How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars
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0:01 - 0:03Once there was a star.
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0:04 - 0:07Like everything else, she was born;
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0:07 - 0:11grew to be around 30 times
the mass of our sun -
0:11 - 0:13and lived for a very long time.
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0:13 - 0:15Exactly how long,
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0:15 - 0:17people cannot really tell.
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0:17 - 0:19Just like everything in life,
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0:19 - 0:22she reached the end
of her regular star days -
0:22 - 0:25when her heart, the core of her life,
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0:25 - 0:27exhausted its fuel.
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0:27 - 0:28But that was no end.
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0:28 - 0:32She transformed into a supernova,
and in the process -
0:32 - 0:34releasing a tremendous amount of energy,
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0:34 - 0:37outshining the rest of the galaxy
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0:37 - 0:40and emitting, in one second,
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0:40 - 0:44the same amount of energy
our sun will release in 10 days. -
0:44 - 0:47And she evolved
into another role in our galaxy. -
0:48 - 0:50Supernova explosions are very extreme.
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0:51 - 0:55But the ones that emit gamma rays
are even more extreme. -
0:55 - 0:58In the process of becoming a supernova,
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0:58 - 1:01the interior of the star collapses
under its own weight -
1:01 - 1:04and it starts rotating ever faster,
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1:04 - 1:08like an ice skater when pulling
their arms in close to their body. -
1:09 - 1:13In that way, it starts rotating very fast
and it increases, powerfully, -
1:13 - 1:15its magnetic field.
-
1:15 - 1:18The matter around the star
is dragged around, -
1:18 - 1:21and some energy from that rotation
is transferred to that matter -
1:21 - 1:25and the magnetic field
is increased even further. -
1:25 - 1:31In that way, our star had extra energy
to outshine the rest of the galaxy -
1:31 - 1:34in brightness and gamma ray emission.
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1:34 - 1:37My star, the one in my story,
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1:37 - 1:39became what is known as a magnetar.
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1:39 - 1:41And just for your information,
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1:41 - 1:45the magnetic field of a magnetar
is 1,000 trillion times -
1:45 - 1:47the magnetic field of Earth.
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1:48 - 1:51The most energetic events
ever measured by astronomers -
1:51 - 1:53carry the name gamma-ray bursts
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1:53 - 1:57because we observe them
as bursts most or explosions, -
1:57 - 1:59most strongly measured as gamma-ray light.
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2:00 - 2:04Our star, like the one in our story
that became a magnetar, -
2:04 - 2:06is detected as a gamma-ray burst
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2:06 - 2:09during the most energetic
portion of the explosion. -
2:10 - 2:15Yet, even though gamma-ray bursts
are the strongest events -
2:15 - 2:18ever measured by astronomers,
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2:18 - 2:20we cannot see them with our naked eye.
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2:20 - 2:23We depend, we rely on other methods
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2:23 - 2:25in order to study this gamma-ray light.
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2:25 - 2:27We cannot see them with our naked eye.
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2:27 - 2:30We can only see
an itty bitty, tiny portion -
2:30 - 2:34of the electromagnetic spectrum
that we call visible light. -
2:34 - 2:36And beyond that, we rely on other methods.
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2:36 - 2:42Yet as astronomers,
we study a wider range of light -
2:42 - 2:44and we depend on other methods to do that.
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2:45 - 2:47On the screen, it may look like this.
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2:48 - 2:50You're seeing a plot.
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2:50 - 2:51That is a light curve.
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2:52 - 2:55It's a plot of intensity
of light over time. -
2:55 - 2:58It is a gamma-ray light curve.
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2:58 - 3:02Sighted astronomers
depend on this kind of plot -
3:02 - 3:06in order to interpret how
this light intensity changes over time. -
3:07 - 3:12On the left, you will be seeing
the light intensity without a burst, -
3:12 - 3:17and on the right, you will be seeing
the light intensity with the burst. -
3:18 - 3:22Early during my career,
I could also see this kind of plot. -
3:23 - 3:25But then, I lost my sight.
-
3:25 - 3:28I completely lost my sight
because of extended illness, -
3:28 - 3:32and with it, I lost
the opportunity to see this plot -
3:33 - 3:36and the opportunity to do my physics.
