The Next Big Idea Daily

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...

How Neuroscience and Mysticism Can Unlock the Secrets of Consciousness

19 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cognitive scientist Vladimir Miskovic and psychologist Steven Jay Lynn have teamed up to write a new book called Dreaming Reality, blending their pers...

The Power Code

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Power is not working — for women, for men, or for the world. Today, big ideas from Katty Kay and Claire Shipman on how to remake power in a way that...

What Can AI Really Do?

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Two of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI share what you need to know about AI — and how to defend yourself against bogus AI claims and pro...

Beyond Anxiety

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bestselling author and life coach Martha Beck explains how to turn worry into creativity. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spot...

How to Prepare for a Wildfire

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nick Mott and Justin Angle have written a practical guide for living with wildfire, including essential history and science, actions you can take to p...

Can Microdosing Enhance Your Health?

12 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Five key insights from "Microdosing for Health, Healing, and Enhanced Performance" by James Fadiman and Jordan Gruber. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea ...

The Small Shifts That Lead to Big Change

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anne-Laure Le Cunff shows how an experimental mindset can turn challenges into self-discovery and doubt into opportunity. 📱 Follow The Next Big Id...

Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to EVs

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Electric vehicles are here to stay. What does that mean for the automotive industry, the world, and you? 📕 Inevitable by Mike Colias 📱 Follow ...

The Key to a Good Diet

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For the last few years, philosopher Julian Baggini has been exploring the hidden forces that shape our food choices — from the debates over organic ...

Think You’re Too Smart to Fall for a Scam? Think Again.

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What makes perps tick, victims so gullible, and whistleblowers so morally righteous? Kelly Richmond Pope reports. Her book is “Fool Me Once: Scams, ...

Can the Stress of Loss Be an Opportunity for Healing?

05 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In The Grieving Body, Grief expert and neuroscientist Mary-Frances O’Connor shows the impact grief — and life’s other major stressors — can ha...

How Innovation Happens at Microsoft

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Microsoft insiders Dean Carignan and JoAnn Garbin explain how the tech giant has managed to stay at the forefront of innovation for half a century. 📱...

How to Move from Surviving to Thriving

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Magness shares five key insights from his new book "Win the Inside Game." 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wh...

How Hollywood’s Biggest Flops Changed Film History

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Robey tells an alternate history of Hollywood, starring misunderstood masterpieces, disastrous sequels, and catastrophic literary adaptations. Tur...

The Art of Healthy Arrogance

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Will Packer is the author of "Who Better Than You?" 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want ...

The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication

26 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Management professor and communication expert Andrew Brodsky shares his framework for navigating the digital workplace. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea...

Unlearning Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nancy Reddy, an award-winning writer and professor, shares a few key insights from "The Good Mother Myth." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

How to Break Up With Your Phone

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Let’s face it — your relationship with your phone is toxic. Luckily, Catherine Price is here to help. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Appl...

The Boys Are Not All Right

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Boys and men are struggling. What should we do about it? 📕 Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts...

How to Help Your Kids Learn, Live, and Feel Better

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have a teen who's checked out, stressed out, or both? Then this episode is for you. Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop have spent the last five years...

Can You Upgrade Your Brain in 15 Minutes a Day?

19 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Elizabeth Ricker, an MIT and Harvard-trained brain researcher turned Silicon Valley technologist, shows you how a few minutes of neurohacking c...

It's Cool to Be Kind

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Graham Allcott argues the key to success is kindness. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Wan...

Jay Shetty’s Rules of Love

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Valentine’s Day is behind us, but don’t let your relationship slip into screensaver mode. Relationships need ongoing attention and care. That’s ...

Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether you’re celebrating with roses or rolling your eyes at all that lovey-dovey stuff, it's a good time to reflect on an...

How the Competition in Space Will Change Our World

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today: Tim Marshall, author of the new book "The Future of Geography." 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever yo...

Is Climate Change Messing With Your Brain?

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recovering neuroscientist Clayton Page Aldern stops by to share a few key insights from his book "The Weight of Nature: How a Changing Climate Changes...

The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Leslie Zane shares five key insights from her new book "The Power of Instinct: The New Rules of Persuasion in Business and Life." 📱 Follow The Nex...

Does AI Have Rights?

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Philosopher Jeff Sebo calls for a revolution in ethics, suggesting we expand our “moral circle” to everything from insects to AI. 📱 Follow The...

How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You don’t have to be naturally optimistic to benefit from the power of positivity. You just have to follow these five easy steps. 📱 Follow The N...

We Can Win the Fight Against Climate Change. Here's How.

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Investor, activist, and former presidential candidate Tom Steyer shares five key insights from his new book "Cheaper, Faster, Better." 📱 Follow Th...

The Path to Inspired Leadership

05 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Social psychologist and leadership expert Adam Galinsky says there are two kinds of leaders: those who inspire and those who infuriate. Which will you...

What's Your Hidden Genius?

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The key to a fulfilling and successful life isn’t just about passion or hard work — it’s about understanding and harnessing your innate aptitude...

Technology Is Tearing Us Apart

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Faster, easier communication was supposed to make the world better. Instead, it made us miserable. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? F...

How to Be Enough

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Clinical psychologist Ellen Hendriksen on how to be good to yourself. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and our weekly LinkedIn newsletter Learn more ...

The Transformative Power of Inclusion

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Chow, the former CEO of AT&T Business, shares a new approach to inclusive leadership that goes beyond DEI. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and ...