Fireworks in Your Eyeballs (Some Assembly Required)

Bill Lundgren interviews Lily Turkstra, a PhD researcher at UC Santa Barbara, on the realities of visual prostheses. They unpack who qualifies, what “seeing” with phosphenes is like, how training works, and why expectation-setting and mental health support are critical. Takeaways: current implants provide rudimentary perception, not natural vision; outcomes vary; support systems and rehab matter; independence gains are possible but individualized; clinicians and families must align on expectations. Contact Info Guest resources: bionic-vision.org (lab hub), bionicvision.org (lab site) Aftersight: (720) 712-8856 • [email protected] • aftersight.org Producer: Jonathan Price • [email protected] Show Credits Host: Bill Lundgren Guest: Lily, PhD researcher, UCSB (Bionic Vision) Producer: Jonathan Price Editor/Mix: Aftersight Audio Team A production of Aftersight Chapter Markers 00:00 — Why prosthetics in blindness matters 01:10 — Guest intro: Lily’s path to bionic vision 02:22 — From auditory perception to NASA to face blindness 03:40 — Who qualifies for visual implants 05:05 — Argus II and early devices 07:06 — What users actually “see”: phosphenes 08:20 — Learning a new visual language 09:30 — Daily-life integration vs lab outcomes 10:45 — Setting expectations for users and families 12:05 — Trade-offs: adaptation vs frustration 14:10 — What recognition is possible today 15:30 — Rehab and training workflows 16:37 — Practical home practice examples 18:10 — Community, altruism, and trial motivation 19:45 — Device limits vs “personal failure” 21:23 — External pressure and mental health 22:40 — “Change your life” claims, defined 23:51 — Independence as the real metric 25:10 — Measuring success outside the lab 27:10 — Family dynamics and letting go 30:01 — Finding peers and support 32:18 — Access barriers and consistency of care 34:25 — Integrating the device back into life 36:30 — Therapy and anxiety considerations 38:48 — Pre-implant psychological screening 41:18 — Whole-person fit and timing 43:40 — Research vs user expectations gap 46:01 — Co-design with users 48:23 — Why structured support groups would help 49:01 — Where to find trials and teams 51:28 — Resource sharing for the public 53:51 — Summary: useful, not universal; mindset matters 56:18 — Closing and resources recap