The Academic Citizen podcast is back with a brand-new season! The 7th season is all about sound and its impact on knowledge production and dissemination. In November 2023, the podcast hosted Sound Matters, a virtual symposium in collaboration with the South African Research Chair in Science Communication and the South African Journal of Science. Researchers interested in sound and its relation to knowledge came together virtually to share their work. A few selected presentations from the symposium will be featured in this season to share with a wider audience. We hope you enjoy it!

The season premiere’s inaugural episode features an interstellar auditory experience through an audio postcard. Narrated by Sarah Kane, a PhD researcher in Astronomy from Cambridge University, this episode offers a captivating exploration into data sonifications, which are innovative ways of representing data in sound. Kane and her team shed light on groundbreaking research insights concerning how data sonifications can be useful in astronomy outreach and communication, particularly for audiences with visual impairments.

Listeners gain a deeper understanding of how data sonifications can convey complex astronomical phenomena to a broader audience. This episode enriches the appreciation for the wonders of the cosmos and underscores the importance of inclusive science communication practices.

NASA Sonifications is now available for streaming on all major platforms.

The Academic Citizen is supported by the South African Research Chair in Science Communication at Stellenbosch University for Season 7. 

Episode Notes:

A Universe of Sound: Processing NASA Data into Sonifications to Explore Participant Response was written by Dr Kimberly Arcand, Jessica Schonhut-Stasik, Sarah Kane, Dr Gwynn Sturdevant, Dr Matt Russu, Megan Watzke, Brian Hse, and Professor Lisa F. Smith.

The project’s sonic credits are:

– NASA/Chandra X-ray Center/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory | Dr. Kimberly Arcand

– SYSTEM Sounds | Dr. Matt Russo & Andrew Santaguida; NASA’s Universe of Learning

The Universe of Sound can be heard and accessed at https://chandra.si.edu/sound