Data sonification to enhance, validate, and accelerate discovery

Abstract Using sound to represent data (data sonification) and exploiting the unique characteristics of sound and human hearing can provide a powerful means to enhance scientific discovery in large datasets, rapid real-time data analyses, high dimensional analyses, and to filter signals from noise. Data sonification can be used to expand, accelerate, and validate discovery for sighted, blind and visually-impaired researchers and provides capabilities to improve the quality of everyday life. We describe improvements to StarSound for 1D and multi-dimensional analyses, introduce VoxMagellan for 2D image, plot and graph analyses, discuss applications in astronomy and for low signal-to-noise ratio data, often present at the leading-edge of science. We find that data sonification can successfully push scientific research forward and expand research accessibility to the blind and visually-impaired community, while promoting STEM careers.