The Pulse

07/07/2025

We have a special treat for you this summer!

Amid the summer heat 🥵, we explore the history and future of cold technology on this encore episode of The Pulse — from innovations in freezing to the next generation of air conditioners ⬇️

Amid the summer heat, we explore the history and future of cold technology, from innovations in freezing to the next generation of air conditioners.

06/30/2025

23andMe shared consumer DNA with a big pharma company, and got a million-dollar investment in return.

But how much is a tube of spit worth? And who should profit — the company or the people who shared their DNA?

Grant Hill reports ⬇️

After years of collecting consumer DNA, genetic testing companies are monetizing the data. But who should profit — the company or the people who shared their DNA?

06/27/2025

When scientists set out to decode the human genome, they knew it could change medicine forever. What they didn't expect was the behind-the-scenes and hostile race to get there.

On this episode, the human genome project and the price of DNA.

Who really won the race to decode the human genome? Inside the cut-throat competition that pushed forward the decoding of the human genome.

06/26/2025

The first draft of the human genome was announced 25 years ago by President Bill Clinton — but behind the scenes of this scientific discovery was a little-known fierce and hostile competition.

Liz Tung reports ⬇️

How the competition between the Human Genome Project and its industry rival, Celera, drove forward one of the most historic scientific discoveries of our age.

06/20/2025

Friends enhance our lives — we laugh with them, share memories, and provide emotional support. And it turns out our brain loves these kinds of connections.

On this episode, we delve into why our brains are drawn to friendship.

Our brains are wired for connection, and researchers are learning friendships play a vital role in keeping us healthy.

06/13/2025

When someone harms you, revenge can feel like the only way to even the score. But that urge you feel — the one that seems like justice — isn't.

On this episode, James Kimmel Jr. talks about his new book, The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction — and How to Overcome It ⬇️

We talk with lawyer-turned-researcher James Kimmel about his new book, "The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction — and How to Overcome It."

06/10/2025

A few months after the war in Gaza started, Fatima Mohamed Alshindi's husband and son were killed in an attack.

Fatima expressed her grief through poetry — until a California artist used AI to turn her words into music. Liz Tung reports ⬇️

AI-created art has been widely decried as the end of human creativity. But for one Palestinian woman, AI is helping to democratize art.

06/09/2025

Think the creative arts are just for fun? Think again. At one Philadelphia preschool, creative arts aren't a break from learning. Research shows they are the key to it.

Maiken Scott reports ⬇️

Psychologist Ellie Brown began studying an arts-focused preschool 20 years ago. Her research shows that creative expression helps kids to learn better.

06/06/2025

What happens when we make room for creativity — not only in art, but in how we learn, heal, and build the world around us?

On this episode, we explore creativity and what happens when we let imagination take charge.

We explore what creativity is, how it works, and how we can use it in unexpected ways.

06/03/2025

Hi Pulse listeners! We're working on a show about revenge 😈, and we'd love to include your stories in the show.

Tell us about a time when you desperately wanted to get revenge on somebody, and why? Did it take a toll on your life? Did getting that revenge bring you any satisfaction?

05/27/2025

For 30 years, Kathy Sanders has sought answers about the terrorist attack that killed her grandsons, the Oklahoma City bombing. Now, she hopes a new piece of evidence will bring her closer to the truth.

Grant Hill reports ⬇️

For three decades, Kathy Sanders has sought answers about the terrorist attack that killed her grandsons. She hopes a new piece of evidence will get her one step closer to the truth.

05/23/2025

We all want the truth — from our family, friends, the media, institutions, and the government. But how exactly do we know when we're being fed the truth or lies in disguise?

On this episode, we explore proof and evidence, and how it affects our perception of what is true.

In the “post-truth era,” we explore standards of proof, evidence, and how we know what we think we know.