The Next Big Idea Daily

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Leadership expert and serial entrepreneur Meghan French Dunbar says the way we work isn’t just outdated — it’s dangerous.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...

Six Minutes to End Civilization

18 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In a world armed to the teeth and governed by split-second decisions, Six Minutes to Winter by Mark Lynas makes a chilling argument for total nuclear ...

Stop Being Bland. Start Being Memorable.

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Want to be more persuasive, inspiring, or just less forgettable? Today's episode has the tools to help you stand out. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea ...

Sure, You're Smart — But What Kind of Smart?

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Travis Bradberry, author of The New Emotional Intelligence, argues that understanding and managing your emotions — and the emotions of others...

Let's Get Touchy-Feely

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Think about the best relationships in your life, the ones where you can be completely yourself, speak honestly, and know the other person truly gets y...

Where’d My Money Go?

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In their new book, Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers, Brown University economists Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli explain who wins, who loses,...

Unlock Your Inner Athlete

11 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In his new book, Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance, journalist Henry Abbott explores how cutting-edge sports science is r...

The Ultimate Brain Hack? Talking.

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Turns out that speaking isn’t just a way of communicating important information and ideas. Psycholinguist Maryellen MacDonald says it's also good fo...

Where Were You During the AI Revolution?

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you want your organization to succeed in the future, you need to take advantage of AI now. Lucky for you, Adam Brotman and Andy Sack have written A...

The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we decide what we want? By imitating other people, says Luke Burgis. His new book is Wanting. • If you enjoy the show, please consider suppo...

No New Things

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Want to save money, the planet, and your sanity? Sustainability expert Ashlee Piper says the answer is simple: stop buying things. 📱 Follow The N...

How Noise Took Over the World — and How We Can Take It Back

04 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Berdik reports on how our increasingly noisy world affects our health, well-being, and the planet. His new book is Clamor.📱 Follow The Next ...

How Women Revolutionized Modern Friendship

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith shares five key insights from her new book, Bad Friend. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsle...

The Five Mindsets Every Leader Needs to Master

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The old rules of management don't work anymore. Today, Paula Davis, founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute, shares what smart leaders are doing ...

How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, shares the new science of catching z's. • Support the show by subs...

The One Leadership Skill That Matters Most

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Zach Mercurio shares insights from his new book, The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance. Learn more about your ad ...

Is AI a Con?

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Linguist Emily M. Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna aren't feeling the AGI. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter Learn more ab...

The Neuroscience of Choice and Change

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Emily Falk reveals the hidden calculations that shape our daily decisions ― and how to make more fulfilling, impactful choices in our work, relation...

Five Rules for Living a More Creative Life

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Acclaimed poet Maggie Smith says everyone is creative — yes, even you. 📖 Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life 📱 ...

The Power of Strangers

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Keohane on the benefits of connecting in a suspicious world. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter Learn more about your ad...

What Cultures Around the World Can Teach You About Parenting

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Marina Lopes's new book is Please Yell at My Kids. • Comment on this episode! • Support the show by subscribing to our newsletter Learn more a...

Taming the Molecule of More

21 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dopamine makes it easy to get stuck in a cycle of never being truly satisfied. It promises happiness, but can never deliver. A more fulfilling life be...

Silicon Valley’s Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In his new book, More Everything Forever, science journalist Adam Becker investigates the wildly implausible and often profoundly immoral visions of t...

The Psychology of Leadership

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We're kicking off the week with a fresh take on leadership from Sébastien Page, chief investment officer at T. Rowe Price. 📱 Follow The Next Big...

A Conservative Case for Liberal Education

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Not so long ago, conservative intellectuals believed universities were worth fighting for. Today, conservatives seem more inclined to burn them down. ...

The Ideological Brain

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want more bite-sized insights from the best new nonficti...

How to Live Forever. Well, Almost Forever.

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Eric Topol is the executive vice president and a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, the largest nonprofit biomedical institute in th...

The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Retired Navy SEAL commander and performance expert Rich Diviney reveals a revolutionary method for training individuals and teams to perform at their ...

A Playbook for Building the Future

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we hear from Jake Knapp, the guy who helped build Gmail, about his new book, Click. It's an innovative guide for starting big projects the smar...

Raising Calm Kids in a World of Worry

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Kids today are more susceptible than ever to anxiety and stress. Fortunately, there are ways to help. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple P...

The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Taylor Swift isn’t just a once-in-a-generation talent. She's also a brilliant businesswoman, says Harvard Business Review editor Kevin Evers, whose ...

How to Fall in Love with Questions

07 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A new way to thrive in times of uncertainty. 📕 How to Fall in Love with Questions by Elizabeth Weingarten 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on...

How to Be Unforgettable

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are you an ambitious hard worker and high achiever ― but feeling stuck, unseen, and struggling to advance in your career? Lorraine K. Lee can help y...

