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.


346 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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What does it take to get through a global pandemic? How do you keep going, keep working, get up every day and hope for the best? Around the world, ...

  • Added: Apr 09, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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The COVID-19 outbreak is creating increased demand for mental health services — lots of people are feeling anxious, or are getting depressed. At th...

  • Added: Apr 02, 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: Mar 26, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Communities around the world are scrambling to slow the spread of COVID-19: closing businesses and schools, canceling gatherings, and limiting soci...

  • Added: Mar 19, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Think about the millions of details stored in your memory: what you had for breakfast; how to get to work; the smell of lavender; your first kiss; ...

  • Added: Mar 12, 2020
  • Length: 59:00
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Medicine is always changing. New treatments become available. Old ones become obsolete. But, how does a treatment become established? How long does...

  • Added: Mar 05, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse - Sadness seemingly comes out of nowhere sometimes: a song, a photo, a movie scene, a memory, and there it is. You...

  • Added: Feb 24, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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“It’s not fair!” That’s a common refrain anyone with kids is familiar with. From the time they learn to talk, kids begin protesting the innumerable...

  • Added: Feb 20, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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What is love? That warm and fuzzy feeling, that crazed obsession, that deep sentiment of trust and good will. It’s all of those things, but where a...

  • Added: Feb 12, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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Movies may not be real — but in a lot of ways, they’re real to us. Great films help us understand the world, history, and one another. They have th...

  • Added: Feb 06, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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When you’re a teenager, everybody tells you that getting pregnant happens quickly, under all kinds of circumstances. But when you look at the proce...

  • Added: Jan 30, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast of the Pulse - Hair can be our crowning glory, a big part of our identity, and a tool for self-expression. We shave it, style i...

  • Added: Jan 21, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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In the decades after the Civil War, the nation was changing rapidly. Cities were industrializing, the railroad was expanding, business was booming ...

  • Added: Jan 16, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
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After a decades-long hiatus, researchers are taking a fresh look at the potential of psychedelics in therapy. Could substances like ketamine, MDMA,...

  • Added: Jan 09, 2020
  • Length: 58:58
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The New Year is often a time for a fresh start.  We reflect on our past habits, and resolve to do better — eat healthier, work harder, or work less...

  • Added: Jan 02, 2020
  • Length: 59:00
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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse - Running, biking, weightlifting, swimming — for lots of people, working out is an important part of life. It’s ab...

  • Added: Dec 23, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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Humans have a close relationship with trees. We plant and cultivate them for food and shelter. Trees offer protection from the rays of the sun. We ...

  • Added: Dec 18, 2019
  • Length: 59:00
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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse - You know what they say — all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And science seems to confirm that statement...

  • Added: Dec 09, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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Being a dentist can be a lonely job. Your patients don’t want to be there — and even if they did, it’s not like they can talk with their mouths ope...

  • Added: Dec 06, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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The roles of nurses have changed and expanded a lot in recent decades. Nurses are highly specialized, they have branched out into new areas of medi...

  • Added: Nov 26, 2019
  • Length: 58:59