The Pulse

By WHYYScience Health & Fitness

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49 min
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The Pulse episodes

November 16, 2018We’re Family — But Why?
Ever sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, look around at the shining faces of your family, and think to yourself: “How the heck am I related to these people?”
You’re not alone. Family can be a source of love and support, along with frustration and bafflement. So what keeps us tied to family — shared memories and Sunday dinners? Or is it blood and genetics? The Pulse explores how we define family — and how family defines us.
Also heard on this week’s episode:
To get us ready for the possible tumult and hurt feelings at the holiday dinner table, psychology professor Marissa Holst explains how conflict can both hurt and strengthen families.
When Jean DelMuto needed a kidney, her nephew Jim Melwert volunteered. Neither realized the family reverberations his generosity would cause.
Biologist PZ Myers discusses whether genetics explains our drive to connect with distant relatives across the world.
Tara and Alan Atchison knew before they got married that if they wanted children, they’d probably adopt. Going that route expanded their idea of family more than they had expected.
48 min
October 26, 2018 Facing Our Fears
Nerve-racking. Sickening. Facing your fear can be all of that — and sometimes a little thrilling, too.
50 min
October 19, 2018Global Warning
Climate change could transform our planet sooner than we thought. A new report from the United Nations says that just 1.5 degrees Celsius stand between us and dangerous conditions. At risk: our ecosystems and economies, food and water security, homes and lives.
So what does this mean? Do we take radical measures to slow down global warming? Or do we hold on to our way of life, and figure out a way to adapt to what’s coming? On this episode of The Pulse, we hear about climate action proposals — from carbon capture to zero-waste living — that could help us brace for the future.
Also heard on this week’s episode:
The promise and pitfalls of carbon sequestration — an emerging approach to fighting global warming.
A visit to Japan’s “zero-waste” town Kamikatsu, which has made green living a way of life.
Audio producer Claire Schoen considers the next step in her climate change activism: getting arrested.
Biologist Samantha Chapman explains how mangrove trees could help protect our coasts.
RAND Corporation policy researcher Benjamin Preston discusses Americans’ collective willingness to take the big steps climate activists want — such as abandoning fossil fuels.
50 min
October 05, 2018In the Name of Science
Advances in science don’t just happen — sometimes, real progress requires heroic measures. On this show, we explore the lengths people go to in the name of science. We hear stories about researchers subjecting themselves to punishing experiments, venturing to remote corners of the earth, and racing against the cosmos for a peek at their subject of inquiry.
Also heard on this week’s episode:
What does it take to convince flat earthers that the world is round? Science YouTuber Kurtis Baute’s hunch: a 2,000-year-old experiment.
When doctors kept dismissing Imelda Wilde’s chronic UTIs, she took science into her own hands.
Economist Jay Zagorsky explains the mission behind his bike ride from Seattle to Washington, D.C. — and what he found.
In their new book, Sawbones podcasters Sydnee and Justin McElroy tell us about scientists who experimented on themselves (including swallowing diarrhea), so we can enjoy modern medicine today.
Noah Strycker spent an entire year traveling to more than 40 countries chasing birds. His goal: to see as many different species of birds as possible.
48 min
September 28, 2018Different Country, Different Medicine
Medicine, healthcare — even illness — vary from country to country. Those differences are driven by tradition, culture, even politics. On this episode of The Pulse, we zoom in on those contrasts. In Hong Kong, we learn why acupuncture could be the next frontier for pain treatment. In Germany, we investigate the burnout epidemic affecting stressed-out workers. And in India, we visit a hospital that turns anxious family into trained care companions.
Also heard on this week’s show:
Traditional Chinese medicine might seem ancient, but historian Paul Unschuld says its official birth date is in the 1950s.
The Syrian Civil War has driven out more than half of the country’s medical doctors. Hear from two physicians who opted to stay — facing shortages and danger in a bid to help desperate patients.
Israel recently shuttered a humanitarian project that delivered medical help to thousands of Syrians. One of the final patients to receive treatment: a 14-year-old boy named Ahmad, who received a groundbreaking procedure that saved his leg.
In Germany, stressed-out workers are diagnosing themselves with a syndrome they call “Der Burnout.”
A history lesson on Mexico’s approach to birth control.
49 min
September 21, 2018Who’s in Control – Tech or Us?
Technology helps us run our lives, do our jobs, get directions and keep track of our calendars. Right? Or, is technology taking control of our lives – stealing our time, and shattering our attention into a thousand pieces?
Also heard on this week’s show:
How modern slot machines trick our brains into playing longer, and losing more.
We visit a guy who’s given his life – and his home – over to technology in his search for smarter living.
Science writer Elizabeth Weingarten says her brain has been hijacked by tech. We follow her quest for digital detox.
Why some teens are “ghosting” social media in the name of mental health.
New Jersey is using algorithms to help determine which defendants are jailed, and which are released. Now, the death of one man is prompting a backlash.
Pagers went out with mood rings and Hamsterdance – but not for doctors. We find out why hospitals are holding on to their beepers.
Author of The Digital Doctor Robert Wachter envisions a future where tech advancements give patients and doctors more control over where and how they receive care.
Amazon Alexa isn’t just a virtual assistant – for some seniors, she’s a lifeline. We hear why that is from the Front Porch Center’s Kari Olsen, then meet a woman who considers Alexa a trusted friend.
49 min
September 07, 2018Hurricane Maria: Puerto Rico One Year Later
It’s been a year since Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, destroying lives and reducing many communities to rubble. The storm also affected the island in other ways — devastating its power grid, crippling communications, and transforming industry.
On this episode, we explore Maria’s aftermath — what the storm revealed about Puerto Rico’s vulnerabilities, the changing landscape, and the human toll of failed infrastructure. Plus, efforts by locals to adapt and rebuild, and the challenges they face moving forward.
Also heard on this week’s episode:
Investigative journalist Omaya Sosa Pascual unpacks the disastrous impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico’s health care system — and why she thinks it could happen again.
Biophysical chemist Belinda Pastrana on how Maria has affected her startup and why she decided she had to relocate.
Marvel writer Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez explains the inspiration behind his character La Borinqueña — a superhero who’s become a symbol of strength for Puerto Ricans.
49 min
August 24, 2018How Schools Shape Health
School is a place where kids learn about health — everything from nutrition to avoiding STDs. But increasingly, schools across the country are taking a stronger role in health issues affecting students. They’re providing basic medical care and counseling, and even tackling major public health problems like traumatic stress. In this episode — exploring the role that schools can and should play in caring for kids’ health.
Also heard on this week’s episode:
Why teachers at Centennial High School in Champaign, Illinois want to learn more about helping students who’ve experienced violence and trauma.
Public health consultant Odilon Couzin talks about the extreme academic pressure kids face in Hong Kong schools.
WABE’s Martha Dalton explains why some schools in Atlanta are opening up health clinics right inside their buildings.
KQED’s Sandhya Dirks tells us about the fallout from a new California law that requires sex ed to be LGBTQ inclusive.
The origins of a dreaded long-time tradition for American students: the Presidential Fitness Challenge.
49 min
August 17, 2018When Panic Attacks
From panic disorders to social phobia, anxiety is the most common mental health condition in the United States. What toll does anxiety take on our lives? In this episode, we explore how anxiety affects our bodies, relationships, and lives. We investigate its causes, what it feels like, and what we can do to treat it.
Also heard on this week’s episode:
Psychologist Tamar Chansky talks about what causes childhood anxiety and what parents can do to help. Her books is called Freeing Your Child from Anxiety.
When anxious people show up in the emergency room, ER doc Avir Mitra often has to tease out serious physical symptoms that can mimic anxiety — and find ways not to get sucked into anxiety vortex himself.
Audio producer Carin Gilfry and her sister Erica Buchiarelli discuss the anxiety that motherhood brings, and when those worries cross into the danger zone.
We’ve all been there — waiting for someone to text us back. We explore how the expectation of constant connection has become a whole new source of anxiety.
Reporter Nina Feldman brings us this story about a group of Philadelphia seniors who are working to combat anxiety among older patients.
49 min
August 03, 2018Why We Travel
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 travel changes us and how we change the places we visit.
Also heard on this week’s show:
Science history geek Michael Yudell tells us about 19th century explorer John Cleves Symmes who believed the earth is hollow.
Travel medicine expert Phyllis Kozarsky says don’t blame the airplane for your stomach bug.
Reporter Liz Tung explores the future of biometric scans in travel security screening.
Astrophysicist Jarita Holbrook says her annual trip to the meeting of the National Society of Black Physicists feels like coming home.
Kiasha Huling recalls the culture shock she experienced when she traveled just a few miles to college.
New Zealand tourism expert Ian Yeoman predicts where we’ll want to travel in the next 20 to 50 years.
49 min

About The Pulse

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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…