Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

BBC Future

The Enormous Heat Pumps Warming Cities

From New York City to rural England, communal heat pump networks could be the answer to decarbonizing heat in both city high-rises and other hard-to-heat homes.

Nautilus

Why Astrology Matters

Seeing meaning in the stars is a vital part of the scientific story.

The Guardian

How to Be a Norwegian Parent: Let Your Kids Roam Free, Stay Home Alone, Have Fun – and Fail

In Norway, children walk to school aged six, or even travel across the country – and no one bats an eyelid. Why do these kids have so much independence, while other countries are so risk-averse?

Greater Good Magazine

Is Your Brain Foggy? Here Are Five Ways to Clear It

Studies have found that isolation, stress, and uncertainty can cause forgetfulness and disorganization. Here’s what to do about it.

The Atlantic

Eight Books That Will Take You Somewhere New

These titles conjure their settings so vividly that you’ll feel as if you’re there.

Quanta Magazine

Machine Learning’s ‘Amazing’ Ability to Predict Chaos

In new computer experiments, artificial-intelligence algorithms can tell the future of chaotic systems.

MEL Magazine

The Quick and Ubiquitous Economics of Bodegas

Do convenience stores really survive on cigarettes and lotto tickets?

Smithsonian Magazine

Harriet Tubman Was an Abolitionist, but She Was Also a Naturalist

The Underground Railroad conductor’s understanding of botany, wildlife biology, geography and astronomy allowed her to guide herself and others to safety.

Atlas Obscura

Can We Blame the Mafia on Lemons?

Economists and historians are connecting the early rise of organized crime with Sicily’s citrus trade.

Mental Floss

11 People Who Operated on Themselves

“The detachment had already happened in my mind ... It’s no longer my arm. As I picked up the knife, I was very cool and collected.”

Fast Company

Side Hustles You Can Start From Your Couch

You don’t need an office, employees, or investment capital to launch a small business that could generate thousands of extra dollars a year.

Stylist

4 Reasons Why Your Plant’s Leaves Are Turning Yellow, and How to Fix It

The problem of yellow leaves on plants—although common—can be caused by a number of reasons. Here, an expert outlines four of the main ones.

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, August 3

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.

AFAR

Where to Go Every Month of the Year for Better Weather, Fewer Crowds, and the Most Value

Hurricane-free Caribbean beaches, empty canals in Venice, and lush safaris—all can be yours in off season.

Popular Science

How the Tomato Created the Potato

The starchy staple evolved from the tomato about 9 million years ago.

The Guardian

Sweat, Stingers and Scratching: 14 Expert, Easy Ways to Treat and Prevent Insect Bites

Some of us seem to be bitten much more than others – and in unlucky cases this can lead to an allergic reaction or chronic illness. Pharmacists explain how to avoid the worst insects have to offer.

Tampa Bay Times

She Left Her Abusive Ex. Could She Stay Away?

Money, housing, kids and heartache keep victims with abusers. For a Florida woman, breaking free meant risking it all.

Slate

Who Killed the Spoof Movie?

’The Naked Gun’ aims to resurrect what was once one of our most beloved sure-hit genres. Why did it ever go away?

The Independent

Meet the Childfree Communities Planning for a Future Without Kids

As increasing numbers of us can’t or won’t have children, Helen Coffey talks to those who are planning their lives without a nuclear family, and investigates why government policy has yet to catch up with this rapidly growing demographic.

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.

Is Organic Food Better for Your Family? Here’s What Experts Say

If shopping organic is a priority for your family, this is what you need to know.

The New Republic

The Invisible Climate Change Effect That Is Most Likely to Kill You

Air pollution is less dramatic than floods or storms, less inconvenient, and much harder to politicize. It’s also much more deadly.

Discover

The Secret to Hibernation Is Hidden in Human DNA and We Might One Day Activate It

Hibernating animals reverse aging, avoid diabetes, and preserve muscle. Could we one day do the same?

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.

Yes, Lack of Sleep Is Ruining Your Skin

A dermatologist and sleep doctor break down what lack of sleep can do to your complexion and how to take control of your beauty sleep.

Variety

Ranking the MCU: Every Marvel Studios Movie and Show, From Worst to Best

Every Marvel movie and TV show ranked from worst to best.

Variety

How Julianne Nicholson’s Comedic Role in ‘Hacks’ Changed Everything: ‘I’m Actually Really Funny Too!’

Podcast: Double Emmy nominee Julianne Nicholson reveals how she created her viral “Dance Mom” character in “Hacks” and mysterious Sintra in “Paradise.”