logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
1h 1m

BICYCLES: Are They the Future of Transpo...

Next Big Idea Club
About this episode
Jody Rosen is a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and a bike nut who has just published a rousing (and sometimes arousing) book called “Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle.” Today, he takes us on a rollicking ride through the two-wheeled revolution, revealing the surprising ways bicycles have shaped the world in which we ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
The History and Future of Apple
In celebration of Apple's 50th birthday, we're probing the company's past and peering into its future with David Pogue — former New York Times tech columnist, current CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, and author of the recent New York Times bestseller Apple: The First 50 Years. W ... Show More
1h 21m
Apr 16
Best Of: Tony Fadell’s Guide to Building Products, Startups and Careers
Tony Fadell led the teams that created the iPod, iPhone, and Nest Thermostat. In his book Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, he shares everything he’s learned about building great companies and game-changing products. (This episode first aired in September ... Show More
1h 1m
Apr 13
Demis Hassabis Wants to Build AGI. Should We Trust Him?
When journalist Sebastian Mallaby approached Demis Hassabis, Google's AI chief and a man with a lifelong mission to build superintelligence, about writing his biography, he made the following pitch: "If you're going to disrupt people from head to toe, you owe them an explanation ... Show More
1h 13m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2019
Evan Friss, "On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City" (Columbia UP, 2019)
Evan Friss, an associate professor of history at James Madison University, historicizes the bicycle’s place in New York City’s social, economic, infrastructural and cultural politics. On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City (Columbia UP, 2019) curates a histor ... Show More
49m 26s
Jul 2022
How can we get more people on their bikes?
<p>Cycling is healthy, cheap - and as modes of transport go, they don’t come much greener. Worldwide, transport is responsible for nearly a quarter of all carbon emissions, with road transport alone accounting for 75% of that. But so far, most discussions on greening the tran ... Show More
27m 10s
Oct 2022
The Safety Bicycle
<p>The basic mechanics of the bike are pretty simple --- it’s basically a triangle with wheels and a chain drive to propel it forward. No batteries or engines. It seems obvious in hindsight .... And that’s why most people guess the bike was invented a long time ago. Yet the ‘runn ... Show More
33m 17s
Jun 2013
Boys of Summer: The Bike Perfecter
<p>In the third Boys of Summer installment, Cristen and Caroline hat tip JK Starley, the engineer who invented the bicycle as we know it today, and explain how the bicycle was a transportation revolution for women.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https:// ... Show More
20m 23s
Nov 2023
Can a bicycle change a woman's life?
<p>Can a humble bicycle become a tool to empower women worldwide? Kim Chakanetsa meets two cyclists who want more women to get on their bikes.</p><p>Lizzie Deignan is a world champion track and road racing cyclist. She got into cycling by chance, when the British Cycling Apprenti ... Show More
27m 16s
Sep 2021
The Guerrilla Cyclists of Mexico City
Tired of waiting for the local government to build more bike lanes, a group of cyclists in Mexico City, the largest city in North America, took matters into their own hands: they painted the lanes themselves.. As traffic and pollution continue to choke cities, bicycles can ease t ... Show More
26m 33s
Sep 2022
Tim Talks Bicycles with Patented
Invented in the mid-1800s, bicycles have had enduring popularity. Across cultures, they have been embraced, promising freedom and mobility at a lower price point. Tim joins Dallas Campbell on Patented: History of Inventions, to discuss the history of the bicycle, from the inventi ... Show More
38m 37s
Nov 2021
The Sunday Read: ‘I Fell in Love With Motorcycles. But Could I Ever Love Sturgis?’
<p>Like many other Americans, Jamie Lauren Keiles, the author of this week’s Sunday Read, bought their first motorcycle during the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>“I thought I was just purchasing a mode of transportation — a way to get around without riding the train,” they wrote. “B ... Show More
28m 13s
Jun 2019
Bicimáquinas (Bicycle Machines)
Carlos Marroquín has always been an inventor. But he wasn’t putting that talent to much use in his native Guatemala until he saw a rare sight on the road that stopped him in his tracks: bicycles. That turning point led Carlos to transform the lives of many farmers and towns throu ... Show More
21m 19s
Apr 2021
Pedal power: How bicycles can change lives
This is the story of how one man is trying to transform lives through the power of the humble bicycle. Many rural communities in rural Africa don’t have access to cars or good roads, which can make it hard to take fresh produce to market or get to school. But Wyson Lungu wants to ... Show More
24m 1s