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Go on an adventure into unexpected corners of the health and science world each week with award-winning host Maiken Scott. The Pulse will take you behind the doors of operating rooms, into the lab with some of the world’s foremost scientists, and back in time to explore life-changing innovations. The Pulse delivers stories in ways that matter to you, and answers questions you never knew you had.
New episode every Friday at 9 a.m.
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Hosted by Maiken Scott
Recent Articles
9/11 rescue worker chooses to have her body preserved after death
9/11 rescue worker wants the world to see the toll the work took on her body.
5 days ago
Listen 10:52How a med student’s ‘first patient’ created lasting friendships
For more than a decade, a unique gross anatomy course at Indiana University required students to get to know the family of the donated cadaver they worked on.
5 days ago
Listen 11:18Behind the scenes of a $200 million nuclear fusion experiment
How scientists and engineers make parts for a nuclear fusion experiment at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in New Jersey.
2 weeks ago
Listen 8:58How we decide which animals are pests, and why
Even for the most devoted animal lover among us, there are animals that we hate and try to avoid, or kill: rats, mice, pigeons, invasive snakes. We call these animals pests.
3 weeks ago
Listen 22:01From med spas to DIY: Botox is everywhere but not without risks
For a product whose toxic origins trace back to a biological weapons lab in Maryland, Botox has helped normalize cosmetic injectables
4 weeks ago
Listen 12:43What’s behind the new trend of “stem cell” microneedling?
A new microneedling technique utilizes a solution based on human stem cells to increase the treatment’s effect. WHYY’s host of The Pulse, Maiken Scott, gave it a try.
4 weeks ago
How the myth of ‘patient zero’ was made
A labeling fluke and an international bestseller shaped our thinking about public health.
1 month ago
Listen 13:16The real pain behind vitiligo and its unequal effect on people of color
With only one FDA approved topical cream for vitiligo — finding comfort in one’s own skin comes at a cost.
1 month ago
Listen 8:13One doctor’s crusade to improve health literacy
Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick believes plainspoken information from trusted messengers can help shrink health disparities, and some insurers are buying in.
1 month ago
Listen 18:02How mental health apps revealed problems in diagnosing ADHD
Getting an ADHD diagnosis and treatment from online platforms like Cerebral and Done seemed to increase demand for the stimulant Adderall - but that’s just part of the problem
2 months ago
Listen 14:38Online therapy apps promise a therapist anytime, anywhere — but at what cost?
Telemedicine has revolutionized therapy driven by subscription-based apps, but therapists say they're paying the price.
2 months ago
Why the nuclear fusion ‘net energy gain’ is more hype than breakthrough
What does this “breakthrough” actually mean and why some are calling it a ‘scam.’
3 months ago
Scientists have their eyes on Chagas disease and the 'kissing bugs' that help spread it
Chagas disease can lead to heart failure and damage to the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. Roughly 20-30% of those who contract Chagas may be at risk of dying from it.
3 months ago
Listen 9:5510 years after Sandy Hook: One mother’s journey through grief and healing
Francine Wheeler’s son, Ben, was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012. For Francine, it was the moment that changed
3 months ago
Listen 17:36‘This was going to be a tidal wave’: What makes pandemic grief similar to violent death grief
Researchers find that pandemic grief is on par with violent-death grief — and what makes both so traumatic
3 months ago
Listen 14:28Partners
