The Pulse Specials

Series produced by WHYY

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

It’s 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.


103 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Climate change could forever alter our planet sooner than we thought. A new report from the United Nations says that just 1.5 degrees Celsius stand...

Bought by WAMU, KRWG, WCPN, Colorado Public Radio, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass. and more


  • Added: Oct 26, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 7
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Who has time to read the small print — to go over all the “stuff” that’s in our food, medicine, or supplements? And what’s carrageenan or hexyldecy...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, WAMU, WCPN, Spokane Public Radio, KUSU and more


  • Added: Oct 24, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
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It’s been a year since Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, destroying lives and reducing many communities to rubble. The storm also affected...

Bought by 'The Sea', KQED, WUTC, WLPR , MPR News Stations and more


  • Added: Sep 12, 2018
  • Length: 58:58
  • Purchases: 9
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School is a place where kids learn about health — everything from nutrition to avoiding STDs. But increasingly, schools across the country are taki...

Bought by KUSU, WCBE, WCPN, Spokane Public Radio, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass. and more


  • Added: Aug 28, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 7
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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 from The Pulse at ...

Bought by KUAF Public Radio, KTOO, KSFR, New Hampshire Public Radio, Morehead State Public Radio and more


  • Added: Aug 20, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 26
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In science and medicine, we often fail to predict the outcomes of our experiments and actions. The result: unintended consequences. Sometimes the s...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KUOW, and KUSU


  • Added: Aug 16, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 3
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As drug overdose deaths continue to soar, cities hit hard by the opioid crisis are considering a controversial new proposal: safe injection sites. ...

Bought by WCPN, WSKG, KQED, KUOW, WAMU and more


  • Added: Jul 18, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 7
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Happy Birthday, America! From the very beginning, science has shaped this country. Many of the Founding Fathers — Madison, Jefferson, Washington — ...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, Michigan Radio, KUHF, WGCU, KUHF and more


  • Added: Jun 15, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 48
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A gun can change a moment, a life, a family, an entire neighborhood. Like a catalyst in a chemical reaction, guns have a unique ability to transfor...

Bought by WNYC, Nevada Public Radio, WFAE, WAMU, Boise State Public Radio and more


  • Added: May 22, 2018
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 11
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The Pulse celebrates Mother's Day with stories about the ways humans — and other species — juggle fierce love and the never-ending demands of child...

Bought by KUT, KMUN, WGCU, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, WVTF and more


  • Added: May 09, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 27
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Diabetes costs more healthcare dollars than any other disease in the United States. But beyond the huge financial price tag — diabetes takes a majo...

Bought by WFAE and KUOW


  • Added: May 08, 2018
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 2
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As Kermit the frog once said — it’s not easy being green. Amid challenges like pollution, deforestation and climate change, engaging with environme...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., KUT, KJZZ, KUAF Public Radio, WYSO and more


  • Added: Mar 25, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 27
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Technology helps us run our lives, do our jobs, get directions, and keep track of our calendar. Right? Or, is technology taking control of our live...

Bought by KUSU, RadioFreePalmer, and WMRA


  • Added: Mar 30, 2018
  • Length: 50:29
  • Purchases: 3
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Whether you're fixing a leaky toilet or a busted iPhone, there's no satisfaction quite like doing it yourself. On this episode, we celebrate our in...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KUSU, and KJZZ


  • Added: Mar 26, 2018
  • Length: 50:29
  • Purchases: 3
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Bruises. Burns. Lesions. Lacerations. Wounds can be dangerous, painful, even gruesome. But they also represent our ability to survive and heal. The...

  • Added: Mar 15, 2018
  • Length: 50:29
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We travel to experience awe or learn something new — maybe even to get our worldview shaken up a bit. On this episode, The Pulse explores how trave...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., KUSU, WFAE, WMRA, WKAR and more


  • Added: Mar 05, 2018
  • Length: 50:30
  • Purchases: 6
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Segregation in housing and education has had reverberations on health care and health outcomes for African Americans. In this episode, we explore t...

Bought by WGCU, WWNO, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., WLPR , Nevada Public Radio and more


  • Added: Feb 09, 2018
  • Length: 50:30
  • Purchases: 8
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On this episode of The Pulse ... that moment when your secret gets out ... and what happens next.

Bought by Indie3 Radio and WGCU


  • Added: Feb 08, 2018
  • Length: 50:29
  • Purchases: 2
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Music touches nearly every part of our lives. On this episode, we explore the science and power of music — what does research tell us about this em...

Bought by WGCU


  • Added: Feb 05, 2018
  • Length: 50:29
  • Purchases: 1
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Being in nature is restorative, the wild can feed your soul. But for hundreds of years, we pushed west across the country trampling and displacing ...

Bought by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and KPIP-LP


  • Added: Feb 05, 2018
  • Length: 50:28
  • Purchases: 2