Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The War Zone

How A British Submarine Spent Hours Under A Russian Aircraft Carrier

A Cold War British nuclear sub sneaked into a Soviet naval exercise and took closeup underwater pictures of Russia’s new aircraft carrier.

BBC Travel

The Japanese Skill Copied by the World

Mindfulness has become trendy around the world in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries.

Stylist

Stretching: 4 Hip Flexor Stretches to Reduce Tight and Sore Hips

Many of us deal with tight hip flexors—especially when we sit down all day. Here’s how to stretch out the pain at the front of your hips.

Quartz

A Global Guide to Queuing Philosophies, From Wimbledon to São Paulo

Some people wait patiently, others get right up in your personal space. But everyone, everywhere waits in line.

The Marginalian

Blue Bananas, Why Leaves Change Color, and the Mystery of Chlorophyll

“We reach forth and strain every nerve, but we seize only a bit of the curtain that hides the infinite from us.”

Bustle

Here’s Why You’re Either A Birthday Person Or Birthday Hater

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.

Fast Company

You’re a Bad Listener: Here’s How to Remember What People Say

We come into conversations with our own agendas and low attention spans, but if you want to build better relationships you need to master active listening.

Esquire

Creed Bratton Has a Story to Tell

He left The Grass Roots in ’69 and showed up on The Office in ’05. What the hell happened in between? Some highs, some lows, a little music, and a lot of pain.

Runner’s World

How to Stay Pain-Free During Marathon Training

These expert tips will keep your body running like a well-oiled machine.

Nautilus

Top 10 Design Flaws in the Human Body

From our knees to our eyeballs, our bodies are full of hack solutions.

Inverse

In 1989, Nintendo Changed How We Play Video Games Forever

Game Boy kicked off gaming on the go.

Fatherly

In 1964, One Beloved Kids Book Almost Had A Totally Different Hero

We’ll never stop wondering what snozzberries taste like.

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, July 23

NPR

Are High-Protein Snacks Worth the Hype? Here’s How to Assess

Protein has taken over the packaged-snack aisles at the grocery store. But do you need extra protein in your chips and muffins?

BBC

How a Fatal Accident Ended Ted Kennedy’s Presidential Hopes

In July 1969, Senator Edward Kennedy pleaded guilty to fleeing the scene of an accident where a young aide died. But many questions about the ‘Chappaquiddick incident’ went unanswered.

The New York Times

The Trouble With Wanting Men

Women are so fed up with men that the phenomenon even has a name: heterofatalism. So what do we do with our desire?

WIRED

A Head-to-Toe Breakdown of Social Media’s Billion-Dollar Remedies

Bad mood? Puffy face? Immune issues? Across TikTok and Instagram there are scores of influencers ready to sell you some products—without ever sending you to a doctor.

Grist

The Surprising Reasons Floods and Other Disasters Are More Deadly at Night

It’s not just that it’s dark and people are asleep. Urban sprawl, confirmation bias, and other factors can play a role in why nocturnal disasters claim more lives.

The Walrus

Can Office Tools Help Couples Optimize for Domestic Bliss?

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the colour-coded Google Calendar.

The Guardian

Where the Wild Things Are: How to Immerse Your Kids in the Great Outdoors This Summer

Some of the most priceless holiday memories cost next to nothing – as my four-year-old son and I have found on our forays into nature.

Virginia Quarterly Review

The Game Is Played With Great Feeling

How Pokémon can save the world, one Pikachu at a time.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Fast Company

5 Steps to Earning More in Your Career

Forget raises. In today’s workplace, shaped by AI and economic flux, the smart earners are rewriting the rules to earn more money at work.

Food & Wine

These 8 Under-the-Radar Destinations Are America’s Next Great Food Cities

Pack your bags and an appetite.

NBC News

A Genetic Test Could Predict the Odds of Obesity, Allowing for Early Interventions

Scientists looked at the genes of millions of people to determine which ones are linked to obesity — and developed a way to screen people before age 5.

