The Pulse

It’s a very uncomfortable decision – how do you want to die? A Philadelphia pilot program is offering very sick patients a chance to bring their end of life care to the place they’re most comfortable, their home. We talk with one mother who enrolled in the program after deciding to stop chemotherapy treatments.

Marketplace health care reporter Dan Gorenstein joins us to share his research on whether doctors are any more prepared than the rest of us when it comes to end of life decisions. 

We also visit a Philadelphia building that tells a story about a Yellow Fever crisis that almost wiped out Philadelphia and we get the details on a pioneering cancer therapy, developed here Philadelphia, that is caught up in a legal battle among some of the biggest names in cancer treatment.

The Scientist’s Kerry Grens joins us to talk about new research linking fiber to reduced asthma rates in mice, the rotting teeth of hunter-gatherers and an exercise molecule that targets fat.

Our new series, The Spark, launches with an audio essay from medical ethicist Art Caplan on the childhood illness that propelled his lifelong vocation.

In this week’s “So, What Do You Do segment,” Entomologist Isa Betancourt tries to convince us to eat chocolate-covered crickets and our new segment “Whatever Happened to?” revisits the 2009 mammogram screening guidelines released by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force to find out where we stand on those rules today.

For those stories and more, click on the audio icon above.

As the NFL enters its post-season march toward the Super Bowl, we take a look into the science behind sports-related concussions. Can new and improved helmets save the brains of the next generation? How can we measure the impact of a concussion on a young athlete’s mind? And how to heal yourself if you suspect you’ve suffered a severe blow to the head. 

We associate coral reefs with TV commercials for far-flung destinations, but experts see them as barometers of oceanic health. The Pulse spends an afternoon in a laboratory where researchers are trying to unlock the secrets of how these massive organisms are able to live for up to 4,000 years, and why they’re dying off at an alarming rate. 

Double cheeseburger with extra bacon, or kale salad with no dressing? The answer seems obvious until you see how many calories you’ll be ingesting. We take a look at the effectiveness of posting calorie counts on menus at fast food and chain restaurants.

Also, a conversation with a scientist who sees the future of energy production not underground but in the clouds where strong winds could be the answer to the question: So what happens when we run out of coal, natural gas, and oil?

Plus, the return of the chemistry set, the complicated science of predicting sea level rise, and how a gaggle of young journalists are trying to make an impact on the health and well-being of the communities they report on.

For those stories and more, click on the audio icon above.

Two decades after the release of the Oscar-winning movie “Philadelphia,” we take a look back at the film’s legacy, its impact on Philadelphians living with AIDS, and the distance traveled in fighting HIV and AIDS in the last twenty years.

Along the way we meet Sue Ellen Kehler, an HIV patient who was chosen to be an extra in the film, and we talk with Dr. Michael Braffman, and infectious disease specialist who remembers how AIDS impacted the city of Philadelphia.

Also on the show, Austin Seraphin can’t see, but with the click of his tongue he’s unlocked a way to experience a world hidden from most of us. The technique is called echolocation, and Seraphin sees it as a valuable tool for the blind community.

It’s hard to find anything funny about being diagnosed with celiac disease, unless you’re seeing it through the eyes of Philadelphia comedian, Valerie DiMambro. She recounts the story of finding out she had celiac disease and how its changed her life.

Christmas trees beware! A furry little pest called the wooly adelgid has been turning up all over Eastern Pennsylvania and sucking the life force out of deciduous evergreens. But you can play a part in helping to keep these beloved evergreens alive. Tune in to find out how.

For those stories and more, click on the audio icon above.

On The Pulse this week, we take a look at a new law in the state of Delaware that calls for stiffer penalties for non-nurse midwives working without a permit and we’ll explore the varying perspectives on the safety of home birth.

We’ll take you on a tour of a bucolic farm in Chester County to see the science behind growing mushrooms and into the MRI tube for a sound-rich journey through the anxiety-inducing experience.

We’ll also hear from a local scientist about his quest to make vaccines and other medications more available in developing countries. His secret weapon: lettuce. 

Kerry Grens, an associate editor at The Scientist and a regular Pulse contributor, joins us to talk about a lake found on Mars, new dyslexia research and a possible link between lead exposure and Alzheimer’s.

We’ll also introduce a new segment, called Pain in the Neck, in which we hear from patients about their complaints about how things tend to happen in health care. We look into why the system operates the way it does – and whether anyone has a fix. This week’s pet peeve: getting inaccurate recovery time estimates from your doctor.

For those stories and more, click on the audio icon above.

This week on The Pulse, we look into why medical bills are so expensive and hard to understand.

We also hear one man’s excruciating tale of his experience with a kidney stone and Maiken Scott talks with a doctor about the variety of emotions that affect the daily practice of medicine.

Faye Flam takes us on a journey aimed at improving her spatial intelligence and Elana Gordon sits with very frustrated Americans as they try to enroll for health care on healthcare.gov.

For those stories and more, click on the audio icon above.