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.


375 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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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
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Thanksgiving usually means we’re going big — way over the top. Twice the size bird we could possibly eat. More side dishes than the table can hold,...

  • Added: Nov 20, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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Police forces in democratic societies are supposed to safeguard the rights of citizens, and protect their lives and well-being. We think of their r...

  • Added: Nov 14, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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Tape measures and scales, calendars and speedometers are just a few of the tools we use to measure out our lives — inch by inch, pound by pound, da...

  • Added: Nov 07, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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December 30, 2011 never happened in Samoa. The island nation in the South Pacific skipped this day, to move ahead into a different time zone. We ch...

  • Added: Oct 31, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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In this rebroadcast, we look at how modern medicine is increasingly blurring the line between life and death... and how that's changing the way we ...

  • Added: Oct 23, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast, The Pulse looks at cars. They've shaped our modern lives, from where we live and work, to the shape of our communities, to how...

  • Added: Oct 16, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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Every culture, workplace, group, and family has its norms — its standards, the way things are done. Norms govern everything from relationships to d...

  • Added: Oct 10, 2019
  • Length: 58:58
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There was a time when seeing was believing — but that’s changing, thanks to new technology that’s elevating fakery to a whole new level. In an ever...

  • Added: Oct 03, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse - Scientist. Farmer. Feminist. Leader. Alpha male. Veteran. African-American. Hindu. Identity isn’t just about who...

  • Added: Sep 24, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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Hair can be our crowning glory, a big part of our identity, and a tool for self-expression. We shave it, style it, cut it, dye it — and sometimes,...

  • Added: Sep 19, 2019
  • Length: 58:59
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You know when you get butterflies in your stomach? Or your gut clenches with fear? Or the way a gory movie can fill you with nausea? Those feelings...

  • Added: Sep 12, 2019
  • Length: 58:59