Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Vogue

Why I’m No Longer Adding Oat Milk To My Coffee

Like oat milk in your coffee? It may be causing cravings and tiredness.

MIT Press Reader

Are Humans the Only Musical Species?

Even those of us who can’t play a musical instrument or lack a sense of rhythm can perceive and enjoy music. Are we alone?

Greater Good Magazine

How We Think About Forgiveness at Different Ages

Children’s understanding of forgiving develops as they grow older.

Women’s Health

This Is How Long You Need to Hold a Plank to See Real Results

Hint: It’s not as long as you think.

Quanta Magazine

Artificial Intelligence Will Do What We Ask. That’s a Problem.

By teaching machines to understand our true desires, one scientist hopes to avoid the potentially disastrous consequences of having them do what we command.

Architectural Digest

7 Organization Hacks That Will Transform Your Messy Home

No need to get rid of clutter—find a good spot for it instead.

SELF

Actually, ‘Bed Rotting’ Can Be a Very Legit Form of Self-Care

It’s called rest, people.

CityLab

What Do US Vehicle Regulators Have Against Tiny Cars?

Super-small urban vehicles have found a place in European and Asian cities. But in the US, federal and state rulemakers seem determined to keep minicars at bay.

The Hustle

The Sneaky Economics of Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster’s maligned fees and customer service issues are under the microscope. Will American music fans ever see anything better?

Glamour

How to Get Rid of Redness on Your Face and What’s Causing It

Derms share their best advice.

Scientific American

Why Do We Crave Sweets When We’re Stressed?

A brain researcher explains our desire for chocolate and other carbs during tough times.

MEL Magazine

An Oral History of Hard-Shell Tacos

Taco Bell didn’t invent them, but they sure did exploit the hell out of them.

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

Monday, July 14

Texas Monthly

At 40, She Discovered She Was One of America’s Best Free Divers

Sara Burnett went from an introductory course to a world championship in just over a year.

Popular Science

How Do Airplane Toilets Work?

The engineering is surprisingly simple and remarkably clever.

Business Insider

Can Millennial Dads Have It All?

Millennial dads spend much more time with their kids than their boomer parents, but they’re still struggling to break the breadwinner stereotype.

The New Yorker

How to Save a Dog

For nearly a year, a motley crew scoured New Orleans for a shaggy white mutt named Scrim.

The Hollywood Reporter

Sharks, ‘Sweethearts’ and Subs: 19 Docs and Real-Life Series to Watch This Summer

Whether you’re seeking true-crime tales, celebrity-focused fare or a closer look at the world around you, there’s something new for various tastes.

The Narwhal

Emptying the Nest: Parenting Lessons From Bald Eagles

A photographer follows a pair of bald eagles in southern Ontario, returning to their nest every year to raise their young, and send them off

Nautilus

Is the Show Finally Over for These Whales and Dolphins?

They were bred to entertain in a now-shuttered marine park. Now they need to be rescued.

ABC

Finding Robert Bogucki, the Man Who Disappeared on Purpose

In 1999 a young American dumped his bicycle and walked out into the Great Sandy Desert. Why was he willing to risk his life, and why do some people need to get lost in order to feel found?

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

The New York Times

You Saved and Saved for Retirement. Now You Need a Plan to Cash Out.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are more worried about running out of money in retirement than dying, and many retirees could be on track to turn that fear into a stark reality.

Fast Company

These 75 Housing Markets Hit a Critical Threshold in Favor of Homebuyers

Among the nation’s 200 largest housing markets, these 78 metro areas now have active inventory above 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

NBC News

Steel Is Booming in Arkansas — So Why Are So Many People Still Struggling to Get by?

In a county dubbed the “land of steel,” local residents face poverty and housing woes.

Mother Jones

First Came the Wildfires—Then the Floods, and the Water Crises

“It’s just one thing after another.”

Martha Stewart

11 Long-Blooming Flowers That Will Bring Hummingbirds to Your Garden All Season

There are some long-blooming flowers that will fill your yard with color all season—and that hummingbirds absolutely love. Here are a few that experts recommend.

CNET

The Best Co-Op Games for Every Situation

Whether you’re hitting a couch co-op sesh or logging in with three other people, try picking up one of these co-op titles.

BBC

When an Unsung Indian Helped Austrian Jews Escape the Nazis

Kundanlal risked all to rescue Jewish families during Europe’s darkest hour and bring them to India.

CBS News

Unlucky in Love? AI Dating Apps Promise to Help You up Your Game.

People are turning to AI dating assistants for help in crafting wittier, more conversational messages to attract romantic partners on apps.

Parents

Teen Boys and ‘Love Island’ Contestants Are Calling Girls ‘My Ball’—Here’s Why

Terms of endearment for a significant other have evolved and changed over time as the human vernacular tends to do, and the latest slang has TikTokers, teens, and 'Love Island' contestants alike calling each other “my ball.” But what does it mean, and why has your teen suddenly started saying it?

Axios

“Stretched to the Breaking Point”: SNAP Cuts Spook Food Banks

“Food banks are stretched literally to the breaking point,” one leader told Axios.

Time

How to Give a Good Toast, According to a Stanford Communication Expert

From graduations to weddings, Matt Abrahams breaks down how you can deliver a toast that really resonates.

Food & Wine

I Tracked a Wild Salmon From Sea to Plate — What I Learned Surprised Me

Wild salmon is abundant in Alaska and coveted by chefs — but most Americans eat the cheaper, milder farmed kind. Journalist Kim Cross set out to learn why — and how to cook the real thing right.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

CNBC

These College Majors Have the Best Job Prospects — and They Aren’t What Students Expect

Which college major students choose often has significant implications for job prospects and future career potential.

The Walrus

Why Everyone You Know Is Suddenly a Birder

A pandemic pastime has grown into something deeper.

Fast Company

Why Do We Trust Certain People (Even When We Shouldn’t)?

The science of who is (and isn’t) trustworthy. Why are some people perceived as more trustworthy than others?

Harvard Business Review

Leading Is Emotionally Draining. Here’s How to Recover.

Emotional depletion is a real and significant tax of modern leadership. Recovery is no longer a luxury.

Substack

The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters

Young Americans today spend 70 percent less time attending or hosting parties than they did at the beginning of the 21st century. Why?

Psyche

What to Do When Someone Goes on the Defensive

Our natural impulses often make matters worse. Here’s an approach that works, grounded in conflict resolution and psychology.

NBC News

Job Scams Are on the Rise and More People Are Falling for Them

As job-seekers look for work in a challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to job scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Harvard Business Review

New Research on Why Teams Overwork—and What Leaders Can Do About It

Why do so many high-performing professionals keep working at a punishing pace, even when it damages their health, relationships, and personal well-being?

USA TODAY

Increase Your Social Security Income in Retirement With Three Powerful Moves

There's a reason people are commonly advised not to retire on Social Security alone. The average monthly benefit won't go very far in helping seniors cover their costs.

Vox

For Years, Women Complained That This Medical Procedure Was Painful. Doctors Are Finally Listening.

How a common birth control method became the center of a reckoning.

The New York Times

Measles Cases Hit Record High, 25 Years After U.S. Eliminated the Disease

Experts worry that if vaccination rates do not improve, deadly outbreaks will become the new normal.

Gizmodo

This Cough Syrup Ingredient Might Actually Slow Dementia

Several larger trials of ambroxol for Parkinson's are already underway.