug policy A drug policy is the policy regarding the control and regulation of psychoactive substances (commonly referred to as drugs), particularly those that are addictive or cause physical and mental dependence. While drug policies are generally implemen ...

of Poland and other countries. He was an atheist. An honorary fellow of Indian Academy of Neurosciences and Oxford Neurological Society,

honorary doctor An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

of the Medical University of Silesia and the

Medical University of Łódź The Medical University of Łódź was founded on October 1, 2002 as a merger of the Medical Academy of Łódź (founded January 1, 1950) and the Military Medical Academy of Łódź (founded July 1, 1958). It is the largest teaching hospital un ...

, he received numerous awards and state distinctions, including the Knight's Cross of

Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievement ...

Biography

1936–1952: Early years and rebellion

He was born on January 21, 1936 at the private gynecological hospital at Garncarska Street in

, Poland as the son of

Adam Vetulani Adam Joachim Vetulani (20 March 1901 – 25 September 1976) was a Polish historian of medieval and canon law, professor of the Jagiellonian University and a General Secretary of the Polish Academy of Learning (1957–58). Biography He was the ...

, Professor and head of the Department of Church Law at the Jagiellonian University, and Irena Latinik, a biologist and daughter of Polish Army general

Franciszek Latinik Franciszek Ksawery Latinik (17 July 1864 – 29 August 1949) was a Polish military officer, Colonel of Austro-Hungarian Army and Major General of the Polish Army. Graduate of the General Staff Academy in Vienna, from 1914 he was a commander of th ...

. In 1938 his younger brother Jan was born. The family occupied an apartment on the ground floor of the house of professors of the Jagiellonian University at Plac Inwalidów, employing a maid, cook and Olga Rutter, a child educator. As Nazi Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Adam Vetulani took part in the defense war. With his unit, he went to Romania and then to France, where he also fought on the front. Eventually he was interned in Switzerland, where he spent the rest of the war organizing school camps for Polish soldiers. The correspondence sent to the occupied Poland was signed by the Fraulein Kupfer alias. After the German army entered Cracow, Irena Vetulani and her sons had to leave the apartment. They were given forty-eight hours to move, with the possibility of keeping movable property. They moved to the premises at Garncarska Street 4, where Józefa Onitsch, the wife of General Zygmunt Zieliński, gave them refuge. The family was supported by Adam Vetulani's brother, Tadeusz, who has been living in Cracow during the war. Thanks to her good knowledge of German, Irena took up her job as a translator in the spirit monopoly. Jerzy and Jan remained in war years under the care of the mother who raised both sons "in a patriotic sense of honor". Every Sunday at home there was a "

mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

" and the family used to sing Polish Catholic patriotic song ''

Boże, coś Polskę ''Boże, coś Polskę'' is a Polish Catholic patriotic hymn. When Poland gained its independence in 1918, it competed with Mazurek Dąbrowskiego for the right to be the national anthem of Poland.St. Mary's Basilica. Vetulani recalled the war years as interesting, full of fascinating activity and exploring the surrounding world, undermining the collective, martyrological picture of despair and misery. Together with his younger brother and friend from the tenement house, Andrzej Mirocki, they founded an insect gatherer club. For the most spectacular and precious part of their collection, they recognized a diverse collection of butterflies. Mother never let children witness one of the street executions. Jerzy began his education in 1942 and immediately entered the second class of secret sets led by Mrs. Iwiczowa, as he was already able to read and write. From 1948 he attended the Henryk Sienkiewicz High School in Cracow, and then, after his liquidation,

Bartłomiej Nowodworski High School Bartłomiej Nowodworski High School (''I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bartłomieja Nowodworskiego''; unofficially known as: Nowodworek) in Kraków, Poland is one of the oldest secondary schools in Poland. Its current location is on Na Groblach Sq ...

