The Next Big Idea

Five years ago, Michael Pollan — the acclaimed author of The Botany of Desire, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and How to Change Your Mind — went looking for an answer to one of life's great mysteries: "How does three pounds of brain matter generate subjective experience?" The result is his luminous new book, A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness, which comes out tomorrow. Great journalists like Michael have a nose for story and a knack for timing. Both are on display in A World Appears. It's a page-turner teeming with maverick characters. It's a startling look at the emerging science of plant sentience. And it's an urgent exploration of a question we can't afford to ignore: Could consciousness — that is, "subjective or felt experience," the trippy miracle that when we open our eyes, a world appears — emerge in AI? * * * A World Appears is the Next Big Idea Club’s latest selection. To get an early copy, a personal note from Michael, and an invitation to a Q&A with him on March 10, become a member at nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠. Code PODCAST gets you a super secret discount (spoiler: it’s 20% off). If you enjoyed this episode, check out our conversations with Antonio Damasio, David Chalmers (here and here), Sara Walker, Paul Bloom, Robert Sapolsky, Sam Harris, and Gaurav Suri and Jay McClelland. Watch The Next Big Idea on YouTube! You can find our episodes ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Follow Rufus on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, subscribe to our ⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠, or send us an email at ⁠podcast@nextbigideaclub.com⁠. We love getting fan mail. Sponsored By: Bitdefender — Get 30% off your plan at bitdefender.com/idea Factor — Head to ⁠factormeals.com/idea50off⁠ and use code idea50off to get 50% off your first box Granola — Get three months free at granola.ai/idea Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠⁠⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠⁠⁠

The only constant is change. You’ve heard it a thousand times. But here’s what the cliche leaves out: Change may be inevitable, but how you respond to it — and who you become because of it — that part’s up to you. Maya Shankar knows a thing or two about this. She’s studied change as a cognitive scientist, explored it on her podcast “A Slight Change of Plans,” and now written a book — The Other Side of Change — about how the hardest moments of our lives can transform us … for the better. In the book, she tells remarkable stories of people overcoming colossal change — debilitating diagnoses, amnesia, incarceration — and extracts universal lessons grounded in the latest science. “When a big change happens to us,” she tells us in this episode, “it can feel like a personal apocalypse of sorts. And that the word apocalypse comes from the Greek word apokálypsis, which actually means revelation. That etymology is instructive. Change can upend us, yes. But it can also reveal things to us.” * * * Watch The Next Big Idea on YouTube! You can find our episodes ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Follow Rufus on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, subscribe to our ⁠Substack⁠, or send us an email at podcast@nextbigideaclub.com. We love getting fan mail. The best way to support the show is by becoming a Next Big Idea Club member. Learn more at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠, and use code PODCAST for a super secret discount (spoiler: it’s 20% off). That Tim Kreider essay we quoted is called “Reprieve,” and you can find it in his wonderful book We Learn Nothing. The George Saunders clip comes from his lovely conversation with David Marchese, co-host of “The Interview.” You can listen to it here. Sponsored By: Bitdefender — Get 30% off your plan at bitdefender.com/idea Factor — Head to factormeals.com/idea50off and use code idea50off to get 50% off your first box Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠⁠

Do you ever feel like you're drowning in health advice? Eat this, not that. Take this supplement, but only after popping this other one first. Here’s the good news: Most of it doesn't matter. In Eat Your Ice Cream, renowned physician Ezekiel Emanuel shares six simple rules for living longer — and gives you permission to ignore pretty much everything else. The Next Big Idea is now on YouTube! You can find our episodes ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out our interviews with Russell Foster, Tim Spector, Casey Means, Kelly McGonigal, Chris van Tulleken, and Eric Topol. Follow Rufus on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, subscribe to our ⁠Substack⁠, or send us an email at podcast@nextbigideaclub.com. The best way to support the show is by becoming a Next Big Idea Club member. Learn more at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠, and use code PODCAST for a super secret discount (spoiler: it’s 20% off). Today’s episode is sponsored by Factor. Head to factormeals.com/idea50off and use code idea50off to get 50% off your first Factor box plus free breakfast for one year. We’re also sponsored by Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠⁠.

If you’ve spent any time on social media in the last few years, you’ve probably noticed the rise of what Brad Stulberg calls “hustle-culture greatness” — influencers who promote labyrinthine morning routines, ruthlessly optimized habits, and ascetic self-discipline. “That is not excellence,” says Brad. “That is a bunch of elaborate kabuki that masquerades as the real thing.” The real thing is about challenging yourself in worthwhile endeavors, focusing on what matters most, and expressing the unique qualities that make you who you are. In a word, excellence. Today, we’ll teach you how to pursue it. Brad’s new book, The Way of Excellence, is out now. Pick up a copy on Amazon, Audible, or Bookshop.org. The Next Big Idea is now on YouTube! You can find our episodes ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. If you enjoyed this conversation, check out Brad’s last appearance on the show. Follow Rufus on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, subscribe to our ⁠Substack⁠, or send us an email at podcast@nextbigideaclub.com. The best way to support the show is by becoming a Next Big Idea Club member. Learn more at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠, and use code PODCAST for a super secret discount (spoiler: it’s 20% off). We have two great sponsors for today’s episode. The first is Factor. Head to factormeals.com/idea50off and use code idea50off to get 50% off your first Factor box plus free breakfast for one year. The second is Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at ⁠⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠⁠.

