Date/Time: Thursday 21 November 2024, 5.30pm

Venue: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, Newcastle University

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All our events remain free and open to all, but pre-booking is required. Bookings for this lecture will open at 10.00am on 14 November. To reserve your place click the booking link below or telephone our booking voicemail line 0191 208 6136.

Chaired by Nick Parker, Professor in Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics

The Universe is almost entirely invisible to the naked eye, yet we are only ever presented with astronomical data through visual representations. Taking us on a journey of astronomical objects from stars to supermassive black holes, this lecture will demonstrate how sound can provide an alternative method of exploring and communicating data and for making astronomy more accessible.

Biography

Dr Chris Harrison has spent 14 years studying supermassive black holes and how they influence the life of galaxies. His research group utilises astronomical observatories from all over the world (and in Space!) and sophisticated computer simulations to explore the complex interplay between black hole growth and galaxy growth. He worked as a research fellow at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Munich, Germany, before moving to Newcastle University, where he is currently head of the Astrophysics and Observational Cosmology group.

In addition to his astrophysics research, Dr Harrison has always been passionate about making science for everyone. He has worked at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh’s Visitor Centre and the ESO Supernova Planetarium. He has led multiple engagement projects, which have been exhibited both nationally and internationally. However, five years ago, he had the realisation that exclusively presenting astronomy visually, not only excludes anyone who needs, or prefers, non-visual methods of communication -it also underutilised our human’s multi-sensory abilities.

Building on his childhood love of music, what followed was an unexpected journey of turning astronomical data into sound - the process of sonification. He now co-leads the Audio Universe project, which is a multi-disciplinary team who are researching sonification methods to explore complex datasets, to creative immersive educational experiences, and to make astronomy more accessible. The project has had outputs that have been presented around the world, and has won awards for both open research practices, and innovative engagement with the public.