The Pulse

Series produced by WHYY

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Weekly subscribable series.

Host Maiken Scott leads this one-hour, weekly tour of the people and places at the heart of health and science.

The Pulse is a show for curious people who ask: "Yeah, why is that?" Often surprising and always captivating, The Pulse makes science and discovery personal. Produced at WHYY in Philadelphia, the show features scientists, doctors, innovators and storytelling from across the country.

For information about The Pulse please contact Steve Martin at steve@sfmconsulting.com or call 703.715.0827.

For help subscribing please contact PRX at prxhelp@prx.org.


373 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Scientists say that the field of genetics is making progress at an exponential pace, but with great genetic power comes great responsibility. On th...

  • Added: Feb 03, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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Love is in the air, so we thought it would be the perfect time to talk about the heart...in a health and science sort of way. On this episode, we l...

  • Added: Feb 09, 2017
  • Length: 50:40
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One of the most widely accepted treatments in psychiatry is also one of the most polarizing--electroconvulsive therapy is a go to for major depress...

  • Added: Feb 16, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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On today’s show, we explore the science of making great copies: a machine that can mimic an organ, the quest to make the perfect fake meat, what it...

  • Added: Feb 23, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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Say "aaaaaah," because on this week’s episode of The Pulse, we’re exploring your mouth. We attend a tongue tie snipping and a wisdom tooth extracti...

  • Added: Mar 01, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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This week, we’ll explore why we feel disgust, and what we can learn when we take a closer look at repulsive things…how fly spit messes up crimes sc...

  • Added: Mar 09, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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Every year, thousands of people come to the U.S. from other countries. Some come as immigrants. Others come to this country under terrible circumst...

  • Added: Mar 18, 2017
  • Length: 50:40
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This week, The Pulse visits with the boss ladies who are doing groundbreaking work in fields like chemistry, biology, astrophysics. Many of them ch...

  • Added: Mar 30, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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Many of us have some baggage when it comes to our health. A bad back. High blood pressure. Heart disease. Cancer. In health insurance speak: "pre-e...

  • Added: Mar 30, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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Rare illness. Dangerous weight loss. Staunch activism. Remote places. ‘Out there’ scientific ideas. The Pulse explores extremes and what we can lea...

  • Added: Apr 06, 2017
  • Length: 50:39
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What should fuel America? Coal, natural gas, and nuclear are still the undeniable leaders, but sun, wind and water are catching up as clean, renewa...

  • Added: Apr 28, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Now for our feature presentation: we're going to explore the science of movie magic as seen on the big screen and behind the scenes. We'll take you...

  • Added: Apr 20, 2017
  • Length: 50:28
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Being seen has consequences, some great, some scary. Scientists are stepping out of the lab and speaking up to counter what they say is a worrying ...

  • Added: Apr 27, 2017
  • Length: 50:30
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Giving birth, Giving support. Being there. Being exhausted. To mark Mother’s Day, “The Pulse” reflects on some of the ways humans — and other speci...

  • Added: May 04, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Money drives decisions in health and science. It’s part of the equation in drug development and dictates which medicines end up on the pharmacy she...

  • Added: May 11, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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The Pulse follows do-it-yourselfers in health and science. We meet a man who decided to kick his drug habit on his own without medical help. Then t...

  • Added: May 18, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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What’s in your backyard, in your water, in your food? The Pulse hunts for the hidden poisons in the environment and finds them everywhere — even in...

  • Added: May 25, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Steaks are delicious. Bacon is tasty. Americans eat a ton of meat, and consumption is on the rise. People worry that eating too much meat can hurt ...

  • Added: Jun 06, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Some problems are so big, so entrenched and complicated, you can start to feel like Sisyphus - condemned to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity –...

  • Added: Jun 08, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Let's explore the most complex computer system on Earth: the brain. On this episode, we'll examine this wondrous organ — what we're learning about ...

  • Added: Jun 15, 2017
  • Length: 50:29