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
LIFE IS SHORT: The Upside of Death
Life without death, says philosopher Dean Rickles, is like playing tennis without a net. In his new book, “Life Is Short: An Appropriately Brief Guide to…
- The Next Big Idea
MUSIC: What the Songs You Love Say About You
In this special episode, Susan Rogers, a record producer turned cognitive neuroscientist, and Daniel Levitin, author of “This Is Your Brain on Music,” get…
- The Next Big Idea
AI: The Origin Story
Imagine a world where AI is everywhere — where self-driving cars roam the streets and chatbots can do your homework. Oh, wait. That world already exists. This…
- The Next Big Idea
Not Finished Is Not Failure (from The Next Big Idea Daily)
Doing is more important than being done. That’s the provocative argument at the heart of a new book by artist and entrepreneur Becky Blades, “Start More Than…
- The Next Big Idea
CELLS: Siddhartha Mukherjee on the Breakthroughs That Are Revolutionizing Medicine
Siddhartha Mukherjee is an oncologist, professor, researcher, and biotech entrepreneur. He’s also a writer, and a fine one at that. His first book, “The…
- The Next Big Idea
Introducing: The Next Big Idea Daily
Great news, folks. We just launched a new podcast! It's called The Next Big Idea Daily. Tune in Monday through Friday for quick master classes in better…
- The Next Big Idea
PLEASURE: An Epicurean Guide to the Good Life
The Greek philosopher Epicurus made a rather bold claim over two thousand years ago. The key to life, he said, was simple: pursue pleasure and avoid pain…
- The Next Big Idea
POWER FAILURE: What Happened to GE? (with Malcolm Gladwell & William Cohan)
General Electric used to be the most valuable company in the world; now it's practically irrelevant. What happened? Today on the show, we're going to find…
- The Next Big Idea
DIET: The New Science of Healthy Eating
“Our food decisions,” writes Dr. Tim Spector in his new book, Food for Life, “are the single most important modifiable factor in preventing common diseases and…
- The Next Big Idea
How to Develop Your Passions and Avoid Burnout (with Atul Gawande and Adam Grant)
Renowned surgeon Atul Gawande spends his days in the operating theater and his nights writing articles for The New Yorker and bestselling books like Being…
- The Next Big Idea
FEELINGS: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work
Today, in a special bonus episode, we bring you a live conversation between Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, authors of “No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power…
- The Next Big Idea
SAPIENS: Yuval Noah Harari on Our Past, Present, and Future
Yuval Noah Harari is a historian and philosopher whose books — "Sapiens," "Homo Deus," "21 Lessons for the 21st Century," and most recently "Unstoppable Us…
- The Next Big Idea
ANALOG: Let’s Build a More Human World
“The future is digital,” they said. Then the pandemic came along and forced that digital future on us. We traded offices for Zooms, gyms for Pelotons, schools…
- The Next Big Idea
SLEEP: How Understanding Your Body’s Clock Can Revolutionize Your Health
Sleep can enhance your creativity, lift your spirits, improve your sense of humor, and amplify your sociability. So why do so many of us struggle to get a good…
- The Next Big Idea
ANIMALS: They’re Smarter Than You Think
Alexandra Horowitz takes us inside the mind of a puppy. James Bridle introduces us to slime mold that can outwit the best human engineers. Justin Gregg makes…
- The Next Big Idea
HUMOR: The Case for Navigating Life on the Precipice of a Smile
Humor is no laughing matter. It inspires innovation, strengthens relationships, disarms tension, and makes you look smart. Seriously. Stanford professors…
- The Next Big Idea
GOOD ARGUMENTS: Adam Grant and Champion Debater Bo Seo on the Craft of Persuasion
When Bo Seo was 8 years old, his family moved from Korea to Australia. He did not speak a world of English. At school, to deflect attention from his…
- The Next Big Idea
NEURODIVERSITY: Why No Two Brains Are Alike
There's no such thing as a "normal" brain. And according to Dr. Chantel Prat, a neuroscientist at the University of Washington, that's a very good thing…
- The Next Big Idea
STATUS: Does Our Need for It Explain ... Everything?
“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
Bittersweet: An Audio E-Course by Susan Cain
The Next Big Idea presents an audio masterclass from bestselling author Susan Cain. Drawing on her latest book, "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us…
- The Next Big Idea
Bonus: Eric Barker Gives Daniel Pink Relationship Advice
Eric Barker teaches our curator Daniel Pink how to make friends, disarm marital conflicts, and spot liars.
