Shows / The Next Big Idea
The Next Big Idea
The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Join hosts Rufus Griscom and Caleb Bissinger — along with our curators, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — for conversations that might just change the way you see the world. New episodes every Monday and Thursday. For ad inquiries, please reach out to: Network+NBI@yapmedia.com
Episodes
- The Next Big Idea
How to Find the Meaning of Your Life (with Arthur C. Brooks)
Let's face it, modern life is kind of a bummer. We're glued to our phones, starved for meaning, haunted by a gnawing sense of emptiness. Enter Arthur C…
- The Next Big Idea
The Surprising Power of Oversharing
We’ve been told that “oversharing” (TMI) is a social sin. But our guest today, Leslie John, who teaches at Harvard Business School, argues that TLI (Too Little…
- The Next Big Idea
How a Mormon Journalist Became a Degenerate Gambler
On a muggy spring day in 2018, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that transformed America. In a 6-3 ruling, the high court cleared the way for legal…
- The Next Big Idea
Michael Pollan on Food, Psychedelics and His Next Book
Last week, we hosted a members-only Q&A with Michael Pollan. We covered food and diet, his writing process, psychedelics, and dreams. We also got into the…
- The Next Big Idea
The Story of Stories
What do the campfire, printing press, motion picture, and smartphone have in common? They're all storytelling technologies. Each one gave us a new medium…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: How To Connect With Anyone
According to Merriam-Webster, the word "conversation" has 36 synonyms, ranging from the alliterative ("confabulation") to the arcane ("persiflage"). Why the…
- The Next Big Idea
A War Correspondent on the Crisis in Iran
As the war with Iran enters its second week, two big questions loom: How did we get here? And how will it end? We put those questions to Scott Anderson. Scott…
- The Next Big Idea
How AI Could Change Everything in the Next 1,000 Days
Emad Mostaque co-founded Stability AI, the company behind the text-to-image generator Stable Diffusion, and he now runs Intelligent Internet, which builds…
- The Next Big Idea
Do We Even Need Politicians?
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers,” sneers a rebel henchman in Shakespeare’s “Henry VI.” Hélène Landemore, a political scientist at Yale, has…
- The Next Big Idea
Inside the Most Creative Friendship in History
On the surface, Ian Leslie's book John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs is a dual biography of the greatest songwriting duo the world has ever seen. So not…
- The Next Big Idea
Michael Pollan on the Mystery of Consciousness
Five years ago, Michael Pollan — the acclaimed author of The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and How to Change Your Mind — went looking for an answer…
- The Next Big Idea
The Science of Change
The only constant is change. You’ve heard it a thousand times. But here’s what the cliche leaves out: Change may be inevitable, but how you respond to it — and…
- The Next Big Idea
Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life
Do you ever feel like you're drowning in health advice? Eat this, not that. Take this supplement, but only after popping this other one first. Here’s the good…
- The Next Big Idea
A Practical Guide to Achieving Excellence
If you’ve spent any time on social media in the last few years, you’ve probably noticed the rise of what Brad Stulberg calls “hustle-culture greatness” —…
- The Next Big Idea
Does "Mattering" Explain Everything?
In her new book, Mattering, Jennifer Wallace argues that our deepest crises — loneliness, anxiety, political rage — stem from a single unmet need: the need…
- The Next Big Idea
The Superpower You Didn’t Know You Had
You know that feeling when you meet someone and something just … clicks? Scientists have a name for it. They call it “interpersonal synchrony.” Turns out we…
- The Next Big Idea
‘It’s a Real Company Run by Fake People’
Evan Ratliff started a company last summer. He and his co-founders came up with a name, hired a team, built a website, and launched an app. They interviewed…
- The Next Big Idea
CRYPTO: Is It Quietly Transforming the Global Economy?
As the co-founder and CEO of Circle — the fintech powerhouse that issues USDC, a popular cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar — Jeremy Allaire has had a…
- The Next Big Idea
Why the Blockchain Is Still Critical to Our Future
Chris Dixon runs a16z crypto, a fund that has raised more than $7 billion. So it’s no surprise that when talking about the blockchain, he says things like, “…
- The Next Big Idea
Reading Rewired the Human Brain. What Happens If We Stop Doing It?
