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
ABUNDANCE: Derek Thompson on How to Actually Rebuild the American Dream
Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is probably the most talked-about book in the country right now. And the most hotly debated. It’s a book about how…
- The Next Big Idea
WHY GIVERS WIN: Adam Grant Revisits 'Give and Take'
We’re often told that success comes down to talent, hard work, and luck. But Adam Grant's research suggests that view is missing something crucial. In today’s…
- The Next Big Idea
BITCOIN: A 15-Year Quest to Unmask the Mysterious Inventor of Crypto
In 2008, a mysterious figure created Bitcoin — a digital currency without banks or borders that sparked a global financial movement. And then he disappeared…
- The Next Big Idea
YOU, BUT BETTER: The Science and Promise of Personality Change
Can you change who you are? When reporter Olga Khazan decided she was tired of being a “high-strung misanthrope” (her words), she turned to science for…
- The Next Big Idea
CARL ZIMMER: The Untold Story of the Air We Breathe
Every day you inhale 2,000 gallons of air. What’s in there? 📕 Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe by Carl Zimmer 📩 Want to transform your day…
- The Next Big Idea
SAHIL BLOOM: The 5 Types of Wealth
Turns out it’s not all about the Benjamins. Real success, according to Sahil Bloom, author of “The 5 Types of Wealth,” also requires the freedom to decide how…
- The Next Big Idea
STORY: How to Tell a Great One (Part 2)
In part two of our conversation with Will Storr about his new book A Story Is a Deal, he reveals the five storytelling techniques you can use to captivate any…
- The Next Big Idea
STORY: The Science Behind Humanity’s Superpower (Part 1)
Today, we’re sitting down with Will Storr, author of the dazzling new book A Story Is a Deal, to talk about humanity’s greatest invention: story. More than…
- The Next Big Idea
The Former Head of USAID on Why Foreign Aid Benefits Everyone
When Rajiv Shah was in his late 20s and didn’t know what to do with his life, he got a job at a fledgling nonprofit, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation…
- The Next Big Idea
Three Things We Learned Last Year
In this special audio essay, Rufus reflects on the big ideas from 2024 that altered his worldview. 🎙️ You can find all of the interviews mentioned in this…
- The Next Big Idea
SUPERAGENCY: What Could Go Right With AI?
A recent Pew Research survey found that most Americans are more worried than excited about AI. Reid Hoffman, however, isn't one of them. He knows the risks —…
- The Next Big Idea
SHIFT: How to Manage Your Emotions
We've got a special treat for you today. We invited Ethan Kross — psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of the bestseller "Chatter" — to give us a sneak…
- The Next Big Idea
WINTER: The Secret to Thriving in the Darkest Season
In our deeply divided nation, there's one thing many of us seem to agree on: winter is the worst. A recent study found that nearly half of Americans would skip…
- The Next Big Idea
DRIVE: A Fresh Look at the Science of Motivation (with Daniel Pink)
What drives human motivation? For years, the answer seemed simple: rewards. Dangle the right carrot — a bonus, stock options, "Employee of the Month"…
- The Next Big Idea
James Clear’s Ultimate Guide to Building Good Habits (Encore)
Forming a new habit is tough. Sticking with it is even tougher. That’s probably why someone buys a copy of James Clear’s 2018 book “Atomic Habits” every 11…
- The Next Big Idea
How to Find Purpose, Meaning, and Success (2022)
Arthur C. Brooks used to run a prominent think tank where he was paid handsomely to influence public policy. Did all that success make him happy? Nope. So…
- The Next Big Idea
WHAT IS LIFE? (Part 2): Consciousness, AI, and Aliens
Does free will exist on a sliding scale? Will humans and AI co-evolve? Are aliens already here on earth? These are just a few of the many mind-bending…
- The Next Big Idea
WHAT IS LIFE? (Part 1): A Mind-Bending Conversation with Sara Walker
We’ve had many bracing thinkers on this show, but Sara Walker might take the cake. A physicist and astrobiologist at Arizona State University, she's just…
- The Next Big Idea
STRATEGY: How to Make Better Plans
You may think you know what strategy is, but Seth Godin is willing to bet you haven’t got a clue. It’s not just setting goals. It’s not just making plans…
- The Next Big Idea
TECH AGNOSTIC: How Technology Became the World's Top Religion
Greg Epstein, the humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT, wants you to think twice before putting your faith in Silicon Valley's promises. 🎙️ Follow The Next Big…
- The Next Big Idea
The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect (2023)
When he was 26, Will Guidara took the helm of a middling brasserie in New York City called Eleven Madison Park. A decade later, it was named the best…
- The Next Big Idea
CATCHING SOULS: An Obituary Writer’s Lessons for Living
For two decades, Ann Wroe has written weekly obituaries for The Economist. Some of her subjects are luminaries (Queen Elizabeth II, Paul Newman). Others are…
- The Next Big Idea
THE INTERESTING: How to Live the Good Life
Philosophers have long maintained that the Good Life is braided from two strands: pleasure and purpose. But Middlebury’s Lorraine Besser says there’s a third…
- The Next Big Idea
A Productivity Podclass with Cal Newport
Do fewer things. Work at a natural pace. Obsess over quality. These are Cal Newport's three principles for achieving your goals without burning out. Today, in…
- The Next Big Idea
Human History Is Not Set In Stone
What if everything we think we know about the history of our species is wrong? That’s the provocative question at the heart of a new book by today’s guest…
- The Next Big Idea
Want a More Meaningful Life? Embrace Your Limitations.
