The Open Sensory Dictionary

Peppers.Ghöst is building an open, community-governed database that defines how scientific structure is translated into sound. This is not a preset library or a single author’s opinion — it is a living dictionary shaped by scientists, sound engineers, educators, artists, and listeners around the world.

Open contribution Community voting Science-driven Accessibility-focused Living language

What is the Open Sensory Dictionary?

The Open Sensory Dictionary is a shared reference system that maps scientific structures (frequency, motion, density, variation, intensity, periodicity) to auditory characteristics (pitch, rhythm, timbre, spatialization, dynamics).

Think of it as a Rosetta Stone for data and sound — a way to ensure that when different people listen to sonified data, they are hearing a consistent and interpretable language.

The goal is not to make data “sound cool.” The goal is to make data readable through sound.

Why this must be built by a community

No single discipline owns perception. Scientific accuracy, auditory clarity, and accessibility all require different kinds of expertise.

Scientists

Define which variables matter, how they behave, and what fidelity is required for meaningful interpretation.

Sound engineers

Ensure mappings are perceptually distinct, non-fatiguing, and stable across systems and listening environments.

Listeners & users

Provide real-world feedback on what is intuitive, learnable, and usable over time — especially blind and low-vision users.

Consensus creates trust. Voting creates accountability. Shared language creates accessibility.

How contributions and voting work

1. Propose a mapping

A scientific variable (e.g. orbital eccentricity, spectral intensity)
A proposed sound relationship (e.g. pitch range, modulation rate)
A short rationale grounded in perception or science

2. Community testing

Users try the mapping in demos
Accessibility feedback is prioritized
Confusion, clarity, and learnability are documented

3. Voting & revision

Mappings are voted on by the community
High-confidence mappings become “reference entries”
Entries remain revisable as understanding improves

This is a dictionary that evolves — not a rulebook frozen in time.

Why this matters across communities

Accessibility: enables non-visual access to scientific structure
Education: helps students learn patterns through multiple senses
Science: introduces alternative modes of analysis and insight
Art & music: grounds creativity in interpretable structure
Community: gives people a shared role in building the language

A shared sensory language doesn’t replace visual science — it expands who gets to participate in it.

Get involved

You don’t need permission or credentials to contribute — only curiosity, care, and respect for the shared goal.

Propose an Entry Test & Vote Join the Community Support the Project