, where he passed

matura or its translated terms (''Mature'', ''Matur'', , , , , , ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, C ...

in 1952, obtaining a certificate with a distinction for best pupils. Already as a teenager, Vetulani has completely walked away from religion. He described himself from a young age as "a rebel who did a lot of things in spite of his parents." At the age of twelve he enrolled in the Union of Polish Youth. He was removed from the organization as a result of a typo in the school newspaper article. In the text he mistakenly and unconsciously, instead of "the basis of socialism" (''podstawy socjalizmu''), he wrote "the washers of socialism" (''podsrawy socjalizmu''). Later he also joined the Atheists and Freethought Club. He belonged to the Revolutionary Youth Union, a formation of idealistic communists who were striving for reform of Polish communist system that they considered defective.

1952–1973: Studies, cabaret, Institute of Pharmacology

In 1952 he began his studies in biology at the Jagiellonian University (specializing in animal physiology), which he completed in 1957, defending his thesis on the effects of ascorbic acid on rabbit blood. In March 1956, he began a volunteer internshipat at the Department of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (later renamed the Institute of Pharmacology), where he has been working since, until the end of his life. Janusz Supniewski was head of the department at that time. In 1957, after obtaining master's degree, Vetulani was hired as an assistant. Later, also at the Jagiellonian University, he studied chemistry (specializing in theoretical chemistry). He graduated in 1963. As an exchange student he spent seven weeks in Swansea, where he worked at the

British Iron and Steel Research Association The British Iron and Steel Research Association or BISRA, formed in 1944, was the research arm of the British steel industry. It had headquarters in London, originally at 11 Park Lane, later moved to 24 Buckingham Gate, with Laboratories in Shef ...

. He rented a room at a senior Welsh marriage and studied English intensively; every day he bought an edition of ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print c ...

'' and underlined unknown words, that he later learned. He was one of the founders and permanent regulars of the

cabaret. In the mid-1950s, together with a group of friends: Edmund Jarosz, Bronisław Chromy and Lala Skąpska, he took part in the demolition of the basement at Palace Pod Baranami, which soon became room for the cabaret. In 1958, when Piotr Skrzynecki left for

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, Vetulani temporarily replaced him as a conference caller. It was in Piwnica that he met his future wife, Maria Pająk, whose appearance at the time he compared to

Marina Vlady Marina Vlady (born 10 May 1938) is a French actress. Biography Vlady was born in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine to White Russian immigrant parents. Her father was an opera singer and her mother was a dancer. Her sisters, now all deceased, were the ac ...

's. They married on 8 July 1963. Soon after that their sons Marek and

Tomasz Tomasz is a Polish language, Polish given name, the equivalent of Thomas (given_name), Thomas in English language, English. Notable people with the given name include: *Tomasz Adamek (born 1976), Polish heavyweight boxer *Tomasz Arciszewski (1877&n ...

were born, respectively in 1964 and 1965. They also have four grandchildren. In 1955–1962 he acted as a speaker at the Cracow Student Film Discussion Club. Vetulani admitted that "it was a good thing because "it taught him to speak short, interesting and fast". In 1972 he was a scientific consultant for the film ''Illumination'' directed by

Krzysztof Zanussi Krzysztof Pius Zanussi (born 17 June 1939) is a Polish film and theatre director, producer and screenwriter. He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop. He is ...

. After the death of his brother, who drowned during a canoeing on the

Dunajec River The Dunajec (); Goral dialects: ''Dónajec'') is a river running through northeastern Slovakia and southern Poland. It is also regarded as the main river of the Goral Lands. It is a right tributary of the Vistula River. It begins in Nowy Targ at t ...

in 1965, he mobilized to begin work on his Ph.D. dissertation. He obtained Ph.D. degree in natural sciences in 1966 from Ludwik Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy of the Polish Academy of Sciences upon dissertation ''The action of isoxazole and pyrazole derivatives on the metabolism of the animal system'' prepared under the direction of Professor Józef Hano. In the same year went to Great Britain for one year Riker scholarship. In the UK he worked on mastering spectrofluorimetric methods at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world's third oldest surviving university and one of its most pr ...

under the direction of

Arnold Burgen Sir Arnold Stanley Vincent Burgen Royal Society, FRS (20 March 1922 – 26 May 2022) was a British physician, pharmacologist, academic and university administrator. He was Master of Darwin College, Cambridge, from 1982–89, Deputy Vice-Chancel ...

