The Next Big Idea Daily
Episodes
Why You Should Talk to Your Pet
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever named your car? Or caught yourself baby-talking to your cat like he’s a tiny human? You’re not alone, and there’s actually fascina...
Jim Cramer Says You Can Make Money in Any Market
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The CNBC legend reveals why index funds won’t make you rich — and how to build lasting wealth by picking your own winning stocks. His new book is ...
How Everyday Communication Connects and Shapes Us
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Five key insights from The Social Biome by Andy Merolla and Jeffrey Hall. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or whereve...
Why Does Everything Online Suck Now?
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cory Doctorow calls it “enshittification.” Here’s how we got here, and how we can make the internet not terrible again. 📱 Follow The Next B...
5 Lessons the Dying Can Teach Us About Living Well
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We often live like our time is limitless. But what if those who are facing the limits of life are the ones who really grasp what it’s all about? Dia...
How to Stop Negative Self-Talk from Running Your Team
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every leader knows that as tough as it can be to manage others, the real challenge is managing yourself — your insecurities, your bad habits, your d...
Stop Trying to Optimize Your Life
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Not every decision can be reduced to data. In Choose Wisely: Rationality, Ethics, and the Art of Decision-Making, Barry Schwartz and Richard Schuldenf...
Are You Cult Curious?
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda Montell shares five key insights from her 2021 book Cultish. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you ...
If the Economy’s So Good, Why Do We All Feel So Broke?
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The problem isn’t you: it’s the data. Gene Ludwig reveals how America’s economic scorecards mask widespread struggle. 📱 Follow The Next Big...
Digital Exhaustion: How to Reclaim Your Energy in an Always-On World
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Technology was supposed to make life easier. Instead, it’s draining our attention and creativity. Paul Leonardi is here to help you recharge. Learn ...
Your Attention Is Being Hijacked. Here’s How to Take It Back.
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Does this sound familiar: You sit down to do some real focused work, and within minutes you’ve checked your phone, opened three browser tabs, and me...
How to Build a Company That Lasts 100 Years
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you build a company that lasts? It’s certainly not easy. About half of all small businesses fail within five years, and even large companies ...
What Kind of Mood Are You In?
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out these big ideas from the 2020 book The Book of Moods: How I Turned My Worst Emotions Into My Best Life by Laura Martin. 📱 Follow The Ne...
The World’s Changing Fast. Here's How to Keep Up.
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy enough to celebrate “disruptive” technologies, but all that disruption can have a real human cost. Job loss, anxiety, environmental fa...
The Simple Formula for a Longer, Healthier Life
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Tom Frieden has spent his career on the front lines of public health, from leading the CDC during the Ebola crisis to running New York City’s He...
How to Live and Lead by Your Core Values
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Finding alignment across work, relationships, and community starts with naming the values that steer you. Author, executive coach, and leadership educ...
Multitasking Is a Lie. Delight Is a Superpower.
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever caught your mind spiraling at 2 a.m., you know how it can feel to have your brain working against you. But what if you could train it...
Never Not Working
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The always-on culture is bad for business. Malissa Clark has a plan to fix it. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wh...
The Hidden Logic of Your Emotions
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book, Dealing with Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want, Marc Brackett shows you how to turn emotional confusion into cla...
The Real Secret to Wealth? Think Long, Not Fast.
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve ever had a few extra dollars lying around, you’ve probably been tempted—wisely, I’d say—to invest it. But where? How? David Gardne...
You’re Not Traumatized. You’re Human
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but therapy-speak has gone mainstream. On social media, and in personal and professional communication, you might ...
You’re Thinking About the Future All Wrong
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is writing poems. Cars are driving themselves. It’s easy to think the future is already here. But it’s not. There’s much more coming. The que...
Do We Live in a Multiverse?
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of parallel dimensions has long intrigued scientists and screenwriters alike, but how seriously should we take the concept? Here with some gu...
You're Being Manipulated. Here's How to Fight Back.
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Manipulation is everywhere: in ads, algorithms, politics, even workplace incentives. In the new book Manipulation: What It Is, Why It’s Bad, and Wha...
