Last week, guest blogger Lee Billings told me about something really cool—just about any collection of data can be converted into sound. Really, this is one of those things that should have been obvious. Geiger counters have been turning information into noise for more than 100 years. But I hadn't really realized that this practice, called sonification, was so widespread and so useful.
We're all familiar with the powers of data visualization, which allows you to take a confusing jumble of facts and turn them into an easily readable picture. Sonification is the same thing, just applied to the audio world, rather than the visual one. Both data visualization and sonification make it easier to spot patterns, understand trends, and grok what the data is really telling you.
One place where sonification is put to good use: The Large Hadron Collider. Better yet, the resulting sound clips are available to the public. And you know what that means: Remix time. The Synthgear blog is hosting a contest to see who can make the best music out of sonified LHC data.
At their site, you'll find all the sounds of the LHC, along with explanations, so you can apply some meaning to the notes. Twist them, mix them, and submit your entry by February 28th. I'll be watching that blog to see when they announce a winner, and will post a link here. I'm really looking forward to hearing what the entrants come up with!
Thanks to mattd for Submitterating!
Image: CERN/LHC/GridPP
