TED2016
Wanda Diaz Merced: How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars
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Wanda Diaz Merced studies the light emitted by gamma-ray bursts, the most energetic events in the universe. When she lost her sight and was left without a way to do her science, she had a revelatory insight: the light curves she could no longer see could be translated into sound. Through sonification, she regained mastery over her work, and now she's advocating for a more inclusive scientific community. "Science is for everyone," she says. "It has to be available to everyone, because we are all natural explorers."
Wanda Diaz Merced - Sonic astrophysicist
While searching for ways to study stellar radiation without relying on sight, Wanda Diaz Merced has developed a way to represent complex data about our universe as sound. Full bio
While searching for ways to study stellar radiation without relying on sight, Wanda Diaz Merced has developed a way to represent complex data about our universe as sound. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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Once there was a star.
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Like everything else, she was born;
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grew to be around 30 times
the mass of our sun
the mass of our sun
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and lived for a very long time.
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Exactly how long,
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people cannot really tell.
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Just like everything in life,
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she reached the end
of her regular star days
of her regular star days
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when her heart, the core of her life,
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exhausted its fuel.
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But that was no end.
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She transformed into a supernova,
and in the process
and in the process
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releasing a tremendous amount of energy,
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outshining the rest of the galaxy
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and emitting, in one second,
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the same amount of energy
our sun will release in 10 days.
our sun will release in 10 days.
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And she evolved
into another role in our galaxy.
into another role in our galaxy.
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Supernova explosions are very extreme.
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But the ones that emit gamma rays
are even more extreme.
are even more extreme.
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In the process of becoming a supernova,
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the interior of the star collapses
under its own weight
under its own weight
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and it starts rotating ever faster,
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like an ice skater when pulling
their arms in close to their body.
their arms in close to their body.
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In that way, it starts rotating very fast
and it increases, powerfully,
and it increases, powerfully,
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its magnetic field.
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The matter around the star
is dragged around,
is dragged around,
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and some energy from that rotation
is transferred to that matter
is transferred to that matter
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and the magnetic field
is increased even further.
is increased even further.
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In that way, our star had extra energy
to outshine the rest of the galaxy
to outshine the rest of the galaxy
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in brightness and gamma ray emission.
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My star, the one in my story,
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became what is known as a magnetar.
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And just for your information,
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the magnetic field of a magnetar
is 1,000 trillion times
is 1,000 trillion times
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the magnetic field of Earth.
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The most energetic events
ever measured by astronomers
ever measured by astronomers
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carry the name gamma-ray bursts
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because we observe them
as bursts most or explosions,
as bursts most or explosions,
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most strongly measured as gamma-ray light.
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Our star, like the one in our story
that became a magnetar,
that became a magnetar,
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is detected as a gamma-ray burst
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during the most energetic
portion of the explosion.
portion of the explosion.
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Yet, even though gamma-ray bursts
are the strongest events
are the strongest events
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ever measured by astronomers,
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we cannot see them with our naked eye.
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We depend, we rely on other methods
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in order to study this gamma-ray light.
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We cannot see them with our naked eye.
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We can only see
an itty bitty, tiny portion
an itty bitty, tiny portion
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of the electromagnetic spectrum
that we call visible light.
that we call visible light.
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And beyond that, we rely on other methods.
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Yet as astronomers,
we study a wider range of light
we study a wider range of light
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and we depend on other methods to do that.
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On the screen, it may look like this.
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You're seeing a plot.
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That is a light curve.
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It's a plot of intensity
of light over time.
of light over time.
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It is a gamma-ray light curve.
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Sighted astronomers
depend on this kind of plot
depend on this kind of plot
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in order to interpret how
this light intensity changes over time.
this light intensity changes over time.
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On the left, you will be seeing
the light intensity without a burst,
the light intensity without a burst,
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and on the right, you will be seeing
the light intensity with the burst.
the light intensity with the burst.
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Early during my career,
I could also see this kind of plot.
I could also see this kind of plot.
