Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Scientific American

The Neuroscience of Creativity: A Q&A with Anna Abraham

The state of the field of the neuroscience of creativity.

The Atlantic

The Tchaikovsky Cure for Worry

If you have anxiety, or simply want a greater sense of well-being, getting creative is just about the best thing you can do.

Aeon

The Hypersane Are Among Us, If Only We Are Prepared to Look

Sometimes those who seem a little crazy are the ones who really get it.

The Guardian

I Think My Cat Likes My Partner More. What Should I Do?

The signs that a cat likes you are fairly obvious. Here’s how to strengthen your bond with a pet if you think they prefer your partner more.

Inverse

How a Simple Mario Spinoff Perfected the Party Game Formula

Better with friends.

Glamour

How to Calm Anxiety: 23 Ways to Reduce Stress

We asked mental health experts for their favorite ways to find some calm.

The Washington Post

What Dreams Are Made Of: Scientists Mine Sleep’s Mysteries

Research has evolved from the mechanics of dreaming to what dreams signify — and back again.

MIT Press Reader

What Irony Is Not

A handy guide to distinguishing the notoriously slippery concept from its distant cousins coincidence, satire, parody, and paradox.

The Guardian

How Woodworking Is Helping People Carve Out Inner Peace

The craft is gaining popularity among those in search of a way to slow down, switch off and improve mental health.

Scott Young

You Fail to Reach Your Goals Because You Designed Them Badly

No one is preconditioned to fail. If you’re struggling with a project, perhaps it’s time for a different approach.

Knowable Magazine

How to Overcome Political Polarization on Climate Change

Conversations — in real life — can help bridge the partisan divide, but the trick is to have some structure to the discussion, says a human ecologist.

The Guardian

The Lost Girls: ‘Chaotic and Curious, Women With ADHD All Have Missed Red Flags That Haunt Us’

After multiple burnouts, in my early 30s I finally knew why life sometimes felt harder for me. It made perfect sense, so why had no one noticed before?

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

Saturday, August 9

The Guardian

Knife Throwing and Cheeseburger Spinning: The Agony and Ecstasy of Being a Viral Trickshot Video Star

Think you could throw a basketball off a 540ft dam, into a hoop – while blindfolded? Meet the talented and ludicrously patient people putting hours into the internet’s most joyful (and pointless) clips.

The Hollywood Reporter

Last Call for Late Night

After 70 years of tucking America into bed, it looks like the curtain is about to come down on the late night genre. What’s being lost is more than a TV tradition but a backdrop for some of America’s most memorable moments.

Lifehacker

Are ‘Ultra-Processed’ Foods Really That Bad for You?

They’ve been linked to heart disease and other health conditions.

Saveur

That Chewy, Bouncy Texture You Love Has a Name

Whether in boba tea, cuttlefish, rice noodles, or cassava dough, the texture of QQ connects people across cultures and generations.

The Associated Press

The World Nearly Beat Polio. But Fake Records, an Imperfect Vaccine and Missteps Aided Its Comeback.

The World Health Organization has closed in on its bold goal of eradicating polio several times, but the paralytic virus is entrenched in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Condé Nast Traveler

16 Golden Rules That Business Travelers Swear By

People who constantly hit the road for work share what they wish they’d known from the jump.

Atavist

The Talented Mr. Bruseaux

He made his name in Chicago investigating race riots, solving crimes, and exposing corruption. But America’s first Black private detective was hiding secrets of his own.

The New Yorker

The Internet Wants to Check Your I.D.

New safety rules require users to verify their identities before gaining access to sites. This spells the end of the relative anonymity that we’ve come to expect online.

Children’s Health Care Is in Danger

An already fragile system can’t withstand Republicans’ cuts.

The New York Times

‘The Gilded Age’ Goes to Newport. but of Course.

The Rhode Island getaway for the wealthy plays a key role in HBO’s lavish soap opera of the 1880s.

Los Angeles Times

Being a Special Ed Teacher Taught Chinedu Unaka His Biggest Lesson in Stand-Up

The L.A.-born comedian, who recently released his first “LOL Live” special on Hulu, says his past teaching with mild to moderate special ed students gave him all the tools he needed to succeed onstage as a comedian.