Money Lessons from the Presidents
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all know that money can be stressful, confusing, even a little embarrassing, and that applies to pretty much all of us, even the president of the U...
5 Things Only a Terrible Boss Can Teach You
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had a bad boss? It's painful, but also kind of useful. Because every nightmare manager is basically handing you a playbook of what not t...
How Common Knowledge Rules the World
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s big ideas come to us from Harvard cognitive psychologist, public intellectual, and bestselling author Steven Pinker, who’s out with a new ...
How to Make AI Work for You
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to the AI revolution, do you want to be a follower or a leader? To stay ahead of the technology and use it to help your organization thr...
Fear is Your Co-Pilot
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What could be more terrifying than flying an F-16 fighter jet at supersonic speeds, only feet away from other aircraft? Well, maybe public speaking. O...
The Science Behind Your Need to Please
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever been called a "people pleaser" or found yourself constantly putting others' needs before your own, what you're experiencing may actuall...
Five Timeless Lessons for Building Riches and Joy
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You may or may not know the name Naval Ravikant, but in Silicon Valley, he’s revered as both a sharp investor and a philosopher of modern life. Eric...
We’re All Hallucinating. That’s a Good Thing.
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We like to believe our senses show us the world as it is. But what if your brain is quietly “editing” reality before you ever notice it? In his ne...
Is Earth Exceptional?
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, Mario Livio, an astrophysicist who worked with the Hubble Space Telescope, and Jack Szostak, who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine, take us ...
Big Food Is Making Us Sick — and Getting Rich Doing It
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Food is supposed to nourish us, but what if the system that produces our food is actually making us sick? According to Stuart Gillespie, a veteran of ...
We Need to Talk About Disney Adults
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What would make a grown man or woman line up for hours to ride Space Mountain, spend thousands on collectible mouse ears, or plan their year around th...
You and We: A Leadership Call for Overcoming Divides in a Polarized World
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Could some of the most daunting problems of our time — division, conflict, and increasing isolation — stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of ...
The A.I. Will See You Now: Why Your Doctor's Days Are Numbered
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’re used to hearing “the doctor will see you now,” but in the not-so-distant future, that doctor may not be human. That’s because human docs...
Introducing 'Totally Booked with Zibby'
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're sharing a recent episode from the Webby Award-winning, daily podcast Totally Booked with Zibby. Hosted by Zibby Owens — the powerhous...
How to Make Friends and Keep Them
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us struggle to maintain our friendships as careers, romance, and children take over. And making new friends as an adult can be downright impo...
Ambition Won’t Save You—Purpose Will
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A former Navy SEAL commander shares why it’s not enough to run hard. You have to know where you’re going. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on...
When Good People Make Bad Teams
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No matter how talented or diligent you are, your ultimate success depends on the people around you. In his new book The Collective Edge: Unlocking the...
5 Aztec Secrets for a More Rooted, Resilient Life
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When modern Americans go looking for meaning, happiness, or a little self-help, we often turn to ancient wisdom traditions like Buddhism or Stoicism. ...
The Dirtbag Billionaire Who Gave It All Away
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the best way to win in business is to do the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing? While most CEOs chase growth at all costs, Yvon Ch...
The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Acclaimed chef and writer Andrew Friedman is here to introduce you to all the people and processes that come together in a single restaurant dish. ...
The New Rules of Productivity
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does productivity mean to you? For most of us, it’s about squeezing more output from the same amount of input, getting more done in less time. ...
The Most Dangerous Animal on Earth? The One That Forgot It’s an Animal.
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably been taught to believe you’re better than other animals. But that story is wrong, and it’s dangerous. NYU primatologist Christin...
What Happens When AI Outsmarts Us?
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his just-released book The Intelligence Explosion: When AI Beats Humans at Everything, James Barrat warns that we could be sleepwalking into a futu...
How to Turn Anxiety Into Your Superpower
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anxiety can be painful and embarrassing, even downright debilitating. But author and podcaster Morra Aarons-Mele says it's also a force that you can u...
Risk Forward
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if setting goals is a waste of time? ——— 📖 Risk Forward: Embrace the Unknown and Unlock Your Hidden Genius ✍️ Victoria Labalme 📱...
