The Pulse Specials

Series produced by WHYY

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Host Maiken Scott leads this one-hour, weekly tour of the people and places at the heart of health and science.

It’s a show for curious people who ask: "Yeah, why is that?" Often surprising and always captivating, The Pulse makes science and discovery personal. Produced at WHYY in Philadelphia, the show features scientists, doctors, innovators and storytelling from across the country.

For information about The Pulse please contact Steve Martin at steve@sfmconsulting.com or call 703.715.0827.


102 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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What we make for dinner, grab as a snack, or have for breakfast changes all the time — and there are some major forces at play: consumer tastes and...

Bought by WNMU-FM, KUSU, KMXT, WABE, Troy Public Radio and more


  • Added: Nov 08, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 25
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When it comes to generosity, there’s a wide spectrum in terms of how far we’ll go for others. There’s buy-your-friends-dinner generosity, donate-to...

Bought by WCMU Michigan, Yellowstone Public Radio, WAMU, KWIT, and KACU


  • Added: Oct 06, 2023
  • Length: 38:20
  • Purchases: 5
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Over the past few years, remote working has transformed millions of people’s lives — giving them more time for family, more control over their sche...

Bought by KUSU, RadioStPete Florida, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., KUNM and more


  • Added: Aug 24, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 9
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Freedom sounds great as an idea. Who doesn’t want to be free to do what they want? But when you take a closer look, freedom becomes more complicate...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, WRKF, Nevada Public Radio, KUFM - Montana Public Radio, Wyoming Public Radio and more


  • Added: Jun 28, 2023
  • Length: 59:30
  • Purchases: 8
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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 to stop it. ...

Bought by Boise State Public Radio, RadioFreePalmer, and RadioStPete Florida


  • Added: Apr 11, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 3
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On April 3, 1973, an engineer named Martin Cooper stood nervously along a busy midtown Manhattan street, about to make a phone call. It was a call ...

Bought by WJCT, KFCF FM, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., WHFR, New England Public Media and more


  • Added: Mar 31, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 21
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Health disparities between Black and white Americans run deep in the U.S. Black people are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like diabe...

Bought by Oregon Public Broadcasting, RadioStPete Florida, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., WAMU, WDDE and more


  • Added: Feb 13, 2023
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 7
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On this episode, we look at the forces that are shaping and changing the way we eat, along with some of the foods that may become far more common i...

Bought by WABE, RadioStPete Florida, WRKF, KUNM, KUSU and more


  • Added: Nov 11, 2022
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 12
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The pandemic hasn't just changed how we live — it's changed how we work, and how we feel about our jobs. One of the major ripple effects: burnout. ...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KUSU, WNMU-FM, KAZU Seaside, Calif., WAMU and more


  • Added: Sep 01, 2022
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 10
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There are 19 million veterans in the U.S. who have served in the armed forces. For many, the military gave them a sense of shared purpose, a strong...

Bought by Troy Public Radio, WRGY, Interlochen Public Radio, KUT, WNMU-FM and more


  • Added: Nov 09, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 31
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The passing of 20 years since the 9/11 terror attacks has meant that some of the wounds cut by that day have closed — others have not. Thousands of...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, KTSW 89.9, KOSU, KNCT FM, KCPW Salt Lake City and more


  • Added: Aug 27, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 21
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Humans have been obsessed with Mars from a distance for thousands of years. At first, maybe it was the fact that Mars stands out in the night sky b...

Bought by RadioStPete Florida, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., KUOW, Morehead State Public Radio, WAMU and more


  • Added: Jul 02, 2021
  • Length: 59:29
  • Purchases: 12
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More than 2 million people in the U.S. are incarcerated — and tens of thousands have had COVID-19. The pandemic has brought more attention than eve...

Bought by Boise State Public Radio, KUSU, KUOW, WCMU Michigan, KUCR 88.3 fm Riverside, Calif. and more


  • Added: Apr 20, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
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Throughout the darkest hours of this pandemic, the world kept its gaze trained on the light at the end of the tunnel: a vaccine. Just over a year i...

Bought by Nevada Public Radio, KUSU, KMXT, Boise State Public Radio, KUCR 88.3 fm Riverside, Calif. and more


  • Added: Mar 08, 2021
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 6
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School closures during the pandemic have pushed education for millions of kids into a virtual setting. The sudden changes have caused some people t...

Bought by KUSU and KUCR 88.3 fm Riverside, Calif.


  • Added: Mar 02, 2021
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 2
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Owning a pet means making decisions that affect their health — from what they eat, to whether and how much they exercise, to how they spend their d...

  • Added: Jan 08, 2021
  • Length: 58:59
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Thanksgiving usually means we’re going big — way over the top. Twice the size bird we could possibly eat; more side dishes than the table can hold;...

Bought by KMXT, WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass., WRST-FM Oshkosh, RadioFreePalmer, WSHU and more


  • Added: Nov 20, 2020
  • Length: 59:00
  • Purchases: 36
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We’re trying to have more meaningful conversations about racism as a country. Part of that means talking about implicit bias — assumptions and ster...

Bought by KUOW, WAMU, KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio, KALW, KICI Iowa City and more


  • Added: Oct 26, 2020
  • Length: 58:56
  • Purchases: 12
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Fall usually means the start of a new school year — but for millions of American kids, it marks the continuation of an extended limbo that’s come t...

Bought by KALW, KBUT Crested Butte, Colo., KUCR 88.3 fm Riverside, Calif., WRGY, KUSU and more


  • Added: Aug 25, 2020
  • