Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Hustle

The Curious Case of the Disappearing Hydrox Cookies

Oreo, the Hydrox knockoff, has been accused of burying its competitor by scoring sweetheart deals with grocers. Does it wield too much power over smaller rivals?

MEL Magazine

What Happens to Spelling Bee Champions When They Grow Old?

Spelling contests have remained a feature in American life since the Puritans landed on Plymouth Rock — but is peaking at 12 years old all it’s cracked up to be?

Smithsonian Magazine

The Texas City Where Mermaids Inspire River Conservation

“Aquamaids” were once the stars at an amusement park in San Marcos. Now, they are making a comeback to help the environment.

Narratively

Love, Death and Volleyball: The Four-Decade Run of a Trailblazing Gay Sports League

How a dirt-court meetup in Central Park grew to become a vital lifeline during the AIDS crisis and a surrogate family for LGBTQ people to this day.

Mental Floss

When ‘Woody Wagons’ Ruled the Road

Cars with wood panels used to be a luxury ride, with only the wealthy opting in.

Greater Good Magazine

How to Stop the Pain of Wishing People Were Different

Sometimes it’s hard to just accept people for who they are. Here’s how to be at peace with someone, faults and all.

Atlas Obscura

Medieval Africans Had a Unique Process for Purifying Gold With Glass

And scientists in Illinois have recreated it.

The Conversation

How to Help Dogs and Cats Manage Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is difficult for both you and your pet, but a few simple changes can make a huge difference if you’re expecting to be away for a longer amount of time during the day.

BBC Future

How Your Family Shapes Your Body Image

Comments about our looks from our loved ones and friends can cause lifelong insecurities. How can we teach kids to feel confident about their bodies instead?

MEL Magazine

An Oral History of Whac-a-Mole

The surprisingly contentious story of the beloved family game about bludgeoning small rodents.

Kiplinger

Why Turning 65 Isn’t What It Used to Be, According to an Expert

With more than 4 million people turning 65 last year, an expert in psychology and aging explains why so many of them are thriving like never before.

Quartz

What a Brief Jog Can Do for Your Brain

Just 15 minutes of movement is all it takes.

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

Wednesday, August 13

Literary Hub

Is It Time to Move On From Dr. Seuss?

Jess deCourcy considers the staying power of Green Eggs and Ham.

The Guardian

Take Away Our Language and We Will Forget Who We Are: Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o and the Language of Conquest

The late Kenyan novelist and activist believed erasing language was the most lasting weapon of oppression.

Bitter Southerner

For the Living of These Days

Every summer, locals reenact the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, where Prosecutor William Jennings Bryan remains something of a hero. I wanted to see for myself why this story still resonates.

BBC

Should We All Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?

Vitamin supplements can be an efficient way to add vitamins lacking in our diet. But they're not a silver bullet.

BBC

The Lost Art of Hitchhiking: What We Can Still Learn From Travel’s Most Radical Mode?

Long dismissed as dangerous, hitchhiking is being rediscovered by a new generation of travellers seeking connection, adventure and a low-carbon way to see the world.

Travis Kelce on His Upcoming Season, Post-NFL Ambitions, and Life With Taylor Swift

After a grueling Super Bowl loss, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end spent his summer vacation focused on coming back stronger than ever.

Food & Wine

Cornish Hens Made Dinner Feel Fancy — So Why Did We Stop Serving Them?

These mini chickens rose to fame in the 1970s. Now they’re poised for a comeback.

Slate

Rise of the “Marinade Truthers”

Put down those Ziploc bags!

Americans Are All in on Cow-Based Wellness

Beef-tallow moisturizer is just the beginning.

Dwell

“Freedom Cities” Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis

And with President Trump’s proposed plan to build 10 brand-new cities on federally-owned land, democracy itself is also at stake.

The Spruce

4 Cleaning Tasks I Immediately Tackle After Getting Back From a Trip That Save Me Time Later

After coming back from an overnight trip or long vacation, I immediately tackle these four cleaning tasks to set myself up for success during the upcoming week.

Business Insider

Colleges Should Teach How to Use AI Rather Than Skills a ‘Machine’ Can Do Better, a Leading Economist Says

Tyler Cowen set out to Business Insider the ‘huge change’ he thinks is needed in university teaching as AI changes the world of work.

Inc. Magazine

Want to Raise Successful Kids? Help Them Make This Their Motto: ‘The Work Is the Work’

My conversation with 3-time NFL Pro Bowler and FOX Sports broadcaster Greg Olsen about building a content and e-commerce platform--and raising successful kids.

Vox

The Surprising Origins of the “Wellness” Boom

Today’s trend goes back way further than the modern influencer.

The Markup

We Caught Companies Making It Harder to Delete Your Personal Data Online

Dozens of companies are hiding how you can delete your personal data, The Markup and CalMatters found.

Literary Hub

Ruled by Numbers: How Data Dominates Every Facet of Our Daily Lives

A piercing sound awakens you: the alarm on your phone. Through squinted eyes you peer in its direction and discern a blinking 7:00 AM. This number denotes the beginning of your day—a day in which y…

Big Think

How to Instantly Be Better at Things

It’s a funny quirk of the human condition that sometimes simply asking, of a given task, “How would someone much, much better than me approach this?” immediately makes you better at it. Like, right away. Weird! It shouldn’t be so easy. But sometimes it is.