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Pocket’s Top Stories of February 2023

Making space for spontaneity, why you shouldn’t force yourself to be productive, and the truth about your favorite morning beverage.

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Looking to fill your Pocket for some weekend reading? Check out the stories Pocket readers saved most in February.

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[Week of 2/25] The Truth About Caffeine: How Coffee Really Affects Our Bodies

Every day, around the world, 2bn cups are consumed. But what actually happens after you swallow that first mouthful? Here is everything you need to know.

[Week of 2/25] Here’s Why You Should Make a Habit of Having More Fun

When was the last time you flew too high on a swing and lost your stomach, or busted out laughing so hard that you started crying? If it’s been awhile since you’ve had this kind of fun, you’re not alone.

[Week of 2/25] How a Nonlinear Workday Might Help You Get More Done

It’s about working according to your natural energy levels, and not forcing yourself to be productive.

[Week of 2/25] How Do Air Fryers Work?

And why we think it’s (probably) worth buying one.

[Week of 2/25] A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled

A very strange conversation with the chatbot built into Microsoft’s search engine led to it declaring its love for me.

[Week of 2/18] ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web

OpenAI’s chatbot offers paraphrases, whereas Google offers quotes. Which do we prefer?

[Week of 2/18] I Love You, but I Don’t Want to Sleep With You

Snoring and conflicting schedules are top reasons couples decide to sleep in separate bedrooms. Sex therapists and marriage counselors have their doubts about the arrangement.

[Week of 2/18] The Key to Tender Meat? Baking Soda

A little goes a long way with especially tough cuts—like this juicy London broil.

[Week of 2/18] Try the ‘Five Things’ Method When You’re Overwhelmed by Mess

Every mess contains these five things that can be more easily tackled one by one.

[Week of 2/18] Fry Pizza, Add Marmite to Roast Potatoes: 27 Eye-Opening and Invaluable Tips From Top Chefs

Whether you want to thicken a stew, tenderise meat or get your scallops squeaky-clean, the pros have a trick for it.

[Week of 2/11] Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?

How to text, tip, ghost, host, and generally exist in polite society today.

[Week of 2/11] Bonhoeffer’s “Theory of Stupidity”: We Have More to Fear From Stupid People Than Evil Ones

Evil is easy to identify and fight against; not so with stupidity.

[Week of 2/11] 10 Philosophical Concepts You Should Know

Did you know that philosophers have proposed answers for many of the questions we ask ourselves? Here are some philosophical concepts that everyone should know.

[Week of 2/11] Why More Physicists Are Starting to Think Space and Time Are ‘Illusions’

A concept called “quantum entanglement” suggests the fabric of the universe is more interconnected than we think. And it also suggests we have the wrong idea about reality.

[Week of 2/11] I’ve Spent Years Studying Happiness – Here’s What Actually Makes for a Happier life

What I’ve learned on the journey to happiness.

[Week of 2/06] The Cause of Depression Is Probably Not What You Think

Depression has often been blamed on low levels of serotonin in the brain. That answer is insufficient, but alternatives are coming into view and changing our understanding of the disease.

[Week of 2/06] How to Become a Morning Exercise Person

Yes, it can be done.

[Week of 2/06] This Maine Home Can Stay 70 Degrees Without a Furnace, Even When It’s Freezing Outside

With extra insulation and lots of sun, a passive house in the town of Hope is able to maintain an indoor temperature of around 70 degrees without the use of a furnace.

[Week of 2/06] Can Spicy Foods Cure Colds? A Neuroscientist Reveals the Encouraging Truth

Spicy food does nothing against the rhinovirus, but it can ease symptoms.

[Week of 2/06] Here’s What Being Filthy Rich in Europe Looked Like in 1000 BC, 1 AD, and 1000 AD

Studying the display of personal wealth across time can help us better understand the history of socioeconomic inequality.