Maryanne Wolf is a UCLA professor and the renowned author of "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" and "Reader, Come Home: The…
- The Next Big Idea
How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable
This is one of our favorite episodes — a conversation with Priya Parker, a conflict resolution specialist who’s worked on peace processes around the world…
- The Next Big Idea
FLOURISH: Daniel Coyle on the Art and Science of Feeling Alive
What does it mean to flourish? According to author Daniel Coyle, flourishing is “joyful, meaningful growth — shared.” But how do you achieve that enviable…
- The Next Big Idea
Kari Leibowitz Loves Winter (And You Can Too)
In our divided nation, there's one thing many of us seem to agree on: winter sucks. A recent study found that nearly half of Americans would skip winter if…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: How Successful Groups Work
Daniel Coyle will soon join us on the show to talk about his forthcoming book, Flourish. Today, we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with Dan about his last…
- The Next Big Idea
AI and the Future of the University
A few weeks ago, Rufus moderated a panel discussion at Vanderbilt’s New York City campus on artificial intelligence and the future of American higher…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: David Brooks on the Art of Seeing Others Deeply
New York Times columnist and acclaimed author David Brooks has been trying to learn the skills that go into seeing others, understanding others, making other…
- The Next Big Idea
STRONG GROUND: Brené Brown on the Daring Leadership the World Needs Now
In this conversation, recorded live on Zoom with members of the Next Big Idea Club community, Brené and Rufus talk about what drives her, how Texas has shaped…
- The Next Big Idea
Brené Brown on courageous leadership (from ReThinking with Adam Grant)
Brené Brown is a researcher, storyteller, and author who hosts the podcast Dare to Lead and has given some of the most popular TED Talks of all time. In this…
- The Next Big Idea
Walter Isaacson on The Greatest Sentence Ever Written
What is the greatest sentence ever written? According to Walter Isaacson — former editor of Time, ex-CEO of CNN, and the acclaimed biographer of Elon Musk…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: Decoding Elon Musk
When Walter Isaacson, the legendary biographer of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci, started shadowing Elon Musk, he found…
- The Next Big Idea
Andrew Ross Sorkin: What the Crash of 1929 Says About Today
Andrew Ross Sorkin’s new book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation, is an eye-opening account of the forces…
- The Next Big Idea
Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson on What Running Can Teach Us
Nick Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic. But he moonlights as a damn good runner. At 44, he ran a marathon in 2 hours and 29 minutes, making him one of the…
- The Next Big Idea
COMMON KNOWLEDGE: Steven Pinker on Awkward Dates, Cancel Culture and the Necessity of Norms
As promised, today we’re bringing you a full-length interview with Steven Pinker about his new book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . .: Common…
- The Next Big Idea
A Food Crisis Is Brewing. Are We Ready?
Caleb is joined by Sam Kass, former senior food policy advisor to President Obama and the chef who cooked dinner for the first family most nights. Now a…
- The Next Big Idea
The Future Is Going to Be Great
Dave Blundin has co-founded 23 companies, co-hosts the Moonshots podcast, runs the VC firm Link Ventures, teaches at MIT, and has been building neural networks…
- The Next Big Idea
PRIMAL INTELLIGENCE: You’re Smarter Than You Realize
Angus Fletcher has a PhD in literature from Yale and teaches English at Ohio State. He’s passionate about Shakespeare. He probably owns a tweed jacket. In…
- The Next Big Idea
STEVEN PINKER: How Common Knowledge and Rationality Make the World Go Round
Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker shares five key insights from his brand new book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows. He reveals how “common knowledge”…
- The Next Big Idea
AI & THE BRAIN: How Different Are They?
Today's AI runs on neural networks, a design originally inspired by the human brain. As these systems grow more sophisticated, they're raising a profound…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: Jonathan Haidt on What Social Media Is Doing to Our Kids
It’s rare these days for a book to go viral, but that’s exactly what happened with The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an…
- The Next Big Idea
ARTHUR C. BROOKS: Success Won’t Make You Happy — Here’s What Will
Arthur C. Brooks is an unlikely happiness guru. He’s not a psychologist, philosopher, or mystic. He’s an economist and public policy analyst who, for years…
- The Next Big Idea
THE FUTURE OF WRITING: A Conversation with Ethan Mollick and Steven Johnson
What if, thanks to AI, you can now research and write a book two, three, or even four times faster? For authors and AI pioneers Steven Johnson (Editorial…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: Sebastian Junger’s Journey to the Edge and Back
On a June night several years ago, Sebastian Junger, bestselling author of The Perfect Storm and co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary Restrepo, lay…
- The Next Big Idea
INTUITION: The Science of Trusting Your Gut
We all have eureka moments, sudden bursts of certainty that seem to come out of nowhere. What if you could summon that feeling on command? Laura Huang, a…
- The Next Big Idea
Can Rogue Archeologists Bring the Past Back to Life?
