New applied sciences area in Museu al carrer

The public engagement project Museu al carrer promoted by the National Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (mNACTEC), has added a new area focused on applied sciences. This new landscape brings together elements displaying how scientific knowledge is applied to the practical needs of an industrial society.

Street Museum brings together photographs and information covering the distinctive elements of industrial society to be found around the streets and landscapes of Catalonia, such as the former layout of highways, old petrol stations and train stations, former advertising hoardings and signs, traditional traders and elements of railway heritage. With this new landscape the project now covers elements in five spheres: transport and communications; advertising and information; trade; leisure, and applied sciences.

The project has added 1,300 elements since it was launched in November 2017, thanks to the involvement of 203 contributors. Involvement in the project has spread all around Catalonia, with the inclusion of elements in every Catalan district.

The new landscape

The applied science landscape is divided into five subsections:

• Geodesics: geodesic vertices and altitude markers
• Metrology: public elements to measure time, length, weight, volume and capacity.
• Meteorology: former meteorological columns and stations, weathervanes and anemometers, and other elements such as thermometers, lightning conductors and rainfall meters.
• Hydrography: level meters and scales, and hydrographic regime plaques.
• Other scientific and technological elements: public telephones and former phone boxes, telegraph distribution posts, and telescopes and binoculars.

  15 October 2020