. During his stay in Cambridge, he encountered Bożena Puchalska and Juliusz Hibner. After returning to Poland he started work in the field of psychopharmacology under the direction of Jerzy Maj.

1973–1989: In the orbit of world science. Opposition

After submitting a habilitation dissertation, he left to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

for almost two years. There, he worked from 1973 to 1975 as Research Associate Professor at the

. He gained international recognition after the discovery in 1975, with

, of β-downregulation by chronic administration of antidepressants and the formulation of β-downregulation hypothesis as a mechanism of action of antidepressants. The work on this subject, published by Vetulani and Sulser in ''

Nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

'', became citation classic, receiving 580 vocations by 2007. After his mother's death, he and his family decided to return to Poland. Vetulani received his habilitation degree in 1976 (upon work ''Neuroleptics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitors: their actions and synergies''), an associate professor in 1983, and a professor in 1989. In 1976, he was appointed Head of the Department of Biochemistry at Institute of Pharmacology. In the 1970s he translated several short stories by

Ursula le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

for magazine ''

Przekrój ''Przekrój'' (; ''Cross-section'') was the oldest Polish weekly newsmagazine in operation, established in 1945 in Kraków. After temporary closure in 2013, it was bought by photographer Tomasz Niewiadomski and subsequently relaunched in December ...

''. In ''Przekrój'' he also published short articles on his stay in the United States. Back in the 1960s he was offered regular work in ''Przekrój'' by its long-time editor-in-chief Marian Eile, but refused due to lack of possibility to combine scientific career with a full-time job as a columnist in a weekly. Since 1978 he has regularly collaborated with the

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche The National Research Council (Italian: ''Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR'') is the largest research council in Italy. As a public organisation, its remit is to support scientific and technological research. Its headquarters are in Rome. ...

(CNR, National Research Council) in Rome. On behalf of the Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences he was a coordinator of the joint research program of his home Institute with the Istituto di Biology Cellulare and Neurobiology (IBCN). When visiting Rome, he usually received an audience with

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, who was a student of his father and friend of the family. In 1983 Vetulani received International Anna-Monika Prize (2nd class) for his research on the mechanism of electroconvulsion. In years 1981–2002 he was the editor-in-chief of ''

'', one of the oldest Polish popular science magazines. He was also the editor-in-chief of the ''Polish Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacy'' (1993–1996). He obtained the title of associate professor in 1983 and the title of full professor in 1989. From 1980 he was an activist in the Solidarity movement. He was a member of the Solidarity Work Committee to the Department and Branches of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków and was the 56th member of the Coordinating Commission for Science. In 1987–1989 he was a member of the Solidarity's Board of the Małopolska Region, at the end of that period, from 1989 to 1990 he was a member of the Presidium of the Board. He mainly dealt with programming matters and advised organization's authorities in the region. In the work for Solidarity he took advantage of the position of the editor-in-chief of a scientific magazine; during the

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

he smuggled a letter from Solidarity's region authorities from Poland to Vatican, where he passed it to pope John Paul II. He thought this smuggling was possible only because he wasn't searched, as a person at such an important position, and accompanied in his travel to Italy then by Mieczysław Czuma, editor-in-chief of ''Przekrój''.

1989–2006: Late career and social activity

Vetulani was a member of

Solidarity Citizens' Committee The Solidarity Citizens' Committee (''Komitet Obywatelski "Solidarność"'', KO "S"), also known as Citizens' Electoral Committee (''Obywatelski Komitet Wyborczy'') and previously named the Citizens' Committee with Lech Wałęsa (''Komitet Obywate ...

