Have they done a study comparing intelligence of glasses wearers vs. non wearers? Maybe we really ARE smarter.

There would be evolutionary benefit for increased intelligence to compensate for inadequate physical senses.

Dude - I love to nerd out on FW. That line you posted is, I think, one of the most beautiful sentences ever written. I have an audio track of Joyce reading it.

Literary Nerd Sidenote: In James Joyce's book Finnegans Wake the main character is named HCE which stands for Here Comes Everybody. The character was meant to be an allegorical representation of all mankind. Although seemingly incomprehensible at first glance, the book is written to mimic the disorienting, shape-shifting style of a dream. And the story is basically an overview of the Judeo-Christian history of humankind.

It's an interesting choice for the name of Clay's book. Mad English major props to him!