Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

BBC Future

The Curious Ways Your Skin Shapes Your Health

Weathered or unhealthy skin is emerging as a major risk factor for almost every single age-related disease, from Parkinson’s to type 2 diabetes.

Stylist

“Don’t Take It So Personally” Is the Ultimate Gaslighting Insult—According to Experts

The phrase “don’t take it so personally” might sound innocent enough, and is often used with the best of intentions, but it’s also used by gaslighters as a classic way of asserting control and spreading self-doubt in relationships.

Darius Foroux

Time Blocking: Improve Your Focus And Get More Meaningful Work Done

We need self-awareness and tools that keep us in check.

Truly*Adventurous

She Was a Global Superstar—and a World-Class Spy

The untold story of Josephine Baker, espionage agent.

Bon Appétit

Big-Flavor Broccoli

This is our hands-down favorite way to cook the whole plant.

Slate

You Can Write a Best-Seller and Still Go Broke

Why is it so hard for writers to talk candidly about how much money they make?

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Dostoyevsky, Just After His Death Sentence Was Repealed, on the Meaning of Life

“To be a human being among people and to remain one forever, no matter in what circumstances, not to grow despondent and not to lose heart—that’s what life is all about, that’s its task.”

Scientific American

Do Narcissists Ever Grow Up?

Some research investigates continuity and change in narcissism from young adulthood to midlife.

The Drive

Here’s How a Pro Waxes a Car by Hand

Wax on left, wax off right. Seems simple enough, yeah? Not so fast, grasshopper.

Romper

30 Questions To Ask Kids When They Get Home From School

“How was school today?” just isn’t cutting it.

The Guardian

Formerly Anti-Vax Parents on How They Changed Their Minds: ‘I Really Made a Mistake’

Researchers believe personal stories are more persuasive than facts alone in addressing vaccine skepticism.

Bustle

The 10 Best Yoga Poses For Brain Fog, According To Trainers

As refreshing as a cold shower.

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, August 6

Slate

My Scammer

I responded to one of those spam texts from a “recruiter”—then took the job. It got weirder than I could have imagined.

Scientific American

The Hidden Way Allergens Attack Nose, Throat and Lung Cells

The immune system senses damage to cell membranes caused by pore-forming proteins and mounts a response.

BBC

Mississippi Burning: The Shocking Murders That Sparked Change in the US

In August 1964, three civil rights activists were found dead in the Deep South. The public’s response provided the impetus for new civil rights legislation in America.

Eater

The Best Housewarming Gifts (That You’ll Want for Yourself)

If a whole leg of ham is a little too much, there’s always a pickle crock.

The Associated Press

The World Nearly Beat Polio. But Fake Records, an Imperfect Vaccine and Missteps Aided Its Comeback.

The World Health Organization has closed in on its bold goal of eradicating polio several times, but the paralytic virus is entrenched in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Slate

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

How do I deal with my emotions without whiskey?

POLITICO Magazine

Meet the Fraudster Who Wants to Make California Its Own Country

The man behind the Calexit movement claims to be a baller. But he’s broke.

The New Yorker

Treating Gaza’s Collective Trauma

In Gaza, where displaced children play games called “air strike” and act out death, the lack of mental-health resources has become another emergency.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Axios

Wizards, Not Workers, Win AI’s Talent Lottery

A bidding war for a tiny number of top researchers masks trouble in the broader tech job market.

The Guardian

Shein Fined €1m in Italy for Misleading Environmental Claims About Products

Chinese fast fashion retailer penalised month after €40m fine from French regulator in July.

The New York Times

Bird Flu May Be Airborne on Dairy Farms, Scientists Report

In unpublished research, researchers found live virus on equipment, in wastewater and in the air in so-called milking parlors.

The New Yorker

The Engines and Empires of New York City Gambling

As plans are laid for a new casino, one can trace, through four figures, a history of rivalry and excess, rife with collisions of character and crime.

