You Can Grow Your Brain. Here’s How.

You Can Grow Your Brain. Here’s How.

Author: Next Big Idea Club May 11, 2026 Duration: 1:20:13
In the last 20 years, there has been a dramatic change in our understanding of neuroplasticity — the brain’s capacity to grow new neurons. In the last five years, we’ve learned that your hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for learning and memory, can get bigger at any age. Majid Fotuhi, who teaches at Johns Hopkins, has been at the forefront of a new body of research demonstrating that lifestyle changes — tweaks to the way you exercise and eat, adjustments to your sleep and mindset — can improve your brain health no matter how old you are. They can even reverse early-stage Alzheimer’s. His new book is The Invincible Brain, and the message is clear: with the right lifestyle and mindset changes, you can grow a bigger brain. 🔗 LINKS AND MENTIONS: Check out our playlist of health-related episode on Spotify The Next Big Idea Club — Save 20% on any membership when you use code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com Granola — If meetings are eating up your day, Granola is a no-brainer. You can try it totally free for three months. Just head to granola.ai/idea Incogni — Protect your personal information online and get an exclusive 60% off an annual plan at incogni.com/nbi Quince — Refresh your spring wardrobe and get free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/nbi Shopify — Launch your business for just $1/month. Start selling today at shopify.com/nbi

Each week on The Next Big Idea, hosts Rufus Griscom and Caleb Bissinger sit down with authors and researchers whose ideas are shaping our culture, education, and understanding of society. The conversations are guided by a unique group of curators-Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink-who help frame these discussions around the most compelling new concepts in science and social thought. This isn't just an interview podcast; it's a deep exploration of the books and theories that have the potential to shift perspectives and spark meaningful change. You'll hear the stories behind the ideas, the personal journeys of the thinkers, and practical insights that extend beyond the page. The dialogue is structured yet spontaneous, offering listeners a genuine sense of being part of a substantive conversation. Episodes are released every Thursday, providing a consistent dose of intellectual curiosity. The podcast is produced by the Next Big Idea Club, an organization dedicated to surfacing and discussing transformative knowledge. Whether you're looking to understand the nuances of human behavior, the latest scientific discoveries, or the forces driving social change, this series serves as an accessible gateway to complex topics. The aim is to make big ideas feel relevant and engaging, without oversimplifying their importance. Tune in for a thoughtful break from the noise, where the focus is entirely on understanding what comes next.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Next Big Idea
Podcast Episodes
Walter Isaacson on The Greatest Sentence Ever Written [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:54
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:…
Best Of: Decoding Elon Musk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:50
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 peop…
Andrew Ross Sorkin: What the Crash of 1929 Says About Today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:02
Andrew Ross Sorkin’s new book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation, is an eye-opening account of the forces that led to the worst financial crisis in history and the lesso…
Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson on What Running Can Teach Us [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:27
Nick Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic. But he moonlights as a damn good runner. At 44, he ran a marathon in 2 hours and 29 minutes, making him one of the fastest marathoners his age on the planet. He later set an Amer…
A Food Crisis Is Brewing. Are We Ready? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:18
Caleb is joined by Sam Kass, former senior food policy advisor to President Obama and the chef who cooked dinner for the first family most nights. Now a partner at a venture capital firm investing in food and agriculture…
The Future Is Going to Be Great [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:58
Dave Blundin has co-founded 23 companies, co-hosts the Moonshots podcast, runs the VC firm Link Ventures, teaches at MIT, and has been building neural networks since the 1980s. His take: “[AI is] under-hyped. It's absolu…
PRIMAL INTELLIGENCE: You’re Smarter Than You Realize [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:37
Angus Fletcher has a PhD in literature from Yale and teaches English at Ohio State. He’s passionate about Shakespeare. He probably owns a tweed jacket. In other words, he’s the last person you’d expect to receive the Arm…