The Next Big Idea Daily

The Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sharon McMahon shares a few inspiring stories from her new book, "The Small and the Mighty," a #1 New York Times bestseller. Learn more about your ad ...

Who Owns Your Face?

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kashmir Hill, a reporter at the New York Times, shares the story of a small AI company that gave facial recognition to law enforcement, billionaires, ...

The Science of Paternal Potential

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Most male mammals, including our closest primate relatives, barely participate in childcare. So why do at least some human men do a marginally better ...

Seth Godin's Advice for Making Better Plans

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Seth Godin is one of the world's most influential business thinkers. Today, he shares five key insights from his brand new book "This Is Strategy." Le...

Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Oliver Burkeman has been called a self-help guru for people who make fun of self-help. He joins us today to share five key insights from his new book ...

A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Frank Barry takes us on a thought-provoking journey into the heart of our democracy and the soul of our country. His new book is "Back Roads and Bette...

AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World

23 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rival CEOs. A race to build god-like machines. What could go wrong? In "Supremacy," Bloomberg's Parmy Olson shares the thrilling (and sometimes chilli...

Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The human brain hasn't changed much since the Stone Age, which is why it's so poorly equipped to resist modern technology. But don't despair. Renowned...

How to Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Monday! To kick off the week, we're joined by Kendra Adachi, who's here to teach you how to be a genius about the things that matter and lazy ab...

Rediscover Calm in a Chaotic World

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Start your weekend with a little mindfulness... 📕 Deeper Mindfulness: The New Way to Rediscover Calm in a Chaotic World by Mark Williams & Danny Pe...

How to Be a Happy High Achiever

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Clinical psychologist Mary Anderson shares a road map ambitious people can follow to transform chronic stress and anxiety into sustainable happiness a...

Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity

16 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, MIT's Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson were awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for their groundbreaking research on how instituti...

How to Transform Your Daily Grind and Achieve a Better Life

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

American work isn’t working. Brigid Schulte is here to change that. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and our weekly LinkedIn newsletter Learn more ...

The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rebecca Nagle has written for the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and Indian Country Today. She hosts the celebrated podcast This Land. ...

What if the Problem Isn’t Your Partner―It’s Stress?

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's Friday. You made it. But before you get into weekend mode, check out these key insights from Elizabeth Earnshaw, author of the new book 'Til Stre...

How We Can Fix Our Waste and Heal Our World

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, some key insights from Total Garbage, a new book by Edward Humes about the waste embedded in our daily lives. Learn more about your ad choices....

Why Are We Obsessed With Human Origins?

09 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stefanos Geroulanos, an eminent historian, tells the story of how we came to obsess over the origins of humanity ― and how, for three centuries, ide...

How to Optimize Your Brain and Transform the Way You Work

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mithu Storoni isn't just an eye surgeon and neuroscience researcher; she's also an expert in how to get your brain working at peak efficiency. Today,...

How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tyler Cowen, one of the world's most respected economists, shares how to spot, assess, woo, and retain highly talented people. Learn more about your a...

Life Lessons From Kierkegaard

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we're straying a bit off our usual path to share some inspiring insights from Aaron Simmons's book "Camping with Kierkegaard: Faithfulness as a...

How to Make the Most Consequential Decision in the World

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Voting for president is no small thing. Gautum Mukunda, from the Harvard Kennedy School, reflects on its significance in his new book "Picking Preside...

Inside the Mind of Volodymyr Zelensky

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Time correspondent Simon Shuster provides an intimate portrait of Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky. 📕 The Showman: Inside the Invasion That ...

Living in Sync with Your Inner Clock

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Want to be sharper, healthier, and happier? Then you need to up your sleep game. Lynne Peeples, author of The Inner Clock: Living in Sync with Our Cir...

A Guide to Finding Fulfillment in Work and Life

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Megan Hellerer graduated from Stanford at the top of her class, landed a dream job at Google, and dutifully climbed the corporate ladder. So why was s...

The Science of Human Possibilities

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kumar Murty illuminates the interconnectedness of mental acuity and spiritual enlightenment. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and our weekly Linke...

