Skip to content
The Pulse focuses on stories at the heart of health, science and innovation in the Philadelphia region.

The Pulse

Listen Live

Listen Live

In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver. BBC
Next

BBC Newshour

In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver. BBC "Newshour" covers everything from the growth of democracy to the threat of terrorism with a fresh, clear perspective from across the globe.

WHYY
rewind
play
fast-forward
 
 
 
Radio Schedule
WHYY
  • DONATE
Primary Menu
  • News
  • Radio & Podcasts
    • Radio Schedule
    • Ways to Stream
    • WHYY Listen App
  • TV
    • WHYY TV Schedule
    • WHYY Watch App
    • Live TV
    • Watch on Demand
    • Stream PBS Kids
  • Arts
  • Events
  • Education
    • WHYY Youth Media
    • WHYY Media Labs
    • WHYY Early Education Programs
    • For Students
    • Pathways to Media Careers
    • Youth Media Awards
  • Support
    • Membership
    • WHYY Passport
    • WHYY Member Portal
    • Sponsorship
    • Vehicle Donation Program
    • Volunteer
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • DONATE

Health & Science

Apothecary supplies on a table
Science

Medical instruments in Bucks County’s Mercer Museum become part of YouTube guessing game

Anna Dhody, a former Mütter Museum curator, created popular videos about the museum. Now she's highlighting artifacts in Doylestown.

7 months ago

Listen 3:34
A wide array of nonalcoholic liquors are lined up behind the bar at Bar Palmina in Fishtown. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
The Pulse
Health

Dry January is over — but don’t pour yourself a drink just yet

Dry January has wrapped up, but before you head back to the bar or pour yourself a drink, take a moment to evaluate what was better about your life when you were not drinking.

7 months ago

A photo of Mars' Utopian Plain, taken by Viking 2. (NASA)
The Pulse
Science

The redemption of Viking: Did the 50-year-old mission to Mars find life or not?

How NASA’s 1975 mission to Mars led to decades of scientific controversy and confusion over the existence of life on Mars — and why that’s starting to change.

7 months ago

Listen 21:39
A chilled beer mug on cafe table. (photosvit/bigstock)
The Pulse
Health

From Buzz to Burnout: How Alcohol Affects the Brain and Body

We explore our relationship with alcohol — why we consume it, how it affects us, and when it’s time to quit.

Air Date: January 30, 2026

Listen 49:34
The trash incineration facility
Studio 2
Health

Incinerator or landfill? Philly’s trash problem

Philadelphia is considering a bill that would ban the city's waste from going to the Chester incinerator, the largest waste-to-energy incinerator in the country.

Air Date: January 28, 2026 12:00 pm

Listen 51:14
The STS-51L mission clears the tower at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 28, 1986. (NASA)
The Pulse
Science

Challenger at 40: How the Disaster Shaped the Future of NASA

We remember NASA's Challenger disaster: What led up to the mission, what went wrong, and its lasting impact.

Air Date: January 27, 2026

Listen 37:45
Health care workers and advocates sit in a forum, most wearing the same red sweater
Health

Medicaid cuts ahead: ‘It’s going to affect everyone,’ Philly health care workers warn

PASNAP unions and 10 partner organizations have introduced a “Healthcare Bill of Rights” and are urging lawmakers to pledge support for safety net programs.

7 months ago

Listen 1:13
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill holds up a just signed executive order
Science

N.J. Gov. Mikie Sherrill issues state of emergency on energy costs: Here’s what to know

Sherrill ordered state regulators to boost renewables and natural gas in light of rising electricity prices.

7 months ago

Listen 1:06
This image made available by NASA in March 2017 shows Pluto illuminated from behind by the sun as the New Horizons spacecraft travels away from it at a distance of about 120,000 miles. (NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute via AP)
The Pulse
Science

Triumph, Tragedy and Ennui: Three NASA Missions That Shaped the Future of Space Exploration

We look back at the first spacecraft landing on Mars in 1976, the Challenger tragedy in 1986, and the long-game Pluto mission launched in 2006. 

