Can you make a Jello laser? Why are cats' eyes reflective? In his recently published book How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap, published by Oxford University Press in the fall, Stephen Wilk provides dozens of inquiries into the world of optics. In this podcast from the MIT Alumni Association, he discusses his fascination with the field.

Consider this volume The Anarchist’ Cookbook for MIT alums. If you’ve ever wondered why cats’ eyes are reflective, why the moon is blue every so often, whether autopsies of murder victims’ retinas will reveal images of their assailants, or who the first spectacle-wearers were in history, this is your book. Read more: alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/