How Corporations Get Rich off America’s Poor

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The federal government spends around $900 billion a year on programs that are supposed to help poor Americans. Why does so much of that money end up i...

The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity

25 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Horses revolutionized the way we hunted, traded, traveled, farmed, fought, worshipped, and interacted. They determined international borders, molded c...

Answers to the Big Questions of Midlife

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Debra Whitman, a globally recognized expert on aging, presents practical steps you can follow to make sure the second half of your life is as rich, re...

Sell Like A Spy

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Hurewitz on the tradecraft that can make you better at persuasion. 🎟️ Grab a ticket to our event with Daniel Pink and Adam Moss at nextbig...

Stories From the Best of Humanity

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let's end the week on a positive note. Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell share a few much-needed life-affirming stories handpicked from Upworthy’s com...

Why Public Schools Are Worth Fighting For

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Public schools are the most democratic institutions this country has ever created. So why are they under threat? And can they be saved? Journalist Jen...

Create Extraordinary Places that Bring People Together

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Museums, restaurants, grocery stores, and universities — in the era of AI and the metaverse, these real places will matter more than ever. Kevin Erv...

How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Christian Madsbjerg explores how we can reclaim the lost art of paying attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Creativity isn't just for artists. You can — and should — embrace creativity no matter your line of work. Today, Natalie Nixon offers tips for how...

How to Find the Silver Linings Even on Your Darkest Days

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From award-winning Washington Post columnist Steven Petrow, a guide to finding joy even during life’s most difficult times. Learn more about your ...

How Our Culture Enables Misbehaving Men

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's been seven years since #MeToo went viral. What has actually changed? Reah Bravo joins us to share answers from her book "Complicit." Learn more a...

How to Live Future Ready

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Frederik Pferdt, Google’s first Chief Innovation Evangelist, inspires you to shape your future, navigate ambiguity and uncertainty with intention, a...

How to Make Social Media Less Polarizing

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Bail offers a revealing look at how user behavior is powering deep social divisions online ― and how we might yet defeat political tribalism o...

The Purpose-Fueled Formula for Sustainable Success

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Molly Fletcher, the "female Jerry Maguire,” shares her tips for engaging in meaningful professional and personal growth. 🎟️ Tickets to o...

Hope for Cynics

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cynicism is making us sick. Stanford Psychologist Dr. Jamil Zaki has the cure. 🎟️ Join us in NYC on Sept. 11 for a live interview with Yuval Noah...

Nicholas Kristof on a Life in Journalism

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Nicholas Kristof, the legendary New York Times columnist, shares five big ideas from his new book "Chasing Hope." Learn more about your ad choi...

Die Hot with a Vengeance

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The multi-billion-dollar beauty industry is built around a single mandate: be hot. Sable Yong tells us why that message is equal parts toxic and fun. ...

The Unexpected Magic of Caring for Others

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the show, journalist Elissa Strauss explores the powerful role caring for others plays in our individual and communal lives. 📩 Check out o...

The Disciplines of Strategic Thinking

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Michael Watkins delves into the essential practices that can prepare leaders and their teams for tomorrow's challenges. 🎟️ We're hosting a...

A Philosopher’s Guide to the Good Life

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Sandel, a philosopher and Guinness World Record holder in pull-ups, shares five key insights from "Happiness in Action," a new book in which he a...

Is Modern Masculinity Holding Men Back?

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today's model of masculinity is outdated. It's not giving boys and men the courage, strength, and resilience they need to thrive in an ever-changing w...

The Stoic Path to Wealth

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if ancient wisdom could help you achieve prosperity today? Darius Foroux is here to explain. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and our weekly Lin...

Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we hear from journalist Shefali Luthra about her new book, "Undue Burden," which the San Francisco Chronicle called "an impeccably researched, ...

Dream First, Details Later

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ellen Marie Bennett turned a hunch into a multi-million dollar business. So can you. 🎟️ Grab a ticket to our event with Yuval Noah Harari at http...

Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jeff Karp went from the back of the class to opening his own research lab at Harvard. In this episode, he explains how he did it — and how the tools...

