Science & Technology / Technology & Society / Tech Ethics & Impact

Is 3D Scanning Destroying History? The Digital Heist of Your Heritage

Can’t Touch This: Digital Approaches to Materiality in Cultural Heritage

Chiara Palladino, Gabriel Bodard

We think digitizing ancient artifacts is a pure act of preservation. But what if every 3D scan, every high-res photo, and every digital archive is actually a subtle form of theft? This video dives into the book 'Can’t Touch This: Digital Approaches to Materiality in Cultural Heritage,' edited by Chiara Palladino and Gabriel Bodard, featuring insights from 17 global experts. We reveal how digital models are subjective filters that erase history, how Western data standards like XML force non-Western heritage into a colonial box, and how copyright laws allow museums to own the 'digital soul' of looted artifacts even after returning the physical object. From the hacked 3D scan of Nefertiti to the ethical horror of digitized human remains, we expose the hidden costs of our digital utopia. Watch to understand why the future of the past might be at risk.