
The working title of this course is “Sonic and Visual Representation of Data (using python).” Humans are currently producing enormous amounts of complex data representing complex phenomena (including but not limited to our own activities), but we lag behind in our ability to perceive and understand the patterns in the data. Our auditory and visual perception systems are optimized for different kinds of spatial and temporal patterns, that we process simultaneously to understand our surroundings. Assuming no background in python, we will start with importing and static representation of data. Then we will discuss (and implement) a wide range of ways of generating sound and visual animations of the same data, with which we will construct movies. Questions of how to design and tune these representations to bring out patterns in the data, based on the nature of human perception, will be kept in mind. These questions of pattern perception lie underneath (or are the same for) scientific and artistic intents. Students will select datasets they want to explore early in the course, and will develop and build these projects throughout.