Why letting museum visitors smell horse manure might be good for conservation

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What does it take to make people genuinely care about endangered cultural heritage? According to a new study from researchers at Nagoya University and Gifu University in Japan, the answer might begin with something unexpected: the smell of horse manure. Their research, published in the Journal of Museum Education, found that structured multisensory experiences can shift public perception of heritage from something distant and extraordinary to something personally relevant.