The Next Next Thing

Donald Trump is attempting to build himself into a mythical American figure, with arches, statues, and monuments. It’s an age-old tactic, and one that may or may not work. Another legendary American who more or less did the same thing? David Crockett — or “Davey” Crockett. Host Sam Becker speaks with author and historian Allen J. Wiener about how the mythical Davey Crockett figure was created, the...

Sports is a booming businesses, and it stretches far beyond what happens on field, pitch, rink, or diamond. There’s NIL, merchandising, media deals, and much more. Today, amateur athletes are even making a living, and that means that the entire world and business of sports has been turned on its head. Host Sam Becker speaks with Jed Collins, a former NFL player (among many other things) about the...

Fuel prices are high, and it makes you wonder why the U.S. is still so dependent on fossil fuels, particularly since the supply chain for those fuels is fragile. The answer? Electrification, which is what most countries are engaged in on a large scale. Host Sam Becker speaks with Hitendra Chaturvedi, a professor at Arizona State University (among many other things) about data centers, EVs, energy...

The current economy isn't exactly tilted toward labor, but some workers are in a prime position: AI talent. Host Sam Becker speaks with two guests -- Travis Howell, an assistant professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University, and Fauzan Maulana, the co-founder of talent-matching platform CoffeeSpace -- about their research into what AI talent is looking for, and how emplo...

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), a group of environmental extremists, burned down meat-packing plants and ski resorts, and were eventually dubbed "ecoterrorists" before being dismantled by the FBI. Author Matthew Wolfe recently wrote a book about the group, "Fires In the Night: The Earth Liberation Front, The FBI, and a Secret History of Eco-Sabotage," that tell...

Do you know your indigenous history? Or how about the current state of Native America? If not, Joey Clift is here to teach us! Host Sam Becker speaks with his old classmate and Emmy and Peabody-nominated comedian and writer Joey Clift about his new book, "We've Been Here the Whole Time! A Not So Sacred Guide to All Things Native America," as well as how he's built a career in Hollywood as a Native...

Big companies often become so big that they can become ineffective. Sure, they make tons of money, but they lose the agility they had when they were smaller and scrappier. Matthew Watkins, the founder and CEO of Tape Trade -- a platform that helps musicians share their work -- left a big-tech job and is now building something simpler, sleeker, and customer-focused. Those types of businesses may be...

Aditi Shrikant writes the Dollar Signs advice column for MarketWatch, where she is also a personal finance reporter. She sees a range of questions: How to handle remote job interviews, how to have uncomfortable money conversations with friends, and more. Aditi joins host Sam Becker to discuss young workers' habits that older people consider disrespectful, the types of questions she loves answering...

If you've ever clicked through the terms of service on a product or service, you've likely agreed to some form of forced arbitration in the event of a legal dispute. Effectively, consumers can barely sue companies anymore, and it's a growing issue. Host Sam Becker speaks with Brendan Ballou, the founder of the Public Integrity Project, a former federal prosecutor, and author of the recent book "Wh...

Will companies going all-in on AI and thinning out their ranks regret it? Will there be a backlash (it seems so!), and will we soon see a large-scale, corporate about-face with companies claiming to be "human-first"? And when corporations line up, literally, behind controversial political figures, do they consider the long-term brand damage being done? Host Sam Becker speaks with Amanda Zantal-Wie...

Sports betting, gambling, and prediction markets are everywhere. If something is happening in the world, you can probably place a wager on it. You know the apps: DraftKings, FanDuel, Kalshi, Polymarket—and others. These platforms are opening up a whole new stream of revenue and driving profits, but there are costs. Costs to society, to young people, and to those who may be vulnerable to addiction...

"Work" means different things to different people. Some people dread it, other people revel in it. Overall, though, it's a necessity for most of us. But it can feel...pointless, at times. In a more philosophical episode, Sam speaks with Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza, a writer and essayist, about an essay she wrote on this very topic. Emily writes about work, our relationship to it, and also hosts a p...

The Trump administration has used the heft of the federal government to bully, intimidate, and silence its critics in a way no other administration has before. In perhaps the most public display of policing speech, the FCC has tried (and succeeded) to "cancel" late-night comedians and talk show hosts. The United States was, previously, a country where things like this were not tolerated. But now,...

Discovering extraterrestrial life would be massive, and telling the world about it would be challenging as well. Our ability to communicate important scientific information has broken down, and that's a big problem. The pandemic played a role, and there are reasons that people may be skeptical or untrusting of authority. Host Sam Becker speaks with Dr. Brianne Suldovsky, a professor at Portland St...

Introducing "The Next Next Thing," a podcast about what's happening now, and what comes later, hosted by writer and journalist Sam Becker.