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

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.

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 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.

The Cut

What If a Child Was Terrified of Food?

The rise of ARFID, a new eating disorder driven not by body image but by fear.

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.

The Baffler

Winging It

For those trying to overcome their fears of flying, it’s been...a challenging time to say the least.

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.

PBS

In the Gray World of GLP-1 Supplements Online, Health Experts Urge Caution

TikTok beauty influencer Kaycee Ogle is regularly contacted by brands who want her to promote their products. But one email she received in June was different, and made her curious.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

MIT Technology Review

Forcing LLMs to Be Evil During Training Can Make Them Nicer in the Long Run

New Anthropic research shows that undesirable LLM traits can be detected—and even prevented—by examining and manipulating the model’s inner workings.

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.

Popular Science

Tattoo Artists and Scientists Resurrect a 2,000-Year-Old Mummy’s Ink

The Pazyryk people of Siberia’s Altai Mountains loved their body art.

Rolling Stone

The Tao of Jerry Garcia: 31 Trippy Quotes From the Grateful Dead Co-Founder

Jerry Garcia was TK and TK wise. We pulled out some of his greatest quotes from throughout the years.

The Marshall Project

How Trump Used the Criminal System to Massively Expand Immigration Detention

Through threats and incentives, the administration conscripted local jails, federal prisons and private companies to detain immigrants.

ESPN

How the Rev-Share Era Is Squeezing the College Basketball Recruiting Cycle

The uncertainty surrounding how programs will pay players is directly affecting the timeline for high school prospects.

The Conversation

Love in the Age of WhatsApp – a Philosopher Explains How Technology Reduces the Power of a Relationship

The fact that we are human sets limits to the kinds of love that can work well.

Texas Monthly

Thirty-Four Years Later, We Have Not Forgotten the Yogurt Shop Murders

Margaret Brown’s haunting new HBO series investigates the crime that changed Austin forever.

CBS News

Paula Deen Abruptly Closes Georgia Restaurant That Catapulted Her to Fame

Former Food Network star Paula Deen did not say why she suddenly closed the Georgia restaurant she and her sons opened in 1996.

Time

The True Story Behind Chief of War, Jason Momoa’s Hawaiian History Epic

Jason Momoa worked behind and in front of the camera on an epic retelling of the story of the unification of Hawaii.

Time

The Medical Consequences of Starvation

The effects can persist long after people regain access to food, experts say.

Context

Offering Women a Cash Bonus Isn’t the Way to Boost Birth Rates

We need solutions that safeguard people’s health, well-being and futures so they can decide what they want for themselves.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

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.

CBS News

What Will Happen to Gold Prices This August?

Gold prices have largely risen over the past 18 months, approximately, but will they continue to do so this August?

The Atlantic

Three Ways to Stop Feeling Like an Impostor

This common syndrome can certainly harm your happiness. Here are three ways to get over it.

HuffPost

This Mosquito-Borne Illness Is Being Reported in Multiple States — Here’s What to Know

Now’s the time to replenish your bug spray supply.

Money

How to Prioritize Your Bills in a Financial Crunch

Which obligations need your immediate attention and which can wait.

Culture Study

A Fascinating Look at How a Hair Stylist Organizes Their Days

This is so interesting.

The Cut

How Do People Actually Afford These Summer Trips?

If you’re wondering how everyone is staying at four-star hotels in Italy right now, you’re not alone.

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.

SFGate

7 Dogs Suddenly Die in Southern California, 11 More Fall Ill

All were said to have been in good health before a sudden onset of lethargy, nausea, seizures and other symptoms.

SELF

5 Reasons You Get Random Bruises—and When to See a Doctor

Here’s how to tell if something nefarious might be behind them.

NPR

The Transformative Power of Keeping a Daily Journal

In a new book, writer Suleika Jaouad explains why journaling is a form of alchemy — and offers tips on how to reignite your practice if you’re feeling stuck, bored or uninspired by your own writing.

CNBC

While the Fed Kept Its Benchmark Unchanged, Here’s What Happened to Consumer Borrowing Rates

When it meets this week, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep its key short-term interest rate at its current target range — where it has stayed for all of 2025.