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Pocket’s Top Stories of August 2023

Putin strikes again, the untapped potential of contemplative science, and how to master the art of seduction.

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How to Flirt, According to a Bartender

“I know that at any bar or party I can get anyone I want.”

Why Note-Taking Apps Don’t Make Us Smarter

Their big promise has fizzled out.

Meditation Is More Than Either Stress Relief or Enlightenment

Exploring the wider range of meditation is no longer reserved for the monasteries. The new science of meditation is just getting started.

Putin’s Deadly Revenge on Prigozhin

The killing of Wagner’s leader, who is presumed dead after his private plane crashed en route to St. Petersburg, won’t address the deeper sources of stress affecting the Russian President’s grip on power.

How to Be a Good Listener - and How to Know When You’re Doing It Right

How counsellors learn to be good listeners.

Elon Musk’s Shadow Rule [Week of 8/26]

How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in.

The 50 Worst Decisions in TV History [Week of 8/26]

Reality TV disasters, boneheaded cancelations, cable news calamities, and more.

How to Apologize Like a Pro [Week of 8/26]

A partial “sorry” is worse than none.

‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us? [Week of 8/26]

PFAS lurk in so much of what we eat, drink and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they’re impacting our health — and what to do about them.

On the Difficulty of Getting Rid of Books [Week of 8/26]

“I don’t get rid of them, per se; rather, I set them afloat, in search of new homes.”

The Lifelong Effects of ‘the Favourite Child’ [Week of 8/19]

Most parents won’t admit it, but a surprising number have a ‘hidden favourite’ and the way they treat that child compared to their siblings can have long-lasting impacts.

How to (Actually) Talk to Kids [Week of 8/19]

It’s not dissimilar from talking to other adults, but even the most well-meaning grown-ups can forget that.

What Happens to All the Stuff We Return? [Week of 8/19]

Online merchants changed the way we shop—and made “reverse logistics” into a booming new industry.

‘We’re All Water-Bottle Freaks’ [Week of 8/19]

Americans are drinking more water. How best to contain it: That’s the burning question.

How to Get More Comfortable With Death [Week of 8/19]

Angst about mortality is part of being human, but if it’s interfering with your life, there are proven ways to dial it down.

How to Sell Stuff You No Longer Need [Week of 8/12]

From Craigslist to eBay and beyond, here’s how to turn your castoffs into cash.

‘Everything You’ve Been Told Is a Lie!’ Inside the Wellness-to-Fascism Pipeline [Week of 8/12]

One minute you’re doing the downward dog, the next you’re listening to conspiracy theories about Covid or the new world order. How did the desire to look after yourself become so toxic?

7 Ways to Bring a Dead Friendship Back to Life [Week of 8/12]

Positivity, consistency, and vulnerability play a key role.

Did Plastic Straw Bans Work? Yes, but Not in the Way You’d Think. [Week of 8/12]

Plastic straws used to be “environment enemy number one.”

The Hidden Harms of CPR [Week of 8/12]

The brutal procedure can save lives, but only in particular cases. Why has it become a default treatment?

Tell Me Why It Hurts [Week of 8/5]

Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk’s once controversial theory of trauma became the dominant way we make sense of our lives.

The Perils of Highly Processed Food [Week of 8/5]

For millennia, human beings have engineered what they eat. Have we finally gone too far?

Everyone Procrastinates. Here’s How to Accomplish What Matters Most to You [Week of 8/5]

We’re always procrastinating on something so learning how to neglect some things in order to focus on others is a vital skill.

The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church [Week of 8/5]

The defining problem driving people out is ... just how American life works in the 21st century.

The Secret Life of the 500+ Cables That Run the Internet [Week of 8/5]

Multimillion-dollar cables crisscrossing the bottom of the ocean have become the vital connections of our online lives.

Want More? Pocket’s Top Stories of July 2023

Check out the stories that Pocket readers saved most last month.