The Pulse

The Pulse The Pulse brings you stories about the people and places at the heart of health and science. The Pulse features in-depth reports on health and science issues.

You can download our podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-pulse/id772127662?mt=2

You can tune into The Pulse at these stations:-WHYY 90.9 FM Philadelphia region, PAFriday at 9AM and Sunday at 10AM-WITF 89.5 FM Harrisburg, PAFriday at 7PM -KCUR 89.3 FM Kansas City, MOSunday at 7PM

Find all of our stories at whyy.org/thepulse

Our staff:
Maiken Scott, host
Lindsay Lazarski, pro

ducer
Xavier Lopez, associate producer
Jad Sleiman, reporter
Liz Tung, reporter
Alan Yu, reporter
Sojourner Ahébée – Health Equity Fellow

Have a story idea? Send it to: [email protected]

We have a treat for you this week! Check out one of our favorite episodes. It's all about Mars, and why for many years h...
09/04/2026

We have a treat for you this week! Check out one of our favorite episodes.

It's all about Mars, and why for many years humans believed in Martians 👽

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · September 3 · 50m

What do a make-believe king, 101 princesses and the disappearance of 7 million men from the labor force have in common? ...
08/31/2026

What do a make-believe king, 101 princesses and the disappearance of 7 million men from the labor force have in common?

On this podcast extra, author and journalist Jon Ronson gets to the bottom of this mystery and unpacks his new book, The Castle.

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · August 30 · 49m

We often long to get away from the chaos of modern life — to escape someplace where we can find peace : namely, the wild...
08/28/2026

We often long to get away from the chaos of modern life — to escape someplace where we can find peace : namely, the wilderness.

But can we ever truly “get away” from our daily lives? And what draws us to the wilderness in the first place?

On this episode, the search for wilderness and the tension between nature and human control.

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · August 27 · 49m

What if the key to better relationships and mental health were imagination? On this episode, psychologist Cassandra Viet...
08/11/2026

What if the key to better relationships and mental health were imagination?

On this episode, psychologist Cassandra Vieten discusses her new book, "Imagine That: Transform How You Think, Feel, and Live with the Science of Imagination."

Listen now ⬇️

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · August 11 · 29m

We tend to think that limitations stifle creativity — but what if the opposite is true? On this episode, we explore how...
08/07/2026

We tend to think that limitations stifle creativity — but what if the opposite is true?

On this episode, we explore how limitations force us to think differently, solve problems in unexpected ways, and allow us to create our best work. Listen now ⬇️

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · August 6 · 24m

Millions of people in the U.S. have chronic pain that’s unresponsive to medical interventions. But there are new and com...
07/31/2026

Millions of people in the U.S. have chronic pain that’s unresponsive to medical interventions. But there are new and comprehensive ways of treating pain.

On this episode, research on new solutions to pain.

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · July 30 · 50m

Vacations are a time to experience new things, and restore our minds and bodies — but sometimes the opposite happens. On...
07/24/2026

Vacations are a time to experience new things, and restore our minds and bodies — but sometimes the opposite happens.

On this episode, an exploration of vacation health hazards.

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · July 23 · 50m

Science has long been used to solve crimes, from fingerprints to the psychology of criminal minds — not every investigat...
07/17/2026

Science has long been used to solve crimes, from fingerprints to the psychology of criminal minds — not every investigative technique rests on solid scientific ground.

On this episode, how science is used in criminal investigations.

How science is used in criminal investigations — and what happens when it’s not as reliable as we might think.

Anyone spending a summer vacation in the wilderness? If so, you're gonna want to check out one of our favorite episodes....
07/10/2026

Anyone spending a summer vacation in the wilderness? If so, you're gonna want to check out one of our favorite episodes.

From wild elephants to golden toads, we learn what happens when we chase wildlife. Listen now ⬇️

Podcast Episode · The Pulse · July 9 · 50m

Telescopes, astronomy, and the Declaration of Independence — all tied to the same location? A lost Philadelphia observat...
07/02/2026

Telescopes, astronomy, and the Declaration of Independence — all tied to the same location?

A lost Philadelphia observatory once used to track The Transit of Venus 🌌 may be the place where the Declaration of Independence 📜 was read publicly for the first time.

Pulse Host Maiken Scott reports.

A lost Philadelphia observatory once used to track the transit of Venus may be the place where the Declaration of Independence was read publicly for the first time.

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