The Pulse Episode Archive

We talk to social psychologist Brian Lowery about his new book “Selfless: The Social Creation of ‘You.’”

We explore those questions with writer Julia Keller, who examines the science — and potential benefits — of throwing in the towel in her new book.

After years in South Korea, NPR host Elise Hu reflects on Korean beauty culture and what it says about how we’ll look at ourselves and each other.

Humans have long been fascinated by the idea of communicating with other species — not just teaching animals to mimic human words, but ...

On this episode, we explore the mind-body connection.

We step outside the boundaries of Western medicine to explore those questions!

Moms are under constant pressure to do it all — and it takes a toll on their well-being. We explore the myth of the perfect mom.

Have you ever wanted to figure out when you’re the most focused? Or how your moods change throughout the day? How “fit” your brain ...

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

We look at the science of fitness, the evolution of cultural messages surrounding exercise, and how we can overcome inertia to start fitting it into our lives.

We hear about the big picture of climate change almost every day — the threats it poses, the effects on our world and lives, the fight ...

We mark the 50th anniversary of the first cell call with an exploration of the past, present, and future of mobile communications.

We explore the nature of chronic pain — what causes it, how it affects us, and the ongoing fight to stop it.

If you’re training to become a physician, your first patient is usually dead. In fact, “first patient” is what med students call th ...

Science is all about observing the world. But how do you study something you can’t see, smell, or hear — like the tiniest particles a ...