In her new book, ⁠Mattering⁠, Jennifer Wallace argues that our deepest crises — loneliness, anxiety, political rage — stem from a single unmet need: the need to matter. How did this happen, and what can we do about it? The Next Big Idea is now on YouTube! Check out our episodes ⁠here⁠. If you enjoyed this conversation, we think you'll like Jennifer’s previous appearance on the show, her episode of The Next Big Idea Daily, and Rebecca Goldstein’s book bite for The Mattering Instinct. Follow Rufus on LinkedIn, subscribe to our Substack, or send us an email. The best way to support the show is by becoming a Next Big Idea Club member. Learn more at nextbigideaclub.com, and use code PODCAST for a super secret discount (spoiler: it’s 20% off). Today’s episode is sponsored by Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠

You know that feeling when you meet someone and something just … clicks? Scientists have a name for it. They call it “interpersonal synchrony.” Turns out we subconsciously mimic other people’s movements, postures, facial expressions, and gestures. We even sync involuntary functions like heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, pupil dilation, and hormonal activity. Kate Murphy, author of the forthcoming book Why We Click, says interpersonal synchrony — syncing for short — is our superpower. But there’s a catch. The same instinct that bonds us can also hijack us. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/nbi⁠ The Next Big Idea Club - Join a stimulating community for a year of learning and growth at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠ If you enjoyed this episode, check out our conversations with Charles Duhigg, David Brooks, and John Colapinto. Want to connect? 🔗 Follow Rufus on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 📖 Subscribe to our daily newsletter, ⁠Book of the Day⁠ ✉️ Send us an email: ⁠podcast@nextbigideaclub.com⁠ 🎥 Watch video episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigIdeaClub

Evan Ratliff started a company last summer. He and his co-founders came up with a name, hired a team, built a website, and launched an app. They interviewed interns, planned a company hiking trip, and fielded inbound interest from VCs. Normal startup stuff. Except for one thing: All of Evan's employees are AI agents. So are his co-founders. He's been documenting the journey on his podcast Shell Game — what works, what doesn't, and what it might tell us about a future where AI employees are everywhere. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/nbi

As the co-founder and CEO of Circle — the fintech powerhouse that issues USDC, a popular cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar — Jeremy Allaire has had a front-row seat to the crypto revolution. Circle now commands a market cap of over $20 billion, yet Jeremy insists it is still an "early stage company." Why? Because the true transformation of the global economy, he says, is just beginning. In this episode, Jeremy and Rufus discuss how the economic system is becoming “internet native," what happens when money becomes programmable, and why blockchain is the "major missing layer" of the internet. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/nbi — 🎁 Join the Next Big Idea Club and we'll send you a signed copy of Walter Isaacson's new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. You’ll also get ad-free versions of this show, invitations to member-only Q&As, and the six best books of the year delivered to your door. Sign up at nextbigideaclub.com and use code PODCAST for 20% off. 🎥 Watch video episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigIdeaClub Want to connect? 🔗 Follow Rufus on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ 📖 Subscribe to our daily newsletter, ⁠⁠Book of the Day⁠⁠ ✉️ Send us an email: ⁠podcast@nextbigideaclub.com⁠

Chris Dixon runs a16z crypto, a fund that has raised more than $7 billion. So it’s no surprise that when talking about the blockchain, he says things like, “ I've never seen a situation in technology where the gap between what I believe is the potential of the technology and the perception is so wide.” The thing is, he may be right. From enabling digital ownership to complementing AI, the blockchain is poised to reshape the world. In this episode, which first aired in February 2024, Chris explains how. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Join a stimulating community for a year of learning and growth at nextbigideaclub.com

Maryanne Wolf is a UCLA professor and the renowned author of "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" and "Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World." She says deep reading makes you a better thinker, communicator, and citizen. But what happens if you lose the ability to read slowly, patiently, and critically? Is there anything you can do to get it back? Sponsored By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% a membership when you use code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com (This episode first aired in March 2023.)

This is one of our favorite episodes — a conversation with Priya Parker, a conflict resolution specialist who’s worked on peace processes around the world, about her book The Art of Gathering. What she told him changed how we think about every dinner party, every work meeting, every family get-together we host. Priya’s argument is simple but radical. She says most of our gatherings fail because we focus on the wrong things. We obsess over the menu, the playlist. And we ignore the one question we should be asking: Why are we bringing these people together? With the right answer to that question, she says, you can turn any gathering into something meaningful — maybe even transformative. (This episode first aired in January 2020.) Supported By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com  GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Take 20% off a subscription or gift with code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com