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But then, I lost my sight.
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I completely lost my sight
because of extended illness,
because of extended illness,
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and with it, I lost
the opportunity to see this plot
the opportunity to see this plot
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and the opportunity to do my physics.
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It was a very strong transition
for me in many ways.
for me in many ways.
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And professionally, it left me
without a way to do my science.
without a way to do my science.
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I longed to access and scrutinize
this energetic light
this energetic light
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and figure out the astrophysical cause.
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I wanted to experience
the spacious wonder, the excitement,
the spacious wonder, the excitement,
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the joy produced by the detection
of such a titanic celestial event.
of such a titanic celestial event.
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I thought long and hard about it,
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when I suddenly realized
that all a light curve is,
that all a light curve is,
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is a table of numbers
converted into a visual plot.
converted into a visual plot.
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So along with my collaborators,
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we worked really hard and we translated
the numbers into sound.
the numbers into sound.
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I achieved access to the data,
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and today I'm able to do physics
at the level of the best astronomer,
at the level of the best astronomer,
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using sound.
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And what people have been able to do,
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mainly visually,
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for hundreds of years,
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now I do it using sound.
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(Applause)
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Listening to this gamma-ray burst
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that you're seeing on the --
(Applause continues)
(Applause continues)
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Thank you.
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Listening to this burst
that you're seeing on the screen
that you're seeing on the screen
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brought something to the ear
beyond the obvious burst.
beyond the obvious burst.
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Now I'm going to play the burst for you.
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It's not music, it's sound.
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(Digital beeping sounds)
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This is scientific data
converted into sound,
converted into sound,
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and it's mapped in pitch.
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The process is called sonification.
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So listening to this
brought something to the ear
brought something to the ear
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besides the obvious burst.
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When I examine the very strong
low-frequency regions,
low-frequency regions,
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or bass line -- I'm zooming
into the bass line now.
into the bass line now.
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We noted resonances characteristic
of electrically charged gasses
of electrically charged gasses
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like the solar wind.
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And I want you to hear what I heard.
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You will hear it as a very fast
decrease in volume.
decrease in volume.
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And because you're sighted,
I'm giving you a red line
I'm giving you a red line
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indicating what intensity of light
is being converted into sound.
is being converted into sound.
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(Digital hum and whistling sound)
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The (Whistles) is frogs at home,
don't pay attention to that.
don't pay attention to that.
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(Laughter)
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(Digital hum and whistling sound)
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I think you heard it, right?
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So what we found
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is that the bursts last long enough
in order to support wave resonances,
in order to support wave resonances,
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which are things caused by exchanges
of energy between particles
of energy between particles
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that may have been excited,
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that depend on the volume.
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You may remember that I said
that the matter around the star
that the matter around the star
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is dragged around?
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It transmits power with frequency
and field distribution
and field distribution
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determined by the dimensions.
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You may remember that we were talking
about a super-massive star
about a super-massive star
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that became a very strong
magnetic field magnetar.
magnetic field magnetar.
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If this is the case, then outflows
from the exploding star
from the exploding star
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may be associated
with this gamma-ray burst.
with this gamma-ray burst.
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What does that mean?
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That star formation
may be a very important part
may be a very important part
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of these supernova explosions.
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Listening to this very gamma-ray burst
brought us to the notion
brought us to the notion
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that the use of sound
as an adjunctive visual display
as an adjunctive visual display
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may also support sighted astronomers
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in the search for more
information in the data.
information in the data.
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Simultaneously, I worked on analyzing
measurements from other telescopes,
measurements from other telescopes,
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and my experiments demonstrated
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that when you use sound
as an adjunctive visual display,
as an adjunctive visual display,
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astronomers can find more information
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in this now more accessible data set.
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This ability to transform data into sound
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gives astronomy a tremendous
power of transformation.
power of transformation.
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And the fact that a field
that is so visual may be improved
that is so visual may be improved
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in order to include anyone with interest
in understanding what lies in the heavens
in understanding what lies in the heavens
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is a spirit-lifter.
