Shows / The Pulse
The Pulse
Go on an adventure into unexpected corners of the health and science world each week with award-winning host Maiken Scott. The Pulse takes you behind the doors of operating rooms, into the lab with some of the world's foremost scientists, and back in time to explore life-changing innovations. The Pulse delivers stories in ways that matter to you, and answers questions you never knew you had.
Episodes
- The Pulse
Shame and Blame: How Stigma Impacts Health
Dealing with a serious or chronic health condition is hard enough — but what happens when that condition comes with moral judgment? That's the case for…
- The Pulse
How Science is Transforming Weight Loss
Most of us have been there — feeling our jeans get tighter, watching the numbers on the scale creep up, declaring that this time we're going to lose the weight…
- The Pulse
Space Pioneers
In 1978, NASA recruited six candidates out of thousands of applicants for a special, groundbreaking mission: to become the first American women in space. Over…
- The Pulse
Boredom in the Age of Information Overload
It sneaks up on us while we're sitting in traffic, or waiting at the doctor's office, or doing our taxes — boredom, that restless feeling of dissatisfaction…
- The Pulse
Face Recognition and What it Means for our Privacy
In November of 2019, New York Times tech reporter Kashmir Hill got a tip that immediately had her on high alert. It was about a secretive tech company called…
- The Pulse
How Art and Science Intersect
We often think of art and science as existing in different — even opposite — spheres. One revolves around creativity and imagination; the other around…
- The Pulse
Finding Happiness
We spend a lot of time thinking about happiness. Wondering if we are truly happy, and how we could get there. We try to predict what will make us happy in the…
- The Pulse
Helping Teens Navigate Mental Health Challenges
The teenage years can be an emotional rollercoaster. One moment everything is great, it's amazing, then suddenly life is terrible, and all is ruined. But - it…
- The Pulse
Remote Working vs. the Office — Which is Better?
Over the past few years, remote working has transformed millions of people's lives — giving them more time for family, more control over their schedules, and a…
- The Pulse
Bringing Physics from Theory to Practice
Science is all about observing the world. But how do you study something you can't see, smell, or hear — like the tiniest particles all around us? How do you…
- The Pulse
Will A.I. Take Your Job — or Make It Better?
Whether you're a student or a doctor, a plumber or a truck driver, a university lecturer or a radio reporter, artificial intelligence is changing the way we…
- The Pulse
Skin Care and the Quest for Eternal Youth
It seems like every day, new skin care products hit the market: lotions, serums, collagen boosters, light therapy, at-home lasers — potions and procedures…
- The Pulse
What's Behind Health Care Shortages?
If you've tried to book a doctor's appointment lately, chances are, it's been challenging. Many practices are not taking new patients, or open slots are weeks…
- The Pulse
Searching for Utopia
For centuries, writers and philosophers have imagined what a perfect world might look like — if only we had a chance to start over, build it all from scratch…
- The Pulse
Behind the Scenes — Challenges in Medicine
When you're at the doctor's office or a hospital, it's easy to get frustrated. Why is this taking so long? Why do the nurses look so tired? Why does my doctor…
- The Pulse
Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers
Skydiving, BASE jumping, climbing the highest peaks, adventuring to remote parts of the world — pushing the boundaries of safety. For thrill-seekers, chasing…
- The Pulse
Degrees of Freedom
Freedom sounds great as an idea. Who doesn't want to be free to do what they want? But when you take a closer look, freedom becomes more complicated. What does…
- The Pulse
Buried Secrets, Buried Waste
In October of 1947, a navy reserve pilot named George Earle IV received strange orders: He was to pick up several 55-gallon barrels at the Philadelphia Navy…
- The Pulse
Black Health: Finding Solutions to End Disparities
Health disparities between Black and white Americans run deep in the U.S. Black people are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes…
- The Pulse
The Social Self
It's a simple question with lots of answers: Who are you? You might answer with your name, age, gender, or race. Or you might define yourself by your family —…
- The Pulse
The Benefits of Knowing When to Quit
The messages we receive around quitting are usually straightforward — don't do it. It's something we hear everywhere — from greats like Michael Jordan and…
- The Pulse
How K-Beauty Revolutionized Skincare — And Became Obsessed with Perfection
