A.J. Jacobs recently tried to go an entire day without touching any plastic, and he wrote about his experience in The New York Times. He talks with us here about why giving up plastic altogether is basically impossible, but how making small changes to reduce plastic use can make a huge difference for human health and the health of the planet.

AJ Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. Among his books are “The Year of Living Biblically” and “The Know-It-All.” He has told several Moth stories, and given several TED talks that have amassed over 10 million views. His latest book is “The Puzzler,” which Booklist called “ridiculously entertaining,” and The New York Times called “A romp, both fun and funny.” He was the answer to 1 Down in the March 8, 2014 New York Times crossword puzzle.