Episode Description:

This week on the podcast, Arielle and Karissa explore surprising yet powerful solutions—from Stanford’s breakthrough brain-computer interface that decodes inner speech (complete with a mental privacy password!) to the top five preventable injuries that send people to the ER—yes, avocado hand is on the list. They also touch on a handful of other standout headlines from Optimist Daily, including conch-blowing sleep solutions, a historic gonorrhea vaccine rollout, and clever ways to save on groceries. Tune in for a smart, practical, and slightly mind-blowing roundup.

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Transcript:

Theme music

Karissa:

Hello and welcome to the Optimist Daily‘s Weekly Roundup. I’m Karissa.

Arielle:

And I’m Arielle, and we’re working hard to put solutions in view and optimism in movement.

Karissa:

Hello, hello! Back with another episode of the pod to share the solutions from the Optimist Daily this week and oh boy, do we have some great solutions that we’re excited to dive into.

Arielle:

And if you want to hear more about the solutions or actually read more about these solutions, then I highly recommend that you sign up for our free daily newsletter. That way you can get all the articles straight to your inbox.

Karissa:

Yeah. And if you want our solutions in a different way, maybe on your social media feeds, you can give us a follow @OptimistDaily on any social media platform except on X where we are @OdeToOptimism.

Arielle:

As usual, we would love to send a huge thank you to all of our emissaries! So emissaries are people in the Optimistcommunity who help us do what we do by giving us some financial support, whether that’s through a one-time donation or weekly, monthly, annually, however they want to help. So a big thank you to you guys, but we also have huge love for our other supporters who help us out in different ways such as…

Karissa:

Well, you can share this podcast if you want and leave a positive review. You can forward an email to a friend of our daily newsletter, or you can read, post and share some of our social media posts with our solutions, or even just give us a little interaction over there and let us know what you think of them!

Arielle:

Mm-hmm. So thank you to everyone who already does that.

Karissa:

Yeah.

Arielle:

So Karissa, how are you doing this week?

Karissa:

Yeah. I mean, summer is continuing to summer. It’s still pretty hot. And so I’m kind of ready for it to cool down a little bit. And yeah, that’s kind of all that’s been on top of my mind lately, but for the most part, doing well. What about you, Arielle?

Arielle:

I’m feeling a little bit better, slightly less congested than last week. But still feeling slightly under the weather.

Karissa:

Is your sickness kind of making you… not an optimist? (laughs)

Arielle:

Yeah (laughs), I’m an optimist, but I’m sick with a cold. It’s hard to be optimistic when you can’t breathe. But you know, we’re making it through. I guess that’s my I’m an optimist, but… of the week. Do you have anything else?

Karissa:

Yeah. Yeah, I do actually. Because just right before the podcast recording, I got a spam call and I don’t know about our listeners out there, but I get like 3 to 5 spam calls every day…

Arielle:

Oh my gosh.

Karissa:

Yeah. And it’s just so annoying because every time it’s a different number. I block it every time… But I’ve seen a lot of other people complain about this too, and it doesn’t seem like there’s really a viable solution out there. But it’s just so annoying. So if anyone does have any tips for this on how to make these scam/spam callers stop, please let me know because it’s so annoying that you have to deal with this! I just wish there were some futuristic developments that could solve this simple yet apparently complex problem.

Arielle:

Yeah, I wish I had a solution for you, but alas, I do not. I also just block the numbers and move on, and it’s more of a Band-Aid solution than anything. But I do kind of have a futuristic solution that I’m going to talk about today.

Karissa:

OK, well, I am happy to hear it. Let’s talk about it.

Arielle:

All right! So it’s titled Scientists develop BCI tech to decode inner speech—with a brain-powered privacy password.

Karissa:

Nice.

Arielle:

It goes into detail about how researchers at Stanford have developed a new brain-computer interface, or BCI, that can, as the title says, decode quote-unquote inner speech. That means instead of having to try to speak out loud, people could just think the words they want to say and the system would translate those thoughts into text or speech.

Karissa:

Oh my gosh, this is already so crazy to think about. I guess it means no muscle movement at all. It’s just straight from your brain to text.

Arielle:

Exactly. And this is a huge deal for people with conditions like ALS, where speech becomes really difficult or eventually impossible. Usually, BCI systems for people with ALS require users to try to move their mouth or tongue, which can be really exhausting. This new system skips all of that effort.

