Understanding people's interaction with neural Sci-Art

Abstract

Recent studies in cognitive neuroscience have discovered a complex neural network that activates when not performing a task. Every time the mind wanders and an inner conversation takes place, a series of brain regions work together to achieve some very important mental processes. These regions conform the default mode network (DMN), and its study has become critical for understanding how consciousness operates. With the intention to introduce this novel scientific finding to a non-expert audience and motivated by related works that combine science and art, we designed and implemented Default Stories: a work in progress of an interactive and immersive experience on the web. Using features of web interactive documentaries (i-docs), we present the main characteristics and relevance of the DMN in a language that can be understood by almost anyone. This website was published and available online for a month, where we collected navigation data (n=98) and analyzed the interaction between users and the interface. After this study, we were able to detect patterns on the interactions and intersect the findings with how the audience perceives and understands the presented subject. This work will serve as a starting point for new projects that present complex scientific research to non-expert public, by using interactive web experiences.