The Next Next Thing

"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.