The Next Big Idea – Details, episodes & analysis

Sturgeon caviar harvested in a lab. Skyscrapers made out of living materials that grow from the ground up. Computers that run on DNA. These might sound like science fiction fantasies, but our guest today, Jamie Metzl, says they are real — they’re in development right now. How these and other biotechnologies will transform our lives, work, and the world is the subject of Jamie’s new book “Superconvergence.” 🎟️ We’re hosting a live taping of this show in New York City on Sept. 11, featuring Yuval Noah Harari. Learn more at https://nextbigideaclub.com/events/ 💿 Did you enjoy this episode? Check out Rufus’s conversations with Azeem Azhar and Amanda Little

What are some words you would use to describe a leader? Bold, driven, steadfast. How about … anxious? You may not equate leadership with anxiety, but Morra Aarons-Mele — a writer, podcaster, and self-proclaimed anxious achiever — says that’s a mistake. Because anxiety is not a professional defect or character flaw. It’s not something to be ashamed of or something you have to hide. Instead, in Morra’s view, it’s an asset, a resource, a motivator that can bring out your best work. The hard part is figuring out how to master it so that it helps rather than hinders. If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety, that may sound like a tall order, maybe even impossible, but in this episode, Morra, with help from a pen, a banana, and reams of cutting-edge research, will teach you how to do it. 🎙️ Check out Morra's podcast, The Anxious Achiever 📕 Grab a copy of her book here 📩 Subscribe to Rufus's newsletter 🎁 Use code PODCAST to get 20% off a Next Big Idea Club book box subscription at https://nextbigideaclub.com/

Bad news: 93% of Americans are metabolically unhealthy. Their bodies struggle to convert food into the energy their cells need. And this fuel shortage underlies all sorts of conditions, from diabetes and cancer to insomnia and erectile dysfunction. Good news: Simple changes to how we eat and exercise can dramatically improve our metabolic health. This is the thesis of “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health” by Casey Means. A Stanford-trained physician, Casey grew disillusioned with conventional healthcare when she realized that many doctors are great at prescribing pills and performing surgeries but hopeless when it comes to addressing root causes. This led her to leave traditional medicine and focus on combating metabolic dysfunction, which she believes is at the heart of America’s health crisis. Today on the show, she tells Rufus about her journey, explains why she thinks the medical system fails patients, and shares the simple biomarkers that you should check to see if you’re at risk for a deadly disease. 📱 This is part one of our interview with Casey. Part two will be available here on Thursday. But if you can't wait that long, you can listen right now on the Next Big Idea app: https://nextbigideaclub.com/app/

When Bo Seo was 8 years old, his family moved from Korea to Australia. He did not speak a world of English. At school, to deflect attention from his inarticulacy, he became an agreeable wallflower. But that all changed when Bo’s fifth-grade teacher introduced him to competitive debate. Bo was hooked, and in the years to come, he’d not only win two debate world championships but also go on to coach the Australian national team as well as the Debating Union at Harvard, where he earned his undergraduate degree and is currently a law student. Earlier this year, Bo published his first book, “Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard,” which was chosen by our curators as one of the year’s eight best works of non-fiction. In today’s episode, Bo sits down with one of those curators, Adam Grant, to share time-honored techniques for getting your point across, changing minds without hurting feelings, dealing with bullies, and knowing when to shut up. --- Download the Next Big Idea app today by visiting nextbigideaclub.com/app

There's no such thing as a "normal" brain. And according to Dr. Chantel Prat, a neuroscientist at the University of Washington, that's a very good thing indeed. In her new book, "The Neuroscience of You," Chantel tells readers how their brains got to be the way they are, and today on the show, she explains how to get the most out of the brain you've got. --- Have thoughts on this episode? Subscribe to Rufus's LinkedIn newsletter and join the conversation!

“Life is a game. There’s no way to understand the human world without first understanding this. Everyone alive is playing a game whose hidden rules are built into us and that silently directs our thoughts, beliefs and actions. This game is inside us. It is us. We can’t help but play.” So begins “The Status Game,” a new book by acclaimed writer Will Storr. He continues: “We play for status, if only subtly, with every social interaction, every contribution we make to work, love or family life and every internet post. We play with how we dress, how we speak and what we believe. … Life is not a journey towards a perfect destination. It’s a game that never ends. And it’s the very worst of us.” Does it have to be? We may not be able to quit the status game, but Will says we can learn to play it better. In this episode, he explains how. --- Download The Next Big Idea app today at nextbigideaclub.com/app/

The Next Big Idea presents an audio masterclass from bestselling author Susan Cain. Drawing on her latest book, "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole," Susan shares practical insights that you can use to bolster your creativity, deepen your connections, and find joy. Susan Cain is the author of two New York Times #1 bestsellers, "Bittersweet" and "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking." She's also one of our curators here at the Next Big Idea Club. To learn more about her work, visit susancain.net. If you enjoy this episode, we invite you to join our community by downloading the Next Big Idea app, where you can listen to e-courses by brilliant authors like Shankar Vedantam, Lisa Feldman Barrett, and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Visit nextbigideaclub.com/app.

Eric Barker teaches our curator Daniel Pink how to make friends, disarm marital conflicts, and spot liars.

If the human race lasts as long as a typical mammalian species and our population continues at its current size, then there are 80 trillion people yet to come. Oxford philosophy professor William MacAskill says it's up to us to protect them. In his bold new book, "What We Owe the Future," MacAskill makes a case for longtermism. He believes that how long we survive as a species may depend on the actions we take now. --- To hear the Book Bite for "What We Owe the Future," download the Next Big Idea app at nextbigideaclub.com/app

In her new book, “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away,” Annie Duke says mastering the art of quitting is the key to making smart decisions. --- Download the Next Big Idea app today at nextbigideaclub.com/app