Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

MIT Press Reader

Psychogeography: A Purposeful Drift Through the City

If geographers “carve,” “draw,” or “write” the earth, psychogeographers add a zest of soul to the mix, linking earth, mind and foot.

The Conversation

What Are Muscle Knots? An Exercise Physiologist Explains

Researchers are still trying to figure out exactly what happens within muscle to create knots, also known as myofascial trigger points. But they do know some ways you can avoid or alleviate them.

Fast Company

How to Stop Sabotaging Yourself at Work

If you’ve ever been on the cusp of achieving something big, then done something dumb to screw it up, you might be engaging in workplace self-sabotage.

The Washington Post

Getting an Airport Uber Has Become an Absolute Obstacle Course

How ride-hailing went from easy to one of the most challenging parts of air travel.

The Hustle

How Two Sisters Monopolized the Identical-Twins Business

The Ganz sisters built a thriving business around everything twins, triplets, and multiples.

BBC Future

How Our Eyes Can Change Color Throughout Our Lives

Through apparently spontaneous change or through mishap or illness, our eyes can change color in surprising ways.

Scientific American

How Does a Caterpillar Turn into a Butterfly?

To become a butterfly, a caterpillar first digests itself. But certain groups of cells survive, turning the soup into eyes, wings, antennae and other adult structures.

The Guardian

‘It’s Mind-Boggling’: The Hidden Cost of Our Obsession With Fish Oil Pills

The market in this prized commodity is worth billions—but are the supposed benefits worth the cost to global ecosystems?

MEL Magazine

The Lone Prospectors Keeping the Legacy of the Gold Rush Alive

Over 50,000 people tune in to watch Dan Hurd pan for gold on YouTube. But when the teacher sets out into the hills to investigate a claim, he’s seeking anything but attention.

Narratively

The Portly Victorian Undertaker Who Launched the World’s First Low-Carb Craze

William Banting tried every 19th century weight-loss fad. Polite society was shocked when he unveiled the method that finally worked.

Knowable Magazine

Do Birds Have Language? It Depends on How You Define It.

In the cheeps, trills and tweets of birdsong, scientists find some parallels with human speech.

Mental Floss

The Reason Your Pillows Turn Yellow, and How to Clean Them

Yellow stains on pillows are gross, but they’re more common than you may think (and easier to clean).

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

Sunday, July 6

Bon Appétit

An Inside Look at the Best Snack Trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

At the Comic Con of snacks, we track down the latest in sweet treats, sauces, and drinks.

Reuters

They Tried Made in the USA. It Was Too Expensive for Their Customers.

Tens of thousands of American small and midsize manufacturers are facing the choice between paying steep tariffs on Chinese imports or taking on significantly higher domestic production costs.

CNN

A Couple Tried for 18 Years to Get Pregnant. AI Made It Happen.

As artificial intelligence shapes fertility care, it’s now helping doctors find hidden sperm.

CNN

Here’s Who Stands to Gain From the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill.’ And Who May Struggle

President Donald Trump has promised that the “big, beautiful bill” passed by Congress will be one of the most successful pieces of legislation in American history.

Boston

Did We Ruin Summer Camp by Making It Safe?

The kids are all right—but are they missing out?

Smithsonian Magazine

In a Milestone for Manhattan, a Pair of Coyotes Has Made Central Park Their Home

For six years, two photographers have carefully followed the canines and documented their secret lives.

New York Magazine

'People Want That African Euphoria'

Black Americans are moving to Ghana — and driving up the cost of living for everyone around them.

KCRW

Want Better Bakes? Here’s What Your Ingredients Actually Do

Pastry chef Nicola Lamb sifts through the essential ingredients of baking — flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Inverse

Why Is It So Hard for Hollywood to Make a Good Red Sonja Movie?

Forty years after the first misguided Red Sonja movie, Hollywood still can’t crack the unexpected feminist icon.

Inverse

Backpack Hero Proves Inventory Management Is Mightier Than the Sword

One roguelike RPG makes preparing for battle just as much fun as fighting, thanks to a unique focus on inventory management, and it’s free now on Epic Games.

Glamour

The Liberty Lost Podcast Investigates the World of Modern ‘Maternity Homes’

Glamour speaks with the host and subject of the hit podcast which investigates the rise of maternity homes and the women who say they felt pressured to give up their babies in the post-Roe era.

