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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In science, we tend to focus on the destination, not the journey. But for every big breakthrough, every historic discovery, there are countless con...

  • Added: Oct 15, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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The pandemic has changed the way a lot of us understand and experience happiness. In normal times, we think of happiness as a big-picture goal — a ...

  • Added: Oct 08, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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We all know that drinking a lot of alcohol is bad for your health. It’s tied to heart disease, heightened risk for some cancers, addiction, and acc...

  • Added: Oct 01, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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We’re trying to have more meaningful conversations about racism as a country. Part of that means talking about implicit bias — assumptions and ster...

  • Added: Sep 24, 2020
  • Length: 58:56
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The pandemic has put a lot of pressure on both our health care system and the scientific process — exposing weaknesses that have long existed, but ...

  • Added: Sep 17, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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We rely on our friends for all kinds of things — companionship, laughter, and right now — support in times of crisis. But it's only recently that s...

  • Added: Sep 10, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Technology is always changing the way we work, and what kinds of jobs are available. But now these changes are happening at lightning speed, and so...

  • Added: Sep 04, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast of the Pulse --- Most of us dread mosquito season — but on some level, you've got to admire these pesky bloodsuckers. Over the ...

  • Added: Aug 25, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Fall usually means the start of a new school year — but for millions of American kids, it marks the continuation of an extended limbo that’s come t...

  • Added: Aug 20, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Open to new experiences, or comforted by routine? Shy or the life of the party? Figuring out what makes us ti...

  • Added: Aug 13, 2020
  • Length: 59:00
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Nurses have been a part of every aspect of care with the coronavirus pandemic — taking care of patients, communicating with families, writing healt...

  • Added: Aug 06, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Health and beauty may go together in the drugstore — but in real life, the two aren’t always so simpatico. From excessive dieting to plastic surger...

  • Added: Jul 30, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Technology isn’t just changing our world — it’s changing the words we use to describe it. Language is evolving at breakneck speed, thanks to the in...

  • Added: Jul 23, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast of the Pulse, humans have a close relationship with trees. We plant and cultivate them for food and shelter. Trees offer protec...

  • Added: Jul 15, 2020
  • Length: 59:00
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In sharp contrast to abstinence-only education or “Just Say No,” America has been moving toward a public health approach that doesn’t hinge on mora...

  • Added: Jul 09, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast, we celebrate movies. Great films help us understand the world, history, and one another. They have the ability to reach a leve...

  • Added: Jun 30, 2020
  • Length: 58:58
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COVID-19 hasn’t just changed the world — it’s transformed the way we live. On a national scale, it has upended politics and flattened our economy. ...

  • Added: Jun 25, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Thanks to COVID-19, social media has never been more important — or more dangerous. Information — good or bad — spreads at lightning speed, includi...

  • Added: Jun 18, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse — There was a time when seeing was believing — but that’s changing, thanks to new technology that’s elevating fake...

  • Added: Jun 09, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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The killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis has sparked another wave of national outrage over police brutality and violence. Prot...

  • Added: Jun 04, 2020
  • Length: 58:58