In his mega-bestseller “Four Thousand Weeks,” Oliver Burkeman showed that the shortness of life “isn’t a reason for unremitting despair, or for living in an…
- The Next Big Idea
THE WORK OF ART: How Something Comes From Nothing
Making art is hard work, as Adam Moss, the revered former editor of New York magazine, reveals in his illuminating new book, "The Work of Art." The book is a…
- The Next Big Idea
ANXIOUS GENERATION (Part 2): How to Raise Resilient Kids in the Digital Age
Earlier this week, Jonathan Haidt joined us to discuss the crisis in youth mental health caused by smartphones and social media. Now he’s back to talk…
- The Next Big Idea
ANXIOUS GENERATION (Part 1): 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
Life Is a Game. Here's How to Play It.
“Life is a game. There’s no way to understand the human world without first understanding this. Everyone alive is playing a game whose hidden rules are built…
- The Next Big Idea
REVENGE OF THE TIPPING POINT: Malcolm Gladwell Revisits the Science of Social Contagion
Twenty-five years ago, Malcolm Gladwell was not Malcolm Gladwell. Well, sure, ontologically speaking he was, but he would not have registered on the…
- The Next Big Idea
The Future of Storytelling, According to Malcolm Gladwell
Next week, Malcolm Gladwell will be on the show to discuss his new book "Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social…
- The Next Big Idea
NEXUS (Part 2): Yuval Noah Harari on How to Safeguard Humanity in the Age of AI
Is AI all bad, or could it be so good that we might one day want to merge with it? This is just one of the questions Rufus poses in part two of his…
- The Next Big Idea
NEXUS (Part 1): Can Democracy Survive the AI Revolution? (with Yuval Noah Harari)
Yuval Noah Harari published an essay in the New York Times the other day. “Large-scale democracies,” he wrote, “became feasible only after the rise of modern…
- The Next Big Idea
Can We End Poverty by Just Giving People Cash?
Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 a day, has long been seen as an intractable problem. But what if the solution is simple? What if you…
- The Next Big Idea
GOING INFINITE: Michael Lewis Wants to Change Your Mind About Sam Bankman-Fried
In March, when Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of FTX, was sentenced to 25 years behind bars for stealing $8 billion from customers, many people saw…
- The Next Big Idea
SUPERCONVERGENCE: Biotechnology Is About to Transform the World. Are We Ready?
