If you don’t listen to Radiolab, do take the time to listen to this excellent hour about altruism.

My favorite part involves a fellow named Walter F. Rutkowski from the Carnegie Hero Fund, a man who decides which of our fellow humans is a “hero.”

A few points:

1. He knows the definition of a hero from memory. I imagine he also can recall the award numbers from memory.
2. For a man who deals with the extraordinary all day, he’s awful calm about it.
3. I imagine this man sits in a large room, adding details about heroic acts to oversize musty books with a quill.
4. I will imagine him no other way.
5. He has a terrific dry wit.
6. I love that there’s a guy that you can call and talk to about heroes.