Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Smithsonian Magazine

This Wooden Sculpture Is Twice as Old as Stonehenge and the Pyramids

New findings about the 12,500-year-old Shigir Idol have major implications for the study of prehistory.

Knowable Magazine

How Heat Pumps of the 1800s Are Becoming the Technology of the Future

Innovative thinking has done away with problems that long dogged the electric devices — and both scientists and environmentalists are excited about the possibilities.

Wait But Why

Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think

Human are wired with an over-the-top obsession with what others think of them. Here’s how to bring it under control.

Bon Appétit

Extra-Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting

Come for the fluff, stay for the brown butter–cinnamon sugar filling.

Scott Young

The Complete Guide to Memory

Breaking down how memory works and what you can do to improve it.

The Washington Post

One Year, 41 Million Digits: How He Found the Largest Known Prime Number

Former Nvidia programmer Luke Durant used an unusual computer setup to discover a mind-bogglingly big Mersenne prime.

Scientific American

The Asteroid That Killed the Dinosaurs Created the Amazon Rain Forest

Fossilized pollen and leaves reveal that the meteorite that caused the extinction of nonavian dinosaurs also reshaped South America’s plant communities to yield the planet’s largest rain forest.

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Alan Lightman’s Poetic Exploration of Time and the Antidote to the Anxiety of Aliveness

“A life in the past cannot be shared with the present. Each person who gets stuck in time gets stuck alone.”

Aeon

What Big History Says About How Royal Women Exercise Power

Queens in many societies heavily influenced the policies and governing behavior of their kings.

Stylist

Sunday Night Anxiety: How to Alleviate the “Sunday Scaries,” According to an Expert

Sophrology exercises can be used to alleviate the Sunday Scaries.

Apartment Therapy

Here’s What It’s Actually Like to Find an Apartment in Paris

“Unfurnished” could also mean no kitchen cabinets.

MEL Magazine

Slayer, Striker, Shooter and the Rise of the Extreme Baby Boy Name

Parents tend to be more conservative about naming baby boys. But when they do get creative, they turn them into throat-ripping action heroes.

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

Saturday, July 26

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

The Guardian

The Rise and Fall of the British Cult That Hid in Plain Sight

Philippa Barnes was a child when her family joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an adult, she helped expose the shocking scale of abuse it had perpetrated.

Business Insider

Return Fraud Is Running Rampant

Whether it’s sending back broken items or claiming a package never arrived, Americans are committing return fraud at Amazon and other retailers.

NBC News

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Event Is Not What You Think It Is

Nationally, extreme heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

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?

Vox

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

And why it’s not getting cheaper any time soon.

The Associated Press

Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

NPR

The Best Games of 2025 So Far, Picked by NPR’s Staff

From indies like ’Blue Prince’ to big console exclusives like ’Donkey Kong Bananza’, NPR staff and contributors round up their favorite games of the year so far.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Popular Mechanics

An Entire Hidden Layer of Reality May Be Lurking Just Below the Standard Model of Physics

The discovery of the Higgs boson hasn’t led to an explosion of new physics as many predicted. Now, some scientists think that hidden physics may be hiding beyond LHC’s view.

Real Simple

This Shrub Is Ideal for Attracting Butterflies to Your Yard—and It’s So Easy to Grow

This charming shrub will bring all the pollinators to your yard, and it’ll look good while doing it.

Inc. Magazine

Rising Workplace Aggression Is Driving Healthcare Job Turnover

A new study finds the growing number of threats at work prompted 45 percent of healthcare employees to say they’re likely to quit within a year.

NBC News

‘Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday.’ Except Maybe Viral Fame.

Zoë Lister, the actor who narrated the popular British ad turned viral TikTok sound, said she never expected the audio to resonate worldwide.

The Conversation

A Company Says It Could Turn Mercury Into Gold Using Nuclear Fusion. Can We Take This Claim Seriously?

Californian startup Marathon Fusion says it could produce several tonnes of the element per year.