Sturgeon caviar harvested in a lab. Skyscrapers made out of living materials that grow from the ground up. Computers that run on DNA. These might sound like…
- The Next Big Idea
ANXIOUS ACHIEVER: How You Can Turn Anxiety Into a Superpower
What are some words you would use to describe a leader? Bold, driven, steadfast. How about … anxious? You may not equate leadership with anxiety, but Morra…
- The Next Big Idea
ON THE EDGE (Part 2): How to Get Ahead by Thinking Probabilistically
Today, Nate Silver explains why most people should take bigger risks, reveals the big thing everyone misunderstands about Sam Bankman-Fried, and makes the case…
- The Next Big Idea
ON THE EDGE (Part 1): Nate Silver on Politics, Poker, and Risk-Taking
You probably know Nate Silver, the founder of FiveThirtyEight, as the statistician with an uncanny knack for predicting election results. What you may not know…
- The Next Big Idea
The Case for Effective Altruism
Effective altruism — the brand of philanthropy where you try to do the most good for the greatest number of people with the resources you have — has gotten a…
- The Next Big Idea
Laziness Does Not Exist
Today, social psychologist Devon Price makes the intriguing and ultimately hopeful case that laziness is a myth, a lie, a pernicious trap with no other purpose…
- The Next Big Idea
ALCOHOL: The Good, the Bad, and the Bubbly
Humans have been imbibing for thousands of years. What has drinking contributed to society? What is it doing to our health? Guests: Edward Slingerland (”Drunk…
- The Next Big Idea
Living for Pleasure
Over 2,000 years ago, Epicurus, a Greek philosopher, made a simple yet bold claim. The key to the good life, he said, is to pursue pleasure and avoid pain. Is…
- The Next Big Idea
PROBABILITY: How a 250-Year-Old Theorem Still Explains the World
Back in the 1700s, in a spa town outside of London, Thomas Bayes, a Presbyterian minister and amateur mathematician, invented a formula that lets you figure…
- The Next Big Idea
GOOD ENERGY (Part 2): Casey Means on How to Supercharge Your Diet
So you want to eat healthy. But how do you actually go about doing that? Today, Casey Means — Stanford-trained physician, founder of Levels, and author of the…
- The Next Big Idea
GOOD ENERGY (Part 1): How to Feel Incredible, Avoid Disease, and Age Well
Bad news: 93% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy. Their bodies struggle to convert food into the energy their cells need. And this fuel shortage…
- The Next Big Idea
BEN FRANKLIN: A Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life
Publisher, scientist, humorist, diplomat — Benjamin Franklin was America's first polymath. Today, with help from Eric Weiner, we revisit Franklin's life…
- The Next Big Idea
Bill Gates Says Superhuman AI May Be Closer Than You Think
Where is AI headed, and how quickly will it get there? Should we be early adopters or keep our distance? Will it make our lives better or put us out of work?…
- The Next Big Idea
FRICTION: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier (with Adam Grant & Bob Sutton)
Today, Adam Grant and Bob Sutton, two legends of organizational psychology, discuss Bob’s new book, “The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right…
- The Next Big Idea
INFERNAL MACHINE: Dynamite, Anarchy and the Future of Creativity
Steven Johnson returns! He's with us today to talk about his new book, "The Infernal Machine: A True Story of Dynamite, Terror, and the Rise of the Modern…
- The Next Big Idea
UNCERTAINTY: The Surprising Power of Being Unsure
Could embracing uncertainty be the key to thriving in our age of unpredictability? That's the premise of Maggie Jackson's new book, "Uncertain: The Wisdom and…
- The Next Big Idea
SAL KHAN: How AI Will Revolutionize the Way We Learn
AI is coming for education. According to our guest today, Sal Khan, that's a good thing. Sal is the founder of Khan Academy, which has provided free education…
- The Next Big Idea
AFTERLIFE: 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,"…
- The Next Big Idea
FUNNER: How Language Evolves and Why It Matters
You may think the English language is static, solid, set in its ways. But the language of Shakespeare has changed quite a bit since the Bard's day. Some rules…
- The Next Big Idea
DEMON OF UNREST: Why the Civil War Matters Today (with Erik Larson)
Erik Larson is probably the most successful popular historian working today. His books, which include “The Devil in the White City” and “The Splendid and the…
- The Next Big Idea
ALGEBRA OF WEALTH: Scott Galloway’s Formula for Financial Success
Scott Galloway is a podcaster, bestselling author, and professor of marketing at NYU. He's irreverent, cocky, brutally honest, and surprisingly humble. He's…
- The Next Big Idea
WHY WE REMEMBER: The New Science of Improving Your Memory
"The only things that are important in life," declared the French filmmaker Jean Renoir, "are the things you remember." But what do we remember and why? That's…
- The Next Big Idea
SLOW PRODUCTIVITY: Can We Get More Done by Doing Less?
What if doing less is the secret to achieving more? That's the counterintuitive argument at the heart of productivity guru Cal Newport's new book, "Slow…
- The Next Big Idea
MAGICAL OVERTHINKING: Why Modern Life Is Making Us More Irrational
Raise your hand if you've ever belittled a stranger online, made a decision based on astrology, or, heaven forbid, fallen for a conspiracy theory. No? Well…