We have a pretty good idea what ancient civilizations looked like. But what did they taste, smell, and feel like? 📕 Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean 📱 Sign up…
- The Next Big Idea
WHAT WE VALUE: A Neuroscientist's Guide to Making Better Choices
All day long, your brain makes subconscious value calculations. It looks at every decision and asks, "What is going to be most rewarding for me right this very…
- The Next Big Idea
SUPER AGERS (Part 2): Eric Topol on Sleep, GLP-1s, and AI
In part two of our interview with Eric Topol, author of the New York Times bestseller Super Agers, we cover how to get a good night's sleep, why one day…
- The Next Big Idea
SUPER AGERS (Part 1): The Revolutionary New Science of Longevity
For years, cardiologist Eric Topol hunted for the rarest people in America: those over 80 who had never been sick. When he finally found 1,400 of them, he made…
- The Next Big Idea
GENIUS MYTH: The Dangerous Allure of Rule-Breakers
Sign up for our Substack! Arthur Schopenhauer said, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see.” Thomas Edison…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: Life Lessons From Wired Co-Founder Kevin Kelly
Sign up for our daily Substack here! Kevin Kelly has made a career out of looking to the future. He helped pioneer online social networking all the way back in…
- The Next Big Idea
AI FIRST: The Tsunami Is Already Here
AI, according to Andy Sack and Adam Brotman, co-founders of Forum3 and co-authors of the new book AI First, isn't just a neat new tool. It's "a tsunami of…
- The Next Big Idea
Best Of: Michael Lewis Runs Toward Pleasure
This is one of our favorite conversations from the last year. On the surface, it's an interview we did with Michael Lewis to coincide with the paperback…
- The Next Big Idea
How Susan Cain Found Her Voice
Susan Cain always knew she wanted to be a writer. But her path to becoming one was anything but straightforward. She took a creative writing class in college…
- The Next Big Idea
HOPE FOR CYNICS: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness
We think that cynicism protects us from being disappointed by other people. But Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki says the opposite is true. When we expect the…
- The Next Big Idea
RISE ABOVE: How to Realize Your Full Potential
Psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman broke free from resentment and rumination, shifting into what he calls an empowerment mindset. Are you ready to do the same? •…
- The Next Big Idea
MORAL AMBITION: Are You Wasting Your Talent?
What if everything we've been told about having a successful career is wrong? Rutger Bregman thinks most of us are wasting our working lives and argues we…
- The Next Big Idea
NVIDIA: Jensen Huang Bet Big on AI. What Comes Next?
In his new book, The Thinking Machine, Stephen Witt offers a riveting portrait of Jensen Huang, who went from immigrant dishwasher to CEO of the world’s most…
- The Next Big Idea
EXPLORATION: Why We Seek Out Big Challenges
Humans are wired to explore. So why are we less adventurous than ever — and what are we losing because of it? Guest: Alex Hutchinson, author of The Explorer’s…
- The Next Big Idea
AI 2027: What If Superhuman AI Is Right Around the Corner?
Could AI take over in the next few years? Daniel Kokotajlo thinks so. Here’s why. 💿 Check out this Spotify playlist of our other episodes about AI 📩 Want to…
- The Next Big Idea
THE ART OF EDITING: Graydon Carter on the Golden Age of Magazines
Remember magazines? Piled high on coffee tables or tucked into seatback pockets. Savored beneath beach umbrellas or skimmed anxiously in dental waiting rooms…
- The Next Big Idea
FAMILY DYNAMICS: Unraveling the Mystery of Sibling Success
You know those families where the kids all grow up to be remarkably successful? New York Times journalist Susan Dominus has spent the last few years getting to…