NMDCA News:

ALAMOGORDO — The groundbreaking work of blind astronomer Wanda Díaz-Merced will be brought into focus at the New Mexico Museum of Space History Launch Pad Lecture 9-10 a.m., Friday, March 6.

Museum Curator Brianna Buller will introduce visitors to Díaz-Merced’s methods, demonstrate how data can be translated into audio patterns, and highlight how these approaches open doors for researchers with diverse abilities while enriching how all scientists interpret information from space. 

Drawing from her lived experience with disability, Díaz-Merced has created new ways of engaging with astrophysical data that have broadened accessibility for scientists and students across the space science community.

“I’m excited to share Wanda Díaz-Merced’s story because it shows that space science belongs to every kind of mind, not just those who see,” Museum Curator Brianna Buller said. “Her work with sonification reminds us that when we change how we listen to the universe, we change who gets to participate in discovering it.”

The lecture is free and will be held in the New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium at the New Mexico Museum of Space History, at 3198 State Road 2001 in Alamogordo. Visit https://nmspacemuseum.org/ or call 575.437.2840. Coffee and donuts will be provided by the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.