Extended Reality in Science Communication and Cultural Heritage Representation: Challenges and Opportunities

Extended Reality (XR) has undergone significant transformations in recent decades. Although it remains an evolving medium with technical and methodological challenges, XR is increasingly positioned as a strategic vehicle for knowledge transfer. Its capacity for graphical representation and immersive communication makes it a research area with strong transformative potential.In the field of scientific visualization, XR can act as a catalyst for convergence between seemingly divergent disciplines. While this trend has already emerged in other, primarily digital, media, XR offers unique pathways and mechanisms for representing information. Its interactive and often three-dimensional nature allows information to be arranged and experienced spatially, opening narrative possibilities that traditional media cannot offer.This Research Topic will bring together multidisciplinary studies with a strong applied focus. Although Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) are the most common technologies under the XR umbrella, we aim to cover the full XR ecosystem, including 360° video and Cinematic VR.We invite contributions that explore knowledge representation in two main areas:• science communication and dissemination • the representation and preservation of cultural heritage, including artistic, archaeological, and intangible forms.We invite contributions that explore the potential of XR technologies to address complex communication challenges or expand access to information across the following themes:• theoretical foundations of information representation• evaluation of impact and communicative effectiveness• emerging narratives• production models, workflows, and project management• democratization and accessibility• data visualization and representation• use cases• ethical and professional challenges• user experience studies• levels of realism versus impact• comparative analysis of knowledge representation effectiveness between traditional and immersive media• co-creation and participatory design in science and heritage• communicative approach in the design and development of extended reality experiences• immersive reconstruction and visualization of tangible and intangible heritage• XR applied to museography, cultural mediation, and heritage education• digital preservation, cultural memory, and archives in XR environments.We also welcome contributions that reflect on the growing role of intermediaries and agents in the visual representation of information and knowledge, and on how these mediators may reshape the relationship between human perception and action.Information and Instructions for AuthorsManuscript summaries (Frontiers' name for abstracts) of up to 500 words will be considered until 20 December 2026. Authors are strongly encouraged to submit a manuscript summary before submitting a full manuscript. Topic editors: Jose Luis Rubio-Tamayo, Juan Romero-Luis, Sara Pérez-Seijo, Mario Barro-Hernández Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79628/extended-reality-in-science-communication-and-cultural-heritage-representation-challenges-and-opportunities