Karissa:

Yeah, well, that sounds like a major upgrade. And how does it actually work?

Arielle:

So in a new study published in the journal Cell, four participants, including Casey Harrell, a longtime ALS patient who’s been part of Stanford’s trials, used the interface just by imagining themselves speaking. No actual movement. Harrell had already regained some speech with earlier BCI systems that combined brain signals and recordings of his voice from before he lost speech. But this study takes it even further.

Karissa:

Oh, OK. So how much success did they have with this?

Arielle:

Yeah, at first the results were not great. The AI models didn’t pick up the words very clearly, but the researchers retrained their systems and eventually got to a point where the computer could reliably translate full phrases like “I don’t know how long you’ve been here,” and that’s pretty advanced for inner speech.

Karissa:

Yeah, I mean, that’s pretty wild. But I can imagine that mind-reading tech can raise some concerns. Maybe privacy concerns as well.

Arielle:

Totally. The team at Stanford noticed that sometimes the system would pick up words the participants didn’t actually want to say out loud. That’s where the mental privacy issue came in. To address it, they built in a kind of brain-based password.

Karissa:

Oh OK, so a password in your head. How does this work?

Arielle:

Yeah, it sounds so sci-fi, but the participants imagined a specific phrase—Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—before and after a phrase they actually wanted to say.

Karissa:

Uh-huh.

Arielle:

The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang acted as an on-and-off switch for the system. The computer only decoded what was between those mental bookmarks, and it worked 98.75 percent of the time.

Karissa:

OK. Well, that’s impressively accurate. So that’s good.

Arielle:

Yeah, it is. And it’s smart, too. According to the New York Times, the team wanted something that wouldn’t show up in normal inner dialogue, so something like “I need groceries” wouldn’t accidentally activate the system.

Karissa:

Yeah, exactly. That makes sense. And I guess, are there any other teams working on similar tech? Because this is completely new and amazing.

Arielle:

Yeah, pretty cutting edge. But yes, to answer your question. For instance, in 2023, researchers at UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley developed a BCI system that could translate brain activity into speech using just a small set of electrodes and a neural network trained on hours of brain data. But their system still required users to attempt speech or mouth movements.

Karissa:

So it seems like the Stanford study is unique because it removes that physical step altogether.

Arielle:

Yes, precisely. And that’s a big deal. The ultimate goal here is making communication easier and less taxing, especially for people whose energy is already so limited. Erin Kunz, one of the researchers and co-author of the study, said that inner speech decoding could let users interact more without tiring themselves out, which is key for maintaining relationships and autonomy.

Karissa:

Yeah. And it sounds like they’re also thinking carefully about the ethical implications here.

Arielle:

Yeah, they are, and they should be, because as this tech evolves, the question becomes not just can we decode thoughts, but when should we decode thoughts? The idea of a brain-computer interface that reads your mind is definitely exciting, but it also needs safeguards. That’s why the password feature is so important. It gives control back to the user.

Karissa:

It’s really fascinating, and this is such an interesting development in this kind of technology. So, I think it’s great, and you know, it really feels like we’re entering a new era of assistive technology.

Arielle:

Yeah. And we definitely are entering this new crazy era. This was a small trial, just a proof of concept, but it shows real promise if developed further. Inner speech BCIs could restore communication for so many people who have lost their voice.

Karissa:

Yeah. And with privacy and dignity intact… because it feels like true privacy in tech is really hard to come by in the era of data mining that’s going on right now. But this is the kind of future tech I can actually get behind, because it’s kind of a scary development when you think about it, but I mean it has the potential, as we said, to revolutionize assistive communication.

Arielle:

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I can just imagine for people with loved ones who… maybe their dad has ALS or something, or their mom, or a really close friend of theirs, and they just can’t communicate the way that they used to. This could be so, so meaningful for them.

It’s scary and exciting!

Karissa:

Yeah, absolutely.

Arielle:

But Karissa, do you have anything scary and exciting? (laughs)

Karissa:

I guess I do kind of have a scary and exciting solution to talk about.

Arielle:

All right!

Karissa:

5 avoidable injuries that send people to the ER (and how to stay out of trouble).