Are You Mentally Fit?

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Drew Ramsey wants us to approach mental fitness the way we approach physical fitness. Today, he shares his training regimen. 📱 Follow The Next Bi...

Bears!

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Teddy bears. Paddington. Winnie-the-Pooh. Somewhere along the way, bears wandered out of the wilderness and straight into our imaginations — and our...

Economic Cheat Codes for Life

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, shares some big ideas from her new book, Hate the Game. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple P...

Put Some Muscle Into It

30 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bonnie Tsui, longtime contributor to The New York Times, shares key insights from her new book On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters. ...

The Only Job Search Advice You'll Ever Need

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Madeline Mann's new book is Reverse the Search: How to Turn Job Seeking into Job Shopping. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Sp...

How to Be a Grown Up

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Adulting is hard. Lucky for us Raffi Grinberg, author of How to Be a Grown Up, is here to help. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcast...

Life Is Unpredictable. Here's How to Thrive Anyway.

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sir David Spiegelhalter offers a data-driven guide to managing risk and uncertainty. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, ...

On Privacy

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In an age of constant connectivity, privacy can feel like a relic of the past. But Lawrence Cappello says it's vital for free societies and essential ...

Do You Have the 'Wild Courage' to Go After What You Want?

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After nearly two decades at Google, where she went from entry-level to executive and helped generate billions in revenue, Jenny Wood realized the secr...

How to Bring Out the Best in Others — And Yourself

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sabina Nawaz is the author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Laura Delano spent fourteen years under psychiatric care, working with a variety of diagnosed mental illnesses and trying every drug and therapy that ...

Should We Turn Down the Sun?

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Science writer Thomas Ramge makes the case for geoengineering. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen...

Stop Letting Conflict Get the Better of You

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two former Harvard faculty members join forces to introduce conflict resilience: the radical act of sitting in and growing from conflict to break the ...

How to Menopause

16 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Emmy award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Tamsen Fadal on how to take midlife into your own hands. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Dai...

Why Are So Many Americans Behind Bars?

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Benjamin Weber is a historian at the University of California, Davis. His new book is American Purgatory: Prison Imperialism and the Rise of Mass Inca...

Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How to start, build, buy, scale, and sell a business that expands your life. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wh...

Achieve Big Change With Small Acts

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Stanford's Greg Walton is here to tell us about the ordinary experiences that can help us set aside the ordinary worries of life and unleash extra...

Who Invented Bitcoin?

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Benjamin Wallace on his quest to unmask the mysterious inventory of crypto. 🎙️ Check out a longer interview with Benjamin here 📱 F...

A Journey Through Anxiety and the Body

09 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alexandra Shaker on how you can transform anxiety into resilience, courage, or even creativity. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podca...

Why Introverts Make the Best Networkers

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the biggest myths in business is that your ability to network depends on having the “gift of gab.” But Matthew Pollard argues that when it ...

Reinventing the American Dream

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To thrive in this day and age, smaller cities must create innovation economies. But how can they do that when tech jobs, venture capital, and R&D are ...

Do Elite Colleges Divide Us?

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Evan Mandery, a professor at the City University of New York, argues that elite colleges don't fight the inequality — they create it. 📱 Follow T...

A Reporter Reflects on a Life Spent 'Chasing Hope'

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From New York Times columnist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof shares what he's learned from a life in journalism. (This episode ...

Space Oddities

02 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Something strange is going on in the cosmos. Scientists are uncovering a catalogue of weird phenomena that simply can’t be explained by our long-est...

Do You Have the Explorer's Gene?

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New York Times-bestselling author Alex Hutchinson shares a fresh perspective on how exploration, uncertainty, and risk shape our behavior and help us ...

The Secret to Lasting Change

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Caroline Fleck shares five big ideas from her new book, "Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationship...

How to Love Better

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Yung Pueblo offers a blueprint for deepening your compassion, kindness, and gratitude so you can truly grow in harmony with another person and build s...

Men, Women, and the Space Between Us

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer Finney Boylan shares five big ideas from her new book "Cleavage." 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wher...

Do You Know How to Manage Up?

26 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Melody Wilding has helped thousands of clients advocate for their needs at work while navigating the minefield of office politics. Today, she's here t...

The Science and Promise of Personality Change

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible to change your entire personality in a year? An award-winning journalist experiments with her own personality to find out. 📱 Fo...

How to Find Your ‘Sleep Groove’

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sleep researcher Olivia Walch on why your body’s clock is so messed up and what to do about it. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcas...

The Science of Conversation

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alison Wood Brooks, a celebrated Harvard Business School professor and leading expert on the psychology of conversation, shares easy tips that will ma...

A Guide to Living a Meaningful Life

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Psychologist Steven Heine on how to overcome angst and live life with purpose. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wh...