When NPR host Elise Hu moved to South Korea to be an international correspondent, she ended up getting a crash course on Korean beauty and the country's…
- The Pulse
Communicating with Animals
Humans have long been fascinated by the idea of communicating with other species — not just teaching animals to mimic human words, but truly understanding…
- The Pulse
The Mind-Body Feedback Loop
We all know how stress — or anger, or pangs of anxiety — can affect the body. Your heart rate increases; your blood pressure rises; maybe your palms feel…
- The Pulse
When Healing Happens But We Don't Know Why
More than a third of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine, ranging from acupuncture to herbalism, Ayurveda to homeopathy. But despite its…
- The Pulse
Managing the Challenges of Motherhood
If you look around for Mother's Day gifts, you'll probably see stuff like bubble baths, spa days, yoga classes — a whole slew of things aimed at promoting…
- The Pulse
Neurotech and the Growing Battle for Our Brains
Have you ever wanted to figure out when you're the most focused? Or how your moods change throughout the day? How "fit" your brain is, or whether your insomnia…
- The Pulse
Why Rejection Hurts So Much — And How to Cope
Rejection, or even the thought of it, can strike fear into our hearts, and leave a bad taste in our mouths. It often leads to a mix of sadness, shame, anxiety…
- The Pulse
Why We Love and Hate Exercising —And How to Do it Either Way
We all know that exercise is good for us — for both our bodies and our minds — but motivating yourself to hit the gym, take a run, or even go for a walk…
- The Pulse
Taking the Temperature of Climate Science
We hear about the big picture of climate change almost every day — the threats it poses, the effects on our world and lives, the fight to stop it. Across the…
- The Pulse
Call Me — Maybe? 50 Years Since the First Cell Phone Call
On April 3, 1973, an engineer named Martin Cooper stood nervously along a busy midtown Manhattan street, about to make a phone call. It was a call that would…
- The Pulse
Bringing Physics from Theory to Practice
Science is all about observing the world. But how do you study something you can't see, smell, or hear — like the tiniest particles all around us? How do you…
- The Pulse
Black Health: Finding Solutions to Disparities
Health disparities between Black and white Americans run deep in the U.S. Black people are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes…
- The Pulse
The Therapist in your Pocket
Finding the right therapist — or, sometimes, any therapist — can be a grueling process. Someone with the right expertise, who is still taking new clients…
- The Pulse
Transformative Power of Awe
It's the goosebumps you get at the crescendo of your favorite song; the stupefying wonder that comes with witnessing a birth or a death; the astonishing…
- The Pulse
Changing the Way We Think About Chronic Pain
Pain is powerful — and when it becomes chronic, it can be all-consuming. It takes over our minds, saps our energy, and becomes the focus of our existence. And…
- The Pulse
Thrills & Chills: The Psychology of Fear
It's that time of year when we celebrate something we usually hate: fear. We visit haunted houses and corn mazes or binge-watch the scariest horror movies. But…
- The Pulse
From Polio to COVID — the Evolution of Intensive Care
The modern ICU, or Intensive Care Unit, was born out of a time of crisis. It was 1952, and polio was raging in many places — especially the city of Copenhagen…
- The Pulse
Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers
Skydiving, BASE jumping, climbing the highest peaks, adventuring to remote parts of the world — pushing the boundaries of safety. For thrill-seekers, chasing…
- The Pulse
Finding a Way to Live With Grief
The death of a loved one can be shattering — especially when it's unexpected. It destroys our feeling of safety, warps our sense of reality, and often leaves…
- The Pulse
Chasing Sleep
Sleep — we all need it, but most people aren't getting enough of it. Ideally, we spend about a third of our lives asleep. When we're well rested, we feel like…
- The Pulse
Talking Therapy
The process of therapy can sometimes seem a bit opaque. What exactly happens in therapy? How does it work? And which approach is right for which issues? On…
- The Pulse
How We Process Information
The human brain has an incredible capacity for processing information, from sensory data, to casual conversations, to everything we hear and read — in…
- The Pulse
What Will it Take to Diversify Medicine?
Who becomes a physician in this country — and who never gets that chance? It's a question a lot of medical schools are grappling with, as groups like Black…
- The Pulse
Science of Love
What is love? Is it that warm and fuzzy feeling, that crazed obsession, that deep sentiment of trust and good will? It's all of those things, but where and how…