Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Bloomberg Businessweek

The Startup That Stepped In When the Baby Formula Supply Chain Broke

Bobbie has built a cultlike following among online parents—one TikTok post and can of organic formula at a time.

MIT Press Reader

Scientists Are Finally Taking Altered States of Consciousness Seriously

If we want to understand our consciousness, we must not be afraid to break new ground.

Stylist

What’s Better for You: A Long, Slow Walk or a Fast, Short One?

Boost the benefits of your daily walk by keeping an eye on your pace and distance.

Scientific American

Why Social Media Makes People Unhappy—And Simple Ways to Fix It

Research suggests platform designs make us lose track of time spent on them and can heighten conflicts, and then we feel upset with ourselves.

The Conversation

A Hot Bath Has Benefits Similar to Exercise

A hot bath burns calories, helps control blood sugar and keeps your blood vessels healthy. What’s not to like?

BBC News

Was I Wrong to Fall for a Cheating Cat?

What should you do, asks Anisa Subedar, when a persistent pussycat in the neighbourhood decides to adopt you?

Glamour

15 Genius Tips That’ll Give You Clearer Skin for Free

Get glowing skin without spending a single cent.

Narratively

The Warriors of a Failed Revolution

Over fifty years ago, young idealists swore to end American injustice. When their movement splintered, their lives diverged—from quiet college prof to infamous kidnappers to filthy-rich hotelier.

BBC Worklife

The ‘Hidden Talent’ That Determines Success

In our era of globalization, your job performance may depend on your “CQ”. So what is it?

Greater Good Magazine

How Much of Your Happiness Is Under Your Control?

The researchers behind the original “happiness pie chart” share what they’ve learned in the past 15 years.

Atlas Obscura

The Wartime Spies Who Used Knitting as an Espionage Tool

Grandma was just making a sweater. Or was she?

Knowable Magazine

Nature, Nurture and Randomness

More than genes and upbringing determine animal personalities: There’s a good dose of chance in the mix, too.

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

Thursday, July 31

Vox

The Real Reason We Tip

…and why it needs to change.

The Hollywood Reporter

Is Gen X Dying Before Our Eyes?

The tragic passing of ‘Cosby Show’ star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 80's wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and heavy-metal icon Ozzy Osbourne bring on a generation’s old familiar feeling: doom.

NPR

Here Are the 13 Books That Made the Booker Prize Longlist

An epic fable about two young Indian writers. A dark comedy about a loner who gets a job as a chauffeur for the mega-rich.

The New Yorker

Mexico’s Molar City Could Transform My Smile. Did I Want It to?

More than a thousand dentists have set up shop in Los Algodones. Their patients are mostly Americans who can’t afford the U.S.’s dental care.

Mother Jones

The Surgery That Reveals Everything That’s Wrong With Women’s Health Care

From "wandering wombs" to modern biases, the troubling politics of hysterectomies

Outside

After the Biggest Doping Bust in Years, What’s Next?

Now that the fastest marathoner in history, Ruth Chepngetich, has been caught, is it time to give up and let athletes dope?

BBC

Record-Breaking Divers Are Pushing Human Limits and Reshaping Scientists’ View of Our Species

Humans have a long history of diving to forage from the seabed and today elite freedivers are reaching greater depths than ever. Some researchers argue humans belong in the sea.

Vogue

Are Drugstore Shampoos As Good As Their Expensive Counterparts?

Everything you need to know about choosing an affordable shampoo without sacrificing hair health.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Polygon

Donkey Kong Bananza’s Identity Crisis Doesn’t Get in the Way of a Good Time

Despite not knowing what kind of game it wants to be, DK’s Switch 2 adventure is a blast.

Grist

Climate Change Has Sent Coffee Prices Soaring. Trump’s Tariffs Will Send Them Higher.

From drought-stricken farms to rising trade barriers, the global coffee industry is facing unprecedented strain.

Bustle

What Is “Bankysing” in Dating? the TikTok Trend, Explained

TikTok is currently buzzing about Banksying, possibly the cruelest type of breakup.

Fast Company

AI Embarrassed Them at Work. Don’t Let This Happen to You

Employees are pressured to use AI at work, but the rules for using it are still being written, creating an environment ripe for mistakes.

NBC News

AI Models May Be Accidentally (and Secretly) Learning Each Other’s Bad Behaviors

A recent study is the latest to highlight a core AI safety concern: that the pace of development is outpacing humans’ ability to understand their own AI systems.

Delish

This 25-Minute Salmon Skillet Dinner Is the Best Way to Use Summer Tomatoes

If you turn on the oven this summer, it better be worth it, and this spiced, tomato-y summer salmon skillet is 110% worth it.

Bustle

This Wellness App Helps Prevent “Office Chair Butt”

The Wakeout app will help you beat “office chair butt” by reminding you to get up and at ‘em during your work day.

Architectural Digest

How to Style a Teen Bedroom Without Chasing Trends

Let their maturing personality shine with these designer tips.

Inc. Magazine

Let’s Talk About What Vibe Coding Is Really For

Vibe coding is a big party, and all good parties eventually get shut down. But not before all hell breaks loose.

Discover

Building Blocks of Life in Deep Space Could Mean Life Extends Further Than Once Thought

Learn more about the prebiotic molecules who’s origins come from deep space.

Vulture

Let Your Kids Watch TV. It’s Fine.

A no-guilt screen-time guide.

NPR

Are Prices Going up Because of Tariffs? Here’s What We Know

Prices have risen a tad on some items especially affected by tariffs. But for the most part, companies are finding ways to delay price increases — for now.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Maclean’s

Confessions of the Working Poor

I work hard, buy quality clothes and know how to fake my way through dinner-party conversations. But behind the scenes, I’m part of a fast-growing Canadian underclass.

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.

The New York Times

Study May Undercut Idea That Cash Payments to Poor Families Help Child Development

Rigorous new research appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being, adding a new element to a dispute over expanded government aid.

The Guardian

‘It Would Destroy Me’: Fear of Student Loan Default Haunts US Borrowers

The Trump administration has ended the pandemic-era pause on repayments, leaving many facing colossal debts.

The Associated Press

If You Don’t Have Diabetes, Do You Really Need a Continuous Glucose Monitor?

A quarter-size device that tracks the rise and fall of sugar in your blood is the latest source of hope — and hype — in the growing buzz around wearable health technology.

NPR

In a First, the Senate Confirms a New CDC Director

Susan Monarez is the first director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require Senate confirmation. She’s also the first director without a medical degree in more than 70 years.

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.

USA TODAY

Trump’s Trade Deal With the EU: What It Means for Your Wallet

The new tariff could increase prices on goods such as cars, furniture and pharmaceuticals. Trump's tariffs are expected to raise prices by 1.8% in the short term, per the Yale Budget Lab.

Vox

How to Make the Hardest Choices of Your Life

From picking a career to picking a spouse, one radical philosophical idea will guide you.

The Guardian

Trust Your Gut and Fail Bravely: Seven Influential Women on the Advice They Would Give Their 30-Year-Old Selves

It’s tempting to imagine what we might have done differently. But, as Diana Nyad says: ‘We earn our wisdom.’

CNBC

Animal Shelters Are Crowded as High Costs Squeeze Pet Owners

Millions of animals are stuck in increasingly cramped shelters because their owners are struggling to pay rising vet bills and other expenses.

NPR

The Manhattan Gunman Believed He Had CTE. What Does That Mean?

The gunman accused of killing four people in New York City suspected he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE — a degenerative brain disease often associated with football players.