What does it mean to flourish? According to author Daniel Coyle, flourishing is “joyful, meaningful growth — shared.” But how do you achieve that enviable state? The answer lies in Dan’s forthcoming book, “Flourish,” which you can pre-order now on Amazon, Audible, or Bookshop.org. Highlights: (5:11) Life isn't a treasure hunt; it’s more like treasure creation (14:15) The $90 million deli that said no to Disney (20:40) Your brain’s two attention systems (58:00) The rule of the beautiful mess (65:07) Why you should open yellow doors Sponsored By: GoDaddy | Get a domain and professional email plan for just $0.99/month at Godaddy.com/GDNOW Aura Frames | Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com The Next Big Idea Club | Know someone who devours great nonfiction? Get them a year of the best new ideas and take 20% off with code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com

In our divided nation, there's one thing many of us seem to agree on: winter sucks. 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. (This episode first aired in January 2025.) Sponsored By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com  GoDaddy - Get a domain and professional email plan for just $0.99/month at Godaddy.com/GDNOW

Daniel Coyle will soon join us on the show to talk about his forthcoming book, Flourish. Today, we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with Dan about his last book, The Culture Playbook. Here's how we described the episode back then: The filmmakers at Pixar. The servers at Union Square Cafe. The badasses on SEAL Team Six. What do these super successful groups all have in common? Strong team culture. But what exactly is culture, and how do you build it? Daniel Coyle has spent the last few years searching for answers. In this episode, he shares what he’s found. Sponsored By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com  GoDaddy - Get a domain and professional email plan for just $0.99/month at Godaddy.com/GDNOW

A few weeks ago, Rufus moderated a panel discussion at Vanderbilt’s New York City campus on artificial intelligence and the future of American higher education. Today, we’re bringing you that conversation. It features Nabiha Syed, executive director of Mozilla Foundation; Nicholas Dirks, president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences; Julie Samuels, president and CEO of Tech:NYC; and Matthew Johnson-Roberson, inaugural dean of the College of Connected Computing at Vanderbilt. Listen to our interview with Sal Khan here Follow Quantum Potential here

New York Times columnist and acclaimed author David Brooks has been trying to learn the skills that go into seeing others, understanding others, making other people feel respected, valued, and safe. Such social skills may sound trifling, but mastering them, David believes, could help us all make better decisions, enhance our creativity, and maybe even repair our nation’s fraying social fabric. This episode first aired in November 2023. Host: Rufus Griscom Guest: David Brooks Book: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen • Learn more about Weave: The Social Fabric Project at weavers.org • Sign up for a Next Big Idea Club membership today and get 20% off when you use the code PODCAST

In this conversation, recorded live on Zoom with members of the Next Big Idea Club community, Brené and Rufus talk about what drives her, how Texas has shaped her, the leadership skills that matter most, and work-life balance. Plus, our curator Adam Grant makes a surprise cameo. Brené’s new book is Strong Ground. 🎁 Join the Next Big Idea Club today and we'll send you a signed copy of Walter Isaacson's new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. You'll also get ad-free versions of this show, invitations to member-only Q&As, and the six best books of the year delivered to your door. Sign up at nextbigideaclub.com and use code PODCAST for 20% off. 🎥 Watch video episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigIdeaClub

Brené Brown is a researcher, storyteller, and author who hosts the podcast Dare to Lead and has given some of the most popular TED Talks of all time. In this episode, recorded live at an Authors@Wharton event, Brené and our curator Adam Grant talk about her new book, Strong Ground. They discuss how to identify your core values, what courageous leadership looks like, and whether vulnerability has become more popular. They also address the problems with “executive presence,” compare notes on how to have hard conversations and set boundaries, debate the merits of the “tush push,” and reflect on what Brené learned from working with FBI hostage negotiators. This conversation first appeared on ReThinking with Adam Grant. It’s one of our favorite podcasts. Follow it now wherever you listen. --- 🎁 Join the Next Big Idea Club today and we'll send you a signed copy of Walter Isaacson's new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. You'll also get ad-free versions of this show, invitations to member-only Q&As, and the six best books of the year delivered to your door. Sign up at nextbigideaclub.com and use code PODCAST for 20% off. 🎥 Watch video episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigIdeaClub

What is the greatest sentence ever written? According to Walter Isaacson — former editor of Time, ex-CEO of CNN, and the acclaimed biographer of Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, and Jennifer Doudna — it’s this: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Yes, it’s eloquent, but more than that, it gave the United States a mission statement, one that we are still striving — fitfully, imperfectly — to meet. Walter’s new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written, unpacks that mission statement: how it came to be written, what it meant to the founders, and why it matters today. We're pleased to announce that we've chosen it as our latest selection for the Next Big Idea Club. That means current members will receive a copy in the mail any day now, along with a digital reading guide, the opportunity to discuss the book with fellow members in our WhatsApp community, and an exclusive invitation to a live Q&A with Walter in December. If you're not already a member, sign up today at nextbigideaclub.com. And if you use the code PODCAST at checkout, we’ll take 20% off your order and send you a signed copy of the book.

When Walter Isaacson, the legendary biographer of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci, started shadowing Elon Musk, he found himself following "a guy who was one of the most popular people on the planet, and ended up with a guy who's the most controversial." Today on the show, Isaacson unpacks the transformation. (This episode first aired in September 2023.)