Here Comes The Sun. Just In Time.
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve known about climate change for decades, even if most of the so-called solutions have felt too slow, too expensive, or too politically fraught....
Blame the Babies: How Infants Sparked Human Speech
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are we so much chattier than other species? Madeleine Beekman has a surprising answer: blame the babies. Madeleine is professor emerita of evoluti...
Drowning in Meetings, Emails, and Chaos? There's a Better Way to Work.
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’re busy. Your team is busy. Everyone’s working hard. But for all that effort, does it ever feel like not much actually gets done? According to...
There's Probably a Con Artist in Your Life Right Now. Here's How to Spot Them.
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us like to think we could spot a con artist. But according to Emmy-winning television producer and investigative podcaster Johnathan Walton, t...
How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Even in good office environments, there are inevitably colleagues who are challenging to deal with. But not dealing with them isn’t really a choice....
Want to Make Better Decisions? Pretend You’re Someone Else.
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conventional wisdom says that great leaders roll up their sleeves, get in the trenches, and sweat the small stuff. But what if that’s only half the ...
The Hidden Cost of People-Pleasing
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us worry about what others think of us. While this is probably a useful survival instinct, it can also turn into a kind of neurotic rumination...
Want to Outsmart AI? Ask an Elite Soldier.
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a complex world that’s only getting harder to navigate. The pace is faster, the problems are messier, and the future is tougher to predic...
How to Run Your Life Like a Startup
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happiness might not sound like a business strategy, but Arthur C. Brooks—Harvard professor, Atlantic columnist, and all-around happiness guru—says...
How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How can you break out of the endless cycle of blah and create the kind of interesting, meaningful life you seek? 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily...
Anti-Aging Is Overrated. Joy Is the Real Fountain of Youth.
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about aging, we often hear about lifespan (how long you live) or healthspan (how well you live). But what about joyspan? That’s the que...
Money Isn’t Real—Here’s Why That Matters
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Paul Vigna has spent years covering crypto and asking hard questions about finance. He’s written a new book called The Almightier: How Mo...
That Little Voice in Your Head? It’s Smarter Than You Think.
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever just know something? You get a gut feeling about a person or a situation — a feeling you can’t quite explain, but more often than not ...
Feel Like a Number? Learn How to Beat the System.
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Robin Hood Math, mathematics professor Noah Giansiracusa shows how understanding a little math can help you push back against a world that keeps re...
Reality Bites: Why Your Teeth Matter More Than You Think
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and zoologist Bill Schutt joins us to make the case that chompers have made vertebrates dominant on the planet, and how, in the future, dentist...
Arguing About Politics Never Works. This Does.
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In her new book Don’t Talk About Politics, Sarah Stein Lubrano explores a radical idea: that people don’t think their way into new beliefs — the...
Have a Head? Then You Should Understand Headaches.
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Despite affecting more people than diabetes or depression, headaches are still under-researched, underfunded, and often dismissed. But science is fina...
Your Job Is Making You Sick
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership expert and serial entrepreneur Meghan French Dunbar says the way we work isn’t just outdated — it’s dangerous. In her powerful new bo...
Why Your Teen Thinks You’re an Idiot
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve raised an adolescent (or been one), you already know it’s a life stage that can feel like an emotional rollercoaster—full of drama, de...
You Are More Powerful Than You Think
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all know what it looks like to use power badly. But how much do we really know about how to use power well? 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily o...
Want to Get Rich? Stop Taking Advice Meant for Millionaires.
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nicholas Maggiulli is here to flip your concept of wealth on its head. In his new book The Wealth Ladder, he argues that building financial freedom is...
Want Better Relationships and More Focus? Try This Two-Minute Practice
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we hear from Julian Treasure, a sound expert whose TED talks have racked up more than 160 million views. In his new book, Sound Affects: How So...
Why Your Team Sucks — And How to Fix It
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Organizational psychologist and University of New Hampshire professor Vanessa Urch Druskat has spent decades studying what separates the best teams fr...
Take a Nap
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli explains how doing nothing might be the best thing you do all day. His new book is The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Sc...
Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Great Kids
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In When You Wonder, You're Learning, Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski bring the lessons of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood into the digital age, helping pare...
Are You a Bad Listener?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You know that feeling when someone’s really listening to you, not just nodding while waiting to talk, but actually tuning in? It’s rare. In our no...
How We Evolved to Compete in a Cooperative World
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Invisible Rivals, Jonathan Goodman argues that the real story of human nature isn’t about picking sides: it’s about understanding how our ancie...
The Radical Power of Enjoying Your Job
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bree Groff argues that fun isn’t frivolous. It’s the secret to better teams, better lives, and better business. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Da...
Your Doctor Might Be Ignoring What’s Making You Sick
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to Wendy Johnson, real wellness starts with community, nature, and rethinking everything we’ve been told. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea ...
The Elements of Meaningful Communication
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fred Dust, former senior partner and global managing director at the legendary design firm IDEO, is here to teach you how to design conversations and ...
The Surprising Truth About Shamans
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, anthropologist Manvir Singh travels from Indonesian rainforests to Burning Man in search of what ma...
Reclaim Your Physical Power. Transform Your Life.
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anne Marie Chaker went from journalist to competitive bodybuilder at 50. Now, with her book Lift, she wants to change how we think about aging, power...
Like, Get Over It Already
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The most hated word in English might just be a storytelling superpower—and a tool for empathy, nuance, and emotional truth. 📱 Follow The Next B...
Human History on Drugs
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about the forces that shape history, we usually hear about wars, revolutions, inventions… maybe the occasional love affair. But there’...
The Pleasures of Suffering
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrated psychologist Paul Bloom shares five key insights from his book The Sweet Spot. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spo...
Who Designed Design?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Once just a word, now a worldview — how a 20th-century invention came to shape everything from your phone to your future. Support the show! Learn m...
Ambition is a Trap. Here's How to Get Out.
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ambition. We celebrate it, chase it, and reward it. But for many of us, ambition has become a double-edged sword—fueling overwork, perfectionism, an...
Magic Is Real—And It’s Living in Your Computer
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How code became the most powerful spell humans have ever cast. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you liste...
Your Life Plan Fell Apart. Now What?
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Life changes can sneak up on all of us, and sometimes they hit pretty hard. Cassidy Krug spent 20 years training to be one of the best divers in the w...
Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Listening can be improved. Ximena Vengoechea is here to tell you how. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever yo...
Lean Learning
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a golden age of learning. Want to learn Mandarin? There’s an app for that. Want to write some code? There’s an AI chatbot that can help...
Your Brain Is Broken. So Why Can't Anyone Fix It?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Antidepressants we don't understand. Cures that never arrive. One neuroscientist blows the whistle on a mental health system that's stuck—and she’...
Ideas Are Easy. Now Comes the Hard Part.
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s face it: ideas are a dime a dozen. Just about anyone can come up with a clever app, a market opportunity, or a product pitch over coffee. But ...
Your Brain on Revenge
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Let’s talk about revenge. Not the juicy, action-movie kind with flaming cars and dramatic showdowns, but the kind that quietly simmers in your brain...
No One Succeeds Alone
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Reffkin, co-founder and CEO of the real estate company Compass, says his success story is really the story of his great relationships. 📱 F...
You’re Not Too Old. You’re Just Getting Started.
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A formula for reigniting your purpose at any age, from the founder of Moms Demand Action. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spo...
Your Brain Is Lying to You—And That's Actually Amazing
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pria Anand reveals how our minds create elaborate stories to fill the gaps we don't understand. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcast...
Ever Feel Like You Just Don’t Fit In?
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a world where fitting in can seem critical to your survival, it’s worth asking: What if your power lies in not belonging? Psychiatrist Rami Kamin...
How to Raise Great Kids in a Messed-Up World
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer, shares research-backed strategies for parenting with compassion, curiosity, and resilience from her new book,...
Nobody's Normal
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To close out the week, here are five key insights from Roy Richard Grinker's book Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness. ...
Work Less, Accomplish More
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Juliet Schor shares the data behind a shorter workweek—and why it’s better for your health, your boss, and the bottom line. Her new book is Four D...