Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

BBC Future

The Hidden Reason Processed Pet Foods Are So Addictive

From potently smelly additives to offal concentrates, pet food companies turn to some surprising ingredients in the quest to make kibble delicious.

Inverse

How to Shut off Your Brain: 4 Science-Backed Tips to Stop Thinking and Relax

“One of the reasons why chatter feels so bad is it's all-consuming, and you feel trapped.”

MIT Press Reader

An Environmentalist’s Lessons for an Improvisational Life

Improvisation is the essence of environmental learning, sparking the imagination, stimulating creativity, and helping us reinvigorate how we think about our residency on Earth.

Bloomberg Businessweek

Forget Factories, Small US Towns Want Buc-ee’s Gas Stations

Communities in the rural South dangle millions in tax breaks to lure the Texas chain.

Bon Appétit

Easiest Chocolate Birthday Cake

Pure homemade birthday love. If you’ve got a bowl, a cheap hand mixer, and a couple of measuring cups, you can make this rich, chocolatey cake.

Knowable Magazine

All About Cholesterol

The science on how blood levels of HDL, LDL and more relate to cardiovascular health.

Esquire

‘How Can You Still Be a Christian?’ He Asked. It’s...Complicated.

A colleague asked me, a queer man who grew up being told my sexuality was a sin, how I could still be Christian. Here’s my answer.

The Conversation

When You Eat Matters: How Your Eating Rhythms Impact Your Mental Health

Healthy eating is not just what you eat, but when you eat. Eating rhythms that are in sync with the circadian clock can benefit general well-being and may have a protective effect against mental illness.

Slate

Just Read the Book Already

Digital culture doesn’t have to make you a shallow reader. But you have to do something about it.

Smithsonian Magazine

The Inventor of Ibuprofen Tested the Drug on His Own Hangover

Stewart Adams’ headache subsided—and his over-the-counter pain reliever became one of the world’s most popular medications.

The Atlantic

A Shortcut for Feeling Just a Little Happier

Mental and physical pain share neurological roots. A simple painkiller can help with both.

Epicurious

How to Store Basil

If you want that bouquet of basil to last more than a day, keep it on your countertop.

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

Friday, July 11

WIRED

AI Is a Lousy Chef

I asked an AI-powered recipe generator to make some menus. It didn’t tell me to put glue in my guacamole, but the results didn’t come close to besting recipes written by professionals.

The New Yorker

How to Save a Dog

For nearly a year, a motley crew scoured New Orleans for a shaggy white mutt named Scrim.

ABC

Finding Robert Bogucki, the Man Who Disappeared on Purpose

In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert. Why was he willing to risk his life, and why do some people need to get lost in order to feel found?

Substack

The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters

Young Americans today spend 70 percent less time attending or hosting parties than they did at the beginning of the 21st century. Why?

The New York Times

How a Single Overdose Unraveled an Empire of Heroin

A man’s death after using “Flow” in a small Vermont city exposed a drug operation that spanned continents and sent a New York prosecutor on a heartbreaking journey.

Slate

The Menagerie Lurking in Rural America

Many people still own exotic animals like they’re any other pet. But they’re not.

Texas Monthly

At 40, She Discovered She Was One of America’s Best Free Divers

Sara Burnett went from an introductory course to a world championship in just over a year.

Elle

How a ‘Breakup Moon’ Trip Helped Us Say Goodbye

My boyfriend and I knew our relationship was over. We decided to go to New Zealand anyway.

Is Nicholas Hoult Leading This Summer’s Most Stylish Press Tour?

Hoult follows in Brad Pitt’s footsteps by asserting his style on red carpets around the world.

Elle

The Best Street Style Photos From Paris Haute Couture Week

Dua Lipa! Cardi B! We’re capturing all the top looks on the ground in Paris.

Time

What Most People Overlook About Skin Cancer

Excessive sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer—but it’s not the only one.

Capital B

In the Mississippi Delta, Black Farmers Are Rebuilding the Legacy of Land Ownership

They are reviving the mission of an association of Black churches that fed and educated Black families after the Civil War.

Discover

Earth’s Inner Core Is Solid — Not Liquid — Even Though It’s Blistering Hot

Is Earth’s inner core solid or liquid? While the inner core is extremely hot, experts have known that it is solid for many years.

Essence

Keke Palmer Speaks Her Truth on New Album, ‘Just Keke’

The actress and singer opens up about navigating fame, protecting her peace, and embracing every side of herself.

Parents

6 Money Skills Gen Z Wishes They’d Learned From Their Parents

Experts say it’s not too late to help your kid develop some solid financial habits before they leave the nest.

Smithsonian Magazine

How Superman Became a Character for the Ages

The superhero from Krypton has a forgotten superpower: the ability to connect to people across space and time.

Kiplinger

Key to Financial Peace of Mind: Think ‘What’s Next?’ Rather Than ‘What If?’

Even if you’ve hit your magic number for retirement, it’s hard to stop worrying about money. Giving it a clear purpose is one way to reduce financial anxiety.

BBC

The Vienna Cemetery Where Endangered Species and Biodiversity Thrive

In Vienna, Europe’s second-largest cemetery has embraced biodiversity – without disturbing the dead.

Canary Media

What’s the Best Time to Buy an EV? Right Now.

Trump’s megabill ends the consumer tax credits for EVs in September. But until then, shoppers can still use them to lock in lower prices — and great lease…