(1989–1990) and Kraków Solidarity Club (1994–1995). Between 1992 and 1998 he was a member of the Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum. In 1999–2001 he was the President of the Polish Neuroscience Society. He also introduced Polish term for neurofibrillary tangles, which he called ''splątki neurofibrylarne''. In 1991 he was appointed a correspondent member of the

. He was appointed a full member in 1996. He regularly held meetings of the Scientific Cafe at the Polish Academy of Learning at Sławkowska Street 17, as the opening and moderator of the discussions. He was a member of the board of the Kraków Society of Friends of Fine Arts (2001–2017) and a member of the chapter of the Laurel of Kraków Award (also 2001–2017). He was a member of the board of the Society for the Advancement and Promotion of Science and member of the

Warsaw Scientific Society Warsaw Scientific Society (Polish: ''Towarzystwo Naukowe Warszawskie''; TNW) is a Polish scientific society based in Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital ...

and the European Dana Alliance for the Brain (EDAB). In 2002 he was appointed vice-chairman of the Scientific Council of the Insitiute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. In 2002 he was a founding member of the Forum for Małopolska Association and ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of the city of Kraków, obtaining 2375 votes (1.19%) in the first round of elections. In 2008 he was elected a correspondent member of the

. Over the years, he held various functions in the academy's structures. He was the secretary of the Committee of Physiological Sciences (1978–1981), chair of the Neurobiology Committee (2007–2011), a member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Experimental Biology (1993–2007) and the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine (2003–2007) of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

2006–2017: Towards popular science

In 2006, Vetulani left the position of head of the department of biochemistry of the Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and devoted himself to a large degree to popular science. In this field he was active already in the 1960s when he published short texts in ''Wszechświat'', as a rule signing articles with his own name or with pseudonym J. Latini. After 2000 he became known for his popular science lectures, which focused on themes connected with the functioning of

human brain The human brain is the central organ (anatomy), organ of the human nervous system, and with the spinal cord makes up the central nervous system. The brain consists of the cerebrum, the brainstem and the cerebellum. It controls most of the act ...

and the relationship between neuroscience and various social and cultural aspects. In 1999 he was a lecturer during the Cracow Brain Days, and since 2000 he has performed every year at the Cracow Brain Week organized as a part of World Brain Awareness Week. Since June 2010 Vetulani ran a

blog A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order s ...

titled ''Piękno neurobiologii'' (''The Beauty of Neuroscience'') on

WordPress WordPress (WP or WordPress.org) is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in hypertext preprocessor language and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database with supported HTTPS. Features include a plugin architecture ...

. There, he published articles on discoveries in the fields of neuroscience and psychopharmacology and comments on the curiosities of the human brain and, additionally, various cultural and social matters. The direct cause of the founding of the site was the removal of Vetulani's column in ''

Wprost ''Wprost'' (, meaning "Directly") is a Polish-language weekly news magazine published in Poznań, Poland.

'' magazine by the newly elected editor-in-chief

Tomasz Lis Tomasz Rafał Lis (born 6 March 1966 in Zielona Góra) is a Polish journalist and former TV anchor of “TVN Fakty” ("TVN Facts") and “Wydarzenia” ("Events"). Life and career Lis was born on 6 March 1966 in Zielona Góra to parents Stef ...

. As the main motivator for blogging Vetulani has pointed the desire to share his own knowledge with others. In a 2011 interview he said, "Soon, what's in my brain will kick the bucket, so I have to try to pass on to others as much as I can.". He chose this form of sharing his texts because of the ability to reach wide group of readers, as well as because of the independence and freedom of content and deadlines. Since December 2011, he has also run a channel on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

, on which has published videos and records of his lectures. Vetulani published several popular articles on the topic of neuroscience, he has often given interviews for various magazines and appeared in the radio and television, becoming, especially in the last decade of his life, a celebrity in science. After 1989 Vetulani politically sympathized with the center and the left. He has publicly supported specific candidats for public offices. In the 2010 presidential election in both rounds he supported

Bronisław Komorowski Bronisław Maria Komorowski (; born 4 June 1952) is a Polish politician and historian who served as President of Poland from 2010 to 2015. Komorowski served as Minister of Defence from 2000 to 2001. As Marshal of the Sejm, Komorowski exercis ...

and in the

parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

a year later Józef Lassota. In

2014 European Parliament election The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union, from 22 to 25 May 2014. It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties fielded candid ...

he supported Jan Hartman, expressing at the same time his solidarity with

Róża Thun Róża Maria Thun (Róża Maria Barbara Fürstin von Thun und Hohenstein, ''née'' Woźniakowska, born 13 April 1954), is a Polish politician, more usually known as Róża Thun than by her formal style of Countess and from 1990 her style changed ...