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3:38 - 3:40It was a very strong transition
for me in many ways. -
3:41 - 3:46And professionally, it left me
without a way to do my science. -
3:46 - 3:50I longed to access and scrutinize
this energetic light -
3:50 - 3:53and figure out the astrophysical cause.
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3:53 - 3:56I wanted to experience
the spacious wonder, the excitement, -
3:56 - 4:01the joy produced by the detection
of such a titanic celestial event. -
4:01 - 4:05I thought long and hard about it,
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4:05 - 4:08when I suddenly realized
that all a light curve is, -
4:08 - 4:12is a table of numbers
converted into a visual plot. -
4:13 - 4:15So along with my collaborators,
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4:15 - 4:19we worked really hard and we translated
the numbers into sound. -
4:20 - 4:22I achieved access to the data,
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4:22 - 4:27and today I'm able to do physics
at the level of the best astronomer, -
4:27 - 4:28using sound.
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4:28 - 4:31And what people have been able to do,
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4:31 - 4:32mainly visually,
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4:32 - 4:33for hundreds of years,
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4:33 - 4:36now I do it using sound.
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4:36 - 4:37(Applause)
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4:37 - 4:39Listening to this gamma-ray burst
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4:39 - 4:41that you're seeing on the --
(Applause continues) -
4:41 - 4:42Thank you.
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4:42 - 4:45Listening to this burst
that you're seeing on the screen -
4:45 - 4:48brought something to the ear
beyond the obvious burst. -
4:48 - 4:50Now I'm going to play the burst for you.
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4:50 - 4:52It's not music, it's sound.
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4:53 - 4:57(Digital beeping sounds)
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4:57 - 5:00This is scientific data
converted into sound, -
5:00 - 5:01and it's mapped in pitch.
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5:01 - 5:04The process is called sonification.
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5:07 - 5:09So listening to this
brought something to the ear -
5:09 - 5:11besides the obvious burst.
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5:11 - 5:15When I examine the very strong
low-frequency regions, -
5:15 - 5:20or bass line -- I'm zooming
into the bass line now. -
5:22 - 5:27We noted resonances characteristic
of electrically charged gasses -
5:27 - 5:29like the solar wind.
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5:29 - 5:31And I want you to hear what I heard.
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5:31 - 5:35You will hear it as a very fast
decrease in volume. -
5:35 - 5:38And because you're sighted,
I'm giving you a red line -
5:38 - 5:42indicating what intensity of light
is being converted into sound. -
5:44 - 5:46(Digital hum and whistling sound)
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5:46 - 5:49The (Whistles) is frogs at home,
don't pay attention to that. -
5:49 - 5:51(Laughter)
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5:51 - 5:57(Digital hum and whistling sound)
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5:57 - 5:58I think you heard it, right?
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6:00 - 6:01So what we found
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6:01 - 6:06is that the bursts last long enough
in order to support wave resonances, -
6:06 - 6:10which are things caused by exchanges
of energy between particles -
6:10 - 6:11that may have been excited,
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6:11 - 6:13that depend on the volume.
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6:13 - 6:16You may remember that I said
that the matter around the star -
6:16 - 6:18is dragged around?
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6:18 - 6:22It transmits power with frequency
and field distribution -
6:22 - 6:24determined by the dimensions.
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6:24 - 6:28You may remember that we were talking
about a super-massive star -
6:28 - 6:32that became a very strong
magnetic field magnetar. -
6:32 - 6:37If this is the case, then outflows
from the exploding star -
6:37 - 6:39may be associated
with this gamma-ray burst. -
6:39 - 6:41What does that mean?
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6:41 - 6:44That star formation
may be a very important part -
6:44 - 6:45of these supernova explosions.
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6:46 - 6:50Listening to this very gamma-ray burst
brought us to the notion -
6:50 - 6:53that the use of sound
as an adjunctive visual display -
6:53 - 6:56may also support sighted astronomers
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6:56 - 6:58in the search for more
information in the data. -
6:59 - 7:04Simultaneously, I worked on analyzing
measurements from other telescopes, -
7:04 - 7:06and my experiments demonstrated
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7:06 - 7:10that when you use sound
as an adjunctive visual display, -
7:10 - 7:13astronomers can find more information
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7:13 - 7:16in this now more accessible data set.
