Dr. Ivan L. F. Magalhaes
Outreach
Together with Patricia Trenti, Marcelo Miñana and Martín Ramírez, we have recently inaugurated a temporary exhibition for the public in the Natural History Museum in Buenos Aires entirely focused in spiders. "Invisible labyrinths: natural history of spiders and their webs" puts together giant models of these animals and their silky traps, and explores the interface between science and art. The room may be visited during the first months of 2023.
One of the most exciting parts of working in a natural history museum is the possibility of interacting with the public. At MACN, we have regular events (such as the Night of the Museums and the Haloween night) in which the scientists talk about their research and answer questions from the public. Many people dislike or are afraid of spiders; such interactions are very exciting as they provide an opportunity do tackle myths about these animals and make people more interested about their diversity and conservation.
We are also active in social networks. I help managing our lab's Facebook page. I am also on Twitter and iNaturalist; please feel free to tag me in your arachnid-related questions!