. Prior to the first round of presidential election in 2015, he supported

Janusz Palikot Janusz Marian Palikot (; born 26 October 1964) is a Polish politician, activist and businessman. Palikot studied philosophy and became wealthy as a businessman who dealt with crates and distilled beverages (dealt with international trade with ta ...

. In the same year, in the

he again supperted Lassota's candidature, congratulating him after obtaining a seat in the

Sejm The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...

. In the 2000s he lectured regularly at several colleges in Kraków. He was a Professor of the Małopolska Higher Vocational School of J. Dietl in Kraków, where he taught classes in cosmetology and dietetics (neurobiological aspect) and the School of Medicine in English at the Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum. He also lectured at the Faculty of Applied Psychology at the Jagiellonian University and at the

Pontifical University of John Paul II The Pontifical University of John Paul II ( pl, Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawła II w Krakowie) is an academic institution located in Kraków, Poland, that offers graduate degrees in theology, philosophy, and church history. It derived from the ...

. In 2010 he performed in a

lip dub A lip dub is a type of music video that combines lip synching and audio dubbing to make a music video. It is made by filming individuals or a group of people lip synching while listening to a song or any recorded audio then dubbing over it in p ...

created by the community of Jagiellonian University. He appeared in its opening sequence as a grandfather of a little girl, the main character in the clip. Also from 2010 Vetulani regularly appeared on the stage of the talking magazine '' Gadający Pies'' (''The Talking Dog''), of which he became one of the main attractions and recognizable signs over time. One of the showrunners, Maciej Piotr Prus, described Vetulani as "the star of the first magnitude", adding that all participants were always waiting for his speeches. Vetulani compared the atmosphere of ''The Talking Dog'' to the ambience present in the beginnings of Piwnica pod Baranami. In his short presentations, the scientist used obscene humor and vulgarity, which some considered to be a violation of good taste, but most of the audience was enthusiastic to this kind of performance. In 2013 Vetulani performed and was the executive producer of the short film ''Hydrophobia'', a

mockumentary A mockumentary (a blend of ''mock'' and ''documentary''), fake documentary or docu-comedy is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on c ...

that ridiculed social phobias and premiered also at ''The Talking Dog''. He co-created the performance ''Dreams Music'' directed by Czet Minkus, where he performed alongside

Jan Peszek Jan Peszek (born 13 February 1944) is a Polish theatre, film, and television actor. Although primarily involved in theatre work, he has appeared in more than sixty films since 1970. He is most well known for his work with dramaturgist Bogusław S ...

and Agata Zubel; the show was presented on December 19, 2013, in the Małopolska Garden of Art (MOS). In 2010 and 2015 Vetulani performed with Leszek Długosz with a concert program ''Rozumie mój'' (''Oh, My Mind''), in which poetry sung by Długosz was exchanged with Vetulani's neuroscience commentary. On December 31, 2014, he was appointed a member of the Program Board of the Station in Rome of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Since 2014, he has been supporting auctions of the

Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (GOCC, Polish ''Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy'', WOŚP) is the biggest, non-governmental, non-profit, charity organization in Poland raising money for pediatric and elderly care. The GOCC Foundatio ...

; he devoted for auctions signed books and the opportunity to meet him at coffee or dinner. In 2015 and 2017 he was in the Honorary Committee of the

Parada Równości Equality Parade ( pl, Parada Równości) is an LGBT community pride parade held in Warsaw since 2001, usually in May or June. It has attracted at least several thousand attendees each year; 20,000 attendees (the largest number of any year prio ...