NBC News

He Needed a Graveyard Shift at UPS to Pay for Training. Now He’s a U.S. Champion Sprinter

Before Jacory Patterson claimed a national title on Saturday, he’d done something even tougher — make a living as a professional track and field athlete.

Texas Monthly

How an Upper-Class Treat Became the Frozen Dessert of the People

Unlike many frozen desserts, such as sorbet, shaved ice, and sherbet, nieves de garrafa do not have European or Asian provenance. Their history originates in ancient Mexico, before the Spanish conquest.

POLITICO Europe

Poland Faces Years of Political Deadlock Under New President

Poland’s new nationalist president and liberal PM Donald Tusk will clash over domestic reforms, but can find common ground in strengthening the military.

BBC

‘It’s a Reminder of Childhood’: How Pac-Man Changed Gaming - and the World

Celebrating his 45th birthday this year, the yellow eating machine revolutionised video games – and has even been used in science. What has made him and his adventures so addictive?

CNN

VIDEO: Esports and Gaming Gains Momentum in the Middle East

This year, the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia offers a $70 million prize pot. With over 2,000 gamers competing, CNN’s Eleni Giokos explores the industry’s exponential growth across the region.

HuffPost

This Magic Number Is the Highest Heel Height You Should Wear, According to Podiatrists

“Listen to your feet, because they’re trying to tell you something.”

The Guardian

‘The Forest Had Gone’: The Storm That Moved a Mountain

On a small ledge in the Swiss mountains, 200 people were enjoying a summer football tournament. As night fell, they had no idea what was coming.

NBC News

Tips to Help Manage Your Buy Now, Pay Later Loans

While such loans can help you make large purchases without paying interest or undergoing hard inquiries in your credit report, they can also easily be overused.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

BBC

The Unusual Brains of Noise-Sensitive People

Though noise sensitivity is often dismissed by doctors, it can have long-term effects on our mental and physical health.

ABC News

How Trillions in Government Debt Could Hit Your Wallet, According to Experts

A federal agency ratcheted up its estimate of debt tied to Trump’s spending law.

SELF

5 Injuries ER Doctors See All the Time—and How to Avoid Them

You might be surprised by the seemingly innocuous behaviors that cause them.

CBS News

RFK Jr. Halts $500 Million for MRNA Vaccine Research

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the federal government is calling off around $500 million worth of vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology.

CNBC

Credit Card Debt Reaches $1.21 Trillion — in Line With Last Year’s All-Time High, NY Fed Finds

Credit card balances rose by $27 billion in the second quarter to $1.21 trillion, according to a new report by the New York Fed.

The Guardian

Burn Notice: Gen Z and the Terrifying Rise of Extreme Tanning

Nasal sprays, injections and sunbeds – for many people, the yearning for a tan now outweighs the risks. But why?

Fast Company

These Creatives Moved to Europe and Designed a Better Life and Career. Should You?

Thinking of leaving the United States for life abroad? You’re not alone. A record-setting 21% of Americans expressed a desire to emigrate in 2024. While politics might play a role in the uptick, an increasing number of creative professionals are also leaving for career reasons.

Allure

A New Form of Alopecia Is Affecting Menopausal Women

Experts are calling it an “emerging epidemic.”

NBC News

A Second Person Has Died and More Than 50 Are Sick From Legionnaires’ Cluster in Harlem

Adults who have been in the affected area since late July with flu-like symptoms, fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should seek immediate medical attention, health officials say.

NBC News

Four Killed in Medical Transport Plane Crash in Arizona

The dual-propeller medical transport plane crashed at Chinle Airport in Arizona at around 12:40 p.m., the Navajo Nation Police Department said.

Greater Good Magazine

How Does Retirement Affect Our Health and Happiness?

A review of research investigated how mental health and physical activity change in retirees around the world.

WIRED

What’s Inside the Tiny Miracle Food Pouches That Can Save the Lives of Starving Gazans

Packed with calories and protein, the same magic mixture has successfully treated famine for decades—but due to funding cuts it’s now in short supply.