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When I lost my sight,
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I noticed that I didn't have access
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to the same amount
and quality of information
and quality of information
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a sighted astronomer had.
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It was not until we innovated
with the sonification process
with the sonification process
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that I regained the hope
to be a productive member of the field
to be a productive member of the field
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that I had worked so hard to be part of.
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Yet, information access
is not the only area in astronomy
is not the only area in astronomy
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where this is important.
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The situation is systemic
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and scientific fields are not keeping up.
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The body is something changeable --
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anyone may develop
a disability at any point.
a disability at any point.
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Let's think about, for example,
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scientists that are already
at the top of their careers.
at the top of their careers.
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What happens to them
if they develop a disability?
if they develop a disability?
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Will they feel excommunicated as I did?
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Information access
empowers us to flourish.
empowers us to flourish.
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It gives us equal opportunities
to display our talents
to display our talents
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and choose what we want
to do with our lives,
to do with our lives,
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based on interest and not based
on potential barriers.
on potential barriers.
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When we give people the opportunity
to succeed without limits,
to succeed without limits,
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that will lead to personal fulfillment
and prospering life.
and prospering life.
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And I think that the use
of sound in astronomy
of sound in astronomy
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is helping us to achieve that
and to contribute to science.
and to contribute to science.
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While other countries told me
that the study of perception techniques
that the study of perception techniques
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in order to study astronomy data
is not relevant to astronomy
is not relevant to astronomy
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because there are no blind
astronomers in the field,
astronomers in the field,
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South Africa said, "We want
people with disabilities
people with disabilities
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to contribute to the field."
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Right now, I'm working
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at the South African
Astronomical Observatory,
Astronomical Observatory,
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at the Office of Astronomy
for Development.
for Development.
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There, we are working on sonification
techniques and analysis methods
techniques and analysis methods
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to impact the students
of the Athlone School for the Blind.
of the Athlone School for the Blind.
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These students will be learning
radio astronomy,
radio astronomy,
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and they will be learning
the sonification methods
the sonification methods
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in order to study astronomical events
like huge ejections of energy
like huge ejections of energy
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from the sun, known as
coronal mass ejections.
coronal mass ejections.
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What we learn with these students --
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these students have multiple disabilities
and coping strategies
and coping strategies
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that will be accommodated --
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what we learn with these students
will directly impact
will directly impact
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the way things are being done
at the professional level.
at the professional level.
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I humbly call this development.
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And this is happening right now.
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I think that science is for everyone.
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It belongs to the people,
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and it has to be available to everyone,
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because we are all natural explorers.
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I think that if we limit people
with disabilities
with disabilities
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from participating in science,
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we'll sever our links with history
and with society.
and with society.
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I dream of a level
scientific playing field,
scientific playing field,
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where people encourage respect
and respect each other,
and respect each other,
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where people exchange strategies
and discover together.
and discover together.
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If people with disabilities
are allowed into the scientific field,
are allowed into the scientific field,
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an explosion, a huge titanic burst
of knowledge will take place,
of knowledge will take place,
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I am sure.
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(Digital beeping sounds)
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That is the titanic burst.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Wanda Diaz Merced - Sonic astrophysicistWhile searching for ways to study stellar radiation without relying on sight, Wanda Diaz Merced has developed a way to represent complex data about our universe as sound.
Why you should listen
When Wanda Diaz Merced lost her sight in her early 20s, her dreams of studying stars in the visually oriented scientific world suffered a major setback -- until she discovered “sonification,” a way to turn huge data sets into audible sound using pitch, duration and other properties. Merced realized that she could use her ears to detect patterns in stellar radio data, and could uncover connections obscured by graphs and visual representation.
While working at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Merced’s sonifications inspired musician and researcher Gerhard Sonnert to create X-Ray Hydra, an album of oddly jazzy music based on her audio representations.
Wanda Diaz Merced | Speaker | TED.com