PS

The Summer’s Hottest Parenting Hack? Boredom

Parents are skipping back-to-back summer activities in favor of letting their kids get bored while school’s out, and experts are here for it.

Popular Science

Why Fireflies Are Everywhere This Summer

The bioluminescent bugs of summer still need our help to stave off extinction.

CNET

I Get 5G on My Phone at Home, So Why Can’t I Get 5G Home Internet? Here’s What I Learned

Even if your shiny new phone gets stellar 5G service, you’re not guaranteed 5G home internet service. Insiders tell me why.

Popular Mechanics

Scientists Just Witnessed the Birth of a Solar System for the First Time

This is amazing.

Real Simple

Your Most Organized Life Starts Here

It’s time to declutter your closet, organize your kitchen like a pro chef, and get your stuff together. Here’s how to get organized—and actually stay that way.

Yahoo

MLB Trade Deadline 2025: What’s the Latest on the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Luis Robert Jr.?

In a trade market projected to have more buyers than sellers, the team that has started to get the attention of contenders around the league is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

BBC

Mineral v. Chemical Sunscreen: Which One Should You Be Using?

Some people are trading chemical sunscreens in favour of mineral versions because of fears over toxicity, pollution and effectiveness. Is there actually any difference?

Vanity Fair

Why the Awards Race Is the Next Great Front in Hollywood’s AI Debate

One guild has temporarily banned the use of generative AI; another doesn’t even require disclosure of its usage. Inside the mad dash to define the technology that’s sweeping the town.

The Marginalian

Doris Lessing on How to Read a Book and How to Read the World

Born in Iran and raised in Zimbabwe, Doris Lessing was fourteen when she dropped out of school and eighty-eight when she won the Nobel Prize.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Time

10 Questions to Help You Plan for the End of Life

Talking about death is often life-affirming.

NPR

A Creek With Atomic Waste From WWII Is Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

A new study in JAMA shows how proximity to Coldwater Creek, where nuclear waste from the Manhattan Project was improperly stored, affected cancer rates over the decades.

CBS News

COVID-19 Cases Are Rising in These States Amid Summer Wave, CDC Data Shows

The data, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also showed a significant increase in COVID-related emergency room visits for young children.

The Walrus

Before You Share That Health Tip, Read This

Misinformation is everywhere. And yes, some of it has probably gotten to you.

CNBC

Student Loan Bills Could Double for Some Borrowers As Biden-Era Relief Expires

Many student loan borrowers could see their monthly bills more than double now that the Biden-era SAVE plan is defunct.

CNBC

What a Trump, Powell Faceoff Means for Your Money

Tensions are escalating between the White House and the Federal Reserve, with consumers caught in the middle.

Stylist

Managers, Here’s How to Have an Effective 1-to-1, According to Career Experts

How to help your team members get the most from your meetings.

Fast Company

I’m a Two-Time Tech Founder. but Restaurants Are Where I Learned to Lead

The surprising lessons the conveyor belt sushi business taught me. Sudden equipment failures. Supply chain surprises. Retaining staff as the goalposts move in real time. These aren’t challenges I’ve faced as a tech founder—but I have faced them running restaurants.

The Week

How Can You Get the Maximum Social Security Retirement Benefit?

For many, Social Security benefits are a key part of their retirement plan. So it makes sense that you would want to get the most possible from this monthly source of income.

Money.com

Why You Probably Need Flood Insurance — Even if You Don't Live Near Water

Over the Fourth of July weekend, parts of central Texas were devastated by flash floods after the region was hit with the equivalent of four months' worth of rain in just a few hours. At least 134 people were killed, and more than 100 are still missing as of press time.

Yahoo

What Is ‘Revenge Saving,’ and Should You Hop on the Trend?

“Revenge saving” emphasizes making up for poor financial habits by being aggressively frugal or restrictive with your current spending.

GQ

What to Wear to a Job Interview, According to Hiring Experts

Make sure your suit fits, don’t dress too sexy, and other essential advice from professionals in law, tech, finance, and marketing.