(Equality Parade, pride parade held in Warsaw). Following the rule of Law and Justice party in Poland he sharply criticized their reforms, expressing his support for some of the actions undertaken by the

Committee for the Defence of Democracy The Committee for the Defence of Democracy, CDD ( pl, Komitet Obrony Demokracji, ''KOD'') is a Polish-born civic organization and NGO which among its goals includes promoting the European values, especially democracy, rule of law, and human ...

; he participated in the protest against taking over public media by the ruling party in January 2016, saying that although he found some parts of the protest "rather of primitive character", he "had the fantastic atmosphere of the event: in spite of the January chill – the crowds of old and young full of energy, each step you meet a friend (...). The event had both high civic and social value". Invited by students, he participated in the protest on the Main Market Square in Kraków in January 2017. He also supported Black Protest, what he manifested by simply wearing black clothes. In November 2016, an exhibition of photographs by Adam Golc from Vetulani's eightieth birthday party, that Vetulani organized in his home hosting at once around one hundred and eighty people, was opened at the Galeria Olympia. During Vetulani's party, Golec portrayed the guests in a specially prepared mini-studio, on the background painted by Iwona Siwek-Front.

Accident and death

On March 2, 2017, in the evening, Vetulani, who was at the age of 81, was hit by an automobile at the pedestrian crossing receiving serious injuries. Vetulani was walking home from his regular place of work, the Institute of Pharmacology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, taking a route he knew very well. Directly after the accident he was put into a pharmacological coma, and his condition was determined as severe but stable. He was being treated at the Emergency Medicine Rescue and Disaster Center at the Szpital Uniwersytecki (University Hospital) in Kraków, under the supervision of the team of Professor Jerzy Wordliczek. Vetulani's health, however, did not improve and he died in the hospital on April 6, 2017. He was buried on April 18, 2017, in the Avenue of the Meritorious at the

Rakowicki Cemetery Rakowicki Cemetery (English: ; pl, Cmentarz Rakowicki) is a historic necropolis and a cultural heritage monument located on 26 Rakowicka Street in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It lies within the Administrative District No. 1 ''Stare Miasto'' ...

in Kraków. Aleksander Janicki, visual artist and Vetulani's friend was the master of the ceremony which was carried out in a secular rite. Among the speakers at the funeral were Mayor of Kraków

Jacek Majchrowski Jacek Maria Majchrowski (born 13 January 1947 in Sosnowiec) is a Polish politician, lawyer, historian, professor at the Jagiellonian University, and the current mayor of Kraków since 2002; making him the longest serving mayor in the history of ...

, president of the Polish Academy of Learning Andrzej Białas, Member of the Sejm Józef Lassota, and also friends and family of the late scientist. His wife Maria Vetulani died few months later, on September 21, 2017.

Views

As crucial in shaping his worldview, Vetulani pointed ''

The Naked Ape ''The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal'' is a 1967 book by English Zoology, zoologist and ethology, ethologist Desmond Morris that looks at humans as a species and compares them to other animals. ''The Human Zoo (book), The Hu ...

'' by English zoologist

Desmond Morris Desmond John Morris FLS ''hon. caus.'' (born 24 January 1928) is an English zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter, as well as a popular author in human sociobiology. He is known for his 1967 book '' The Naked Ape'', and for his televis ...

. He first came across Morris's work in Cambridge in 1967 and said: "Thanks to this book for the first time I saw that you could approach a man like a normal animal species. (...) I realized at that time how ridiculous is a man who, as an animal instead of on all fours, is walking on two legs. How funny we look, hairless almost all over the body. (...) I also got rid of the belief in the superuniqueness of Homo sapiens". Vetulani defined the source of happiness and fulfillment of life, considered from the perspective of biology, as the immortalization of one's own genes by passing them on to the next generations. He often referred to

Theodosius Dobzhansky Theodosius Grigorievich Dobzhansky (russian: Феодо́сий Григо́рьевич Добржа́нский; uk, Теодо́сій Григо́рович Добржа́нський; January 25, 1900 – December 18, 1975) was a prominent ...

