Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Fast Company

Want a Promotion? These 4 Habits Are More Powerful Than Talent

Talent can only take you so far. The reason some people are high performers is because they’ve formed good habits.

Literary Hub

14 Curious Telegrams from (and to) Famous Writers

“I can’t look you in the voice.”

Aeon

What Big History Says About How Royal Women Exercise Power

Queens in many societies heavily influenced the policies and governing behavior of their kings.

Mental Floss

12 Artifacts Brought Up From the ‘Titanic’

More than 5,500 artifacts have been brought up since the first salvage trip to the ‘Titanic’ wreckage in 1987.

CityLab

What Happened to Hanging Out on the Street?

Urban pedestrians are walking faster and doing less socializing, according to a study of NYC, Boston and Philadelphia.

BBC Future

What Would Happen If the World Suddenly Went Vegetarian?

Eliminating meat from our diets would bring a bounty of benefits to both our own health and the planet’s – but it could also harm millions of people.

MIT Press Reader

The Mysterious Deep Time Movements of Snails

How do organisms that are so sedentary end up being so incredibly widely dispersed?

Atlas Obscura

How the 18th-Century Gay Bar Survived and Thrived in a Deadly Environment

Welcome to the molly house.

The Hustle

Why Americans Stopped Buying Convertibles

We’ve traded the open-air dream for climate-controlled isolation.

Architectural Digest

The World’s 13 Most Beautiful Villages You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

From an English hamlet seemingly plucked from a fairy tale to a color-packed town in Colombia, these under-the-radar spots allow you to enjoy the quaint atmosphere without the crowds.

The Guardian

The Price of ‘Sugar Free’: Are Sweeteners as Harmless as We Thought?

We know we need to cut down on sugar. But replacing it with artificial compounds isn’t necessarily the answer.

Greater Good Magazine

How to Stay Empathic Without Suffering So Much

Four steps to a healthier, more helpful, and more sustainable form of empathy.

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

Sunday, July 27

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

Business Insider

Return Fraud Is Running Rampant

Whether it’s sending back broken items or claiming a package never arrived, Americans are committing return fraud at Amazon and other retailers.

The New Yorker

Mary Had Schizophrenia—Then Suddenly She Didn’t

Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?

The Guardian

Why Are Thailand and Cambodia Engaged in a Border Conflict?

Territory mapped during France’s colonial rule is behind clash that has exposed tensions between the countries.

The Associated Press

Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

NPR

The Best Games of 2025 So Far, Picked by NPR’s Staff

From indies like ’Blue Prince’ to big console exclusives like ’Donkey Kong Bananza’, NPR staff and contributors round up their favorite games of the year so far.

The Guardian

The Rise and Fall of the British Cult That Hid in Plain Sight

Philippa Barnes was a child when her family joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an adult, she helped expose the shocking scale of abuse it had perpetrated.

NBC News

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Event Is Not What You Think It Is

Nationally, extreme heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

Quantum Scientists Have Built a New Math of Cryptography

In theory, quantum physics can bypass the hard mathematical problems at the root of modern encryption. A new proof shows how.

NBC News

‘Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday.’ Except Maybe Viral Fame.

Zoë Lister, the actor who narrated the popular British ad turned viral TikTok sound, said she never expected the audio to resonate worldwide.

Polygon

Super Mario Odyssey Does One Thing Better Than Donkey Kong Bananza

Super Mario Odyssey remains undefeated when it comes to reinventing the collect-a-thon formula.

Real Simple

This Shrub Is Ideal for Attracting Butterflies to Your Yard—and It’s So Easy to Grow

This charming shrub will bring all the pollinators to your yard, and it’ll look good while doing it.

CNET

Trying to Get a Better Night’s Sleep? Try the 10-3-2-1-0 Sleep Hack

Getting enough sleep can sometimes be difficult. This five-step sleep method can help.

Discover

Once Believed to Be Junk, Viral Ancient DNA Has Been Ghost Writing Our Genetic Code

Got junk? Learn how a new study suggests that, when it comes to our genetic code, that may actually be a good thing.

Bustle

How Jess Smith Built the WNBA’s Newest Team From the Ground Up

Jess Smith, president of the Golden State Valkyries, chats about her career path, building the team, and how she stays centered.

Kiplinger

Google Smart Home Devices Are Glitching and Users Are Frustrated

From missed alarms to unresponsive commands, Google’s smart home tech is leaving users in the lurch.

Backpacker

What’s It Like to Visit a Trail Town After Natural Disaster?

Jasper, Alberta, turned wildfire recovery into a tourist opportunity for hikers. Here’s what happened when our writer took a trip up north.

Reuters

Increasing Drone Incidents Near US Airports, Stadiums Prompt Alarm, Officials Say

U.S. officials told a Senate committee on Tuesday that there have been more than 3,000 drone events near American airports since 2021, including 11 aircraft this year that reported taking evasive action to avoid collisions.