Pocket Future

Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Atlas Obscura

The Forgotten History of New York’s Bagel Famines

Remembering Local 338 and the world’s toughest bagel bakers.

Knowable Magazine

All About Cholesterol

The science on how blood levels of HDL, LDL and more relate to cardiovascular health.

MIT Press Reader

An Environmentalist’s Lessons for an Improvisational Life

Improvisation is the essence of environmental learning, sparking the imagination, stimulating creativity, and helping us reinvigorate how we think about our residency on Earth.

MEL Magazine

An Oral History of LimeWire: The Little App That Changed the Music Industry Forever

And the untold story of a Spotify killer that never saw the light of day.

Greater Good Magazine

36 Questions That Can Help Kids Make Friends

A question-and-answer exercise may help middle schoolers build friendships, including with kids of different ethnicities.

Slate

Just Read the Book Already

Digital culture doesn’t have to make you a shallow reader. But you have to do something about it.

Harper’s Bazaar

A Shore of Their Own

During Jim Crow, Black vacationers found joy in Black-owned resorts throughout the United States. Morgan Jerkins chases the last glimmers of history in these vital spaces of rest and escape.

BBC Future

The Hidden Reason Processed Pet Foods Are So Addictive

From potently smelly additives to offal concentrates, pet food companies turn to some surprising ingredients in the quest to make kibble delicious.

Epicurious

How to Store Basil

If you want that bouquet of basil to last more than a day, keep it on your countertop.

Literary Hub

The 32 Most Iconic Poems in the English Language

Plus some bonus poems, because we love you.

WIRED

How to Responsibly Dispose of Your Electronics

Get rid of old, broken, and unused devices—even Lightning cables—without adding to the e-waste problem.

Nir Eyal

Stop Confusing Habits for Routines: What You Need To Know

Trying to build good habits can often backfire. Here’s why it’s important to know how habits are formed and when it’s better to stick with a routine instead.

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

Friday, July 11

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?

The New York Times

How a Single Overdose Unraveled an Empire of Heroin

A man’s death after using “Flow” in a small Vermont city exposed a drug operation that spanned continents and sent a New York prosecutor on a heartbreaking journey.

Slate

The Menagerie Lurking in Rural America

Many people still own exotic animals like they’re any other pet. But they’re not.

WIRED

AI Is a Lousy Chef

I asked an AI-powered recipe generator to make some menus. It didn’t tell me to put glue in my guacamole, but the results didn’t come close to besting recipes written by professionals.

Elle

How a ‘Breakup Moon’ Trip Helped Us Say Goodbye

My boyfriend and I knew our relationship was over. We decided to go to New Zealand anyway.

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?

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.

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 Last Grand Slam Stand of Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have won the last six men’s Grand Slams and surpassed Djokovic in the rankings. But this weekend could be Djokovic’s last, best chance to add to his tally—and win at the place where his tennis dreams began.

ProPublica

Texas Overhauls Anti-Abortion Program That Spent Tens of Millions of Taxpayer Dollars With Little Oversight

After a ProPublica and CBS News investigation revealed that Texas’ funding pipeline for anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers is riddled with waste, nonprofits in the program must now provide a detailed accounting of their expenses.

Time

Your Brain Reveals a Lot About Your Age

A new study finds that proteins from the brain are a good predictor of how long you’ll live.

Gizmodo

Mysterious Signals From Deep Space Expose Aftermath of Failed Cosmic Eruptions

Two international teams zoned in on a potential answer to a decades-long mystery surrounding ephemeral cosmic X-rays.

SELF

6 Common Nutrition Habits Sports Dietitians Think Are Wrecking Your Workouts

Spoiler: Protein isn’t everything.

Variety

Court Strikes Down FTC’s ‘Click-to-Cancel’ Rule, Which Was Aimed at Letting Consumers Drop Services Easily

A federal appeals court vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s Click to Cancel rule -- which was to go into effect next week -- on procedural grounds.