My dad grew up in a small village in India. He was one of four children. His father was

a farmer who couldn't read and write very well, and his mother, my grandmother, couldn't

read or write at all. But my dad was lucky. In school, he really excelled at science

and a chemistry teacher who spotted that talent paid for his application to graduate school.

That was how my father ended up in Los Angeles in his early 20s, studying physics at the University

of California at Riverside. Soon after he arrived in L.A., he sent his mother a telegram describing

the strands of diamonds and rubies he had seen on his way from the airport to the university.

He was talking about the lights from all the cars on the highway.

My father, Puru Jenna, has been a professor of physics at Virginia Commonwealth University

for several decades now. But he's in his 70s and he's been wondering whether it's time to retire.

And well, here's a confession. I've been telling him not to. You see, my dad is still sharp and

creative and really passionate about what he does. He collaborates with other scientists and still

pursues new ideas. And I worry if he just turns all that off one day, what's going to happen to him?

What would his life look like? Without his work, would his mind start to fade?

Now, my mom, on the other hand, she retired about five years ago. She's a physician and like

many women of her generation, she worked at the hospital and was the primary caregiver,

which meant she was incredibly busy her entire life. She was ready to retire and she's ready for

my dad to join her. So, mom on one side, me on the other, dad in the middle.

From the Freakonomics Radio Network, welcome to Freakonomics MD.

I'm Bapu Jenna. I'm an economist, but I'm also a medical doctor. And in each episode,

I dissect an interesting question at the sweet spot between health and economics.

Today, am I right to be worried about my dad retiring? Could stepping back from work make him

...