This solution was really calling my name this week because, spoiler alert, we’re going to talk about one of the most popular ER visit culprits—which is the avocado hand. I had my own run-in with an avocado when I was camping this summer. I was not being knife-safe, and I just punctured it trying to get the pit out and it just went and got my finger really good…

Arielle:

Oh my gosh.

Karissa:

…and I didn’t have to go to the ER, but it was still a nasty cut and it was right when the camping trip started. So a great way to start, of course. But before I dive in—Arielle, have you ever been in the ER for something that was kind of ordinary, or even just in general, have you had an ER experience?

Arielle:

Um, for someone who is generally pretty clumsy, I have not ended up in the ER, which I’m really happy about.

Karissa:

Yeah.

Arielle:

My partner, he got hit by a really big electric bike and he broke his pinky. So that’s the last experience I’ve had in the ER. But that wasn’t even me, so…

Karissa:

Yeah. Well, we’ll talk about those electric bikes in this article too, because they are also a culprit of these common ER visits.

Arielle:

Okay.

Karissa:

I think we forget that ER visits aren’t always the result of a dramatic car crash or exotic animal bites. Sometimes it can just be you, your kitchen, and an innocent-looking avocado conspiring to ruin your camping trip, maybe.

Arielle:

Mm-hmm.

Karissa:

But according to ER doctors, a huge portion of emergency room injuries are both shockingly common and totally preventable.

Arielle:

Fascinating. I always think of the ER as being a place to go when you are in a critical condition, but I guess that isn’t always the case.

Karissa:

Yeah, exactly. And according to the CDC, injuries make up nearly 30 percent of all ER visits. But unlike, say, heart attacks or freak accidents, many of these injuries boil down to a handful of everyday missteps—quite often literally. So here are the top five injuries ER docs say they see all the time, plus their very practical and occasionally hilariously blunt advice for how to stay out of the waiting room.

Arielle:

I’m interested!

Karissa:

Number one is: Tripping hazards are sneakier than you think.

And you know, it’s not just bungee jumping or rock climbing that’s landing people in the ER. It’s the good old staircase.

Arielle:

Yeah, I know I have almost fallen victim to a staircase many times, especially because here in Amsterdam, so many of the staircases are basically like ladders and super narrow.

Karissa:

Yeah. And I mean, if you’re in a hurry or just not really paying attention, it’s easy to misstep—and in the worst case, take a tumble. But wearing the wrong footwear also doesn’t help in general. Because if you’re, you know, taking a hike in slides or flip-flops, or maybe crossing ice in a pair of Crocs, or teetering on gravel in stilettos, it might not end up well.

Arielle:

Yeah, it’s definitely important to pick the right footwear for the occasion.

Karissa:

Absolutely. And as Mark Conroy, MD, urges, dress for the terrain and carry fewer things at a time so you can actually see where you’re walking.

Arielle:

Yeah, good advice.

Karissa:

And the second little pointer here is: Put the knives down (and grab a cutting board).

Arielle:

Yeah, this sounds like what you were talking about earlier, Karissa.

Karissa:

Yes! So, as this article says, if you’ve ever attempted to pit an avocado by stabbing it with a knife—stop. As Dr. Conroy says, avocado hand is a frequent flyer at the ER, as is its cousin, the bagel hand. While Dr. Mark Morocco recommends wearing cut-resistant safety gloves when handling knives, Dr. Rade Vukmir warns against slicing anything with confusing texture in general—so, you know, soft on the outside, hard on the inside like an avocado—while holding it in your hand.

And don’t even get the ER doctors started on mandolins, because, as Jeff Baker, DO from Palm Springs says, they elicit groans.

Arielle:

Ah.

Karissa:

They have beautiful slices, but brutal injuries.

Arielle:

Yes, I know I have given myself little cuts before in the kitchen by accident from these sharp tools, and they’re just everywhere here because the Dutch love their cheese!

Karissa:

I’m also definitely guilty of getting little cuts from things like this too. So #3 on this list is: Be careful of big risks from two wheels.

I mean, e-bikes, scooters, and bicycles account for more ER injuries than you might guess, ranging from nasty road rashes to traumatic brain injuries. At the worst-case scenario, Dr. Morocco has even seen entire bodies “cheese-gratered.”

Arielle:

Oh gosh.

Karissa:

Which I personally don’t even want to imagine.

