
The 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. For ad inquiries, please reach out to: Network+NBI@yapmedia.com
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 372 | Founded | 7 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationSociety & Culture | |||

Will Storr is the author of the dazzling books The Science of Storytelling and A Story Is a Deal, and in this episode, he tells us everything he knows about humanity’s greatest invention: story. More than just entertainment, Will argues, story is wha... more
Henry David Thoreau was a philosopher, poet, and pencil-maker. He was a great resigner and, above all, a superb writer whose masterpiece, "Walden," is considered by many to be America's first environmentalist manifesto.
But John Kaag has a different... more
How did a group of notoriously difficult French philosophers become intellectual rock stars on American college campuses — and how much do their ideas matter today?
In The Frenchmen, writer and editor Emily Eakin traces the unlikely rise of French t... more
Democracy is in the dumps. OK, that's a bit dramatic. But it's definitely not working as well as it used to. Good thing Daron Acemoglu — Nobel laureate, MIT Institute Professor, and one of the world's most-cited economists — has a plan to fix it.
To... more
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I love this podcast and its companion Next Big Idea Daily. I am a naturally curious person and find the range of topics to be pretty broad and a good match for my interests. Rufus and Caleb are engaging interviewers and each has a calm but energetic “radio” persona. I like both the long interview format and also the book bite format of the Next Big Idea Daily (I also like Michael Cavnat’s style).
On several occasions I have checked the featured books out of the library and found that I got 80%... more
It’s really my favourite podcast; very well produced and they thrive to cycle through different topics (not just AI). They started to bring in opposing views and mention them more clearly, but in general they could do better critically comparing and contrasting. For instance, broscience by Peter Attia. When it come out, they gave Attia 2 episodes as one of the most important things; however, since Attia published his book, it became clear that it was debunked in so many ways and highly unscienti... more
I’ve been a fan of this podcast for years, it’s always great, but the episode about Ian Leslie’s book on John and Paul’s creative relationship finally compelled me to leave a review. I’m a huge Beatles fan.
Ian’s deep dive into their creative symbiosis was fascinating, and Caleb, who hosted this one, asked super thoughtful questions that made the conversation really warm and engaging.
Highly recommend this episode for music and pop culture fans. I ordered the book right after listening.
I find it ironic you interrupt the show to mention about Peter Attia yet don’t mention Ari Emmanuel, zeke’s brother, involvement with Epstein
Did I just find my people? As I listen to commercials. I’m hopeful. In my simple description of “people” that are okay with enough for you less for me are “Sheep in Wolf clothing”. They know. But not enough for their “Golden Calf’s”; will allow solutions. When any money is involved.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
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Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
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This program features in-depth conversations with leading thinkers across science, technology, psychology, business, and culture. Episodes typically center on books, big ideas, and practical frameworks for living better, with guests ranging from researchers and authors to entrepreneurs and physicians. The show leans toward rigorous, evidence-based discussions and often threads in actionable takeaways, sponsorship messages, and real-world applications. Noteworthy is its ability to pair high-profile authors with seasoned hosts for thoughtful, long-form interviews that explore future-oriented topics while remaining accessible to curious, educated listeners. Potential listeners can expect a steady stream of intellectually engaging content that ... more
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These podcasts share a similar audience with The Next Big Idea:
1. The Next Big Idea Daily
2. Hidden Brain
3. Choiceology with Katy Milkman
4. People I (Mostly) Admire
5. Worklife with Molly Graham
The Next Big Idea launched 7 years ago and published 372 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The Next Big Idea include:
1. John Kaag
2. Emily Eakin
3. Daron Acemoglu
4. Mallory May
5. Blythe Harris
6. Caroline Webb
7. Yuval Noah Harari
8. Owen Fitzpatrick
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