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Pocket’s Top-Saved Stories of the Week: December 2023

A highly specific guide to better social skills, how Temu is changing our shopping habits, and why we always feel 20 percent younger than we are.

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Read when you’ve got time to spare.

Looking for some great weekend reading? These are the articles Pocket readers are saving most this month.

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How I Rewired My Brain in Six Weeks

There is growing evidence that simple, everyday changes to our lives can alter our brains and change how they work. Melissa Hogenboom put her own brain in the scanner to find out.

We’re All Addicted to Cheap Stuff — and Temu Knows It

How the cheap, kitschy new Chinese shopping site came from seemingly nowhere and is changing the way we shop.

The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are

There are good reasons you always feel 20 percent younger than your actual age.

The Year of Ozempic

We may look back on new weight-loss drugs as some of the greatest advances in the annals of chronic disease.

Do You Know How to Behave? Are You Sure?

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

What's The Deal With That Cough Everyone Seems To Have Right Now? [Week of 12/16]

It’s not COVID or the flu. If you’ve been sick for a few weeks and have tested negative for everything, here’s what’s going on.

How Much to Tip and Tipping Culture Are Controversial. But Why Do We Care? [Week of 12/16]

You can say no to the tipping tablet. That doesn’t mean you should.

7 Therapists Share Their Best Advice for Coping With Existential Dread and Grief [Week of 12/16]

The world is a mess right now, but there are ways to cope.

The Sauna Secret: Why Finland Is the Happiest Country in the World [Week of 12/16]

Steamy, spiritual and stress-busting, there are more than 3m saunas in Finland. Not only are they skin tingling, they help people explore what it is to be human.

Are Low-Fat Dairy Products Really Healthier? [Week of 12/16]

For decades, experts have said that less is more when it comes to dairy fat and health. But recent research has called this into question.

The Inside Story of Microsoft’s Partnership with OpenAI [Week of 12/9]

The companies had honed a protocol for releasing artificial intelligence ambitiously but safely. Then OpenAI’s board exploded all their carefully laid plans.

What’s Wrong With Saying ‘I Hope You Are Well’ in Work Emails [Week of 12/9]

It’s time to ban this phrase once and for all, argues this communications expert.

Why Psychedelics Produce Some of the Most Meaningful Experiences in People’s Lives [Week of 12/9]

Everything seems profound on psychedelics. Scientists are starting to ask why.

Three Ways to Tell If Research Is Bunk [Week of 12/9]

Here are some rules for deciding whether a new social-science finding is really useful to you.

Can Certain Foods Really Reduce Your Cancer Risk? [Week of 12/9]

You won’t find a silver bullet in a single food, experts say, but there are some that may help you build the best defense.

Want More? Check Out Pocket’s Top Stories of November 2023

The captivating stories that Pocket readers saved most last month, from the key to better studying to the surprising best place to find product reviews.