Singing Salad Leaves in Space! NASA Data Sonification Concept for growing plants on the ISS

What happens when you perform data analysis with sound - or better yet, music? Data visualization is currently a ubiquitous and indispensable part of data analysis, yet it only uses one of our senses. Why not also explore data with other senses, starting with sound?

I believe humans can be trained to recognise musical changes as an indication of intervention. So it would be easy to hear if plants need attention, and with sound it's possible to take in more than one information point simultaneously.

(part of an idea inspired by my work in the NASA Datanaut community)

[plana]

Puts 'dropping a clanger' and 'Name That Tune' into a whole new context, LOL! (If you have a big greenhouse will it make 'A cacophony of noise' or a 'melodic symphony'?). 'And #1 in the charts this week is a wonderful tune' (made by an arrangement of plants) 'from that well-respected new band 'Solar Cell'; but you can only hear it while the sun shines...' (Possible things we may end up hearing soon?). [Expect an interview with the lead arranger, Farmer Thomas Parsons, sometime later this week].

[plana]

Oh, LOL, I've got to add a couple more while I think about it: Won't this mean concerts will be cancelled as well as sports events due to rain? Or will rain and sun have a different sound? 'Rain stops debut of the new song from...'? 'Instead we have a new B-Side for you...' (And) 'Finally today, the appearance of INSERT BAND NAME HERE has been cancelled due to adverse atmospheric conditions affecting the "performers' as the clouds covered up the sun (or overwatering)?'. Sorry, LJ, couldn't stop myself, LOL.