Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

BBC Future

The Mystery of Why Some People Become Sudden Geniuses

There’s mounting evidence that brain damage has the power to unlock extraordinary creative talents. What can this teach us about how geniuses are made?

The Guardian

How ‘No’ Became a Dirty Word in Parenting

The gentle, child-led approach to raising children has become popular with millennials – and one two-letter word has fallen sharply out of fashion. Is this progress, or a recipe for future disaster?

Aeon

Falling for Sleep

Can we rekindle the joy of slumber?

Bloomberg Businessweek

The Global Matcha Boom Is Driving a Shortage in Japan

Social media feeds are flooded with lattes and sweets flavored with the green tea powder, disrupting a fragile supply chain.

Bon Appétit

Simple Pasta Carbonara

Humble ingredients—eggs, pasta, cheese, and pork—combine to create glossy, glorious spaghetti carbonara.

Scientific American

Borderline Personality Disorder May Be Rooted in Trauma

A focus on the traumatic origins of an often stigmatized psychiatric diagnosis is inspiring treatments.

Greater Good Magazine

How Parents and Children Can Learn Emotional Skills Together

You can better connect with your children and their communities by learning social-emotional skills alongside them.

Knowable Magazine

The Neurons That Make Us Feel Hangry

Neuroscientists think a cluster of cells in the brain that stimulate appetite could be a target for eating disorder therapies.

Mental Floss

Why Do Older People Grunt or Moan While Sitting Down or Standing Up?

At a certain age, getting up from the sofa can be a physical challenge.

Culture Study

The Diminishing Returns of Productivity Culture

Human productivity has a ceiling.

Narratively

Food Fads Have Always Been Ridiculous. Just Ask the Great Masticator.

Horace Fletcher preached the gospel of fanatically chewing food until it completely dissolved in the mouth. Even celebs like Upton Sinclair and Franz Kafka drank the Kool-Aid.

Dwell

The Life-Changing Magic of “Knolling”

Before purging your belongings to tidy up, consider this organizational tactic championed by two artists.

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, July 29

NBC News

Crypto Kidnapping: How Armed Gangs Are Hunting the Internet’s High Rollers

Kidnapping and extortion are growing concerns in the crypto world, with cases rising alongside the price of bitcoin.

The Guardian

Who Needs Quinoa? 17 Overlooked and Affordable Superfoods, From Peas and Potatoes to Popcorn and Even Sugar

Can’t afford goji berries, spirulina or turmeric – or just don’t like the taste? Most kitchens are full of healthy but unglamorous alternatives. Nutrition experts name their favourites.

Vox

Am I Actually “Too Sensitive”?

Some people, in fact, are more prone to big feelings than others.

BBC

The ‘Other’ Michelin Award Travellers Should Know

Long overshadowed by the coveted Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand celebrates the world's best budget-friendly restaurants.

The 19th

Debbie Dingell Tells Her Story — Even When She Doesn’t Want To

The Michigan congresswoman is again recounting her childhood experiences as funding to combat domestic violence is under threat.

The Independent

Why Are We So Bad at Apologising?

For a nation that is famously apologetic about everything, the UK apparently has a hard time saying sorry. Olivia Petter asks why we find making genuine apologies so difficult – and what that says about our ability to take accountability.

The New Yorker

“No Tax on Tips” Is an Industry Plant

Trump’s “populist” policy is backed by the National Restaurant Association—probably because it won’t stop establishments from paying servers below the minimum wage.

Atlas Obscura

The Original ‘Survivor’ Island Changed Television Forever

Pulau Tiga, best known as the original ‘Survivor’ island, was as much of a character on the show as the contestants were.

Animal Shelters Are Crowded As High Costs Squeeze Pet Owners

Millions of animals are stuck in increasingly cramped shelters because their owners are struggling to pay rising vet bills and other expenses.

Big Think

The Katie Gatti Tassin Interview: “Go the Extra Yard — Not the Extra Mile”

The host of the ’Money with Katie’ podcast has some priceless advice for women on how to approach pay-rise negotiations.

Eater

How Seedless Watermelon Took Over the Grocery Store

Seedless varieties may have perks, but there’s something alluring about old-timey, seeded watermelons too.

The Associated Press

If You Don’t Have Diabetes, Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.

Elle

Is Perimenopause the Problem? or Is It Me?

The hype around this life stage—Perimenopause™—has gotten out of control. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned aging?

Axios

Car Buyers Aren’t Waiting for Prices to Go Higher, Survey Finds

55% of Americans are now weighing car purchases in the year ahead, up from 47% in Q1.

Smithsonian Magazine

Can Artificial Intelligence Learn the Nuances of Human Humor?

As people turn to A.I. for therapy and companionship, some say the models still leave something to be desired

Electric Literature

Librarians Recommend 8 Books that Changed the Shape of Politics and Reading in America

According to the Brooklyn Public Library, these titles can help you understand how we got here.

BBC

Record-Breaking Divers Are Pushing Human Limits and Reshaping Scientists’ View of Our Species

Humans have a long history of diving to forage from the seabed and today elite freedivers are reaching greater depths than ever. Some researchers argue humans belong in the sea.

Grist

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

Americans are paying more for electricity, and those prices are set to rise even further.

NPR

Some Kids Need More Protection From Ultra-Processed Food. Here’s Why

Kids in the U.S. get most of their calories from ultra-processed foods, which are tied to health problems. Now, scientists are finding that kids don’t all react to these foods in the same way.