's well-known quotation and the title of one of Dobzhansky's works: ''

Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution "Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" is a 1973 essay by the evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky, criticising anti-evolution creationism and espousing theistic evolution. The essay was first published in '' ...

''. Vetulani was close to the philosophy of

utilitarianism In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals. Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different chara ...

of John Stuart Mill; he said: "Moral is what serves to increase the happiness of mankind. There is only one problem – unfortunately we have no way of summing up that happiness". He was a fan of

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

literature, and especially of authors such as

Ursula K. Le Guin Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

, Isaac Asimov,

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

and

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

. As his motto he adopted a phrase from Asimov's ''

Foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

'': "May your moral sense never lead you to make a wrong decision".

Selected works

Original research papers

* * * * *

Monographs and booklets

* 1964: ''Półprzewodniki organiczne'' (co-authors: Krzysztof Pigoń, Kazimierz Gumiński, Wydawnictwa Naukowo-Techniczne) * 1996: ''Teoria a praktyka leczenia depresji'' (editor, published by Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum) * 2006: ''Narkotyki bez dydaktyki'' (free supplement to the weekly "

Polityka ''Polityka'' (, ''Politics'') is a centre-left weekly news magazine in Poland. With a circulation of 200,050 (as of April 2011), it was the country's biggest selling weekly, ahead of ''Newsweek''s Polish edition, '' Newsweek Polska'', and '' W ...

") * 2012: ''Farmakoterapia depresji – współczesne podstawy teoretyczne i doświadczenia kliniczne'' (editor, with Janusz Heitzman, published by Termedia)

Popular science books

* 1985: ''Dzień dzisiejszy i jutro neurobiologii'' (

Ossolineum Ossoliński National Institute ( pl, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, ZNiO), or the Ossolineum is a Polish cultural foundation, publishing house, archival institute and a research centre of national significance founded in 1817 in Lwów (now L ...

) * 1993: ''Jak usprawnić pamięć'' (Wydawnictwo Platan) :The book was reissued twice (in 1995 and 1998). Sławomir Zagórski, a journalist of ''

Gazeta Wyborcza ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It is the first Polish daily newspaper after the era of " real socialism" and one of Poland's newspapers of record, covering the ...

'', in a review of the book called it a page-turner. Małgorzata Czartoszewska of journal ''Życie Warszawy'' pointed its "usefulness and universality". * 2010: ''Mózg: fascynacje, problemy, tajemnice'' (Wydawnictwo Homini, edited by Krzysztof Bielawski) – Kraków Book of the Month Award (January 2011) * 2011: ''Piękno neurobiologii'' (Wydawnictwo Homini) :The book was published as a continuation of ''Mózg: fascynacje, problemy, tajemnice'' and contains mainly commentaries and interviews distributed in the media; apart from the scientific subjects, there are threads about the biography of the author. The title was taken from both the Vetulani blog and the interview conducted by Maria de Hernandez Paluch for the monthly ''Kraków''. Sławomir Zagórski described in ''Gazeta Wyborcza'' the two books published by Homini as "extremely interesting". * 2015: ''Bez ograniczeń. Jak rządzi nami mózg'' (with Maria Mazurek,

PWN Leet (or "1337"), also known as eleet or leetspeak, is a system of modified spellings used primarily on the Internet. It often uses character replacements in ways that play on the similarity of their glyphs via reflection or other resemblance. ...

) * 2016: ''A w konopiach strach'' (with Maria Mazurek, PWN) * 2017: ''Sen Alicji, czyli jak działa mózg'' (with Maria Mazurek, WAM Publishing House, posthumous edition) :Literally translated as ''Alice's Dream, or How the Brain Works'', a book for children awarded the "Wise Book of the Year" Award for the best popular science book of 2017 in two categories: award from the Jagiellonian University academic community and the Euclid Foundation for the Advancement of Science, and the online audience award. The book became a bestseller in Poland, selling until October 2018 in more than forty thousand copies. The Czech translation of the book was published on October 25, 2018, and translations into Russian, German and French were also started. * 2018: ''Neoroerotyka. Rozmowy o seksie i nie tylko'' (with Maria Mazurek, Znak, posthumous edition)

