Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Drive

How To Dry Your Car the Right Way

Don’t let the sun do the work for you.

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.

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.

Bon Appétit

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies With Toffee

Prepare for these toffee-and-chocolate-laced brown butter cookies to ruin you for all others.

The Marginalian

Wisdom from the Life of Mary Somerville, for Whom the Word “Scientist” Was Coined

Inside the hallmark of a great scientist and a great human being — the ability to hold one’s opinions with firm but unfisted fingers.

The Guardian

Is Tracking Everything Actually Good For Us?

We record everything mobility to toothbrushing and time spent in daylight. Is this just narcissism redesigned for the big tech age?

GQ

Eight Ways to Fit Workouts Into Your Busy Schedule

If you’re forcing yourself to do something you hate, your body will release stress hormones, says one expert. There’s a better way.

BBC Travel

The US’ Lost, Ancient Megacity

In the ancient Mississippian settlement of Cahokia, vast social events – not trade or the economy – were the founding principle.

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.

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.

Knowable Magazine

The Living Things That Feast on Plastic

Scientists are scouring garbage sites around the world for bacteria, fungi and even insects that harbor enzymes that could be harnessed for breaking down various polymers.

Mental Floss

15 Amazing Facts About 15 Birds

Here’s a flock of facts about everything avian, from brilliantly colored hummingbirds to acorn-hoarding woodpeckers.

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

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.

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.

The Walrus

When Immigrants Oppose Immigration

Many established communities are embracing anti-newcomer rhetoric.

ProPublica

The Drying Planet

As the climate warms, huge swaths of land across the globe are quickly drying, threatening humanity’s supply of fresh water.

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.

CNET

The Best Foods to Put on Your Plate If You Have a Headache

Your diet could be a factor if you regularly deal with headaches, but these foods may help.

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.

Aeon

A Life in Zen

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

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Popular Mechanics

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.

NBC Sports

Cooper Lutkenhaus Set to Be Youngest American in World Track and Field Championships History

Cooper Lutkenhaus finished second to Donavan Brazier in the U.S. 800m final.

The Hollywood Reporter

David Ellison Sets His Team: These Are the People Who Will Run the New Paramount

George Cheeks, Cindy Holland, Josh Greenstein, Dana Goldberg will all get new roles, joining Jeff Shell and Ellison in the C-suite.

British GQ

The 11 Most Hyped Games of 2025, As Chosen by Gaming’s Hottest Devs

From Donkey Kong Bananza to South of Midnight, these are the games you should be playing in 2025.

The Marginalian

How to Be a Happier Creature

Even as the merchants of silicon and code try to render us disembodied intellects caged behind screens, something in our animal body knows where we came from and where we belong.

NBC News

New Guide to Wealth Terminology Aims to Better Inform Investors

In 2024, households worth $5 million or more controlled an estimated $49 trillion in financial wealth, more than half of the nation’s total, according to Cerulli Associates.

NPR

Why a NASA Satellite That Scientists and Farmers Rely on May Be Destroyed on Purpose

The Trump administration has asked NASA staffers to draw up plans to end at least two satellite missions that measure carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, according to current and former NASA employees.

Polygon

This Gamer’s Extraordinary $15,000 Loss Was the End of a 10-Year Rivalry

EVO 2025’s best moment might be a loss that transpired during a Fatal Fury match between two competitors who have a decade-long rivalry.

Vox

How Do You Keep a Kid’s Fantasy Camp Afloat?

A summer program running on magic, swords, and financial precarity.

Texas Monthly

Arch Manning Is the Anointed One. Can He Survive the Hype?

Pundits are touting him for the Heisman. UT fans are expecting the world. What do those other famous quarterbacks in Arch’s family make of the hullabaloo? Funny you should ask.

The Conversation

If Everyone in the World Turned on the Lights at the Same Time, What Would Happen?

Power grids could likely handle the surge of demand, but all that light would pollute dark zones nearby.

The Guardian

Frying Solo? 20 Pantry, Fridge and Freezer Essentials for Single Households

Olives, chickpeas and dukkah are a few of the basic ingredients writer and former caterer Elizabeth Quinn keeps on hand. Here she shares quick recipes for eating solo.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Allure

A New Form of Alopecia Is Affecting Menopausal Women

Experts are calling it an “emerging epidemic.”

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.

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.

CBS News

Thinking About an Annuity? Here’s Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy One This August

Annuities can offer guaranteed income, but they’re not for everyone. Here’s who should (and shouldn’t) buy now.

HuffPost

The ‘Expectation Effect’ Hack Might Be the Secret to Happiness

This one simple but powerful shift can have major benefits. But be mindful of going overboard.

NBC News

Vast Majority of U.S. Adults Stressed About Grocery Costs, AP-NORC Poll Finds

Only 14% say it’s not a source of stress, underscoring the pervasive anxiety most Americans continue to feel about the cost of everyday essentials.

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.

The Atlantic

How the Muppets Helped Me Grieve

After my father got sick, his collaborations with Jim Henson kept me afloat.

Slate

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

How do I deal with my emotions without whiskey?

Teen Vogue

Supplement History: The Truth About Supplements and Vitamins That Teens Should Know

If you take a supplement, you should read this.

NPR

If Compliments Make You Feel Super Awkward, This Comic Is for You

When someone says something nice about us, it can make us feel awkward and uncomfortable. Researchers explain the science behind those emotions — and make the case for accepting genuine praise.

The Associated Press

What to Know If You’re at Risk of Having Your Wages Garnished Over Student Loan Debt

Millions of student borrowers could begin having their wages garnished as soon as this summer. That’s according to estimates from credit bureau TransUnion.