Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Bustle

I Tried A Football-Inspired Workout That Was Delightfully Tough

Functional movements are the name of the game.

Scientific American

Why Kids Are Afraid to Ask for Help

Children as young as seven years old may hesitate to ask questions in school because they worry classmates will think they are “stupid.”

Popular Science

We Finally Know What Turns Cats Into Tabbies

The gene had eluded researchers for years.

Nautilus

The Math Trick Behind MP3s, JPEGs, and Homer Simpson’s Face

It doesn’t quite get the audiophile seal of approval, but scientists are very intrigued.

Fast Company

How To Design Your Ideal Workday Based On Your Sleep Habits

According to sleep expert Michael Breus, you can pack the most into your working hours by knowing your sleep type.

BBC Travel

The World’s Oldest Dessert?

Although chickpeas and beans don't usually belong in a pudding, they are core ingredients in one of the oldest – and, some say, one of the most delicious – desserts in the world.

Harper’s Bazaar

Bring Back the Computer Room

Author Rax King wants to revive its cramped, dingy legacy in a world where working from home is the new norm.

The Conversation

Why Does Everyone Seem to Have Food Intolerances These Days?

It may seem as though everyone has food intolerances these days, but there could be a few factors at play.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Gorgeous Illustrations from Elizabeth Blackwell’s 18th-Century Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants

Time-travel to the dawn of modern medical science via the stunning art of a self-taught woman illustrator and botanist.

The Drive

How To Restore Leather Seats

Your leather seats beginning to resemble crocodile skin and isn’t crocodile leather? Let’s fix that.

Shondaland

What Is Compassion Fatigue?

Here’s how to retain your humanity even if you’re feeling burned out.

Bon Appétit

Learn This Simple Formula and Never Make a Mediocre Salad Again

Anyone can learn how to make salad. This formula will show you how to make a knockout one, every time.

Popular Collections

Curated guides to the best reads on the web

Pocket Collections

The Art of Navigating Thorny Office Politics

From bad bosses to gossipy colleagues and, of course, office refrigerator drama.

Today’s Pocket Hits

Wednesday, July 2

The New York Times

Illness Took My Mother’s Independence, but It Gave Us Something Precious

An immune condition changed my mom’s life — and taught us to see art differently.

WIRED

My Couples Retreat With 3 AI Chatbots and the Humans Who Love Them

I found people in serious relationships with AI partners and planned a weekend getaway for them at a remote Airbnb. We barely survived.

Aeon

Walk in These

Shoes are deeply personal, literally moulded to our lives. But they create our social lives as much as express them.

NPR

Murders Are Down Nationwide. Researchers Point to a Key Reason.

The number of homicides is falling dramatically nationwide. In 2024, murders fell by at least 14% across the U.S.

Blood in the Machine

How AI Is Killing Jobs in the Tech Industry

Tech workers at TikTok, Google, and across the industry share stories about how AI is changing, ruining, or replacing their jobs.

Vulture

7 New Books You Should Read This July

You should read as many of them as possible.

Time

Is Cheese Giving You Nightmares?

For centuries, folklore and popular wisdom have linked poor eating habits and indigestion to nightmares and restless sleep.

Noema Magazine

The Unseen Fury Of Solar Storms

Lurking in every space weather forecaster’s mind is the hypothetical big one, a solar storm so huge it could bring our networked, planetary civilization to its knees.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Real Simple

12 Things You Should Never Store in an Outdoor Shed

An outdoor shed seems like the perfect place to store a lot of extra stuff from around your house, but here are some items you should really never store in an outdoor shed.

CBS News

WNBA Expanding to Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia Over Next 5 Years

Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia the season after, assuming they get approval from the NBA and WNBA Board of Governors..

Nautilus

The Past Is a Ghost and the Future a Fantasy

This revelation allows us to live more fully

Polygon

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners Is Making Black History yet Again

Sinners continues to be a massive cultural force for Black America and beyond

Elle

The Secret to Frizz-Free Hair, According to Top Stylists

Sleek solutions.

Smithsonian Magazine

Why the Ancient Craft of Dry Stone Walling Still Holds So Much Appeal in the 21st Century

Artisans around the world are ditching the mortar and embracing an old method of building rock walls

CNET

Do We Need to Wear Sunscreen Indoors? This Is What a Skin Expert Says

We all know to wear sunscreen outside, but what about indoors? We asked a dermatologist.

ProPublica

A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage

A new ProPublica data analysis adds to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of first-trimester miscarriage far more dangerous.

Vanity Fair

Brie Larson Can Finally Talk About Her Top Secret Role on the Bear

The Oscar winner plays a pivotal character in the show’s fourth season, which marks her long-awaited return to comedy after a series of “pensive, dramatic” parts.

Quanta Magazine

Researchers Uncover Hidden Ingredients Behind AI Creativity

Image generators are designed to mimic their training data, so where does their apparent creativity come from? A recent study suggests that it’s an inevitable by-product of their architecture.

Context

Q&A: Heatwaves Hit Schools, Putting Millions of Children at Risk

UNICEF warns that heatwaves are pushing millions of children out of school and calls for climate policy to protect classrooms

The 19th

Women in Their 20s and 30s Are Working More Than Ever Before

And the workforce looks different than it did a generation ago, as more young men than ever before are staying home to care for family instead.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Fast Company

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

Plan to connect with loved ones and plan to disconnect from work.

The Guardian

How Sorry Are You? Why Learning to Apologize Well Could Save Your Relationships

Got something to say sorry for? Here are words that have no place in your apologies, according to those who have spent years analysing them.

The New York Times

Better Half

The midpoint of the year is an opportune moment to look back at where we’ve been, and set our sights for where we want to go.

The New York Times

Gen Z, It Turns Out, Is Great at Saving for Retirement

Brynnley Beckman is only 23, but she is already thinking about retirement. She teaches ninth grade biology at the Shelton School in Dallas and contributes 3 percent of her salary to an employer-sponsored retirement fund. She hopes to increase her contribution by 1 percent each year.

The Atlantic

How to Make Your Work Your Calling

Three ways to find purpose and meaning in a job.

Time

Are You Just Tired or Truly Burned Out?

Fatigue and burnout are similar, but one requires more serious attention.

Money.com

The Ultimate Guide to Paying Less for College

Running the numbers on typical college costs can leave you feeling breathless and wondering how you’re going to afford it. Sticker prices look staggering these days, especially for private colleges.

CNBC

Here’s the Average 401(K) Balance by Age

When it comes to our retirement nest egg, we can't help but wonder where we stand compared to our cohorts.

The Washington Post

Facing Entry-Level Job Crunch, New Grads Question the Value of a Degree

Gen Z is struggling to get a foot in the door professionally. They’re competing with AI and more experienced workers, and they feel alienated by hiring processes.

The Guardian

I Was One of Those Men Who Couldn’t Stop Talking. Here’s How I Learned to Shut up and Listen

After realising how much I interrupted other people, I decided I needed to make a drastic change. Here’s how starting to listen changed my relationships – and made me happier.

PBS News

4 Tips for New Grads Looking for Work in an Uncertain Market

Graduation season is winding down and millions of young people are gearing up to enter a confusing labor market. Employers and workers alike are grappling with the growing specter of generative artificial intelligence, uncertainty spurred by U.S.

VICE

5 Tips for Working Through Hard Times in a Relationship

To endure the more difficult phases, each partner must be willing to put in the work and committed to the connection.