Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Epicurious

This Is the Best Cheesecake Recipe Ever

It was published in Gourmet Magazine in 1999. People have been losing their minds over it ever since.

Romper

The Way To Solve Family Dinner Is To Embrace Kid Food

Instead of training our kids to eat more like adults, let’s train ourselves to eat more like kids.

Narratively

She Caught Bullets with Her Bare Hands — and Made Magic’s Glass Ceiling Disappear

When her husband died and left her penniless, audacious Adelaide Hermann transformed from lowly assistant to “the Queen of Magic.”

Delish

39 High-Protein Recipes That Are Easy, Filling, and Guaranteed to Keep Hanger at Bay

Including plant-based, omnivore, and vegan options.

MIT Press Reader

Powers of Hearing: The Military Science of Sound Location

During WWI the act of hearing was recast as a tactical activity — one that could determine human and even national survival.

Greater Good Magazine

Surviving Betrayal

Romantic betrayal is traumatizing, says psychologist Joshua Coleman. But couples can learn to trust again.

Nautilus

Top 10 Design Flaws in the Human Body

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

The Kitchn

Recipe: Creamy French Mustard Chicken

Believe it or not, this elegant dish comes together in about 30 minutes using only one skillet.

Fatherly

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

We’ll never stop wondering what snozzberries taste like.

The Atlantic

When Evidence Says No, but Doctors Say Yes

Long after research contradicts common medical practices, patients continue to demand them and physicians continue to deliver. The result is an epidemic of unnecessary and unhelpful treatments.

Scientific American

Going Barefoot Is Good for the Sole

Walking without shoes builds calluses, but that does not limit sensation.

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.

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

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.

The Walrus

Can Office Tools Help Couples Optimize for Domestic Bliss?

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

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?

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 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.

The New Yorker

In an Age of Climate Change, How Do We Cope with Floods?

The deaths in the Texas Hill Country are a tragic testament to the force of a raging river. Flood-stricken Vermont has a radical plan to counter the threat it faces.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

National Geographic

You’re Never Too Old for Summer Camp—These 8 Getaways Prove It

Put away your cellphone and spend your summer eating s’mores, working on your backstroke, or taking up archery. These resorts cater to adults who need a break from adulting.

Axios

Altman Plans D.C. Push to “Democratize” AI Economic Benefits

Altman wants to continue driving debate over the effect AI will have on jobs.

Psychology Today

How to Help Teens Feeling Summertime Loneliness

Although most teens view summer as a welcome time for freedom, fun, and relaxation, some experience profound loneliness that parents need to address.

Discover

Living Fossils Like the Coelacanth Have Remained Unchanged for 400 Million Years

What is a living fossil? Learn more about the living fossils among us and why this topic is highly debated among scientists.

Discover

This Neanderthal Gene Might Be Holding Back Your Athletic Performance

Genetic legacy of our ancient cousins could be making it harder for some people to reach their athletic potential.

Axios

Chatbots’ New Job: Minding Tots

As chatbots enter children’s lives, pediatricians warn that not interactions could alter their development.

POLITICO

Frustration and Fear Ripple Through NPR and PBS Affiliates After Congress Approves Clawbacks

Small, rural public media stations are disappointed that Congress ignored their campaign to preserve federal funding.

Axios

Hospitals Scoop up Physician Practices, Driving Prices Up

It’s the latest evidence of consolidation in health care.

Nature

Meet the Biotech-Company Founders Driven by Their Child’s Rare Disease

For some parents, finding a cure for their child’s illness is the ultimate motivation to start a company.

Vox

Inside the Federal Government’s Purge of Climate Data

Climate facts are inconvenient — so Trump is making them disappear.

The New Yorker

ICE Agents Invade a Manhattan Little League Field

Youman Wilder has coached local kids for twenty-one years—including four who have gone pro. When masked agents tried to interrogate his players, he told them, “You don’t have more rights than they do.”

NBC News

He Survived a Mass Execution at 17. Now He’s Fighting Disinformation and Denialism.

Online conspiracy theories increasingly dismiss the Holocaust and atrocities in Rwanda, Bosnia, Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. One survivor is devoting his life to fighting them.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

The Walrus

Before You Share That Health Tip, Read This

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

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.

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.

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.

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.