Air Date: January 23, 2026

Listen 50:29
a child plays with a toy
Health

CHOP to expand early autism intervention care with new partnership and locations in Southeastern Pennsylvania

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has partnered with Soar Autism Center to open new early-intervention sites for kids 6 and younger.

7 months ago

Listen 0:59
A fourth grader sits at a desk with a letter about wetland protections at Joseph M. McVey Elementary School in Newark, Delaware
Science

These Newark, Delaware 4th graders are lobbying for wetland protections

The EPA last year proposed changes to the definition of “waters of the United States,” leaving some Delaware wetlands vulnerable to development.

7 months ago

Listen 3:26
Robert Metzger (left) and his son, Alec
Health

As winter drags on, Philadelphia advocates are pushing to dispel myths about suicide risk

Research shows that rates of suicide are actually higher during the warmer months of the year, not during the winter holidays, a common misconception.

7 months ago

Listen 1:11
Two scientists in the lab at Temple University
Science

Temple researchers hope to remove PFAS, microplastics with sustainable treatment method

Water providers are removing toxic PFAS chemicals from drinking water, but current methods are energy intensive. Temple researchers are looking at alternative technologies.

7 months ago

Listen 1:12
woman experiencing a hot flash, a common menopause symptom (Machineheadz/Bigstock).
The Pulse
Health

The Weird Menopause Symptoms No One Ever Told You About — And How to Treat Them

We take a deep dive into perimenopause and menopause – and the latest research on how to manage and treat symptoms.

Air Date: January 16, 2026

Listen 49:34
Autumn Nelson stands
Health

A 100-year-old Germantown home will become a new birth center for Philly families

Plans to open an independent birth center come on the heels of the Lifecycle Wellness and Birth Center closure in Bryn Mawr.

7 months ago

Listen 1:45
Page 18 of 631« First«...1617181920...»Last »
Arts & Entertainment Community Courts & Law Education Health Lifestyle Money Politics & Policy Science Urban Planning Weather
  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor
  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Latest News

  • Delaware election 2026: Your Democratic primary voter guide for attorney general

    4 hours ago

  • ‘You fix it, you get paid’: Wilmington starts rent escrow program to prod landlords into providing water, heat, electricity

    4 hours ago

  • Philadelphia photographer shows girls’ experiences at Jewish summer camp in new book

    5 hours ago

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal

Donate
Learn about WHYY Member benefits
Ways to Donate
WHYY

WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community.

WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. It’s how we live.

Contact Us

Philadelphia

215.351.1200
talkback@whyy.org

Delaware

302.516.7506
talkback@whyy.org

Our Programs

  • Albie’s Elevator
  • Ask Governor Meyer
  • Billy Penn at WHYY
  • Check, Please! Philly
  • The Connection
  • The Declaration’s Journey
  • Delishtory
  • Flicks
  • Fresh Air
  • Good Neighbor Club
  • Good Souls
  • Hittin’ Season
  • Jukebox Journey
  • On Stage at Curtis
  • Peak Travel
  • PlanPhilly
  • The Pulse
  • The Source
  • Sports In America
  • Studio 2
  • Things To Do
  • WHYY News Climate Desk
  • You Oughta Know

Inside WHYY

  • About
    • Social Responsibility at WHYY
    • Board and Executives
    • Community Advisory Board
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Employment
    • Internships
    • Press Room
    • Meet Our Newsroom
    • WHYY News Style Guide
    • WHYY Productions
    • WHYY Spaces
    • Submissions
    • History
    • Directions
    • Coverage Area
    • Financial Statements
    • WHYY Community Report
    • Supporters
    • Privacy
  • Mobile Apps
  • Meet Our Newsroom
  • Employment
  • Lifelong Learning Award
  • Bridging Blocks
  • Contact Us
  • Sponsorship
  • Directions
  • FCC Public Files
  • FCC Applications

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Sign up for a Newsletter

© 2026 WHYY

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use for WHYY.org