Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Bon Appétit

Pretzel Focaccia

One of the easiest breads to make at home gets pretzel-ified with a highly burnished, salt-coated crust and a delightfully bitter twang.

Nautilus

When Good Waves Go Rogue

Even in calm seas, waves can become monsters.

BBC Future

Why Some People Can’t Tell Left From Right

It can seem like an almost childish mistake, but a surprising number of adults confuse left from right and scientists are only just starting to understand why.

The Marginalian

Physicist Alan Lightman on Beginnings, Endings, and What Makes Life Worth Living

How our cosmic improbability confers dignity and meaning upon our shared existence.

Literary Hub

Classic Reviews of Beloved Children's Books

Eudora Welty on ‘Charlotte's Web’, Dorothy Parker on ‘Winnie the Pooh’, and more.

The Guardian

Sleep Perfectionists: The Exhausting Rise of Orthosomnia

The sleep-tracker industry is estimated to be worth millions per year – and forecast to double by 2030. Could all this data be making our insomnia worse?

The Hustle

The Secretary Who Helped Uncover One of America’s Strangest Ponzi Schemes

The whole thing started because Robin H. Swanson wanted to send flowers.

Aeon

The Play Deficit

Children today are cossetted and pressured in equal measure. Without the freedom to play, they will never grow up.

Knowable Magazine

Spots, Stripes and More: Working Out the Logic of Animal Patterns

More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity.

Narratively

A Super Strange True Love Story: My Disappearing Fiancé

After years of avoiding love, I found a match that seemed almost too perfect. We were practically walking down the aisle before I realized it really was too good to be true.

The Guardian

‘What Are Our Lives for?’: A Philosopher Answers Kids’ Existential Questions

What happens when Plato mixes with playtime? Philosopher Scott Hershovitz answers the questions that confound children and adults alike.

Mental Floss

The Real-Life Operation That Works Like Operation

If a surgeon gets too close to delicate nerves in the throat, an alarm goes off. (But no one’s nose lights up.)

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, August 4

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.

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.

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.

Rolling Stone

Inside the Battle Over ‘Napalm Girl’

A new documentary, ‘The Stringer,’ investigates the story of the famous Vietnam War photo “Napalm Girl,” raising questions about who actually took it.

The Conversation

Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin? A Pharmacist Explains Why You Might Not Be

As many as 1 in 5 Americans believe they have a penicillin allergy, but just a tiny fraction actually do. In recent years, it’s gotten a lot easier to find out.

Glamour

Would You Let Your Friend Pitch You to a Room Full of Single Strangers?

In 2025 we’re turning back to one of the oldest forms of dating: meeting a romantic partner through friends.

Popular Science

How the Tomato Created the Potato

The starchy staple evolved from the tomato about 9 million years ago.

The Baffler

Winging It

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

Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Is Blanketing Parts of the U.S. Here’s How to Protect Yourself

Expert advice on what to do as Canadian wildfires cause poor air quality across the U.S.

People

This Theme Park Is Ranked No. 1 Above Disney and Universal by Travelers — and It’s Not in California or Florida

A beloved Tennessee theme park is ranked No. 1 in Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards’ category for amusement parks.

Food & Wine

7 Spices You Should Be Buying at Costco to Save Money

When compared with prices at other major supermarkets, spices at Costco are often significantly cheaper per unit of weight. Here is how much money you can save on seven popular spices by purchasing them at Costco instead of another large grocery store.

Inside Climate News

Hundreds of Old EV Batteries Have New Jobs in Texas: Stabilizing the Grid

After reaching the end of their automotive lives, the batteries are being reused to provide lower-cost grid energy storage.

Real Simple

3 Ways to Revive Your Hardwood Floors So They Look Like New Again

Hardwood floors are durable but can become dull due to scratches, improper cleaning, and heavy foot traffic. Learn three easy ways to revive your hardwood floors.