ProPublica

Microsoft Used China-Based Support for Multiple U.S. Agencies, Potentially Exposing Sensitive Data

Microsoft says it will no longer use China-based engineers to support the Pentagon. But ProPublica found that the tech giant has relied on its global workforce for years to support other federal clients, including the Justice Department.

Architectural Digest

16 DIY Headboard Ideas to Creatively Crown Your Bed

Get crafty (and cozy) with our roundup of DIY headboard ideas from designers and homemaking mavens—including tips on how to get the look.

Architectural Digest

Tour a Midcentury Hollywood Hills Home Fit for a Bond Villain

Nwankpa Designs helped TV writer Cameron Johnson bring his sleek and specific vision to life

BBC

Backlash Grows After Zelensky Strips Anti-Corruption Bodies of Independence

Protests gather pace in Ukrainian cities as some of Kyiv’s closest allies sound alarm bells.

Essence

Centering Her Story: These Authors Spotlight the Power and Complexity of Black Women’s Lives

Whether amplifying little-known history or reimagining motherhood, Victoria Christopher Murray and Jamilah Lemieux, remind us that Black women deserve stories that reflect our depth, joy, and truth.

The Conversation

Gene Editing Technology Could Be Used to Save Species on the Brink of Extinction

Earth’s biodiversity is in crisis. An imminent “sixth mass extinction” threatens beloved and important wildlife. It also threatens to reduce the amount of genetic diversity – or variation – within species.

Business Insider

Millions of Americans Could Pay up to $1,247 More for Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Next Year

Some Americans saw their health insurance premiums drop with Affordable Care Act subsidies. Now those are set to expire.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

NBC News

Summer Covid Cases Are Rising Across the U.S. — Is It Time for a Vaccine?

The uptick in cases, caused by a variant of the virus nicknamed “razor blade throat,” comes as many Americans have likely gone a year or longer without a Covid shot.

NPR

Doctors Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Hormone Therapy for Menopause

The FDA may remove the warning labels on hormone replacement therapies used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Doctors say the warning is scaring people who could benefit from these treatments.

Axios

Venmo the Treasury to Help Pay Uncle Sam’s Debt? You Can, If You Really Want

Of all the things you might use Venmo for — buying drinks, splitting a check with friends, repaying a loan — there’s a good chance you’ve never had “sending the government a gift to help pay the public debt” on your list.

Allure

Why Are People Fighting About At-Home Gel Nail Kits on TikTok?

A closer look at both sides of the “OPI nail drama.”

NPR

You Can’t Outrun a Bad Diet. Food Not Lack of Exercise Fuels Obesity, Study Finds

One explanation for the rise in obesity in industrialized countries is that people burn fewer calories than people in countries where obesity is rare. A major study finds that’s not the case.

The Cut

‘Are My Student Loans About to Become Unaffordable?’

You could do nothing—or you could sign up for a new repayment plan. Here are your options.

NPR

What Borrowers Should Know About Student Loan Changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill

If you’re a federal student loan borrower or about to become one, your head may be spinning.

The Atlantic

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards

Their fees are getting higher—and their benefits are sometimes wildly complicated to redeem.

Axios

Social Security Recipients Set to Face an $18,000 Benefit Cut in Just Seven Years

Retirees are facing the prospect of substantial Social Security cuts in just seven years, sooner than projected, due to the “big, beautiful bill,” per an analysis out Thursday from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

NBC News

Did Your Doctor’s Office Charge You a ‘Facility Fee’? Here’s What to Know.

Facility fees, often associated with inpatient hospital stays, are becoming more common for outpatient doctors’ appointments.

The Associated Press

For Some Employees, Education Benefits Such As Tuition Assistance Prove Life-Changing

As higher education costs have grown to heights many U.S. residents find unattainable or illogical, some adults are looking to their employers for help.

Harvard Business Review

Make the Most of Your Vacation When You Can’t Fully Unplug

While advice abounds on the importance of fully unplugging during your hard-earned time off — and for good reason! — what should you do if you’re in a situation where you can’t be fully offline?