Arielle:

Me neither. But that begs the question: where is the riskiest area to ride these two wheels?

Karissa:

Yeah. Well, Dr. Baker says the most dangerous rides happen on city streets with high-speed traffic. So if you insist on scooting around, wear a helmet. And no, it’s not optional. And also consider foam-padded safety glasses too. Dr. Morocco insists that you really don’t want a bug flying into your eyes at 20 miles per hour.

Arielle:

That’s a great point. You do not want your visibility to be impacted, and it’s pretty painful to have a bug in your eye. It happened to me last week, but I wasn’t going very fast.

Karissa:

And I guess on that note too—don’t text and ride. Stay visible, pick stable roads, and think of this as a ride-or-crash scenario, because at the end of the day, you are on a moving vehicle.

The fourth pointer that we have is: Ladders: danger disguised as helpful.

Arielle:

Mm-hmm.

Karissa:

Dr. Baker says that using a ladder to trim trees or reach the roof is basically asking for trouble, because even a six-foot fall can break bones. ER docs often advise hiring someone instead.

Arielle:

Yeah, I guess we can’t all be professional ladder users.

Karissa:

But if you must do it yourself, place the ladder on solid ground. Make sure it’s structurally sound. And yes, somebody should be nearby in case of an emergency—but not to hold the ladder, because that rarely ends well.

Arielle:

Oh, OK. Noted.

Karissa:

Yep. It’s also really important to be safe indoors when you’re trying to reach something high, because step stools are deceptively dangerous. People fall off trying to reach the top of the fridge all the time. So always use the right-height stool, keep it centered, and maintain one hand on a stable surface.

Arielle:

As a pretty short person, I really need to be careful with the step stools. I often just climb on top of the actual counter because I feel way sturdier there.

Karissa:

I see—me too! And maybe that’s not the safest either. Sometimes I’ll just grab whatever chair is closest, and sometimes that’s a swivel chair…

Arielle:

Oh no.

Karissa:

…which I’m sure these docs are cringing at, because, you know, the swivel is even more dangerous—not sturdy. So, keep it sturdy, guys.

And the fifth and final pointer here is: Protect your eyeballs, please.

Because, you want to know what hurts? A tiny piece of metal or wood flying into your eye while you’re mowing the lawn, grinding metal, or leaf-blowing without safety glasses. Dr. Conroy warns that this can lead to scratched corneas or even an open globe injury—which is also known as a puncture in your actual eyeball.

Arielle:

I don’t like thinking about that.

Karissa:

Me either.

Arielle:

So everyone: please wear those safety glasses.

Karissa:

Luckily for me, growing up with my dad—who works in kind of like construction-esque jobs—safety glasses were always around, and he would always put them on. So definitely, if you don’t have a pair, go get some so you have them when you’re doing these chores that have things flying around. Because even though they’re not glamorous, neither is spending your afternoon explaining to an ER nurse how a leaf got lodged in your retina.

Arielle:

Yeah.

Karissa:

Hopefully these pointers will be a solution for keeping you out of the ER for silly little mistakes.

Arielle:

Yeah, this is a really practical and helpful solution for you to share, Karissa. Thank you so much.

Karissa:

And we also had some other great solutions this week on The Optimist Daily.

Arielle:

Yes! They include: Back-to-school shopping without the meltdown: How to keep trends and budgets in check. UK launches world’s first gonorrhoea vaccine rollout amid record infection rates. Ancient conch blowing practice shows promise for easing sleep apnoea symptoms. And How to cut grocery bills and waste less: 9 clever, planet-friendly hacks.

Karissa:

The grass-eating mystery: Why cats and dogs snack on greens. Tiny robots offer lasting relief for tooth sensitivity, scientists say. New treatment helps type 1 diabetes patient produce insulin without immunosuppressants. And 7 Pilates mistakes instructors wish you’d stop (and what to do instead).

Arielle:

Amazing. Well, thank you so much as usual, Karissa, for spending another Friday with me talking about our favorite solutions from the Optimist Daily.

Karissa:

Yeah, great to be here. And looking forward to next week to share some more solutions with everybody.

Arielle:

In the meantime, we wish all of our listeners and readers and fellow optimists a wonderful weekend.

Karissa:

Yeah. Alrighty. Bye everyone.

Arielle:

Bye.