Scientific Imaginary

Welcome to the Scientific Imaginary of Trieste

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Our history and our values

The Scientific Imaginary and the 2030 agenda

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a program of action for people, planet and prosperity signed in September 2015 by the governments of the 193 UN member countries. It incorporates 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs - in a large action program for a total of 169 'targets' or goals. The official launch of the Sustainable Development Goals coincided with the beginning of 2016, guiding the world on the path to follow over the next 15 years: countries, in fact, have committed to achieving them by 2030. The Development Goals follow up on the results of the Millennium Development Goals that preceded them, and represent common objectives on a set of important issues for development: the fight against poverty, the eradication of hunger and the fight against climate change, to name just a few. 'Common objectives' means that they concern all countries and all individuals: no one is excluded, nor should they be left behind along the path necessary to take the world on the path to sustainability.

The research institutions of Trieste

A section that illustrates the science that was born and developed in the Trieste System, the large network of research institutions in the capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia: • AREA Science Park • Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste • ICGEB – International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology • ICTP – The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics • INAF – National Institute of Astrophysics, Astronomical Observatory of Trieste • INFN – National Institute of Nuclear Physics, Trieste Section • OGS – National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics • SISSA – International School of Advanced Studies • TWAS – The World Academy of Sciences for the scientific advancement of developing countries • University of Trieste

Pietro Pittini Foundation

The station at the Pietro Pittini Foundation is aimed at younger people, who can discover the educational paths and STEM skills to develop for their future work.

Sissa Medialab

The station, curated by Sissa Medialab, allows you to navigate interactively through the stories of the characters and institutions in the area.

Welcome to Imaginaire Scientifique

An immersive space in which to take a journey through the most evocative images of science. It is a reference to the origins of Immaginario Scientifico (Paris, 1986) and a tribute to its founder Paolo Budinich. L'Immaginario Scientifico was in fact created as a collection of images ("imaginary") of science ("scientific"): images that have always been a privileged vehicle for attracting, involving and inviting in-depth study.

Saipem

The Saipem area is dedicated to marine exploration and technologies. Here you can admire one of the first underwater robots (ROV) and a simulator that allows visitors to discover how it works. The exhibition is completed by two interactive exhibits which allow you to discover the functioning of OIE technologies and their use in environmental protection in the event of uncontrolled hydrocarbon spills.

The Siad group

The SIAD Group space is dedicated to gases, their fundamental laws and their applications in the field of water purification. Thanks to curious hands-on exhbits and small experiments it is possible to observe, for example, the behavior of gases in the presence of variations in temperature, volume or pressure, or in the case in which a vacuum is created.

AcegasApsAmga

An interactive station on the topic of sustainability and water treatment. By virtually exploring the Servola purifier, one of the most advanced purification plants in Europe, visitors can understand, for example, how it is possible to calibrate water treatments based on the sea's nutrient needs.

Between stars and planets: discover the section

A hard dome with a digital planetarium allows visitors to immerse themselves in fascinating tours of the vault of heaven and discover constellations, planets, the apparent movement of the sun, sunrises, sunsets, etc. Also on display in this section is a Zeiss reflector telescope from the INAF - Trieste Astronomical Observatory.

Stringimano

In the atrium we are greeted by an exhibit, Stringimano, which is a metaphor for the entire museum. Each visitor stretches out his or her hand to the centre of a hemispherical mirror, which returns the image of the hand upside down and inverted, giving the impression that it is the museum itself that welcomes and introduces itself.  The exhibit encapsulates the meaning of the tangible (one's own hand) and the intangible (its reflected image), preparing us for the mingling of what the museum proposes, a continuous transition between the tangible and the intangible, the known or the unknown, the intuitive or the astonishing.

Welcome to Trieste City of Science

A section to illustrate the science that was born and developed in "Trieste Citta della Scienza", the extensive network of research institutes that characterises the capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia, making it a unique case, not only in Italy but also internationally, for the concentration of institutes and the number of researchers. It is a story with deep and distant roots, as Trieste had a lively scientific presence as early as the 18th century, under Habsburg rule, with a number of institutes that have evolved into the organisations we know today.

Fenomena: welcome to the section

In this section, visitors can learn about the great laws of science with stations that allow them to experience various natural phenomena: water vortices, desert sand, the interaction of air with flying objects, the formation of soap bubbles, the fourth state of matter. The topics covered are: motion, fluids, electrostatics, magnetism and electromagnetism.

Welcome to the Innova section

The section deals with the theme of applied research and is realised in collaboration with some of the area's industrial realities of excellence that stand out for their level of innovation: AcegasApsAmga gruppo Hera, SIAD and SAIPEM.

Magazzino 26

Built in 1880, it is the largest warehouse in Trieste's Porto Vecchio. Its more than 30,000 square metres contain all the post-industrial charm typical of the city's old free port, with elements that underline its elegance and concreteness: exposed brickwork, wooden or concrete floors, iron beams, girders and cast-iron columns with Corinthian capitals. The restoration project, completed in 2008, has made it a suitable location for museums and cultural events.

Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste

A segment of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste's light machine is on display here.

Art or Science Exhibition

"Art or Science?" is the title of a photo competition organised in 2010-2019 by Immaginario Scientifico and the University of Trieste. The pictures submitted to the competition by numerous researchers active in the area were selected on the basis of their aesthetic value and are now on display in the museum.

Workshop laboratories

Complete with work tables and stocked with hundreds of tools and materials, both electronic and analogue, both new and recycled, it is a space where the public and schoolchildren can tinker, try, build, share ideas and projects; a space that will be dedicated to tinkering, creative building and coding.

ABC Labs - Environment Biology Chemistry

Two areas dedicated to natural sciences, where practical experience can be gained through both face-to-face demonstrations and group activities.