NASA's Curious Universe at On Air Fest: Art and Space Meet Hearing Hubble

In this on stage edition of NASA's Curious Universe, Patti Boyd hosts a conversation that threads together art, science and space exploration. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick and musician Reggie Watts discuss how curiosity, storytelling and improvisation shape our understanding of the universe. The episode features a hands on demonstration of Hearing Hubble, a data sonification app that translates Hubble space telescope images into music, giving listeners an audible experience of cosmic data. The dialogue reveals how NASA has long collaborated with artists to translate space experience, and how musical and scientific thinking share common ground in describing the wonders of the cosmos. The session closes with reflections, credits and a link to try Hearing Hubble themselves.

Introduction and context

The podcast opens with host Patti Boyd presenting a special edition of Curious Universe recorded live at On Air Fest in Brooklyn. The show brings together the worlds of science, art and space by sharing a conversation that connects NASA heritage with contemporary artistic practice. A central thread is NASA's long history of collaboration with artists, including the NASA Art Program, and the idea that storytelling and creativity can illuminate complex scientific ideas.

Art and science at NASA

The discussion foregrounds how art and science intersect, with Reggie Watts describing how science and space spark wonder and how music can translate that sense of awe. Matt Dominick, a NASA astronaut, offers a perspective on how engineering, design and art converge to enable space exploration, emphasizing the careful balance between technical requirements and creative problem solving. They explore the notion that improvisation in practice can resemble engineering processes, where preparation and openness to new inputs create space for rapid, adaptive responses.

Guest perspectives

Reggie Watts and Matthew Dominick sit at opposite ends of the spectrum—one from the artistic realm, the other from the astronaut corps—yet both describe a shared fascination with space and a commitment to communicating its beauty and complexity. The conversation traverses childhood inspirations, with Reggie recalling impressions of space exploration and how music can reflect mathematical structure, while Matt explains how engineering constraints—from mass budgets to drag and reentry dynamics—shape the practical realities of spaceflight, and how art can help tell those stories.

Improvisation as engineering

A recurring theme is improvisation. The host notes that creativity is crucial for both troubleshooting and pivoting during a mission or a performance. The speakers discuss preparation that enables real time improvisation, including walking to think through tough problems, seeking ideas from diverse disciplines, and building a cognitive library of possible outcomes. The metaphor of time dilation is used to describe how performers and engineers stay ahead by anticipating a wide range of scenarios, thus enabling agile decision making under pressure.

Handling data through Hearing Hubble

The demo introduces Hearing Hubble, a data sonification app that translates image data from the Hubble Space Telescope into music. On screen, a Hubble image appears, and a scanner sweeps across it while users control instrument timbre and mood. The host explains that the app maps data to sound so that listeners can experience the electromagnetic spectrum in an audible format, widening access to cosmic data and offering a fresh medium for exploration. Reggie takes the controls and improvises in real time, describing his process and adjusting mood settings from harp like textures to more percussive tones, creating a dynamic sonic representation of astrophysical data.

Audience takeaway and tools for exploration

The segment emphasizes that space data can be experienced as music, encouraging broader audiences to engage with space science in a visceral way. The Hearing Hubble app and linked transcript offer a practical pathway for educators, students and curious listeners to explore how data translates into sonic and visual forms. The episode closes with credits and a reminder that Hearing Hubble and related NASA content are accessible for further exploration.

Closing thoughts

The hosts and guests reflect on the power of interdisciplinary collaboration to spark curiosity and inspire new ideas. They acknowledge the ongoing evolution of tools that blend engineering, art and storytelling, and invite listeners to participate in this vibrant space of creativity and discovery.