Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

MIT Press Reader

An Environmentalist’s Lessons for an Improvisational Life

Improvisation is the essence of environmental learning, sparking the imagination, stimulating creativity, and helping us reinvigorate how we think about our residency on Earth.

Atlas Obscura

The Forgotten History of New York’s Bagel Famines

Remembering Local 338 and the world’s toughest bagel bakers.

Delish

This Is the Healthiest Vegetable in the World, According to Experts

Here’s why watercress is so good for you.

The Atlantic

A Shortcut for Feeling Just a Little Happier

Mental and physical pain share neurological roots. A simple painkiller can help with both.

The Conversation

When You Eat Matters: How Your Eating Rhythms Impact Your Mental Health

Healthy eating is not just what you eat, but when you eat. Eating rhythms that are in sync with the circadian clock can benefit general well-being and may have a protective effect against mental illness.

Smithsonian Magazine

The Inventor of Ibuprofen Tested the Drug on His Own Hangover

Stewart Adams’ headache subsided—and his over-the-counter pain reliever became one of the world’s most popular medications.

Esquire

‘How Can You Still Be a Christian?’ He Asked. It’s...Complicated.

A colleague asked me, a queer man who grew up being told my sexuality was a sin, how I could still be Christian. Here’s my answer.

Epicurious

How to Store Basil

If you want that bouquet of basil to last more than a day, keep it on your countertop.

MEL Magazine

The Oral History of ‘Wedding Crashers’

‘How does it feel having worked on this generation’s Animal House?’

Quanta Magazine

Proof Finds That All Change Is a Mix of Order and Randomness

All descriptions of change are a unique blend of chance and determinism, according to the sweeping mathematical proof of the “weak Pinsker conjecture.”

The Washington Post

Your Standing Desk Isn’t Making You Any Healthier

Standing for more than two hours a day doesn’t protect against the cardiovascular risks of too much sitting.

BBC Worklife

The Harmful Ableist Language You Unknowingly Use

Some of our most common, ingrained expressions have damaging effects on millions of people – and many of us don’t know we’re hurting others when we speak.

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

Thursday, July 10

The Guardian

The Terrifying Truth About Why Tesla’s Cars Keep Crashing

Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops on the highway – have led to questions about the safety of the brand. Why won’t Tesla give any answers?

BBC

Beyond Words: The 200-Year-Old Hidden Languages of Dating

From Regency-era "fan flirting" to coded gifts, people have perfected the art of discreetly signalling their love over many centuries.

The Walrus

How I Solved the Century-Old Mystery of a Miraculous Shipwreck Survivor

In a disaster worse than the Titanic, it was believed a young man swam over six kilometres to safety. It didn’t add up.

CNN

Trump’s Sudden Shift on Weapons for Ukraine Takes the War Back to Square One

For a fleeting moment, Ukraine’s conflict may have come full circle. In the past 48 hours, US President Donald Trump has perhaps said his most forcefully direct words yet on arming Ukraine. And in the same period, the Kremlin have given their blankest indication to this White House that they are not interested in a realistic, negotiated settlement to the war.

MIT Technology Review

Inside the Most Dangerous Asteroid Hunt Ever

As space rock 2024 YR4 became more likely to hit Earth than anything of its size had ever been before, scientists all over the world mobilized to protect the planet.

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

The World Bank Set Out to Transform Health Care for the Poor in Africa. It Drove Patients Deeper Into Poverty.

A surge in private equity funding for hospitals left a trail of crushing debts, patient detentions and broken promises.

Why US Chocolate Tastes Weird to the Rest of the World

Chocolate is popular almost everywhere. But tastes vary depending on the continent. While some regions like their chocolate sugary sweet, others prefer more fruity or nutty notes.

The Guardian

Walkouts, Feuds and Broken Friendships: When Book Clubs Go Bad

While most book clubs go off without an issue, when they do turn sour the fallout can be significant. So why do some go wrong – and what can be done to prevent it?

9 Perennials to Plant in July for a Lush Late Summer Garden

There are a few perennials that you can grow even in the July heat. Here are some that experts recommend—and that will fill your garden with beautiful color.