Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

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.)

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.

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?

Scott Young

Unraveling the Enigma of Reason

What is the relationship between how we reason and the reasons we come up with?

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.

Nautilus

When Good Waves Go Rogue

Even in calm seas, waves can become monsters.

Fast Company

Every Interview Question is Really This Question

Behind every interview question, there are three things that the interviewer is trying to figure out.

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.

Smithsonian Magazine

Why Did Humans Lose Their Fur?

Evolutionary theorists have put forth numerous hypotheses.

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.

Scientific American

Dazzled by Creativity: Why We Excuse Dishonest Acts

Con artists rarely inspire admiration. Frank Abagnale Jr., however, was hardly a typical con artist.

Literary Hub

Classic Reviews of Beloved Children's Books

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.