- The Next Big Idea
LONGTERMISM: Why You Should Care About Future People
If the human race lasts as long as a typical mammalian species and our population continues at its current size, then there are 80 trillion people yet to come…
- The Next Big Idea
QUIT: Why You Have to Give Up if You Want to Get Ahead
In her new book, “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away,” Annie Duke says mastering the art of quitting is the key to making smart decisions. ---…
- The Next Big Idea
PUZZLES: What Crosswords, Riddles, and Wordle Can Teach You About the Meaning of Life
For the last 25 years, writer A.J. Jacobs has attempted to live his life as a human guinea pig. “I’ve engaged in a series of experiments on my mind and body,”…
- The Next Big Idea
BUILD: Tony Fadell’s Guide to Making Cool Stuff
Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Learning Thermostat. In his new book, “Build,” he shares everything he’s learned about…
- The Next Big Idea
SURVIVAL OF THE RICHEST: How Tech Billionaires Are Preparing for Doomsday
Have you ever found yourself sitting around a table at a luxury resort with five mega-rich strangers who want to know where you think they should build their…
- The Next Big Idea
HAPPINESS: Arthur C. Brooks Shares His Roadmap for Finding Purpose, Meaning, and Success
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
DeepMind's Demis Hassabis on the future of AI (from The TED Interview)
Demis Hassabis is one of tech's most brilliant minds. A chess-playing child prodigy turned researcher and founder of headline-making AI company DeepMind, Demis…
- The Next Big Idea
Summer Getaway #4: The Making of ‘Bull Durham’ (with Ron Shelton)
Ron Shelton is an Academy Award–nominated writer and director, former shortstop for the Bluefield Baby Birds, and author of a humdinger of a new memoir called…
- The Next Big Idea
Summer Getaway #3: The 12-Hour Walk (with Colin O’Brady)
What happens when you put your phone in airplane mode, walk out your front door, and don’t come home for 12 hours? Our producer Caleb finds out, with help from…
- The Next Big Idea
Summer Getaway #2: An American Odyssey (with Ben McGrath)
The Ohio, Hudson, Mississippi, and Yellowstone — Dick Conant canoed them all. And then he disappeared. In his riveting new book, “Riverman,” journalist Ben…
- The Next Big Idea
Summer Getaway #1: The Beach (with Sarah Stodola)
Close your eyes and picture paradise. What do you see? For many people, it’s a turquoise ocean crashing into a white-sand beach. Where did this fantasy come…
- The Next Big Idea
Finding Stillness With Ryan Holiday
Here’s another episode from our archives that we love: Rufus’s 2020 interview with Ryan Holiday, the author of “Stillness Is the Key,” who shared his tips for…
- The Next Big Idea
Amanda Little on the Fate of Food
Today we’re bringing you a timely — and tasty — episode from our archives. Science journalist Amanda Little tells Rufus that the biggest threat posed by…
- The Next Big Idea
John Colapinto on the Power and Beauty of the Human Voice
Today, we are revisiting one of our favorite episodes: an interview with New Yorker staff writer John Colapinto. In his brilliant book, "This Is the Voice,"…
- The Next Big Idea
THE ESSENTIALS: Our Favorite Moments From Season 4
We laughed. We cried. We learned. As our fourth season draws to a close, we thought we'd share the moments we're still talking about at Next Big Idea Club HQ…
- The Next Big Idea
BICYCLES: Are They the Future of Transportation?
