Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Washington Post

Are At-Home Genetic Tests Worth It? As an Oncologist, Here’s My Advice.

Ask yourself how the results may affect your life. If the results come back positive, will you take steps to minimize your cancer risk?

Romper

30 Questions To Ask Kids When They Get Home From School

“How was school today?” just isn’t cutting it.

BBC Future

The Ingenious Living Bridges of India

For centuries, indigenous groups in north-east India have crafted intricate bridges from living fig trees. Now this ancient skill is making its way to European cities.

Nautilus

Once Upon a Gemstone

Precious stones hold the stories of continents, oceans, and cultures.

The Drive

Here’s How To Remove Rust From Your Car

Blast ugly and invasive surface corrosion before it eats your car alive.

Greater Good Magazine

Four Ways to Calm Your Mind in Stressful Times

A sense of calm offers us strength and resilience amid the chaos of life.

Narratively

I Spent My Childhood Helping My Mom Sell Dead People’s Junk

I was only 8 when I began working as an undercover security guard at estate sales. Among the dusty trinkets and used shampoo bottles, I learned a lot about human nature.

Smithsonian Magazine

Why Ecologists Are Haunted by the Rapid Growth of Ghost Forests

A study in North Carolina of dying trees may represent a foreboding preview of what may come to coastal ecosystems worldwide.

Stylist

Walking Uphill Can Feel Difficult – Here Are 7 Ways to Make It Easier

Heading out on a hike, but worried about how you’re going to handle walking uphill? Here are seven ways to make it easier, according to the experts.

Literary Hub

On the Endless Symbolism of ‘Jaws’, Which Owes Its Dark Soul to ‘Moby Dick’

Olivia Rutigliano discusses punishment, redemption, and fate in her favorite movie of all time.

Prevention

10 Rowing Machine Benefits, According to Experts

This cardio machine works major muscle groups for a full-body workout.

Knowable Magazine

How Animals Follow Their Nose

It’s not easy to find the source of a swirling scent plume. Scientists are using experiments and simulations to uncover the varied strategies that animals employ.

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, August 7

SELF

5 Injuries ER Doctors See All the Time—and How to Avoid Them

You might be surprised by the seemingly innocuous behaviors that cause them.

BBC

How Pac-Man Changed Gaming - and the World

Celebrating his 45th birthday this year, the yellow eating machine revolutionised video games – and has even been used in science. What has made him and his adventures so addictive?

The Guardian

The 12-Year-Old Girl Staring Down Monster Waves at Teahupo’o

The young Tahiti surfer will become the WSL’s youngest competitor when she takes on the fearsome break she can see from her family home.

Sapiens

What’s Behind a Michelin Star?

As judges scout new restaurants in the U.S., an anthropologist investigates the elite, Eurocentric history of the Michelin Red Guide.

Slate

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

How do I deal with my emotions without whiskey?

BBC

Mississippi Burning: The Shocking Murders That Sparked Change in the US

In August 1964, three civil rights activists were found dead in the Deep South. The public’s response provided the impetus for new civil rights legislation in America.

The Wall Street Journal

Earning More but in Worse Shape: Hardship Overwhelms Many American Families

Nearly half of kids in the U.S. live in households below the middle class as inflation and the end of Covid relief hit working parents; a $2.90 raise that cuts government benefits.

Noema Magazine

The Gulf World That Air Conditioning Wrought

From Saudi Arabia to Qatar, rulers have used modern air conditioning to control landscapes and lives, forgoing traditional methods of keeping cool.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Gizmodo

Scientists Recreated the Universe’s First Molecule

The findings could help solve the mystery of how the first stars formed.

BBC

My Journey to the Heart of the Forgotten Internet

Slowly but surely, huge swaths of the internet are vanishing. But the artefacts of the early web are still out there, and they have lessons for the future.

Grist

The Unlikely Coalition Fighting to Keep Energy Star Labels on Your Appliances

The Trump administration wants to eliminate the energy efficiency program, but bakers, builders, and chemical companies are trying to save it.

The Walrus

Fresh Lettuce in the Yukon? Believe It

In a territory where food arrives by truck, a handful of farmers are proving there’s another way

404 Media

Watch This Guy’s Interactive Wooden Pixel Machine Make Art in Real Time

Kilopixel by Ben Holmen turns a CNC machine and a thousand wooden blocks into pixel art.

The 19th

Pregnant People in Rural Parts of the Country Are Running Out of Places to Give Birth

Some doctors worry that massive cuts to Medicaid will leave pregnant people needing to drive hundreds of miles for prenatal care and delivery services.

Lifehacker

Five of the Best Free Cardio Workout Channels I’ve Found on YouTube

You don’t need a gym membership to get sweaty.

SELF

Do You Really Get a ‘Better’ Workout With Lagree Than Pilates?

Country singer Kelsea Ballerini swears by both methods—but what’s the difference between them?

Esquire

The New Rules of (Not) Drinking With a Straw

The sometimes, always, never for straw sipping.

Essence

Fast Fashion Isn’t Dying It’s Getting Better at Marketing

From PrettyLittleThing to Zara, brands are getting smarter at how they market products to their customers.

CBS News

Hulu and Disney+ Will Be Combined Into One App Starting Next Year, Disney Says

CEO Bob Iger said Disney will combine the two streaming services to create a “unified app experience.”

The Guardian

The Trolley Solution: The Internet’s Most Memed Moral Dilemma Becomes a Video Game

Indie developer’s take on the ethical conundrum about choosing who to save from an oncoming train may be gimmicky, but with its charm and bite-size levels, it’s ideal for the social media era.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

ABC News

What to Know About Chikungunya Virus Amid New Outbreak in China

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel warning following an outbreak of a mosquito-borne illness called chikungunya in China.

Time

Why So Many Women Are Quitting the Workforce

Labor force participation among women has started falling again in 2025.

Glamour

13 Best Moisturizers for Mature Skin to Help Restore Your Glow

Choosing a product with the right ingredients is key.

Time

The Worst Things to Say to Someone With Anxiety—and What to Say Instead

If you want to stay on an anxious person’s good side, don’t tell them to calm down.

SELF

My Friend Always Gets Free Stuff by Complaining to Managers—and It Gives Me the ‘Ick’

I feel bad for the servers…and even worse about our relationship.

Lifehacker

What Is Hyrox, and Why Is Everyone Suddenly Doing It?

Hyrox is a new sport that has taken off in a big way. There are competitions that feature running and strength events, and the skills you need are easy to learn.

BBC

The Unusual Brains of Noise-Sensitive People

Though noise sensitivity is often dismissed by doctors, it can have long-term effects on our mental and physical health.

NBC News

Tips to Help Manage Your Buy Now, Pay Later Loans

While such loans can help you make large purchases without paying interest or undergoing hard inquiries in your credit report, they can also easily be overused.

USA TODAY

She Thought It Was Just Another Energy Drink. It Took Half Her Bodyweight and Sent Her to Rehab.

USA TODAY spoke with over 20 people who say they became severely addicted to kratom − a plant ingredient found in products sold at gas stations, liquor stores and smoke shops across the country by various companies.

PS

The Sydney Sweeney Denim Ad Takeaway Nobody Is Talking About

Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad has a takeaway about body inclusivity that no one’s discussing, writes senior style director Jessica Andrews.

ABC News

How Trillions in Government Debt Could Hit Your Wallet, According to Experts

A federal agency ratcheted up its estimate of debt tied to Trump’s spending law.

NPR

AUDIO: It’s Never Too Late to Find a Good Relationship. Here’s Proof.

Have you ever stayed in a relationship, because you felt like it would be too hard to find another partner? This episode is for you.