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NASA Unveils Cosmic Images Book in Braille for Blind Readers

physorg.com — At a ceremony held today at the National Federation of the Blind, NASA unveiled a new book that brings majestic images taken by its Hubble, Chandra and Spitzer space telescopes to the fingertips of the blind.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jan 16, 2008

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  • Waskonator, on 01/16/2008, -4/+30- - .'-'.-.' '-. ' . '-- '- . -'. -. ' - -. - . .- - -. -. -. - . -' '.- ..-'- .''...- . -' . -' '- . -. ' - ' . '- . ' .- '- . '- -' .'- . - .. '- . '- '--' '- '. ' ' '.. .'. - - ' '- .-'. -.' . - '. '- '- - ' -. ' ' ' -'' - ' . '- '-'... .-' . '. . . .'- ' . '- .' . '. ' . -'. . . . . .- . - ' . ' .' -. ' '. ' - '-. ' .'... '- '- ''-. -. '. -''. -'. - ' '- . '. -. . '-' . '-. '. ' ..' -. . . -. -' . '-. .'- ..' ' -'.' -'-.. ' '- .. '' . '.'- -. .- -' -' .' -. -'. -' . -. -. '-.- '. . . - - . ' ' -. -.' -.'- .' -. - - - . '-. -.-. .. .' -'- - . -.- . - .-- . - .- .'- . '.' -. -.' -. '- .-- - .- - -. -- ..- -. - . .- - -. - - - - .- .- -. -. - . -' '.- ..-'- .''...- . -' . -' '- . -. ' - ' . '- . ' .- '- . '- -' .'- . - .. '- . '- '--' '- '. ' ' '.. .'. - - ' '- .-'. -.' . - '. '- '- - ' -. ' ' ' -'' - ' . '- '-'... .-' . '. . . .'- ' . '- .' . '. ' . -'. . . . . .- . - ' . ' .' -. ' '. ' - '-. ' .'... '- '- ''-. -. '. -''. -'. - ' '- . '. -. . '-' . '-. '. ' ..' -. . . -. -' . '-. .'- ..' ' -'.' -'-.. ' '- .. '' . '.'- -. .- -' -' .' -. -'. -' . -. -. '-.- '. . . - - . ' ' -. -.' -.'- .' -. - - - . '-. -.-. .. .' -'- - . -.- . - .-- . - .- .'- . '.' -. -.' -. '- .-- - .- - -. -- ..- -. - . .- - -. - - - - .- .- -. -. - . -' '.- ..-'- .''...- . -' . -' '- . -. ' - ' . '- . ' .- '- . '- -' .'- . - .. '- . '- '--' '- -'--. - . . . -' .- .' . '' .'- '-. - .' '.-'-.- '- .
    Go ahead, touch it. It's beautiful.
  • BadAstronomer, on 01/16/2008, -2/+23I wrote about this as well on my Bad Astronomy blog: http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2008/01/15/touc ... I know a lot of the folks involved, so there's a bit more personal info there. ;-)
  • zappo1776, on 01/16/2008, -2/+14Anybody else doing that and I'd vote them down but it is relevant and does add to the story.
  • masterm1nd, on 01/16/2008, -0/+11Now you're pushing it.
  • Wierdo, on 01/16/2008, -0/+9It's great to see people helping the disabled. NASA is great, they are partnered with our robotics competition as well. (see http://usfirst.org for info)
  • ambhad, on 01/16/2008, -0/+9This is one of the best news I can think from my hearts. Men with eyes can not probably appreciate the NASA's contribution to that extent as it really means. Great job done.
  • vroom101, on 01/16/2008, -0/+7This is very cool . . . why is it taking so long for this most excellent news to reach The Front Page?
  • inactive, on 01/16/2008, -1/+6You ***** idiots. He just called all of us greasy cocksucking pieces of ***** in braille.
  • Emused, on 01/16/2008, -2/+7I understand you, and its with understanding that we are able to tolerate people like yourself.
  • positron, on 01/16/2008, -0/+5Something most hearing people take for granted is that what we perceive as sound is really just waves of vibration. Music is just a purposefully organized pattern of those vibrations. You'd be surprised how many deaf people appreciate music of all kinds via their sense of touch. There are many deaf dancers, and even some deaf musicians. Hell, look at Beethoven.

    My grandparents were deaf and my mother is an interpreter for deaf school kids so I've had a decent amount of exposure to the deaf community.
  • ZWarren69, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4This is really cool!
  • bmcnitt, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4Beyond visible light (i.e. - infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray) we are all blind. Representing the cosmos as a four color image on a printed page is as much of an abstraction as representing it in Braille or any other language.
  • inactive, on 01/16/2008, -3/+7I think that it's appropriate that we write our comments in braille also:

    :.:...':'' :';'.:.:: .'''; :::,,, ,
  • hakz, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4logged in just to digg you up
  • slapded, on 01/16/2008, -1/+5I never understood how the blind knew where all the braille was.. like in a bank or a hotel.. or... on an ATM..ehhh
  • Skyfire, on 01/16/2008, -2/+6I find this very worth while.
  • jesperhh, on 01/16/2008, -4/+8i hope your eyes get poked out
  • ZenMojo, on 01/16/2008, -0/+4Exactly. Dugg for truth.
  • jeffeb3, on 01/16/2008, -1/+5There's an intermediate step of people that might be able to sort of see the image, but the embossing, and the braille text make it easier or possible for them
  • GiggleStick, on 01/16/2008, -1/+5That's why I make braille stickers that say "DANGER HIGHLY TOXIC" and stick them all over the place.
  • Ph0biA, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3Do they have larger fonts for old people?
  • lookiethere, on 01/16/2008, -1/+4Both of my parents are blind from birth and they would love something like this. You seem to be another person who just doesn't think outside the box. You can't judge something like this if you aren't blind or haven't had personal experience with it.
  • BadAstronomer, on 01/16/2008, -4/+7:-)
  • inactive, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3That thing would poke out eyes like a Red Rider BB gun.
  • scorpionking, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3I wonder what took so long for this. should have been done a long time ago.
  • billbillbilly, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3the locations are usually regulated to certain areas/positons
    you should also notice that almost all braille is the exact same distance from the floor
  • funkonomics, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3@lookiethere:
    Really don't mean to cliche a deceased equine . . . but see below. There are 2 other books out. I got my mom them for xmasses past and she opened them 2 weeks early, read through them immediately and can't get enough of them.
  • lookiethere, on 01/16/2008, -1/+4Of course you wouldn't understand, you aren't blind. My mom is blind and would love this idea. Expand your mind.
  • mashw, on 01/16/2008, -0/+3You need to finish your Moon Landing debate with Joe Rogan, that was great.

  • lookiethere, on 01/16/2008, -1/+3Awesome! Will write those titles down and send to my mom!
  • Oniadric, on 01/16/2008, -0/+2Just curious to see how you're related to FRC! I programmed for Team 691 for two years and am mentoring with them this year!
  • masterm1nd, on 01/16/2008, -0/+2Thank you, speed reading left me hanging.
  • jeffeb3, on 01/16/2008, -1/+3This gives me an idea! Off to the patent office with designs for my Braille Telescope!
  • masterm1nd, on 01/16/2008, -1/+3You have a point, but it's no different than any other accommodations for the disabled. And who knows, maybe the next Galileo is blind.
  • kingfoot, on 01/16/2008, -0/+2Braillescope?

    Braillovision?
  • funkonomics, on 01/16/2008, -1/+3I got Touch the Sun and Touch the Universe for my mom to help offset the crazy bible thumping of my sisters. Hopefully this one is more thorough than the others. But nonetheless, great books that can be enoyed by the blind and those with sight.
  • Mockylock, on 01/16/2008, -0/+2Projects like this need to be dug up for thousands of reasons. It's one of those times you think to yourself, "wow... I never even thought about that. How would they even know what stars look like?"
    Such a great cause. Kudos to the developers.
  • funkonomics, on 01/16/2008, -0/+2There have been 2 others out for several years. Touch the Sun and Universe respectively. But I agree with your sentiment :)
  • Chirp08, on 01/16/2008, -1/+3go :..:-..:; yourself
  • masterm1nd, on 01/16/2008, -0/+2mogebier, "There's an intermediate step of people that might be able to sort of see the image, but the embossing, and the braille text make it easier or possible for them" - jeffeb3
  • jhourcle, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2I haven't seen this one yet, but I have seen/sensed/whatever "Touch the Sun". I don't know if it's normal for this type of thing, but basically there were different textures for different regions of the sun, but it wasn't nearly as distinct as the colors showed ... there were at most 4? textures on a given image. I have no idea what an unsighted person's reaction might be, however.
  • funkonomics, on 01/16/2008, -1/+2ATM signs and such are more for the visually impaired, not the totally blind. E.g. those that are legally blind, can see enough to maneuver, but not well enough to read.
  • Emused, on 01/16/2008, -2/+3INFORMATION FOR ALL, you know the UN mandate,I think it might be in your constitution as well ,if you have a look.
  • DecoyQ, on 01/16/2008, -3/+3I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, could you repeat that?
  • Zoshchenko, on 01/16/2008, -2/+2Isn't "in Braille for Blind Readers" kind of like saying "a hearing aid for people who have trouble hearing" or "glasses for people who need glasses"?
  • Sherman901, on 01/16/2008, -6/+6i still don't see how this is beneficial. i appreciate the idea behind it but what's the point? it's a picture... how do you put pictures into braille and if it's possible then it's still kind of a stupid idea because they can't actually SEE the picture. you can't describe something to someone who has never seen a galaxy before. again, the idea is meaningful, but the execution is pointless.
  • TheNico, on 01/16/2008, -3/+3OW MY FINGERS!
    Those white dwarfs sure are hot little buggers!
  • directive0, on 01/16/2008, -2/+2Wow, how incredibly short sighted and ignorant of you!
  • Waskonator, on 01/16/2008, -2/+1rofl
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