The Pulse Archive

On any given week, “The Pulse” team is digging around for unique and fascinating health and science topics for the podcast. Here, they share a few fun facts.

In 2013, WHYY sought to expand its health and science footprint, and “The Pulse” was born. Here’s how it evolved and how it looks today.

We take a deep dive into the secrets of the ocean with physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski, and stories about research at the bottom of the sea.

A family in Wilmington, Delaware, faced a looming deadline to get their son a new gene therapy treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia now houses a machine that is helping to make CAR T-cell therapy much less expensive.

We look at the future of gene therapy — from stunning breakthroughs to obstacles that still stand in its way.

A new collaboration of scientists, farmers, and foodies are giving the lima bean a makeover. But will people actually eat them?

Lima beans are getting a makeover, seed oil is getting a bad rep, and a weed that covers ponds might soon be a hot health food. We’ll explore the forces that shape what we eat

Physician Chris van Tulleken says ultra-processed foods — like cereals or protein bars — package sugar, salt, and fat into massive doses of calories making us sick.

What millions of emails to Russian citizens and ballroom dancing taught one researcher about having better arguments and resolving conflict.

We explore the experience of rejection — what it feels like, how it functions, and the lessons we can draw from it.

How a death doula supports the living, and the dying, at the end of life.

After facing several serious illnesses, Bob Slade and partner Michael Klena, figured out their own way to cope.

Is there a right way to face the end of life? On this show, we explore how we talk about death (or not) and how we can best support our loved ones in their final moments.

In ‘Ariel Phenomenon,” filmmaker Randall Nickerson explores who and what we believe