The last time I had my eyes examined, the doctor said to me “Your reward for your longevity is that you get to wear these really cool glasses!” That’s a good perspective I suppose. Back in the day I could read not only off my own stand, but also the stands of my neighbors, and even people in the row in front of me. Those days are gone. Now it’s even a challenge to read my OWN music if the lighting isn’t great.

Over the past few years, while I was commuting back and forth to MSU in East Lansing, I came to rely on audiobooks and podcasts to keep me awake on the road. One of the very best I’ve found is RadioLab, from New York Public Radio. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, each episode covers a single scientific idea. What makes the RadioLab podcast different (and great, in my opinion) is the way the material is covered.