The Digital Challenges and the Second Crisis of the Analytical Paradigm

"Digital" is an adjective connected to such ubiquitous and deeply transformative effects of our reality that several languages transformed it into a noun. In common feeling such noun is connected to an elusive intangible substance, that can be manipulated through computers to obtain tangible effects in a way that was simply unthinkable of until a few years ago. It is difficult to obtain a positive definition of such noun, as it is almost always described by denial as a non-material substance. Such misconception makes a conversation about digital much more complicated, especially in the field of cultural heritage. It is therefore advisable to clarify the terminology before discussing the challenges inherent in the digital transformation process and their disruptive impact on the Analytical Paradigm.