The Pulse – December 27, 2013

Why is it so hard to get a man to a doctor’s appointment? Excuses range from not having the time, to not wanting to appear weak, to a feeling of invincibility. Reporter Elisabeth Perez-Luna explores the mindset behind the excuses and the pain of trying to prod a man into a doctor’s office.

We explore the rocky road back from suffering a traumatic brain injury through the experience of NewsWorks Editor Brian Hickey, who has spent the last five years piecing a life back together after being struck by a hit and run driver.

With Obamacare’s Jan. 1 start date eminent, we follow a young man as he successfully enrolls in health coverage with more than a little assistance from family members and professionals tasked with helping the uninsured understand the Affordable Care Act.

A Philadelphia entrepreneur sees an opportunity to do well by doing good. His idea: train the city’s youth to install thousands of solar panels on the roofs of Philadelphia’s 300 schools.

Physicist Tom Gaisser explains how digging a mile deep tunnel into the ice covering the South Pole teaches us about the origins of our galaxy. (He also sidebars to describe an annual Antarctic party that involves running around the World in under 30 minutes.)

As 2013 wraps up, we sit down with The Scientist’s associate editor Kerry Grens about the most inspirational science stories of the year gone by.

We also chronicle a Delaware woman’s fight to save many of her fellow disabled residents from bankruptcy at the hands of the medical system.

And a Mt. Airy-based medical illustrator uses tools, both new and old, to give us unique insights into our own bodies.

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