Nature

Japan Requires Name Change After Marriage — With Big Effects on Female Scientists

Survey finds law requiring married couples to share the same family name causes havoc for researchers.

Fast Company

Psychologists Now Know Exactly What Makes Someone Cool. Turns Out, the Definitions Are Universal

In a global study over four years, researchers discovered that people who are seen as cool share similar traits in countries around the world.

SELF

How to Get Better at Small Talk: 5 Tips From Communication Pros

Think of it as a social performance you can finesse—with some help from the pros.

PS

The Curious Case of PDA at Amusement Parks

Yep, it’s a real thing: here’s why people love engaging in PDA at amusement parks, according to a relationship expert.

Kiplinger

June Jobs Report Dashes July Rate Cut Hopes: What the Experts Are Saying

The June jobs report shows that hiring remains strong and gives the Fed a little extra breathing room when it comes to interest rates.

Kiplinger

The $33,000 Retirement: One Man’s Surprising Path to Financial Freedom at 61

Forget what society tells you, even with less than $1 million, you can be happy in retirement.

Business Insider

NATO’s Big $1.4 Trillion Bet Is Seeing Long-Ignored Air Defenses Coming Back in a Big Way

NATO members have pledged to bring defense spending to 5% of GDP, with NATO’s chief saying that will be used for a fivefold increase in air defenses.

Outside

Op-Ed: Selling Public Lands Won’t Fix the Housing Crisis in Ski Towns. but This Policy Helps.

An expert in Colorado mountain towns explains why different policies can actually make a difference in the push to build affordable housing

The A.V. Club

Spinal Tap Defined a Real Genre With a Fake Band

The Spinal Tap rockers led by Christopher Guest played real music, shot direct cinema, and changed mock-docs forever.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

DW

Paris Reopens Seine River for Public Swimming

Parisians have begun bathing in the Seine for the first time in over 100 years after a ban was lifted. The French capital has created three swimming zones along the river as part of its Olympic legacy.

Inc. Magazine

Half of Remote Employees Nap During the Workday, a Survey Says 

Employers might want to keep an eye open for any visible facial creases, suspiciously mussed hairdos, or groggy comments during video meetings with remote staff. It turns out nearly half of people working from home admit to taking naps on company time.

Men's Health

How Long It Should Take to Walk a Mile—and How That Can Help to Improve Your Fitness

Whether you're looking to move more or you want to upgrade your daily stroll, these tips will help you pick up the pace.

Lifehacker

Five Psychological Tricks You Can Use to Make Yourself Feel Happier

It’s easy to see why being happy is such a challenge these days. People are working jobs they hate, struggling to pay bills, and living in an increasingly isolated, digitally driven world.

The Atlantic

The Feminine Pursuit of Swoleness

A new book considers how weight lifting can help you unlearn diet culture.

Fast Company

Why Office Gossip Can Be Good for the Workplace (If It’s the Right Kind of Gossip)

Gossip at work is inevitable. But what exactly workers gossip about can be key in dictating company culture. Rumor has it that gossip can be a positive force in workplace cultures, under the right circumstances.

The Conversation

Self Determination Theory: How to Use It to Boost Wellbeing

A foundational idea in self-determination theory is that we have three basic psychological needs: for autonomy, competence and relatedness.

The New York Times

Illness Took My Mother’s Independence, but It Gave Us Something Precious

An immune condition changed my mom’s life — and taught us to see art differently.

The Guardian

How Sorry Are You? Why Learning to Apologize Well Could Save Your Relationships

Got something to say sorry for? Here are words that have no place in your apologies, according to those who have spent years analysing them.

Fast Company

How to Make the Most of Your Summer Vacation

Plan to connect with loved ones and plan to disconnect from work.

The New York Times

Better Half

The midpoint of the year is an opportune moment to look back at where we’ve been, and set our sights for where we want to go.

The New York Times

Gen Z, It Turns Out, Is Great at Saving for Retirement

Brynnley Beckman is only 23, but she is already thinking about retirement. She teaches ninth grade biology at the Shelton School in Dallas and contributes 3 percent of her salary to an employer-sponsored retirement fund. She hopes to increase her contribution by 1 percent each year.