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The Next Big Idea

Next Big Idea Club

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

society & culture social sciences

All Episodes

81:20

How AI Could Change Everything in the Next 1,000 Days

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/03/05

Emad Mostaque co-founded Stability AI, the company behind the text-to-image generator Stable Diffusion, and he now runs Intelligent Internet, which builds open-source AI models. In his new book, ⁠The Last Economy⁠, he argues that AI is about to make human intellect so cheap and abundant that the entire economic order — work, money, meaning — will crack apart. And he thinks this will take place within a thousand days. In this episode, he and Rufus talk about what happens if we sleepwalk into this,

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54:55

Do We Even Need Politicians?

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/03/02

“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 another idea: let’s fire all the politicians. She has a point, doesn’t she? Most of ’em are beholden to donors, allergic to accountability, and more interested in stuffing their reelection coffers than serving the public good. But what’s the alternative? Well, Hélène believes we could break the partisan gridlock and restore public trust by

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61:13

Inside the Most Creative Friendship in History

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/02/26

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 exactly standard Next Big Idea territory. But what’s remarkable about Ian's book, which I've been pressing on everyone I know, whether they're Beatlemaniacs or the opposite (i.e., Rolling Stones fans), is that through the narrative of this tender, tempestuous, radically inventive partnership — romance, really — genuinely big ideas emerge about

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76:56

Michael Pollan on the Mystery of Consciousness

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/02/23

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 to one of life's great mysteries: "How does three pounds of brain matter generate subjective experience?" The result is his luminous new book, A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness, which comes out tomorrow.Great journalists like Michael have a nose for story and a knack for timing. Both are on display in A World Appears. It's a

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52:02

The Science of Change

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/02/19

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 who you become because of it — that part’s up to you.Maya Shankar knows a thing or two about this. She’s studied change as a cognitive scientist, explored it on her podcast “A Slight Change of Plans,” and now written a book — The Other Side of Change — about how the hardest moments of our lives can transform us … for the better. In the

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71:00

Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/02/12

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 news: Most of it doesn't matter. In Eat Your Ice Cream, renowned physician Ezekiel Emanuel shares six simple rules for living longer — and gives you permission to ignore pretty much everything else.The Next Big Idea is now on YouTube! You can find our episodes ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our interviews with Russell

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65:18

A Practical Guide to Achieving Excellence

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/02/05

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” — influencers who promote labyrinthine morning routines, ruthlessly optimized habits, and ascetic self-discipline. “That is not excellence,” says Brad. “That is a bunch of elaborate kabuki that masquerades as the real thing.” The real thing is about challenging yourself in worthwhile endeavors, focusing on what matters most, and expressing the

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54:10

Why You Need to Add Mattering to Your Vocabulary

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/01/29

In her new book, ⁠Mattering⁠, Jennifer Wallace argues that our deepest crises — loneliness, anxiety, political rage — stem from a single unmet need: the need to matter. How did this happen, and what can we do about it?The Next Big Idea is now on YouTube! Check out our episodes ⁠here⁠. If you enjoyed this conversation, we think you'll like Jennifer’s previous appearance on the show, her episode of The Next Big Idea Daily, and Rebecca Goldstein’s book bite for The Mattering Instinct. Follow Rufus

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49:08

The Superpower You Didn’t Know You Had

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/01/22

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 subconsciously mimic other people’s movements, postures, facial expressions, and gestures. We even sync involuntary functions like heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, pupil dilation, and hormonal activity. Kate Murphy, author of the forthcoming book Why We Click, says interpersonal synchrony — syncing for short — is our superpower. But

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65:25

‘It’s a Real Company Run by Fake People’

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/01/15

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 interns, planned a company hiking trip, and fielded inbound interest from VCs. Normal startup stuff. Except for one thing: All of Evan's employees are AI agents. So are his co-founders.He's been documenting the journey on his podcast Shell Game — what works, what doesn't, and what it might tell us about a future where AI employees are

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76:56

CRYPTO: Is It Quietly Transforming the Global Economy?

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/01/08

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 front-row seat to the crypto revolution. Circle now commands a market cap of over $20 billion, yet Jeremy insists it is still an "early stage company." Why? Because the true transformation of the global economy, he says, is just beginning.In this episode, Jeremy and Rufus discuss how the economic system is becoming “internet native," what

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69:07

Why the Blockchain Is Still Critical to Our Future

The Next Big Idea ·

2026/01/06

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, “ I've never seen a situation in technology where the gap between what I believe is the potential of the technology and the perception is so wide.” The thing is, he may be right. From enabling digital ownership to complementing AI, the blockchain is poised to reshape the world. In this episode, which first aired in February 2024, Chris explains

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46:23

Reading Rewired the Human Brain. What Happens If We...

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/12/28

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 Reading Brain in a Digital World." She says deep reading makes you a better thinker, communicator, and citizen. But what happens if you lose the ability to read slowly, patiently, and critically? Is there anything you can do to get it back?Sponsored By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% a

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42:34

How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/12/23

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, about her book The Art of Gathering. What she told him changed how we think about every dinner party, every work meeting, every family get-together we host. Priya’s argument is simple but radical. She says most of our gatherings fail because we focus on the wrong things. We obsess over the menu, the playlist. And we ignore the one question we

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77:19

FLOURISH: Daniel Coyle on the Art and Science of...

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/12/16

What does it mean to flourish? According to author Daniel Coyle, flourishing is “joyful, meaningful growth — shared.” But how do you achieve that enviable state? The answer lies in Dan’s forthcoming book, “Flourish,” which you can pre-order now on Amazon, Audible, or Bookshop.org.Highlights: (5:11) Life isn't a treasure hunt; it’s more like treasure creation (14:15) The $90 million deli that said no to Disney (20:40) Your brain’s two attention systems (58:00) The rule of the beautiful

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59:25

Kari Leibowitz Loves Winter (And You Can Too)

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/12/11

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 they could. Yet not everyone dreads the cold months. Psychologist Kari Leibowitz has spent years studying these winter-lovers, and she's arrived at a surprising truth: people who thrive this time of year aren't just born that way — they've learned to see the season differently. So can you.(This episode first aired in January 2025.) Sponsored

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70:48

Best Of: How Successful Groups Work

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/12/04

Next week, Daniel Coyle will join us on the show to talk about his forthcoming book, Flourish. Today, we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with Dan about his last book, The Culture Playbook. Here's how we described the episode back then: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 culture. But what exactly is culture, and how do you build it? Daniel Coyle has spent the last few

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43:46

AI and the Future of the University

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/12/02

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 education. Today, we’re bringing you that conversation. It features Nabiha Syed, executive director of Mozilla Foundation; Nicholas Dirks, president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences; Julie Samuels, president and CEO of Tech:NYC; and Matthew Johnson-Roberson, inaugural dean of the College of Connected Computing at Vanderbilt.Listen to

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65:24

Best Of: David Brooks on the Art of Seeing Others Deeply

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/11/27

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 people feel respected, valued, and safe. Such social skills may sound trifling, but mastering them, David believes, could help us all make better decisions, enhance our creativity, and maybe even repair our nation’s fraying social fabric.This episode first aired in November 2023. Host: Rufus Griscom Guest: David Brooks Book: How to Know a

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54:57

STRONG GROUND: Brené Brown on the Daring Leadership...

The Next Big Idea ·

2025/11/25

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 her, the leadership skills that matter most, and work-life balance. Plus, our curator Adam Grant makes a surprise cameo. Brené’s new book is Strong Ground.🎁 Join the Next Big Idea Club today and we'll send you a signed copy of Walter Isaacson's new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. You'll also get ad-free versions of this show,

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