The Pulse

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:

Congratulations, it’s a … (Wait…does it matter?) Maybe it shouldn’t matter, but in healthcare an awful lot of decisions are based on our understanding of gender and the body. Meanwhile, our conversations about gender are changing. On this episode, we explore stories that show up in the places where gender and medical treatment meet. As scientists learn more, how is healthcare responding?

We keep secrets because we fear being judged, or to protect ourselves. But what happens when a secret comes out? On this episode, we take a look at secrets revealed: HIV status, regretting motherhood, the limits of doctor/patient confidentiality, sexual harassment in the sciences, and more.

Music touches nearly every part of our lives. On this episode, we explore the science and power of music — what does research tell us about this emotionally moving force? Can scientists tap into our love for music to help us lead better lives? We’ll meet musicians who use their skills to overcome their illnesses, hear about music’s role in torture, and examine if birdsong really counts as music.

Also heard on this week’s show: 

By 2030 about 60 percent of people will live in urban centers. We flock to cities for their energy and opportunity, but that bustle can take a toll on our health. City dwellers often deal with more pollution, noise, crime and social isolation. And those uniquely urban problems mess with our ability to breathe, sleep and relax. On this episode, we explore ways to make modern cities work for people. 

Also heard on this episode:

Joel Kurth from Bridge Magazine explains the connection between demolitions and elevated lead levels in Detroit.

Poet Eileen Myles reads “Our Happiness” – a poem about New York City during a power outage.

Psychiatrist Irene Hurford from the PEACE program discusses the link between schizophrenia and cities.

Psychologist Thea Gallagher talks about the impact of loneliness.

Reporter Irina Zhorov checks if white roofs make for cooler houses.

Reporter Jaye McAuliffe tracks down noise pollution in Phoenix.

Happy New Year! On this episode, old and new stories about change and the things that help us follow through on our goals. Often lasting change happens in the face of illness and adversity, other times it’s motivated by a desire to overhaul your personal life — or the world around you.

A rebroadcast episode: Gambling. Drugs. Prostitution. Booze. As a society, we have always regulated behaviors we consider vices. Those regulations were once grounded in moral arguments and rooted in religion. But in recent years, public health largely drives our discussions about how to handle troubling — or unhealthy — behavior. The Pulse examines the intersection of vice, behavior, and public health.

On this rebroadcast episode, we explore opportunities for another life in health, science and technology. What does it take for things — and people — to morph, change, or stage a comeback? In medicine, cell phone towers provide refrigeration power and extend the shelf life of vaccines. A beloved pet becomes home decor. And when a high-tech navigation system is vulnerable, a seemingly outdated system gets a second chance. Plus — dead bodies go into the compost pile and live again — as fertilizer.

To celebrate the newest sequel in the space opera saga, we’re searching for the science in “Star Wars.” Along way, we discover that, while the movies feel futuristic, “Star Wars” isn’t really science fiction at all, it’s magic  — you’re not supposed to question how a spaceship travels faster than the speed of light, or how The Force works. Still, we found lots of science that feels “Star Wars” inspired: a bionic hand, a water generator, and America’s Cold War nuclear-defense aspirations.

On this week’s episode, we visit people standing watch over the world around them.