Stay ConnectedThe 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.
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In this special audio essay, Rufus reflects on the big ideas from 2024 that altered his worldview.
🎙️ You can find all of the interviews mentioned in this episode in this Spotify playlist
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A recent Pew Research survey found that most Americans are more worried than excited about AI. Reid Hoffman, however, isn't one of them.
He knows the risks — arms races, runaway superintelligence, the whole humans-being-turned-into paperclips scenario — but he's still convinced that AI is poised to usher in an era of extraordinary human progress. And as you'll hear in this episode, he makes a pretty good case.
Reid is the co-founder of LinkedIn, Inflection AI, and Manas AI, a partner at the venture capital firm Greylock, and host of the podcasts "Masters of Scale" and "Possible." Just this week, he published a thrilling new book called "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." Today, he tells Rufus why he's "unequivocally very optimistic" about AI (and why you should be, too), how he's using AI in his daily life, and why he doesn't think DeepSeek is as much of a game-changer as some people say.
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We've got a special treat for you today. We invited Ethan Kross — psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of the bestseller "Chatter" — to give us a sneak peek at his new book, "Shift." It comes out in February, and it's a myth-busting, science-based guide to mastering your emotional life using tools you already possess.
📕 Pre-order Ethan's book here
🎧 Check out Ethan's previous appearance on the show: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
In our deeply divided nation, there's one thing many of us seem to agree on: winter is the worst. 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.
Guest: Kari Leibowitz, author of "How to Winter"
Host: Caleb Bissinger
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What drives human motivation? For years, the answer seemed simple: rewards. Dangle the right carrot — a bonus, stock options, "Employee of the Month" certificate — and people will perform. But Daniel Pink's 2009 bestseller "Drive" flipped this idea on its head. Drawing on decades of scientific research, Dan revealed that our deepest motivations come from within: the innate drive for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Now, 15 years after "Drive" revolutionized our understanding of motivation, Dan joins us to discuss how this science has evolved and what it means for anyone trying to motivate themselves or others in today's rapidly changing world.
💿 You can find Dan's previous appearances on the show here
📰 And follow his Washington Post column "Why Not?"
🎧 Check out our Next Big Idea Classics episodes with James Clear and Kim Scott
📱 Follow The Next Big Idea on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Forming a new habit is tough. Sticking with it is even tougher. That’s probably why someone buys a copy of James Clear’s 2018 book “Atomic Habits” every 11 seconds. James breaks down the science of habit formation into simple, actionable steps anyone can take — even you. Today on the show, he talks Rufus through the four laws of behavior change, explains how small improvements compound over time to produce remarkable results, and offers easy tips you can use now to kick bad habits and adopt good ones.
Arthur C. Brooks used to run a prominent think tank where he was paid handsomely to influence public policy. Did all that success make him happy? Nope. So Arthur quit his job and set out to transform his life. Now he’s written a book about what he learned along the way, the #1 New York Times bestseller “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.”
💿 Want to listen back to our favorite episodes of 2024? Check out this playlist
Does free will exist on a sliding scale? Will humans and AI co-evolve? Are aliens already here on earth? These are just a few of the many mind-bending questions Rufus and Sara Walker, author of “Life as No One Knows It,” explore in the second half of their conversation.
1️⃣ If you missed the first half of Sara’s interview, you can find it here
🧪 Want to hear more of our interviews with brilliant scientists? Check out this playlist
🎁 Take 20% off a Next Big Idea Club subscription or gift when you use the code PODCAST20 at nextbigideaclub.com
We’ve had many bracing thinkers on this show, but Sara Walker might take the cake. A physicist and astrobiologist at Arizona State University, she's just written "Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence," a thrilling exploration of life's origins and the search for it across the cosmos.
🕐 The second part of this conversation will be available on Thursday. If you can’t wait until then, you can hear it right now on The Next Big Idea app
🎁 Take 20% off a Next Big Idea Club subscription when you use code PODCAST20 at nextbigideaclub.com
You may think you know what strategy is, but Seth Godin is willing to bet you haven’t got a clue. It’s not just setting goals. It’s not just making plans. It’s— Well, you’ll have to tune in to find out.
📕 This Is Strategy by Seth Godin
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🎙️ If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy our conversation with Tony Fadell, the legendary creator of the iPod and iPhone, about how to build a game-changing product. It's a team favorite.
🎁 Take 20% off a Next Big Idea Club membership or gift when you use code PODCAST20 at nextbigideaclub.com
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