Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The War Zone

How U.S. Navy Pilots Really Get Their Callsigns

A Super Hornet pilot gives us an inside look at how Naval Aviators get their often colorful but unflattering callsigns.

CityLab

How a Tiny Midwestern Town Became a Mecca for Modern Architecture

A new book explores the design history of Columbus, Indiana, a company town built around an architectural vision.

Narratively

Longshot Dreams and Slapshot Fiends in the Ultimate ’90s Pro Sports League

In the age when Rollerblades were king, a crew of wide-eyed rookies and grizzled NHL vets brought hockey-on-wheels to the cusp of the big time.

Greater Good Magazine

How to Let Go of an Old Regret

If we don’t confront the past, we can be haunted by sadness and self-blame.

Apartment Therapy

4 Shower Products That Are Ruining Your Pipes, According to Plumbers

What to skip, what’s safe, and how to fix any problems that do pop up.

The Washington Post

Can I Reverse My Lactose Intolerance? Here’s a GI Doctor’s Advice.

Many of us become lactose intolerant as we age, but you don’t have to give up all dairy products.

Popular Science

The Three Strength Exercises Everyone Should Do

Even if impressive musculature isn’t your goal.

The Atlantic

What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?

“Our boyfriends, our significant others, and our husbands are supposed to be No. 1. Our worlds are backward.”

BBC Future

The Mystery of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

A surprising number of people experience symptoms of this curious condition, which is named after Lewis Carroll’s heroine, who changed size after eating and drinking.

The Conversation

Keeping Fit: How to Do the Right Exercise for Your Age

As we get older, our bodies benefit from different types of exercise. Here’s a guide for all ages.

Fast Company

These Navy SEAL Tricks Will Help You Perform Better Under Pressure

Use this the next time you need to think clearly in a high-pressure situation.

The Guardian

‘The Only Thing You Need Is Your Own Mind’: How to Start Meditating

Meditation isn’t about perfectionism or blocking thoughts, experts say – the goal is to develop ‘a balanced awareness.’

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

Tuesday, August 5

CNET

The Best Foods to Put on Your Plate If You Have a Headache

Your diet could be a factor if you regularly deal with headaches, but these foods may help.

The Walrus

When Immigrants Oppose Immigration

Many established communities are embracing anti-newcomer rhetoric.

Business Insider

Justice for Gen X

Gen Xers know you pay more attention to Gen Zers, millennials, and boomers. They don’t care.

The Washington Post

Ms. Rachel Grew up on Mister Rogers. Now She’s Carrying on His Legacy.

The YouTube star wants her audiences — adults and children alike — to see the humanity of all people.

ProPublica

The Drying Planet

As the climate warms, huge swaths of land across the globe are quickly drying, threatening humanity’s supply of fresh water.

The Atlantic

How the Muppets Helped Me Grieve

After my father got sick, his collaborations with Jim Henson kept me afloat.

PBS

In the Gray World of GLP-1 Supplements Online, Health Experts Urge Caution

TikTok beauty influencer Kaycee Ogle is regularly contacted by brands who want her to promote their products. But one email she received in June was different, and made her curious.

Slate

I Quit Drinking. It’s Great. There’s Just One Small Problem.

How do I deal with my emotions without whiskey?

Chris Hemsworth on Facing Fears, Ageing and Return of Thor

The actor is back for a second season of ‘Limitless’ which sees him explore how to live longer and healthier.

NBC News

Vast Majority of U.S. Adults Stressed About Grocery Costs, AP-NORC Poll Finds

Only 14% say it’s not a source of stress, underscoring the pervasive anxiety most Americans continue to feel about the cost of everyday essentials.

Popular Mechanics

This Quantum Entanglement Trick Has Physicists Losing Their Minds

New research shows that entangled particles can pass on their shared state again and again and again.

The Atlantic

What Kids Told Us About How to Get Them Off Their Phones

Children who were raised on screens need more freedom out in the real world.

Time

When Your Job Interviewer Isn’t Human

Job seekers are increasingly interviewed by AI, raising ethical and transparency concerns.

Cup of Jo

A Brilliant Tip for Talking to Teenagers

A teenager’s emotions are already all over the place — the highest highs! the lowest lows! — so they definitely don’t need anyone to amplify them.

Axios

Electricity Costs Rise Amid Data Center Boom

Residential costs rose 6.5% nationally between April ‘24 and ‘25.

The Guardian

Jim Acosta Interviews ‘Made-Up’ AI Avatar of Parkland Victim Joaquin Oliver

Artificially generated video of Oliver, one of 17 victims of the shooting, addresses Acosta in ‘one of a kind interview.’

USA TODAY

No Trip, No Shame: Why Skipping Summer Travel Might Be Smart

Economic concerns and rising prices are causing many Americans to reconsider summer travel plans.

Axios

How Many Women on the Board? Fewer Companies Are Saying

The number of companies publicly disclosing data on women in top management roles or other demographic information plunged this year, a new report finds.