Interviews

* 2015: ''Mózg i błazen'' (interviewed by Marcin Rotkiewicz, published by Wydawnictwo Czarne) * 2017: ''Ćwiczenia duszy, rozciąganie mózgu'' (in conversation with a Catholic priest Grzegorz Strzelczyk, edited by Michał Jędrzejek, published by Znak)

Translations

* 2010: Carlton K. Erickson, ''The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment'' (Polish translation published by Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego)

Awards and honors (selection)

* Awards of the Scientific Secretary of the Polish Academy of Sciences (team, 1972, 1977); * Awards of the Faculty of Medicine of the Polish Academy of Sciences (as team leader, 1982, 1986, 1992); * Gold Badge of the Copernicus Polish Society of Naturalists (1986); * International Anna-Monika Prize (2nd class, 1983); * Gold badge of the Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists (1986); * an honorary member of the Indian Academy of Neurosciences (1988); * Gold Cross of Merit (1990); * Nicolaus Copernicus Scientific Award (1996); * an honorary member of the Polish Copernicus Society of Naturalists (1996); * Jerzy Konorski Award (2001); *

Prime Minister of Poland The President of the Council of Ministers ( pl, Prezes Rady Ministrów, lit=Chairman of the Council of Ministers), colloquially referred to as the prime minister (), is the head of the cabinet and the head of government of Poland. The responsibi ...

Award for the entirety of his scientific achievements (2003); * Knight's Cross of Polonia Restituta (2004); * Honoris causa degree from the Medical University of Silesia (2004); * Jędrzej Śniadecki Medal for the entirety of his research in the field of psychopharmacology (2006); * an honorary member of Polish Neuroscience Society (2007); * Honoris causa degree from the

(2008); * Honoris Gratia badge from the mayor of the Royal Capital City of Kraków (2009); * Kraków Book of the Month (January 2011); * Zbyszek Thielle Award from Polish Drug Policy Network "for uncompromising support with his scientific authority for the efforts to humanize Polish drug policy, for attitude of deep understanding of the problems of people who use and depend on psychoactive substances, for work and activities for the introduction of medical cannabis and the defense of the civil rights of its users" (2011); * Rationalist of the Year from Polish Rationalists Society (2012); * Special Award for in the competition "Science Popularizer" organised by PAP and the

Ministry of Science and Higher Education {{Unreferenced, date=March 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A Ministry of Higher Education is a government department that focuses on the provision or regulation of institutions of higher education. In some countries these exist as ministries compounde ...

the entirety of his popular work; justification stated that the scientist "brings to the reader not only the latest findings of neuroscientists, but also the socially important conclusions of these studies" (2012); * ''

Gazeta Krakowska The ''Gazeta Krakowska'', (full title ''Polska Gazeta Krakowska'') is the largest regional daily newspaper in Kraków, Poland, published five times a week in that city. Gazeta Krakowska was established on 15 February 1949. It features articles abo ...

'' Man of the Year (2014); * Medal for Long Marital Life (2014); * Starost of

Gorlice Gorlice ( uk, Горлиці, translit=''Horlytsi'') is a city and an urban municipality ("gmina") in south eastern Poland with around 29,500 inhabitants (2008). It is situated south east of Kraków and south of Tarnów between Jasło and Nowy S� ...

Award (2016); * Honorary Fellow of the Oxford Neurological Society (2017).

Family tree

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

''Piękno neurobiologii'' blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vetulani, Jerzy 1936 births 2017 deaths Polish biochemists Polish neuroscientists Polish pharmacologists Members of the Polish Academy of Sciences Members of the Polish Academy of Learning Polish editors Physicians from Kraków Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Jagiellonian University alumni Academic staff of Jagiellonian University Vanderbilt University faculty Polish bloggers Male bloggers Polish people of Italian descent Polish atheists Solidarity (Polish trade union) activists Science communicators