Radiolab – "Slow"

Date: October 18, 2011
Hosts: Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich
Produced by: Andy Mills

Episode Overview

This episode of Radiolab, titled "Slow," explores the nature of perception and self-awareness through the deeply personal story of Andy Mills’ friendship with Con Ashmore. Con survived a major brain injury as a child and moves and speaks at a markedly slower pace than others. The episode delves into the strange and revealing disconnect between Con’s perception of his own voice and the reality as experienced by people around him, opening up broader questions about the nature of self-perception, adaptation, and empathy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Con Ashmore: Friendship and First Impressions

• Andy Mills recounts meeting Con as a college sophomore, describing a “strange noise” coming from the next room, which turned out to be Con's slow, droning speech (03:45).
• Con is described as witty, smart, and observant, despite moving and speaking at a much slower pace than others—externally, but not in his own mind (05:36).

2. Origins of Con’s Slowness

• At eight years old, Con was struck by a car while chasing his dog, resulting in a five-month coma (04:53), after which he physically and verbally slowed down, except for his mental faculties (05:28).
• Andy and Con bond over music and late-night talks, despite the challenges of communication.

3. The Mixtape Revelation: Hearing His Own Voice

• The central moment: as a teenager, Con tried to record a love song for a crush and, upon playback, was horrified by how slow and different his voice sounded (07:51).
• Memorable quote, Con (08:17):
  “I remember being horrified just to … even if I screamed.”
• It was the first time Con realized his voice sounded different to others—“he actually didn’t know that his voice was slow” (08:58).

4. Self-Perception vs. Reality

• Con hears both himself and others at a “normal” speed in his mind (09:02).
• Hosts debate whether Con’s brain speeds up his own speech internally or if it simply feels normal to him (09:35).

5. Expert Opinion: Neurological Explanation

• The hosts interview neurologist Dr. Oren Davinsky (09:54), who compares Con’s experience to patients with Parkinsonism described by Oliver Sacks—they, too, didn’t recognize their own slowed voices when played back (11:07).
• Quote, Dr. Oren Davinsky (11:07):
  “So Oliver Sacks, when he took care of his ‘Awakenings’ patients ... would sometimes record their voices … and they’d say, ‘That’s not me. You’re fiddling with the tape machine. That’s not my voice.’”

6. The Power of Familiarity

• Andy posits that familiarity changes perception: initially, Con's voice was difficult to understand, but over time, Andy became accustomed to it (12:34).
• Quote, Andy (12:38):
  “I think that it has something to do with familiarity ... I've grown so familiar to his voice.”
• Robert compares this to understanding Shakespeare after some exposure (12:59).

7. Family Context: Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Con?

• Con’s parents are both deaf (13:41), so they never noticed or commented on his speech.
• Most of Con’s friends were unaware of his lack of self-awareness about his voice (14:03).
• Notable moment, Friend (14:20):
  “That’s so sad.”

8. Con’s Reaction and Emotional Fallout

• After realizing his difference, Con initially vowed never to talk again (14:33), but gradually returned to speaking out of necessity.
• He also eventually became comfortable singing and recording his voice once more (15:34).

9. Musical Tribute – Experiencing Con’s World

• Andy collaborates with the band Hudson Branch to create a musical piece that overlays Con singing “Grey Room” by Damien Rice, aiming to give listeners a sense of how Con experiences his own voice (16:30).
• Con’s reaction to hearing the band’s interpretation:
  Andy (18:53):
  “Yeah, I mean, when he heard it, he said, ‘hell yes.’ … He loves it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jad Abumrad (02:18):
  “This is a friendship with a big fat ‘what’ in it.”
• Con Ashmore (08:58):
  “He actually didn't know that his voice was slow.”
• Andy Mills (12:38):
  “I’ve grown so familiar to his voice.”
• Dr. Oren Davinsky (11:07):
  “They’d say, ‘That’s not me. You’re fiddling with the tape machine. That’s not my voice.’”
• Con Ashmore, on singing again (15:58):
  “This is ‘Grey Room’ by Damien Rice. Well, I’ve been here before / Sat on the poor / In a gray, gray room.”

Important Timestamps

• 04:53 – Con describes the accident and waking from the coma
• 07:51 – The mixtape story and first realization of his slow voice
• 09:54 – Introduction of Dr. Oren Davinsky, neurologist
• 11:07 – Parkinson’s patients’ similar experiences described
• 13:41 – Reveal that Con’s parents are both deaf
• 15:58 – Con sings “Grey Room” for Andy
• 16:30-18:47 – Musical recreation of Con’s experience

Tone and Takeaway

Radiolab weaves the story with warmth, curiosity, and empathy, using personal narrative, clinical insight, and musical experimentation to explore the disconnect between self-perception and external reality. The episode leaves listeners reflecting on the hidden worlds we each inhabit and how friendship and understanding can help bridge those gaps.