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7:17 - 7:21This ability to transform data into sound
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7:21 - 7:24gives astronomy a tremendous
power of transformation. -
7:24 - 7:28And the fact that a field
that is so visual may be improved -
7:28 - 7:33in order to include anyone with interest
in understanding what lies in the heavens -
7:33 - 7:35is a spirit-lifter.
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7:35 - 7:37When I lost my sight,
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7:37 - 7:39I noticed that I didn't have access
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7:39 - 7:42to the same amount
and quality of information -
7:42 - 7:43a sighted astronomer had.
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7:44 - 7:48It was not until we innovated
with the sonification process -
7:48 - 7:52that I regained the hope
to be a productive member of the field -
7:52 - 7:54that I had worked so hard to be part of.
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7:55 - 8:00Yet, information access
is not the only area in astronomy -
8:00 - 8:02where this is important.
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8:03 - 8:05The situation is systemic
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8:05 - 8:08and scientific fields are not keeping up.
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8:09 - 8:11The body is something changeable --
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8:12 - 8:15anyone may develop
a disability at any point. -
8:15 - 8:17Let's think about, for example,
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8:17 - 8:20scientists that are already
at the top of their careers. -
8:20 - 8:23What happens to them
if they develop a disability? -
8:23 - 8:25Will they feel excommunicated as I did?
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8:26 - 8:29Information access
empowers us to flourish. -
8:29 - 8:33It gives us equal opportunities
to display our talents -
8:33 - 8:36and choose what we want
to do with our lives, -
8:36 - 8:39based on interest and not based
on potential barriers. -
8:40 - 8:45When we give people the opportunity
to succeed without limits, -
8:45 - 8:49that will lead to personal fulfillment
and prospering life. -
8:49 - 8:52And I think that the use
of sound in astronomy -
8:52 - 8:55is helping us to achieve that
and to contribute to science. -
8:56 - 9:01While other countries told me
that the study of perception techniques -
9:01 - 9:04in order to study astronomy data
is not relevant to astronomy -
9:04 - 9:07because there are no blind
astronomers in the field, -
9:08 - 9:11South Africa said, "We want
people with disabilities -
9:11 - 9:13to contribute to the field."
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9:13 - 9:14Right now, I'm working
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9:14 - 9:17at the South African
Astronomical Observatory, -
9:17 - 9:20at the Office of Astronomy
for Development. -
9:20 - 9:25There, we are working on sonification
techniques and analysis methods -
9:25 - 9:29to impact the students
of the Athlone School for the Blind. -
9:30 - 9:32These students will be learning
radio astronomy, -
9:32 - 9:35and they will be learning
the sonification methods -
9:35 - 9:40in order to study astronomical events
like huge ejections of energy -
9:40 - 9:42from the sun, known as
coronal mass ejections. -
9:43 - 9:45What we learn with these students --
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9:45 - 9:49these students have multiple disabilities
and coping strategies -
9:49 - 9:51that will be accommodated --
-
9:51 - 9:54what we learn with these students
will directly impact -
9:54 - 9:57the way things are being done
at the professional level. -
9:57 - 9:59I humbly call this development.
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9:59 - 10:01And this is happening right now.
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10:02 - 10:06I think that science is for everyone.
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10:06 - 10:08It belongs to the people,
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10:08 - 10:10and it has to be available to everyone,
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10:10 - 10:12because we are all natural explorers.
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10:13 - 10:18I think that if we limit people
with disabilities -
10:18 - 10:20from participating in science,
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10:20 - 10:24we'll sever our links with history
and with society. -
10:24 - 10:27I dream of a level
scientific playing field, -
10:27 - 10:32where people encourage respect
and respect each other, -
10:32 - 10:35where people exchange strategies
and discover together. -
10:36 - 10:40If people with disabilities
are allowed into the scientific field, -
10:40 - 10:45an explosion, a huge titanic burst
of knowledge will take place, -
10:45 - 10:46I am sure.
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10:49 - 10:51(Digital beeping sounds)
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10:51 - 10:53That is the titanic burst.
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10:54 - 10:56Thank you.
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10:56 - 10:57Thank you.
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10:57 - 11:02(Applause)
- Title:
- How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars
- Speaker:
- Wanda Diaz Merced
- Description:
-
Wanda Diaz Merced studies the light emitted from 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, Merced 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."
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 11:15
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How a blind astronomer found a way to hear the stars |