Jody Rosen is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and a bike nut who has just published a rousing (and sometimes arousing) book called “Two…
- The Next Big Idea
BIG DATA: Cracking the Codes of Love, Happiness and Success
“You can make better life decisions. Big Data can help you.” So begins “Don’t Trust Your Gut,” a new book by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. Seth, a former Google…
- The Next Big Idea
Susan Cain & Daniel Pink: Writing, Longing, and the Search for Meaning
What do we lose when we avoid sorrow and chase empty delights, when we mask our pain and feign cheerfulness, when we profess to have no regrets and insist on…
- The Next Big Idea
RELATIONSHIPS: Why Everything You Know About Them Is (Mostly) Wrong
Eric Barker is not a people person. “Getting me to write a relationship book,” he says, “is like asking Godzilla to improve the infrastructure in your city.”…
- The Next Big Idea
How To Be a Grown-Up
In this special episode, Daniel Pink delivers a commencement address, Stanford-dean-turned-bestselling-author Julie Lythcott-Haims shares her manual for being…
- The Next Big Idea
IMAGINABLE: How Anyone Can Predict the Future (Yes, Even You)
In January 2020, when the coronavirus started making headlines around the world, Jane McGonigal’s inbox was flooded with emails from Silicon Valley execs…
- The Next Big Idea
CULTURE: How Successful Groups Work
The filmmakers at Pixar. The servers at Union Square Cafe. The badasses on SEAL Team Six. What do these super successful groups all have in common? Strong team…
- The Next Big Idea
GET IT DONE: How the Science of Motivation Can Help You Achieve Your Goals
University of Chicago professor Ayelet Fishbach has spent the last two decades studying the science of motivation. She has developed a framework for turning…
- The Next Big Idea
Bonus: The Not-So-Great Resignation (WorkLife with Adam Grant)
Over the past year, the Great Resignation has been all over the news. Many people are celebrating quitting their jobs — but it’s a decision some will come to…
- The Next Big Idea
FUN: How to Have More of It
Are we all so busy doom-scrolling and binge-watching that we’ve forgotten how to have fun? Catherine Price thinks so. But don’t despair. Her latest book, “The…
- The Next Big Idea
TWITTER: What Elon Musk’s Acquisition Means for the Future of Social Media
Why did Elon Musk buy Twitter? What does he plan to do with it? Is this the end of big social or a chance to reinvent it? This week, we’re interrupting our…
- The Next Big Idea
EMOTIONAL: Do Your Feelings Make You Smarter?
We all strive to think rationally. But it doesn’t always do us much good. Cutting-edge science has revealed that if we want to sharpen our thinking, we need to…
- The Next Big Idea
ORIGIN: How Did Humans Migrate to the Americas?
Thousands of years ago, humans crossed a land bridge from Siberia into Alaska. They tried to move south, but a two-mile-high, coast-spanning ice wall stood…
- The Next Big Idea
BITTERSWEET: Susan Cain on the Beauty of Sorrow and Longing
Are you elevated by sad songs? Have you ever been brought to tears by a TV commercial? Do you relish rainy days? If you answered yes to any of those questions…
- The Next Big Idea
Regrets: Daniel Pink Has a Few (And So Should You)
“Embedded in songs, emblazoned on skin, and embraced by sages, the anti-regret philosophy is so self-evidently true that it’s more often asserted than argued.”…
- The Next Big Idea
REALITY+: Are We Living in a Simulation?
Philosopher David Chalmers reckons there’s a 25% chance that we are living in a simulation. And he’s OK with it. David's new book is "Reality+: Virtual Worlds…
- The Next Big Idea
HURT SO GOOD: The Pleasures of Suffering (Paul Bloom & Susan Cain)
Some people think humans are natural pleasure seekers. But not psychologist Paul Bloom. In his new book, “The Sweet Spot,” Paul says we’re pain seekers, too…
- The Next Big Idea
EMPIRE: Why Ray Dalio Thinks We May Be Headed for Civil War
History, in the eyes of legendary investor Ray Dalio, is a perpetual motion machine. Nations rise and fall according to an inevitable cycle where peace and…
- The Next Big Idea
TIME MANAGEMENT FOR MORTALS: Malcolm Gladwell and Oliver Burkeman
“The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.” So begins Oliver Burkeman’s new book, “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for…
- The Next Big Idea
EVENING ROCKET: Decoding Elon Musk’s Sci-Fi Visions of the Future
When it comes to Elon Musk, it can be hard to separate the man from the myth. But in her new podcast, “The Evening Rocket,” Harvard historian and New Yorker…
- The Next Big Idea
GOOD ANXIETY: Can You Turn Worrying Into a Superpower?
To fret is human. That’s according to recent estimates that suggest 90 percent of the population experiences anxiety. And because anxiety, even in mild forms…
- The Next Big Idea
HACK YOUR HABITS: The Science of Making Changes That Stick
Why is it so hard to break bad habits and replace them with good ones? You may think it all comes down to willpower. But social psychologist Wendy Wood says…
- The Next Big Idea
TOGETHER: The Surgeon General’s Prescription for Health and Happiness
When Dr. Vivek Murthy became U.S. Surgeon General in 2014, he went on a listening tour. What he heard surprised him. Americans were lonely, and it was killing…
- The Next Big Idea
SPIRITUAL TECHNOLOGIES: Two Scientists Debate the Benefits of Religion
The science is clear: people who engage in spiritual practices live longer, happier, healthier lives. For the past few years, two researchers — Dave DeSteno…