Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

The Drive

How To Drive Stick Shift

A beginner’s guide for driving a manual-shift car.

Scientific American

Dissecting the Bloodthirsty Bliss of Death Metal

Fans of this violent music report feelings of transcendence and positive emotions; psychologists want to learn why.

BBC Future

The Australian Town Where People Live Underground

In one unusual outback town, everything is subterranean – from churches to campsites. As the world heads for 2.7C (4.9F) of global warming, should we be heading underground?

Stylist

Why ‘Aimless Walking’ Is the Key to Boosting the Mental Health Benefits of Your Daily Stroll

Leave your map at home – here’s why ‘aimless walking’ is the key to boosting the mental health benefits of your daily walk, no matter where you live.

CityLab

The Case for the Humble Garbage Disposal

From a waste-management perspective, the in-sink tool punches far above its weight.

The Guardian

The Foot Phenomenon: Simple, Surprising Ways to Improve Your Balance, Health – and Longevity

Why do so many of us neglect our feet, when they are crucial to all forms of movement? At 61, I decided to change all that.

Popular Science

Why Most Diets Don’t Work—and What to Try Instead

Taking the focus off weight loss may help your health in the long run.

BBC News

Gold Coin Proves ‘Fake’ Roman Emperor Was Real

An ancient gold coin proves that a third century Roman emperor written out of history as a fictional character really did exist, scientists say.

SELF

Here’s How Different Heart Failure Stages Impact Your Body

The symptoms might look a little different.

Homes & Gardens

Permaculture Gardening – How to Garden Organically

Permaculture gardening mimics nature so that you can garden organically, encourage wildlife and have a low-maintenance yard all in one hit.

Car and Driver

14 Discontinued Cars We Wish Still Existed

Here are the cars, trucks, and SUVs we want to make a glorious revival back into the lineups of BMW, Chevy, and Honda.

The Kitchn

Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Nachos

These nachos have it all.

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

Saturday, June 14

IEEE Spectrum

Three Steps to Stopping Killer Asteroids

Planetary defense tech would find and divert hard-to-spot near-Earth objects.

Cal Matters

The Man Who Unsolved a Murder

The lack of investigators affects counties throughout the state, from poor, rural areas to the state’s largest and most well-funded public defense offices.

Pudding

30 Minutes With a Stranger

Watch hundreds of strangers talk for 30 minutes, and track how their moods change.

WIRED

The Blind Leading the Gamers

Ross Minor lost his eyesight at 8 years old. Today, he’s a hardcore gamer who runs YouTube and Twitch channels and consults for big studios. This is not—necessarily—an inspirational story.

Eurozine

A Day in the Life of a Bottle Collector

Chasing the ‘Orange feeling’ and its dark side at northern Europe’s biggest music festival.

The New York Times

Is Biography the One A.I.-Proof Genre?

Each age has its own way of drawing the arc of a human life. Ours is concerned with its unpredictability.

SELF

What Type of Snacker Are You?

Take this quiz to find your munching style—and we’ll give you a healthy snack idea based on your preferences.

Glamour

How to Get Rid of Sunburn Fast, According to Dermatologists

Follow these steps for redness relief.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Time

The Surprisingly Radical History of Father’s Day

Father’s Day’s origins as a national holiday are far from feel-good, writes Augustine Sedgewick.

Martha Stewart

The 9 Best Trees That Thrive in Pots and Containers, According to Plant Experts

Trees are a wonderful way to add definition and color to your garden; you can even grow some of them in pots and containers. Here are a few that expert gardeners recommend.

Smithsonian Magazine

Scientists Had Never Seen This Mysterious Squid Alive in the Wild—Until Now. See the First Footage of the Elusive Creature

A three-foot-long Antarctic gonate squid was spotted swimming 7,000 feet below the surface of the Southern Ocean.

Polygon

Switch 2 Is the Continuity Candidate That Might Just Win

Sleek and accommodating, Switch 2 will slip into your life almost too easily.

