Isabel Varela-Nieto, Head of the research group in Neuropathology of Hearing and Myelinopathies at the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols, IIBM (CSIC-UAM) has recently participated in the science outreach program "Entre probetas" of Radio 5 (Radio Nacional de España), due to the celebration of World Hearing Day. The CSIC Professor is an excellent science communicator, bringing to society her knowledge about the genetic and molecular basis of hearing and hearing degeneration. In the program "Entre probetas", presented and directed by José Antonio López Guerrero, another great science communicator, Dr. Varela Nieto highlighted the great impact that hearing loss plays on our quality of life and the importance of maintaining proper hearing health throughout our lives, since the organ of hearing does not regenerate itself. Dr. Varela Nieto is a member of one of the groups of the Center for Biomedical Research Network on Rare Diseases (CIBERER) and explained in her interview that deafness of genetic origin are mostly rare diseases (those with a low prevalence in the population), because each type of deafness is related to a unique mutation in a gene. In addition, there are many rare syndromes that include hearing loss as one of their most important symptoms. Dr. Varela-Nieto pointed out that hearing loss does not only occur with aging, but is induced by exposure to noise and offered clues on how to protect ourselves from hearing loss, particularly due to what the World Health Organization has termed "recreational noise". To learn more about this interesting topic and how to maintain good hearing health, you can listen to the full audio at http://www.rtve.es/a/6497638