Sylwester Kaliski

Sylwester Kaliski was a Polish engineer, professor and military general. He was a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). Born in Toruń, Kaliski was a specialist in the field of applied physics. He developed the theory of continuous amplification of ultra and hyper-sounds in semiconductive crystals and obtained plasma temperature of tens of millions of kelvins using laser impulse. He was also a prominent figure in the Polish military and political scene. He served as the rector of the Military Academy of Technology in Warsaw, the minister of science, higher education and technology, and a member of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party. He was also a deputy to the Sejm of the People's Republic of Poland. He died in Warsaw, Poland in a car crash in 1978. It has been speculated that Kaliski was killed by the Soviet KGB, as he headed the Polish clandestine program of developing thermonuclear devices intended for military use. The program began on orders from the highest levels of Polish communists and was reportedly opposed by the Soviet Union.