For many of us, our first exposure to science takes the form of dusty textbooks and a half-asleep teacher who barely knows the material. And in this situation, it can be easy to think that science is all about cell structure and a handful of dull physical laws.
But the truth is that, beyond the confines of your traditional textbook, science is teeming with mind-blowing theories, dramatic debates, and colorful, unanswered questions. To discover the weirder side of science, check out the seven remarkable reads below.
The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI
By Ray Kurzweil
The noted inventor and futurist’s successor to his landmark book The Singularity Is Near explores how technology will transform the human race in the decades to come. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Ray Kurzweil, in the Next Big Idea App
Rat City: Overcrowding and Urban Derangement in the Rodent Universes of John B. Calhoun
By Jon Adams and Edmund Ramsden
From 1947 to 1977, ecologist John B. Calhoun built a series of sprawling habitats in which a rat’s every need was met—except space. The results were cataclysmic. Did a similar fate await our own teeming cities? This is the story of Calhoun’s experiments, and their extraordinary influence—an enthralling record of urban design and dystopian science. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-author Jon Adams, in the Next Big Idea App
Psychedelic Outlaws: The Movement Revolutionizing Modern Medicine
By Joanna Kempner
An award-winning sociologist unearths how a group of ordinary people debilitated by excruciating pain developed their own medicine from home-grown psilocybin mushrooms—crafting near-clinical grade dosing protocols—and fought for recognition in a broken medical system. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Joanna Kempner, in the Next Big Idea App
Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Under Water
By Amorina Kingdon
From an award-winning science writer comes a captivating exploration of how underwater animals tap into sound to survive—and a clarion call for humans to address the ways we invade these critical soundscapes. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Amorina Kingdon, in the Next Big Idea App
Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans
By Bill Schutt
From three-inch fang blennies to thirty-foot prehistoric crocodiles, from gaboon vipers to Neanderthals, Bite is a fascinating journey through the natural, scientific, and cultural history of something right in front of—or in—our faces: teeth. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Bill Schutt, in the Next Big Idea App
Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It
By Christof Koch
The world’s leading investigator of consciousness argues that by understanding what consciousness does—cause change in the world—we can understand its origins and its future. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Christof Koch, in the Next Big Idea App
The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity
By Timothy C. Winegard
Driven by fascinating revelations and fast-paced storytelling, The Horse is a riveting narrative of this noble animal’s unrivaled and enduring reign across human history. To know the horse is to understand the world. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Timothy C. Winegard, in the Next Big Idea App
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea App, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium video e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea App.
Learn Faster, from the World’s Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
