Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Romper

30 Questions To Ask Kids When They Get Home From School

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

The Conversation

Why Is a Messy House Such an Anxiety Trigger for Me and What Can I Do About It?

When we’re surrounded by distractions, our brains essentially become battlegrounds for attention. Everything competes for our focus.

Mental Floss

The Lost Girl of Vermont’s ‘Bennington Triangle’

In 1946, college student Paula Welden went for a hike on a local path known as the Long Trail. Her fate has become part of Vermont’s folklore.

The Drive

Here’s How To Remove Rust From Your Car

Blast ugly and invasive surface corrosion before it eats your car alive.

Narratively

I Spent My Childhood Helping My Mom Sell Dead People’s Junk

I was only 8 when I began working as an undercover security guard at estate sales. Among the dusty trinkets and used shampoo bottles, I learned a lot about human nature.

BBC Travel

The US’ 2,000-Year-Old Mystery Mounds

Constructed by a mysterious civilization that left no written records, the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are a testament to indigenous sophistication.

Knowable Magazine

How Animals Follow Their Nose

It’s not easy to find the source of a swirling scent plume. Scientists are using experiments and simulations to uncover the varied strategies that animals employ.

Inverse

Taking a Vacation Is Seriously Good For Your Brain — But Only If You Do It Right

Say it with us: Vacation is good for you.

The Atlantic

Cool People Accidentally Saved America’s Feet

Millennials popularized bulky, super-cushioned shoes. Then Millennials got old.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Hemingway’s Advice on Writing, Ambition, and the Art of Revision

“In any art you’re allowed to steal anything if you can make it better.”

The Kitchn

How To Make DIY Instant Noodle Cups

When you’re ready to eat, pour hot water over the top and in a few minutes, lunch is served.

Fast Company

4 Common Lies About Performance and Productivity

Feel free to shed these bits of “wisdom” about hacking your personal performance and productivity.

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

Thursday, August 7

The Wall Street Journal

Earning More but in Worse Shape: Hardship Overwhelms Many American Families

Nearly half of kids in the U.S. live in households below the middle class as inflation and the end of Covid relief hit working parents; a $2.90 raise that cuts government benefits.

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.

BBC

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?

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.

Slate

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

How do I deal with my emotions without whiskey?

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.

The Guardian

The 12-Year-Old Girl Staring Down Monster Waves at Teahupo’o

The young Tahiti surfer will become the WSL’s youngest competitor when she takes on the fearsome break she can see from her family home.

Noema Magazine

The Gulf World That Air Conditioning Wrought

From Saudi Arabia to Qatar, rulers have used modern air conditioning to control landscapes and lives, forgoing traditional methods of keeping cool.

13 Mindfulness Practices to Bring Some Calm to Everyday Life

Straight from experts.

CNET

Olive Oil for Everything? Not So Fast — Here’s What Cooking Oil to Use Instead

Canola, avocado, safflower, and olive oils each shine in different recipes.

MakeUseOf

These 5 Apps Made My Switch From IPhone to Android Much Easier

Jumping to the other side is easier when you have some help.

Rolling Stone

The Best Surprise Concert Guests of Summer 2025

Some of the biggest live-music moments this summer have happened when pop stars bring out their legendary heroes for a surprise onstage collaboration.

Esquire

What It Feels Like to Climb a Skyscraper With Your Bare Hands

Cancer, car accidents, random violence—those things terrify me. But when I’m clinging to a ledge one thousand feet in the air, I’m at peace.

Vogue

Are We All Protecting Our Peace Too Much?

This year, I made a conscious decision to stop doing anything I didn’t want to. But what was I giving up in the long-term?

The Sydney Sweeney Denim Ad Takeaway Nobody Is Talking About

Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad has a takeaway about body inclusivity that no one’s discussing, writes senior style director Jessica Andrews.

5 Years Into Retirement, Aly Raisman Is Still Learning How to Slow Down

Aly Raisman is learning to be kinder to herself too. 🫶

Time

The Race to Upcycle Africa’s Fast Fashion Dumping Ground

As waste floods Ghana’s lagoons, upcyclers are racing to salvage what fast fashion leaves behind.

The Hollywood Reporter

The Confessions of John Malone, Media’s Most Misunderstood Mogul

In this exclusive excerpt from his new memoir ‘Born to Be Wired,’ the battle-scarred billionaire candidly reflects on his (mostly) friendly rivalries with Reed Hastings, Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner and how he built a sprawling empire while living with autism.

The American Scholar

Horse and Runner

While walking around the village of Medal, killing time before a foot race one Sunday morning at the end of June, I saw a small, dark brown horse galloping across a grassy enclosure about 30 yards in length. The horse thundered from one side to the other,