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.


376 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: Jun 21, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Happy Birthday, America! From the very beginning, science has shaped this country. Many of the Founding Fathers — Madison, Jefferson, Washington — ...

  • Added: Jun 30, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Sleep is the new skinny. Americans are obsessed with a good night's rest- after decades of viewing sleep as a waste of time for people who have not...

  • Added: Jul 06, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Shortages can bring minor inconveniences, like expensive avocados or almonds. In healthcare, they can mean the difference between getting the care ...

  • Added: Jul 13, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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On July 29th, 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act and soon we sent men where only our imaginations had taken u...

  • Added: Jul 21, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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It’s summer, and it’s hot. On this episode, we get stranded on an urban ‘heat island’ and learn what cities are doing to cool them down. How is the...

  • Added: Jul 27, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Gambling. Drugs. Prostitution. Booze. As a society, we have always regulated behaviors we consider vices. Those regulations were once grounded in m...

  • Added: Aug 16, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Lots of us have big plans to get the most out of summer — but we only have three short months to go to the beach trip, take a canoe trip, or fly to...

  • Added: Aug 10, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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The land and vistas around us tell a story about weather, the seasons, and light, but also about human influence, climate change -- and shifts in o...

  • Added: Aug 17, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Farts. Flies. Maggots. Worms. Earwax. Poop. All of these things gross us out, but the science around them is really fascinating! On this episode,...

  • Added: Aug 24, 2017
  • Length: 29:20
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It’s Labor Day, which means we’re celebrating the hard-working people who keep the engines of productivity humming. This special production from Th...

  • Added: Aug 30, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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When we decide something is important enough to hold on to, often it’s science or technology that helps us protect the things we cherish most. The ...

  • Added: Sep 14, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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On this episode, The Pulse explores opportunities for another life in health, science and technology. What does it take for things — and people — t...

  • Added: Sep 21, 2017
  • Length: 50:28
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The words ‘Mississippi River’ evoke images of a mustachioed Mark Twain — or the whistle of a steamboat calliope. But that river doesn’t exist anymo...

  • Added: Sep 28, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Everywhere we go, in just about everything we do, we make trash. The Pulse explores the hard work of cleaning up. It’s a science, you know. We visi...

  • Added: Oct 05, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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We used to think of nerds as unattractive, pimply or tragically unfashionable — but somehow over the years — the meaning changed. Today we embrace ...

  • Added: Oct 12, 2017
  • Length: 50:30
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What’s on your plate can say a lot about your likes, dislikes — and what you believe in. Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian. Grillmaster. Sushi Lover. Kosher. Pa...

  • Added: Oct 20, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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Cue the scary lullaby. We're taking on the things that freak us out. There's biology behind the spooky feeling you get when a horror movie soundtra...

  • Added: Oct 26, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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This show is about what happens when we step away from things — people or places. The episode begins in Pennsylvania coal country, where companies ...

  • Added: Nov 02, 2017
  • Length: 50:29
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On this episode, The Pulse celebrates the service and innovative spirit of U.S. veterans. There are about 20 million American vets. We’ve got a few...

  • Added: Nov 09, 2017
  • Length: 50:29