The Pulse
@thepulse.whyy.org
The Pulse is a health and science show and podcast out of WHYY, an NPR member station. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/1hoExHK
Forty years ago — for the first time ever — NASA launched a school teacher into space. The organization planned to make history, but instead, a disaster unfolded. On this podcast extra, @adamhigginbotham.bsky.social discusses what exactly went wrong. bit.ly/4aix80b
Challenger at 40: How the Disaster Shaped the Future of NASA
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 01/26/2026 · 38m
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NASA missions have continued to shape space exploration, but they don't always go as planned. On this episode, we take a look at three missions and how NASA's goal of keeping public attention has impacted spaceflight. bit.ly/4jVmhg7
Triumph, Tragedy and Ennui: Three NASA Missions That Shaped the Future of Space Exploration
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 01/22/2026 · 50m
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When we think of menopause, we picture night sweats and hot flashes, but some other surprising and weird symptoms make the list. On this episode, we explore women's health, approaching menopause, and what you can do to navigate this inevitable transition. bit.ly/4qpVmLT
The Weird Menopause Symptoms No One Ever Told You About — And How to Treat Them
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 01/15/2026 · 50m
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Can the food on your plate help you navigate menopause better? On this podcast extra, we chat with Registered Dietitian Jenn Salib Huber about her new cookbook, “Eat to Thrive During Menopause.” Listen now 🔗 bit.ly/4bzCm8R
From Soy to Carbs: How Food can Ease Menopause Symptoms
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 01/13/2026 · 49m
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Should you wait for happiness — or create it with intention? On this episode: the science of designing a happier life, from reverse-engineering joy to moments of serendipity. bit.ly/49MtbRa
Engineering Happiness into our Daily Lives
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 01/08/2026 · 50m
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Need some time to wind down from the holiday season — some peace and quiet? Learn how much noise affects our health by listening to one of our favorite episodes. bit.ly/45o3W56
How Noise Affects Our Health
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 01/01/2026 · 50m
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As the Holiday season continues, enjoy one of our favorite episodes! On this episode, a look back at the cut-throat competition that led to the historic unveiling of the decoded human genome. bit.ly/3LkVa12
Inside the Dramatic Race to Decode the Human Genome
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 12/25/2025 · 50m
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Health data shows that Latinos are becoming especially vulnerable to diabetes, but why? Check out how Reporter Lionel Ramos' investigation into the risk became a personal wake-up call about his own health. whyy.org/segments/how...
How Latinos have become especially vulnerable to diabetes, and one reporter’s 'wake-up call’' managing the disease
How a reporter began to investigate diabetes risk, and along the way, made a startling discovery about his own health.
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As patients, it’s hard to know when to take charge and when to let doctors lead. On this episode, we explore patient autonomy and how our choices impact our health. bit.ly/3YBsGDb
When Should Patients Decide for Themselves?
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 12/18/2025 · 50m
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In 1973, psychologist David Rosenhan published a paper about a bold experiment: Asking people to fake hearing voices to get into a psychiatric hospital, to test diagnostic accuracy. On this episode, journalist Susannah Cahalan tracks down those patients. bit.ly/44ZTdxt
Searching for the Truth — and Finding Unexpected Answers
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 12/11/2025 · 50m
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Over 50 years ago, a psychologist sent several healthy volunteers undercover into psychiatric hospitals. The unusual study tested how accurate diagnoses were. But who were these mysterious “pseudopatients”? Journalist Susannah Cahalan looked into it ⬇️ whyy.org/segments/pse...
Uncovering the ‘pseudo patients’ from the famous ‘Rosenhan Experiment’
Investigative reporter Susannah Cahalan set out to find eight pseudo patients who'd participated in the "Rosenhan Experiment."
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Neil Shea’s first trip to the Arctic in 2005 was filled with admiration — from white wolves to indigenous life. So when a warming climate began to threaten the region, he had to go back. On this episode, @neilshea13 adventures in the Arctic. bit.ly/449vdrB
Inside the Hidden Wonders of the Shrinking Arctic
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 12/04/2025 · 50m
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Thanksgiving may be over, but that warm feeling we get from being with family and friends doesn’t have to be. On this new episode, neuroscientists Emily Falk and @dr-brein.bsky.social explain how to prioritize relationships and why our brains need connection. bit.ly/3KwFaIU
Why Nurturing Connection is Good for Your Health
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 11/27/2025 · 50m
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Counting carbs this Thanksgiving? Good luck😅 But what if researchers told you that demonizing an entire food group doesn’t really help as much as you think? On this new episode, the science of our food choices with @kevinh-phd.bsky.social & @juliabelluz.bsky.social bit.ly/49CYEpz
What Science Says About How Much Our Food Choices Matter
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 11/20/2025 · 50m
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Today on @thepulse.whyy.org, @juliabelluz.bsky.social and I discuss several popular topics in nutrition science that are covered in our book #FoodIntelligence: whyy.org/episodes/wha...