Gizmodo

Why Bats Don’t Get Cancer—and What That Means for Humans

Some bat species can live cancer-free for up to 25 years, which is equivalent to 180 human years. How do they do it?

MIT Technology Review

Tech Billionaires Are Making a Risky Bet With Humanity’s Future

Altman, Bezos, and Musk say they want to save humanity by creating superintelligent AI. Journalist and astrophysicist Adam Becker reveals how these fantastical visions conceal a darker agenda.

The Art of Manliness

The Dad Instinct: How Fathers Prepare Kids for the Wider World

When my kids were little, I was an involved dad. I changed diapers, did middle-of-the-night feedings, and took the tykes to the doctor. I wouldn’t say I was inherently drawn to doing these tasks.

Discover

Meet Khankhuuluu: The Dragon Prince Dinosaur That Came Before T. Rex

Learn more about a newly discovered dinosaur species that is now the closest-known ancestor to the Tyrannosaurs.

Vogue

Everything You Need to Know About the New Breast Cancer Vaccine

In the search for a cure for breast cancer, a major breakthrough has finally come.

Los Angeles Times

50 Years After Marshal Matt Dillon’s Last Draw, ‘Gunsmoke’ Is a Streaming Hit

The adult western drama with James Arness is finding loyal fans and new audiences on Peacock, Paramount+ and Pluto TV.

Grist

This Alaska Native Fishing Village Was Trying to Power Their Town. Then Came Trump’s Funding Cuts.

Port Heiden is facing an energy crisis. A $300,000 grant from the EPA would have helped the community swap polluting diesel for cheaper, clean power.

Travel + Leisure

The Largest Garlic Festival in the World Is Back—and Yes, There’s Still Garlic Ice Cream

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is the largest garlic festival in the world. After closing in 2022, the festival is now back and will take place from July 25 to 27.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Fast Company

10 Summer Reading Picks From Business and Financial Leaders

From modern classics to self-help, there’s something here for everyone.

USA TODAY

Most Job Switchers Are Making a Change in Career: Top 5 Fields They’re Leaving

Nowadays, when Americans switch jobs, they’re not just making changes around the edges. Sixty-four percent of workers who switched jobs from 2022 to 2024 also changed careers, according to an Indeed study of 35 million profiles on the leading job site.

The Conversation

You’re Probably Richer Than You Think Because of the Safety Net – but You’d Have More of That Hidden Wealth If You Lived in Norway

The typical worker on the verge of retirement is due roughly $412,000 in this under-the-radar wealth.

The Cut

How to Make More Money Without Working Yourself Into the Ground

Realistic advice for increasing your income without overhauling your life.

Fast Company

How Can I Delegate More?

If you want something done right, you don’t have to do it yourself. You just have to give someone else clear instructions.

NPR

Is All This Talk of Recession Indicators a Sign a Recession Is Coming?

For generations, people have looked for small, informal signs that a recession is coming or already here. This phenomenon recently exploded on social media, often in joke form.

Men's Health

How to Crawl to Get Stronger

These 6 variations from Superhero Shred trainer Don Saladino will hone your core stability and athleticism.

BBC

The Everyday Activity That Can Reveal Your Brain’s Age

The speed at which you walk can reveal profound insights into your brain's rate of ageing – with slower walkers having smaller brains and fundamental differences in crucial structures.

Vox

We’re Secretly Winning the War on Cancer

The quiet revolutions that have prevented millions of cancer deaths.

Fast Company

Starbucks Is Hiring Full-Time Content Creators to Travel the World and Post on Social Media

Dream job for chronically online coffee lovers: Starbucks is hiring two full-time content creators for a 12-month gig posting content at Starbucks locations around the world.

Harvard Business Review

When Help Isn’t Helpful

Nonspecific asks, a lack of accountability, and the potential of a charged aftermath.

USA TODAY

Can You Pass This Quiz on Social Security, Savings and Debt? Most Americans Could Not.

Overall, Americans got correct answers on just under half of the quiz questions.