Unexplainable (Vox) – “Casey gets his voice back”

Date: March 25, 2026
Host: Julia Longoria

Episode Overview

This compelling episode of Unexplainable explores the story of Casey Harrell, an environmental activist diagnosed with ALS, who lost his ability to speak and communicate with his family, friends, and colleagues. Thanks to a groundbreaking brain-to-speech AI computer interface developed by researchers at UC Davis, Casey regains a version of his voice. The episode dives deeply into how this newfound technology works, Casey’s emotional journey, and the impact on his family—particularly his wife, Lavonna Saxon.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Technical Difficulties and Setting the Stage

• Early Awkwardness: The episode begins with Julia attempting to connect with Casey for a remote interview, highlighting the challenges and awkwardness of setting up a conversation with someone who relies on advanced assistive technology.

  • “Starting a remote interview can be a little awkward. Takes a while for everyone to get settled… But this is different.” – Julia Longoria (01:49)

• Introduction to Casey’s Condition:

  • Casey was diagnosed with ALS in 2020, which started affecting his limbs and eventually his voice. He underwent surgery to have 256 electrodes implanted in his motor cortex.
  • “It was a slow motion car crash. You wake up one morning and you cannot sing anymore.” – Casey Harrell (10:23)

2. The Brain-to-Speech Interface

• How It Works:

  • The electrodes in Casey’s brain pick up speech-related activity, which an AI interprets to help him communicate.
  • “Researchers say it’s 97% accurate. And it’s fast… described as instantaneous.” – Julia Longoria (04:07)

• Reality vs. Perception:

  • Despite reports of its accuracy and speed, the process remains slow and laborious—marked by long silences as Casey selects or edits words before speaking them aloud via the AI.
  • “For 3 minutes and 48 seconds, I’m just staring at Casey’s face. I don’t know that I’ve ever looked at someone’s face for that long in silence.” – Julia Longoria (06:01)

• Learning the Cadence:

  • Casey’s interface sometimes requires corrections using his eyes and can be thrown off if he tries to ‘speak’ too quickly.
  • “I am doing this to myself because I am still in a mindset that is for a normal person.” – Casey Harrell (16:23)

3. Emotional and Human Impact

• Losing and Regaining a Voice:

  • For Casey, losing his voice was the most devastating part of his illness:
    • “Losing my voice is the number one problem that I have regarding this disease. It is utterly crippling to me. I would rather be able to talk than any other thing that this disease has taken away from me and also be able to sing again.” – Casey Harrell (13:11)

• Voice Reconstruction:

  • The AI-generated voice is based on old public speeches, so it sounds like a version of him from before his illness.
  • “But I had to use a version of my voice that is all from public presentations. So that is what I hear.” – Casey Harrell (07:48)

• Relationship with Family:

  • His daughter had to become a translator for him. The timeline of her learning to speak paralleled his losing speech, a “very strange” and difficult family dynamic.
    • “When they were very young, they were learning to walk when I was having trouble walking, and they were ready to use full sentences when I was beginning to not be understood. It was very strange.” – Casey Harrell (14:31)

• Memorable Song:

  • The last song Casey sang before losing his voice was “Baby Beluga,” a lullaby for his daughter.
    • “It is the last song that I sang.” – Casey Harrell (13:44)

4. Behind the Scenes with Technology

• Privacy and Conversation:

  • The system allows for a “private mode” where family conversations aren’t recorded for research—though this is used rarely due to the demands of daily caregiving.
  • “Shortly after ... the team was able to put together, like, a button ... that Casey can click when he wants to talk without the transcript being recorded...” – Lavonna Saxon (32:44)

• Unexpected Effects:

  • The interface occasionally works even when Casey is asleep, raising intriguing questions for dream and sleep researchers.
    • “It works when he’s asleep, when he’s in deep sleep... you can see words be produced and watch his brainwaves change on screen when he’s in deep sleep.” – Lavonna Saxon (35:11)

5. Lavonna's Perspective: Caregiver & Partner

• How They Met:

  • Casey and Lavonna were both activists and met through work.
  • “He was so charming and eloquent and like energetic and enthusiastic and positive and affirming. ... I had hoped that this guy was single and cute because he totally made an impression on me over the phone.” – Lavonna Saxon (22:27)

• Witnessing Slow Loss:

  • For Lavonna, the loss of Casey’s voice was a gradual and at times imperceptible process at first, later accompanied by emotional and logistical strain.
  • “Every interaction was grueling… There’s a particular sort of torture that comes along with being entirely dependent on somebody else for your well being and then not having that person be able to understand you.” – Lavonna Saxon (25:45)

• Turning Point with Technology:

  • The arrival of the brain-to-speech interface gave back vital communication capacity.
  • “At that time, two hours a week of real conversation felt like everything, because it had been years since we’d been able to actually just sit down and casually talk to each other. So that’s what we were hoping for. And what we got was, like, so much more.” – Lavonna Saxon (28:48, 30:24)

• First Words:

  • Casey’s first synthesized words to Lavonna after the device was activated were his wedding vows.
  • “He had them put in our wedding vows or his wedding vows to me.” – Lavonna Saxon (30:49)

6. Challenges and Silver Linings

• Notable Frustration:

  • Despite technical advancements, communication remains slow and exhausting—for both Casey and those around him.
  • “I had never been so, like, simultaneously in awe of a piece of technology and so frustrated by it.” – Julia Longoria (32:09)

• Changed Practical Life:

  • Basic requests (“I’m thirsty,” “scratch an itch”) can now be met promptly, greatly improving Casey’s daily comfort and reducing Lavonna's sense of helplessness and panic.
  • “Now, you know, when he’s thirsty, he can get water. When he has an itch, he can get scratched ... it’s just a massive shift.” – Lavonna Saxon (34:04)

• Dreams Deferred:

  • When asked if Lavonna now hears Casey’s voice in her dreams, she reveals she barely dreams at all due to sleep deprivation from caregiving.
  • “I don’t sleep enough to dream anymore.” – Lavonna Saxon (36:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It makes people cry who have not heard me in a while.” – Casey Harrell, on using the interface for the first time (04:25)
• “It is just a flesh wound.” – Casey Harrell, referencing Monty Python after a coughing fit (12:34)
• “Losing my voice is the number one problem that I have regarding this disease. It is utterly crippling to me.” – Casey Harrell (13:11)
• “If we went directly from, like, him speaking normally to this technology, then, yeah, sure, I’d probably be frustrated. But … his communication is getting better all the time ... to me, it’s fantastic.” – Lavonna Saxon (32:33)
• “I don’t sleep enough to dream anymore.” – Lavonna Saxon (36:55)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:13] – Details on Casey’s brain implant and AI system.
• [06:01] – Julia describes the long silences and how communication isn't instantaneous.
• [13:11] – Casey on the impact of losing his voice.
• [14:23] – Parallels between his daughter’s speech development and his loss.
• [25:45] – Lavonna describes the “particular sort of torture” in losing communication with Casey.
• [30:49] – Lavonna recalls Casey’s first synthesized words.
• [32:09] – Julia expresses simultaneous awe and frustration at the technology.
• [34:04] – Lavonna discusses the real-life impact of efficient, basic communication.
• [35:11] – Discovery that the interface sometimes works in deep sleep.
• [36:45] – Lavonna on not dreaming anymore due to exhaustion.

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a warm, emotionally honest, and gentle tone throughout, balancing marvel at technological innovation with candid discussion of struggle, frustration, and the irreplaceable value of human connection. Both Casey and Lavonna’s voices are witty and resilient, infusing even difficult moments with humor and perspective.

Summary

The episode “Casey gets his voice back” offers a profound look at how cutting-edge brain-computer interfaces are starting to restore the fundamental human ability to communicate—while reminding listeners that even near-miraculous technological advances can’t fully bridge the gaps left by diseases like ALS. Through slow, sometimes halting conversation, we are reminded of the incalculable value of a voice—of being heard, understood, and loved.