About this episode
That’s the worry. Even the humble eyeglass industry is dominated by a single firm. We look into the global spike in myopia, how the Lemtosh got its name, and what your eye doctor knows that you don’t. (Part two of a two-part series .) SOURCES: Maria Liu , professor of clinical optometry at the University of California, Berkeley. Harvey Moscot , C.E.O. of MOSCOT Eyewear and Eyecare. Zachary Moscot , chief design officer of MOSCOT Eyewear and Eyecare. Cédric Rossi , equity research analyst at Bryan Garnier. Tim Wu , professor of law, science and technology at Columbia Law School. RESOURCES: " Meta in Talks to Buy Stake in Eyewear Giant EssilorLuxottica ," by Salvador Rodriguez and Lauren Thomas ( The Wall Street Journal, 2024). " The Story Behind Soaring Myopia Among Kids ," by Manoush Zomorodi, Katie Monteleone, Sanaz Meshkinpour, and Rachel Faulkner White ( Body Electric, 2024). " Why So Many People Need Glasses Now ," by Christophe Haubursin ( Vox, 2023). " Eyes on World Sight: Taking Action to Advance Eye Health in China ," by EssilorLuxottica (2022). " Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050 ," by Brien A. Holden, Timothy R. Fricke, Serge Resnikoff, et al. ( Ophthalmology, 2016). " Increased Prevalence of Myopia in the United States Between 1971-1972 and 1999-2004 ," by Susan Vitale, Robert D. Sperduto, and Frederick L. Ferris ( Archives of Ophthalmology, 2009). EXTRAS: " The Economics of Eyeglasses ," series by Freakonomics Radio (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.