The Truth About Immigration

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For nearly 20 years, Wharton professor Zeke Hernandez has been studying immigration. Today, he makes an evidence-based argument for why newcomers bene...

Are You Hardwired for Happiness?

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Ashish Kothari shares nine proven practices to overcome stress and live your best life. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and our weekly Linked...

Sex, God, and the Brain

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

"You heretics!" That's probably what you'd say if we told you that sexual pleasure gave birth to religion. Sex and god? They're like oil and water, n...

How to Get Noticed at Work for All the Right Reasons

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Building on the lessons she learned as an award-winning TV news journalist, Jessica Chen introduces a new way of getting noticed at work, without bein...

Becoming the Parent Your Kids Deserve

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Gary John Bishop offers insightful (if unorthodox) parenting advice from his recent book "Grow Up." 📩 Check out our daily Substack 🔗 The ...

How Toxic Beauty Culture Harms Women

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is toxic beauty culture ― from Botox to Instagram filters ― doing to women and girls? Ellen Atlanta reports. 📩 Check out our daily Substac...

Will We Merge With AI? Ray Kurzweil Thinks So.

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Celebrated computer scientist and unabased AI optimist Ray Kurzweil says a future where nanorobots inhabit our brains is closer than you may think. Hi...

Can We Cure Grief?

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Journalist Cody Delistraty reports on the scientists and technologists searching for better and new ways to cope with loss. From chatting with a techn...

The Truth You Need to Succeed

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bonnie Hammer worked her way up from the mailroom to become the “the most powerful woman in entertainment," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Tod...

The Elastic Limits of Human Performance

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To close out our Olympics-themed week, we're sharing one of our favorite book bites from our archive: Alex Hutchinson on his 2018 bestseller "Endure."...

Do Hard Things

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does it really mean to be tough? Performance coach Steve Magness has a surprising answer. 📩 Check out our daily Substack and our weekly Linked...

Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, journalist Macaela MacKenzie gives us an inside look at how women athletes are leading the fight for equality — on and off the field. 📩 Ch...

How to Stay Rad as You Grow Old

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Steven Kotler (“Gnar Country”) has been studying human performance for 30 years and teaching people from all walks of life how to achieve peak per...

An Olympian’s Guide to Chasing Dreams and Befriending Pain

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Olympics are on! Have you been watching? We have. We can’t get enough. Which is why all this week we’ll be bringing you episodes that celebrat...

How Trust Works

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trust is at the heart of all relationships, and when trust is broken, those relationships can be tremendously difficult to put back together. Peter H....

How to Be a Citizen

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We think that civil society is imposed by law. But what if that's not the case? What if it's something we create together? Guest: C. L. Skach (How to ...

The Invention of Reality TV

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Pulitzer Prize winner Emily Nussbaum shares five big ideas from her new book "Cue the Sun!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f...

A New Framework for Understanding Addiction

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we hear from Elias Dakwar, a psychiatrist addiction specialist, about his new book "The Captive Imagination: Addiction, Reality, and Our Search...

How to Thrive in a World That's Constantly Changing

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Change is universal. How we deal with it is not. Guest: April Rinne ("Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change") 📩 Check out our daily S...

The World Gets Happiness Wrong. Here's How to Get It Right.

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all want to be happy, but happiness always seems out of reach. Lucky for us, Stephanie Harrison ("New Happy") is here to change that. Learn more ab...

Free Speech in an Age of Rage

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today: Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, on what we lose when we constrain free speech. Learn more about your ad choic...

Triumph of the Yuppies

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What can the Yuppies of the 1980s tell us about American culture today? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Some Startups Change the Future

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why do the most successful startups disregard best practices? 📩 Sign up for our brand new daily Substack 📫 And check out our weekly newsletter o...

How to Make It to the End with No Regrets

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jodi Wellman shares five key insights from "You Only Die Once." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What Loners, Outcasts, and the Misunderstood Can Teach Us About Creativity

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Richard Deming is an award-winning poet and critic and is the director of Creative Writing at Yale University. Today, he shares big ideas from his new...

