Visualizzazioni e rappresentazioni sensoriali della scienza non visibile

Scientific visualization is the visual representation of data, in order to better understand and illustrate them. The displayed data is any quantitative information, resulting from observation, abstraction or calculation. The display process implies a set of rules for encoding information in a visual form. Normally the code is complex, in order to better compromise between the fidelity of representation and the limits of the medium used to represent it; not infrequently, however, it is tacit. In cases where the visual representation is densely figurative (i.e. a clear imitation of reality), this can lead to mistake signifier for signified, or to misinterpret the represented data, due to the analogy of the representation with real experience. This misunderstanding may be particularly risky in cases where the object of the visual representation is something physical, but inaccessible to the eye and to optical instruments. We argue that in the case of more arbitrary and less figurative representations, the fruition is more conscious, also allowing to overcome some of the cognitive limits of visual representations. We investigate whether it is possible, and maybe even more suitable, to create sensorial representations that do not use the view, therefore we studied the potential of such representations. This study led to the realization of a tactile and acoustic map of radio waves emitted from celestial objects in a region of the sky, using tactile and auditory parameters not necessarily corresponding to visual analogues. The experiment, carried out also with visually impaired users, showed a significant effect in terms of transfer of information and involvement of a disabled audience, presenting interesting cues for future research in education, implementations for science centers and creation of integrations projects about sensory impairment.