Synesthesia is a phenomenon where one experiences “seeing sound” or “hearing color.” Sounds weird, right?

Well, in an article in the Harvard Gazette, a visualization researcher and team of scientists and sound engineers are working on applying this concept to photos of astral bodies to make deep space images more accessible to those with significant visual impairments. The process is called data sonification.

By assigning various tones and musical instruments to represent visual data the team has added another dimension to some iconic deep space photographs, enriching the experience for all while increasing accessibility. Read the full article to learn more and listen to the images.  

Reference

Siliezar J. (2021) “Harvard scientist turns space images into music.” Harvard Gazette. January 25.

Share this

Recent Posts

President’s Message: Academy Teamwork

“Huh?” Is More Than an Interrogatory Palindrome!

Volunteer Spotlight: Riley DeBacker, AuD, PhD

Related Posts

“Huh?” Is More Than an Interrogatory Palindrome!

“Huh?” is used in at least 31 languages around the world! A version of the word can be found in nearly every language on Earth (Dingemanse et al, 2013). This research concluded that all languages studied included a word similar, in both sound and function, to the English “huh?” Regardless of language, the word is…

Read More

Another Useless Body Part…

If you have a dog or cat, you’ve probably seen their ears moving toward an interesting or startling sound. For professional equestrians, watching the ears of their horse allows them to gauge their shifting attention. Humans still have these same muscles, and even more interesting is their relationship to our brain and how we pay attention. …

Read More

Memorizing Movements: How Tai Chi Can Improve Balance and Cognition

Tai Chi is not just for increasing balance; it may also help improve cognitive performance. In a recent randomized controlled trial, study participants who practiced a form of Tai Chi twice a week for six months improved their scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) when compared to a control group (Fuzhong et al, 2023)….

Read More