Democracy in Retrograde

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Emily Amick, lawyer and former counsel to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Betches Media cofounder Sami Sage share five key insights f...

"The Presidents and the People" by Corey Brettschneider

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

American presidents have often pushed the boundaries established for them by the Constitution. Today, Corey Brettschneider shares the inspirational st...

A Better Way of Thinking About Medicine and Healing

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, journalist Julia Hotz reports on a radical new trend in healthcare: social prescribing. 📩 Can't get enough of The Next Big Idea Daily? Check...

Mastering the Art of Changing Minds

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael McQueen has spent two decades teaching Fortune 500 leaders the skills they need to change people's minds. Now, he's here to share those skills...

The Power of Connection in a Fractured World

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let's close out the week by hearing from Sharon Brous, one of the country's leading rabbis, about her new book "The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Men...

A Journey From White Nationalism to Antiracism

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

R. Derek Black grew up with the founders of the American white nationalist movement but became an advocate for antiracism. How did that happen? 📩 W...

Myths Shaped America. Now They've Brought Us to the Brink of Crisis.

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We are a nation of mythmakers. But in his new book, "A Great Disorder: National Myth and the Battle for America," Richard Slotkin argues those myths m...

A Scientist's Path from Grief to Wonder

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A decade ago, Alan Townsend's wife and daughter were both diagnosed with life-threatening forms of brain cancer. In the face of this gut-wrenching new...

Can You Become Immune to Burnout?

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After extreme stress nearly killed Kandi Wiens, she dedicated herself to understanding why some people seem to be naturally “immune” to burnout an...

How Something Comes From Nothing

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To close out the week, we hear from Adam Moss, the legendary editor of New York magazine, about the personal, rigorous, complex, and elusive work of m...

What Would Ben Franklin Do?

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Eric Weiner joins to discuss his new book, "Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life." Learn more about your ad ch...

The 40,000-Year Story of Animals and Us

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Keggie Carew shares a few key insights from her book "Beastly: The 40,000-Year Story of Animals and Us," which the Guardian called "dazzling …...

Can Psychedelics Cure the Most Severe Pain Disorders?

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, renowned sociologist Joanna Kempner, author of the new book "Psychedelic Outlaws: The Movement Revolutionizing Modern Medicine," introduces us ...

How to Save Human Ability in the Age of AI

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As artificial intelligence gets more and more powerful, how do we protect human skills? Matt Beane, one of the world’s top researchers on work and t...

Practical Optimism

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Let's close out the week with a few big ideas from Sue Varma, author of "Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being....

How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tonight, there's a presidential debate. This morning, let's hear Bo Seo, two-time world champion debater and former coach of the Harvard debate team, ...

How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing)

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Khan Academy has helped more than 135 million students in 190 countries learn new things. Now its founder, Sal Khan, is out with a book in which he ar...

The Scientific Secrets of Building a Strong Social Network

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Celebrated science writer David Robson joins us to reveal how social connections are far more important than we thought and show us the steps we can t...

Is Your Work Worth It?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today,a philosopher and an organizational psychologist walk into ... a soap opera? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bianca Bosker Ventures Into the Art World

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Bianca Bosker shares a few brilliant insights from her latest New York Times bestseller "Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Ins...

How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We all have biases. Worse, they cause us to fall for misinformation. Here's what to do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Uche Blackstock shares five key insights from her instant New York Times bestseller "Legacy." *** 📦 Become a Next Big Idea Club subscriber a...

A Neurotoolkit for Creating Lasting Change

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we hear from Nicole Vignola, a neuroscientist and organizational psychologist who has written an exciting new book called "Rewire: Break the Cy...

How the Science of Personality Can Help You Make Better Business Decisions

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Organizational psychologist Richard Davis has spent decades advising the leaders of the world's biggest companies. What he's learned will help you tra...

We Live in a Tame World. Here's How to Find the Wild.

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Foster, the South African filmmaker best known for his Oscar-winning documentary "My Octopus Teacher," joins Michael to share a few insights fro...