Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The War Zone

How U.S. Navy Pilots Really Get Their Callsigns

A Super Hornet pilot gives us an inside look at how Naval Aviators get their often colorful but unflattering callsigns.

CityLab

How a Tiny Midwestern Town Became a Mecca for Modern Architecture

A new book explores the design history of Columbus, Indiana, a company town built around an architectural vision.

Narratively

Longshot Dreams and Slapshot Fiends in the Ultimate ’90s Pro Sports League

In the age when Rollerblades were king, a crew of wide-eyed rookies and grizzled NHL vets brought hockey-on-wheels to the cusp of the big time.

Greater Good Magazine

How to Let Go of an Old Regret

If we don’t confront the past, we can be haunted by sadness and self-blame.

Apartment Therapy

4 Shower Products That Are Ruining Your Pipes, According to Plumbers

What to skip, what’s safe, and how to fix any problems that do pop up.

The Washington Post

Can I Reverse My Lactose Intolerance? Here’s a GI Doctor’s Advice.

Many of us become lactose intolerant as we age, but you don’t have to give up all dairy products.

Popular Science

The Three Strength Exercises Everyone Should Do

Even if impressive musculature isn’t your goal.

The Atlantic

What If Friendship, Not Marriage, Was at the Center of Life?

“Our boyfriends, our significant others, and our husbands are supposed to be No. 1. Our worlds are backward.”

BBC Future

The Mystery of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

A surprising number of people experience symptoms of this curious condition, which is named after Lewis Carroll’s heroine, who changed size after eating and drinking.

The Conversation

Keeping Fit: How to Do the Right Exercise for Your Age

As we get older, our bodies benefit from different types of exercise. Here’s a guide for all ages.

Fast Company

These Navy SEAL Tricks Will Help You Perform Better Under Pressure

Use this the next time you need to think clearly in a high-pressure situation.

The Guardian

‘The Only Thing You Need Is Your Own Mind’: How to Start Meditating

Meditation isn’t about perfectionism or blocking thoughts, experts say – the goal is to develop ‘a balanced awareness.’

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, August 5

The New Yorker

Treating Gaza’s Collective Trauma

In Gaza, where displaced children play games called “air strike” and act out death, the lack of mental-health resources has become another emergency.

Popular Science

What Do TSA Bag Scanners Actually See?

Airport X-ray imaging can detect all sorts of threats, along with the water bottle you forgot to trash.

Scientific American

The Hidden Way Allergens Attack Nose, Throat and Lung Cells

The immune system senses damage to cell membranes caused by pore-forming proteins and mounts a response.

Slate

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

How do I deal with my emotions without whiskey?

WIRED

From Cheating Exposés to Dating Background Checks, TikTok Detectives Are Thriving

Private investigator influencers are staking out suspected cheaters and vetting dates for their clients, posting the tea for their followers. But there’s a dark side to morality-based surveillance.

POLITICO Magazine

Meet the Fraudster Who Wants to Make California Its Own Country

The man behind the Calexit movement claims to be a baller. But he’s broke.

Aeon

A Life in Zen

Growing up in countercultural California, ‘enlightenment’ had real glamour. But decades of practice have changed my mind.

Scientific American

What if Infinity Didn’t Exist?

Can “finitism” possibly describe the real world?

This Quantum Entanglement Trick Has Physicists Losing Their Minds

New research shows that entangled particles can pass on their shared state again and again and again.

Scary Mommy

How To Get Your Kid Back-To-School Ready After Their Feral Gremlin Summer

Late nights, screen marathons, no real structure: Summer means free-roaming for kids. Experts weigh in on getting back-to-school ready without losing your mind.

Martha Stewart

8 Beautiful Plants That Double as Living Mulch to Suppress Weeds and Lock in Moisture

Discover eight stunning plants that act as living mulch, naturally suppressing weeds, retaining soil moisture, and enhancing your garden’s beauty.

Greater Good Magazine

How Does Retirement Affect Our Health and Happiness?

A review of research investigated how mental health and physical activity change in retirees around the world.

Axios

How Many Women on the Board? Fewer Companies Are Saying

The number of companies publicly disclosing data on women in top management roles or other demographic information plunged this year, a new report finds.

Axios

How the Supreme Court Kickstarted the Redistricting Arms Race

Republicans’ plan to redraw Texas’s congressional district map years early launched a nationwide battle, with Democrats promising to retaliate with new partisan maps of their own.

WIRED

What’s Inside the Tiny Miracle Food Pouches That Can Save the Lives of Starving Gazans

Packed with calories and protein, the same magic mixture has successfully treated famine for decades—but due to funding cuts it’s now in short supply.

NPR

Wildfire Smoke Is Like Smoking ‘Half a Pack a Day.’ Here’s How to Protect Yourself

As Canadian wildfires spread smoke across the U.S. the air pollution is dangerous to health. But there are ways to protect yourself. Here’s what to know.

Time

When Your Job Interviewer Isn’t Human

Job seekers are increasingly interviewed by AI, raising ethical and transparency concerns.

Texas Monthly

‘King of the Hill’ Always Got the Texas Sky Exactly Right

That certain shade of dark blue on a summer night, the eerie tint of a threatening sky, and the glow of golden hour are artfully drawn for the animated series.

Rest of World

Meta Brought AI to Rural Colombia. Now Students Are Failing Exams

When Meta embedded AI bots in its apps, even students in the most remote corners of Colombia gained access. But rather than boosting learning, it’s getting in the way.