On August 17, we once again remember the birthday Jana Šmardová would have celebrated (†August 31, 2023). Cooperation with Rádio Proglas produced the audio version of her unique book „What Tumors Teach Us“. What has happened around the book in the past year is described in this article by Jan Šmarda, who takes care of his wife’s legacy.
New Lectures and Podcasts
At the beginning of 2025, Prof. Jan Šmarda was invited to present the book What Tumors Teach Us in two lectures in Olomouc, at the Institute of Social Health of Palacký University. These lectures inspired the creation of a podcast, where the book, its importance, and the personality of the author are discussed in detail. “Thanks to the sensitive approach of the moderator, Dr. Marta Sýkorová, who is our former student, the whole interview is quite personal and I consider it very successful,” notes Prof. Jan Šmarda. A link to the podcast will be available shortly on the book’s website.
The Book Connects Scientific Chapters from Molecular Oncology with Social Science Reflections
The book, which is the subject of the aforementioned website, connects scientific sections in the field of molecular oncology with deep social science reflections. The lectures were one of the impulses for the production of the audiobook.
Audiobooks have become very popular in recent years because they offer a modern and convenient way to "read" even while commuting or during free time, and thanks to their accessibility, they significantly contribute to making science available to a broader spectrum of readers.
The Audiobook Was Recorded by Rádio Proglas Presenter and Editor Iva Horká and Actor Martin Novotný under the Direction of Zuzana Černá
Thanks to cooperation with Rádio Proglas, an audiobook was created (available only in Czech language), recorded by actor Martin Novotný (blue, scientific chapters) and presenter Iva Horká (orange, reflective parts). Interested listeners will soon be able to purchase it on the Slyš.to platform.
From October 13, 2025, listeners of Rádio Proglas will also be able to familiarize themselves with the book, as it will be broadcast in parts every day in the program University for Every Age.
Author’s Voice Created by Artificial Intelligence
However, only the orange, reflective chapters will be broadcast in full. The more complex, scientific parts were rewritten by Jan Šmarda into a more understandable and simpler form. “I prepared them in the form of an interview because the goal is not a dry scientific lecture but a lively, looser format, which I hope will also engage the general public,” he adds. “And at the end, we have prepared a surprise for listeners,” continues Jan Šmarda, “they will hear the voice of the author herself created by artificial intelligence, presenting her text ‘My Journey Behind the Image’.”
Proglas already referred to the book in March of this year, as can be heard in an interview with Jan Šmarda in the program Knihovnička.
Audiobook Supported by Faculty, Its Department of Experimental Biology, and the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences
The audiobook project received financial support from the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, its Department of Experimental Biology, and also the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. As Jan Šmarda says: "I am very glad that these institutions supported this activity without hesitation. It shows that they attach importance to the popularization of science and care about the professional legacy of their employees or collaborators who have contributed to spreading their good name."
Significance of the Audiobook for Science and Public
The audiobook is an important contribution to preserving and further spreading the legacy of Prof. Jana Šmardová. It enables the public, especially those who prefer audio format to reading text, to learn about the scientific aspects of carcinogenesis and at the same time about deeper social topics. “I believe the audiobook will bring new impulses and encourage reflection among listeners of all generations; this is exactly what Jana would have wanted,” concludes Jan Šmarda.
Course Biology of Tumors for Everyone or Cellular Philosophy
Interested students can still enroll in the very popular course Biology of Tumors for Everyone or Cellular Philosophy, which Jan Šmarda took over and lectures after Jana’s death (valid as of August 17, 2025, when the article was published).
The book What Tumors Teach Us is recommended literature for this course, which Jana Šmardová created and led for a long time. It has been open since 2013 to students of various fields and focuses on the connections between the behavior of tumor cells and diseases of modern civilization. By completing the course, participants gain not only a deeper understanding of how and why tumors develop but also better insight into the basic mechanisms of cell function in a healthy organism. The course is designed to promote awareness of the principles of stability and cooperation in complex systems, which can generally be applied to various living and social structures. In this way, it develops the ability to derive more general rules of organization and dysfunction of living systems, including human society, and thus contributes to a deeper interdisciplinary understanding of life processes and social phenomena.
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