What Science Says About How Much Our Food Choices Matter
Ahead of Thanksgiving, we take a look at new nutrition research, and what we should — and shouldn’t — be eating.
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These days, it's not uncommon for people to be accused of using AI to write an email or maybe a well-thought-out post on Reddit. But why does detecting AI in writing infuriate people, and how can you avoid sounding like a chatbot? Researchers weigh in. whyy.org/segments/how...
How not to be mistaken for a chatbot
Top signs from researchers that something was written by AI, and how to avoid sounding like a chatbot yourself.
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Having a bad dream or a nightmare can seem like an inevitable part of sleep — out of our control. But, does it have to be that way? On this podcast extra, researcher Michelle Carr discusses dream engineering and her new book, Nightmare Obscura. bit.ly/3LJGl8a
How to 'Engineer' Your Dreams and End Nightmares
Podcast Episode · The Pulse · 11/17/2025 · 32m
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"They have brilliantly associated themselves with ... good times, happiness, and fun." @murray-journo.bsky.social and @thepulse.whyy.org discuss how Coca-Cola has influenced consumer habits & perceptions:
Coca-Cola and a Secret Research Operation Meant to Exonerate Sugar
Coca-Cola’s rise to global brand domination, and how the company influenced our habits and perceptions along the way.
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Americans have lost more than $16.6 billion to cybercrime, and it's still more challenging than ever to sniff out an online scam. That's why it's never a bad time to check out our episode on cybercrime and how scammers prey on the rest of us. 🔗 lnk.to/whyy-thepulse
It's Halloween — a time when we celebrate the unknown. But what about the scientists who once studied it? Reporter Nichole Currie tells the story of an old research lab at UCLA that studied ghosts, psychics, and auras. 🔗 whyy.org/segments/the...
Psychics, ghosts, auras, and the UCLA research lab that studied it all
In the 1970s, UCLA housed The Parapsychology Lab, which became a haven for those with psychic abilities and the researchers who studied them.
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In Boyertown, PA, artist Charlee Heinz turns bones from forest finds into meaningful artwork that explores death and beauty. Lise Peet reports 🔗 whyy.org/segments/ani...
Animal skulls and bones get a second life in the art works of Boyertown creator
In Boyertown, PA, artist Charlee Heinz turns bones from forest finds into meaningful artwork that explores death and beauty.
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Coca-Cola rolled out a cane sugar version of its soda after Trump urged the corporation to do so — but debates around the sweetener in Coke are decades old. On this podcast extra, we talk about this with journalist @murray-journo.bsky.social, author of Sweet and Deadly. 🔗 bit.ly/4ofqexy
Nearly 4 in 10 Americans say ghosts are real. Some even search for proof. On this episode, a look at paranormal phenomena and the investigators who chase them. 🔗 lnk.to/whyy-thepulse
The number of urgent care centers in the U.S. have doubled, from more than 7,000 to more than 14,000 over the last decade or so. Alan Yu reports why ⬇️ whyy.org/segments/why...
Why urgent care clinics, once derided as ‘doc in a box,’ have spread like wildfire
The number of urgent care centers in the U.S. have doubled, from more than 7,000 to more than 14,000 over the last decade or so.
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If it feels like urgent care centers are everywhere these days — that’s because they are. On this episode, we explore the rapid rise of urgent care, what’s fueling it, and how it’s affecting care. 🔗 bit.ly/4onrRZx
What if cures for rare diseases already exist — just waiting to be found? On this podcast extra, meet @davidfajgenbaum.bsky.social, who not only discovered his own treatment for Castleman Disease, but is now using AI to repurpose existing drugs to help others. 🔗 lnk.to/whyy-thepulse
About 10 years ago, writer Kim Frank set out to learn why wild Asian elephants were trampling people in India. After many trips overseas and meeting an Indian Princess, Kim eventually revealed a complex human-wildlife conflict. Listen to Kim's story ⬇️ whyy.org/segments/cha...
Chasing giants: One writer’s journey to bring nuance to India’s wild elephant conflict
About 10 years ago, writer Kim Frank set out to learn why wild elephants were trampling people in India. She revealed a complex human-wildlife conflict.
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Mysteries of the wild often pull scientists from labs to mountaintops, forests, and far-off places. On this episode, a quest for the vanished golden toad, a journey to find wild Asian elephants, and a look at the global wildlife trade’s impact. 🔗 bit.ly/48MvBPI
Despite major advances in understanding how genetics, lifestyle, and environment shape health, it remains a mystery why similar patients can have such different outcomes. On this episode, we discuss what factors shape health, disease, and survival. 🔗 lnk.to/whyy-thepulse
Weightlifting, once for only bodybuilders, is now popular for strength and brain health. On this remixed episode, we explore the proven and emerging benefits of pumping iron and why so many people say it’s changing their lives. 🔗 lnk.to/whyy-thepulse
