Building on the success at the European Researchers’ Night in Turin, the META-MUSEUM team traveled to Milan this past November to participate in Focus Live, the premier science communication festival held at the historic Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci.
From November 7th to 9th, our researchers stepped into a space where the rationality of science meets the profound depth of human emotion—a theme perfectly captured by this year’s festival focus: “Passion.”
Bridging Science and the Human Experience
At the heart of the festival’s Experience Area, Politecnico di Torino hosted a vibrant stand titled “Connections that Transform – Water, Mind, Materials and Culture between Research and Innovation.” Collaborating with researchers from DAD Polito (Department of Architecture and Design) and VILNIUS TECH, our team presented our ongoing work on the transformative nature of cultural heritage. We didn’t just want to talk about our research; we wanted the public to feel it.
Real-Time Emotional Insights
The highlight of the weekend was the series of neuroscientific experiments and co-creation activities. Visitors were invited to participate in live demonstrations where they could observe their own real-time emotional responses to cultural stimuli.
By using wearable technology to track physiological signals, and a multi-sensored camera we provided a window into the “invisible” side of the museum experience. Over the course of the weekend, we engaged with more than 200 attendees, ranging from curious students to passionate museum lovers. This interaction allowed us to show that cultural heritage is not a static object from the past, but a living force that actively shapes our minds and emotions today.
The energy at the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia was inspiring. Seeing such a passionate public eager to explore the intersection of neuroscience and cultural heritage reinforces why we do this work. It was a fantastic opportunity to bring European research out of the university halls and directly into the hands (and minds) of the community.
Thank you to everyone who visited us in Milan! Your curiosity and participation are vital to the success of the META-MUSEUM project.