The Deep End

Casey thinks of a sentence. A computer says it out loud, in a voice that sounds like his. Brain implants are beginning to turn thoughts into speech, bringing scientists closer to something that once seemed impossible.

Jules lost his voice. Then AI gave it back. Voice-cloning technology can now recreate voices for people who can no longer speak — raising a remarkable possibility: How much of a person can a synthetic voice restore?

Jules is losing his ability to talk. Now he faces a decision that could silence his natural voice for good. A voice carries more than words — emotion, identity, even a smile. As Jules weighs his choice, we explore what makes a voice so personal, and why letting it go can be so difficult.

What would you do if you knew you were going to lose your voice? As disease takes away Jules’ ability to speak, we discover why voices are so deeply tied to who we are — and what it’s like to face losing it.

What if you lost your voice? Today, AI can recreate it, and brain implants can turn your thoughts into speech. This season of The Deep End: Talk to Me follows the people living through these vocal transformations — and asks what these remarkable technologies can teach us about why our voices matter at all.

Jon Nelson shares how he’s doing these days, now that his depression is gone. 

Several years after surgery, Jon and others have found relief. Here’s a look at what’s next for them and what’s next for deep brain stimulation research.

Jon details the intense stigma, shame and judgement that comes with depression and its treatments. Is there something different about changing our brains versus other body parts?

After surgery, Jon went through some big transformations. But his relief came with trade-offs.

Jon Nelson wasn’t scared of brain surgery. His worry about the procedure was the same amount of worry he had about getting his teeth cleaned — none. What happened next was surreal.

Jon Nelson explains what it’s like to live with severe depression, and listeners hear the backstory of an experimental treatment involving brain implants.

Hear why he volunteered to get brain implants for his relentless depression.

Brain implants for depression: It sounds like science fiction but it’s real. The Deep End , a new podcast from Science News, will give you a glimpse of what it’s like to live with electrodes in your brain. It might change how you think about mental health, the brain and what makes you you .