The VIS 2026 keynote talk will be given by Kimberly K. Arcand, Ph.D.
Beyond the Image: Turning NASA Data Into Human Experience
Abstract: Scientific visualization has always been an act of translation: transforming data into forms that human beings can perceive, interpret, and understand. But what happens when visualization isn’t only visual? Drawing on examples from astrophysics and the invisible universe, this talk explores how data can be seen, heard, felt, and experienced through imaging, sonification, tactile and 3D representations, and immersive environments. As scientific datasets become larger, more complex, and increasingly mediated by AI, these approaches raise questions about perception, accessibility, uncertainty, trust, and interpretation. How do we keep humans meaningfully connected to the data and the discoveries emerging from it? This talk asks how might we build richer, more transparent ways of experiencing data, and challenges the visualization community to help us understand not just how to make data visible, but how to make it perceptible.
About the Speaker
Kimberly K. Arcand, Ph.D., is a visualization scientist, emerging tech lead, and science storyteller at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She serves as the communications and public engagement lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and is an award-winning producer, director, and author. A leading expert in the perception and comprehension of high-energy data visualization, Arcand combines her background in molecular biology, computer science and astronomy to create innovative, multimodal data experiences.
For more information, visit her website at https://www.kimarcand.com/.