Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Atlas Obscura

How Fish and Chips Migrated to Great Britain

The fried fish was introduced by Jews fleeing religious persecution.

Stylist

Can Cleaning the House Count as Daily Exercise? We Asked the Experts

Cleaning can be a sweat-fest, but does it count as an exercise session? Here, two PTs share their thoughts.

Slate

Nearly All Infants Lose Weight After They’re Born. So Why Do Hospitals Focus on It So Obsessively?

Don’t panic, it’s very common, especially if a child is breastfed.

BBC Worklife

How the Busiest People Get ‘Deep Work’ Done

For busy people, finding time for uninterrupted work may feel utterly unrealistic. But there are methods we can use to optimise what limited ‘deep work’ time we have.

The Atlantic

Why Do We Need to Sleep?

At a lab in Japan, an international team of scientists is trying to figure out what puts us under.

Nautilus

The Trouble with Theories of Everything

There is no known physics theory that is true at every scale—there may never be.

BBC Travel

The Return of Aztec Floating Farms

In Mexico City, a 700-year-old Aztec farming technique is giving a sustainable edge to modern agriculture.

Knowable Magazine

The ‘Least Crazy’ Idea: Early Dark Energy Could Solve a Cosmological Conundrum

Measurements of the acceleration of the universe don’t agree, stumping physicists working to understand the cosmic past and future. A 2023 proposal seeks to better align these estimates.

Popular Science

The Scientifically Best Way To Pack a Cooler

Make sure you’re doing all you can to keep your food and drink cold.

The Atlantic

The Age of the Unique Baby Name

Parents used to want kids to fit in. Now they want them to stand out.

The Washington Post

These ‘Tuna’ Melts Show Vegan Cooking Can Be About Abundance, Too

From Jenné Claiborne’s book, “Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes,” this sandwich evokes the seafood salad without any fish.

Scientific American

How to Turn Around Troubled Teens

Research reveals that get-tough tactics may worsen rates of juvenile delinquency.

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

Saturday, August 16

ESPN

The Predatory Web of Sextortion Increasingly Ensnares Young Athletes

A Michigan teen was goaded into sharing an intimate photo that scammers threatened to expose unless he paid up.

CBS News

This Car Ranks as America’s Most-Stolen Vehicle

Here’s why one Chevrolet model is the most-stolen type of car, according to a new report.

BBC

How Kentucky Bourbon Went From Boom to Bust

Tariffs, oversupply and teetotaling Gen-Zs have all contributed to the downfall of one of America’s most iconic liquors.

NPR

Why the Origin of the Word ‘Dog’ Remains a Mystery

They’re known as man’s best friends, fur babies, pooches. But the most widely used word for these beloved animals — “dog” — is also a great linguistic mystery.

BBC

Why ‘Best Time to Visit’ No Longer Applies

Climate change is rewriting the rulebook for trip planning – and travellers need to adapt.

GQ

Travis Kelce on His Upcoming Season, Post-NFL Ambitions, and Life With Taylor Swift

After a grueling Super Bowl loss, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end spent his summer vacation focused on coming back stronger than ever.

The Guardian

Why Do I Feel So Much Worse After a Nap – and How Can I Avoid It?

Waking up from a nap feeling groggy, tired or ill? Experts say it’s common. Here’s what could be going wrong.

NPR

Recommendation: New Books Published This Week

A portrait of the lucrative drug-treatment industry; a memoir of a female firefighter; debut fiction from an Emmy-winning TV writer; and a brand new Karin Slaughter thriller.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Homes & Gardens

Get Bigger and Better Pumpkins by Planting Them With These 7 Companion Crops

Plus, discover what not to plant with your pumpkins

Fast Company

The Quiet Ban That Could Change How AI Talks to You

With no federal rules in place, Illinois, Nevada, and Utah are crafting their own protections for patients.

Mental Floss

The Surprising Reason Behind Slimy Deli Meat (and Whether It’s Safe to Eat)

What to do when you discover a sheen on your salami.

Vox

The 25 Pieces of Culture That Explain the Last 25 Years

From Lord of the Rings to the ramen craze to Ozempic, the cultural touchstones that help us understand the 21st century.

Smithsonian Magazine

Third Places Are Being Reimagined—and Welcoming Travelers in the Process

Outside of home and work, spaces like parks, food halls and libraries are stepping up with social offerings.

Vox

Are We Living in the Movie ‘Her’ yet?

AI will undoubtedly shape the next 25 years. We just don’t know how yet.

Outside

Exploring Tennessee’s Top Lakes

The state’s most famed fishing legend partners with its most beloved lakes to protect and improve premier destinations for angling adventures

Vox

What a 62-Year-Old Maid Explains About Childhood

This quietly subversive book has been captivating kids for generations.

Time

More Americans Are Playing Sports—Especially This One

A new survey finds that 80% of Americans are active. One sport in particular is exploding.

Kiplinger

Social Security Planning Strategies and Challenges As It Hits Its 90th Year: A Financial Adviser’s Guide

Longer life expectancies and changing demographics put extra pressure on the program, making it crucial for future retirees to understand its evolution, common myths and how to strategically plan for their benefits.

Bleacher Report

Ranking the Best Sports Video Games of All Time

The latest edition of the iconic Madden video game franchise, EA Sports’ Madden NFL 26, came out on Thursday. In honor of that, we’ve decided to rank the best sports video games of all time.

BBC

How Language Is Hiding the Real Internet From You

Most of the internet is out of your reach, but the barrier isn’t just algorithms. In another language, the same platforms turn into whole other worlds.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

USA TODAY

‘The Tooth Fairy Sticks to a Budget:’ Kids Are Finding Less Under Their Pillows for Lost Teeth

Times are tough, even for kids.

GQ

Buying Stuff Online Is About to Get a Lot More Expensive. Here’s Why.

The answer has to do with tariffs, synthetic opioids, and something called the de minimis exemption.

CNN

Mortgage Rates Fall to Lowest Level in 10 Months

Would-be home buyers and homeowners looking to refinance their mortgages got a rare break this week after months of stubbornly high borrowing costs.

The Walrus

How to Trick Your Brain into Making Life Feel Longer and Richer

Forget anti-aging creams. The secret is living like you’re not in a hurry.

Yahoo Finance

4 Ways to Increase Cash Flow and Pay Off Debt Faster

Improving cash flow is key to aggressively paying down debt.

The Guardian

Ozempic Didn’t Work for Me. I Was Furious – and Ashamed

Everyone taking the ‘skinny shot’ was losing weight, but my scales didn’t change. My inner dialogue became toxic.

The Marginalian

Wonder, Play, and How to Be More Alive

We build our lives around structures of certainty — houses to live in, marriages to love in, ideologies to think in — and yet some primal part of us knows that none abides, knows that we pay for these comforting illusions with our very aliveness.

The Hustle

How Private Equity May Affect Your 401(k)

A new executive order allows employer retirement funds to be invested in private equity. Here’s what that could mean for your investments.

The Atlantic

The Logic of the ‘9 to 5’ Is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day

How free time gets conscripted into the service of work.

NPR

Counting Steps for Health? Here’s How Many You Really Need

Counting steps is easy using a phone, a wearable or fitness tracker. And scientists have lots of data to figure out how many daily steps you need to improve health. Here’s what they’ve found.

The Cut

Are You Rude With Money?

Our readers share annoying financial scenarios to avoid when splitting the bill.

KFF Health News

AUDIO: A Wild Health Insurance Hustle

A couple in New York thought they bought insurance. Instead, they got fake “jobs.”