Exhibitions
From bats to medicine, the exhibition that reveals the power of ultrasound
The MNACTEC will reopen its doors on September 18 with an interactive exhibition that traces the evolution of ultrasound from its observation in nature to its medical applications.
The National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC) will reopen its doors on September 18, 2026, after a period of closure for works, with one of its temporary exhibitions dedicated to a technology that has transformed the way the human body is explored and treated. Ultrasound: from nature to medicine proposes a journey to discover what these waves are and how they have gone from being a tool for observing nature to becoming an essential resource in contemporary medicine.
The exhibition explains how research into the ability of some animals to navigate using sounds, along with the development of maritime navigation, the exploration of the seabed and various industrial needs, contributed to the knowledge and development of ultrasound. A process that would end up opening the door to numerous applications in the study and treatment of the human body.
Today, ultrasound is part of diagnostic tests as common as ultrasound, but it is also applied in more advanced techniques such as ultrasound contrast and elastography. In the therapeutic field, it is present in physiotherapy and rehabilitation and is fundamental in procedures such as lithotripsy, which allows the destruction of renal lithiasis, popularly known as kidney stones. The exhibition also looks to the future and presents histotripsy, a technique based on ultrasound that allows the destruction of certain tissues or tumors and which is in the process of being incorporated into medical practice.
One of the main attractions of the exhibition is precisely the possibility of understanding ultrasound through experimentation. Among the different interactive proposals, the recreation of a bat cave stands out. Visitors enter with their eyes completely covered and must find the exit by orienting themselves using a device that simulates the echolocation system of these animals.
The tour is divided into four areas that allow us to follow the evolution of ultrasound from its natural dimension to the most advanced applications: the observation of nature, the physical bases, diagnostic applications and therapeutic applications.
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