Il progetto Natural History di Google Arts & Culture: una prestigiosa vetrina per i musei scientifici nell'era digitale

Google Arts & Culture is a digital collection of images and e-contents from more than 1000 museums and archives all over the world that have collaborated with Google Cultural Institute to make the cultural heritage of mankind freely accessible online to everyone. After an initial focus on the arts, this virtual gallery has later subsumed other disciplines, including the sciences. Natural History content was launched on 13th September 2016: more than 100 exhibitions and over 300,000 digital specimens are available for free on g.co/naturalhistory. Sixty scientific institutions from 16 countries took part in the event: Accademia dei Fisiocritici, which already has experience with new technologies to disseminate scientific knowledge, was among them. Visitors can explore its Museum of Natural History through two interactive slideshows, with texts and audio files in Italian and English. The first is a virtual tour of the whole museum itinerary that describes its sections, particular specimens and exhibits. The second allows users to explore some of the most evocative areas of the Museum in more detail with the help of a cardboard viewer and indoor Street View technology (360° panoramic views). The launch of Natural History had huge media coverage promoted by Google and will certainly enhance the global visibility of science museums and their educational role.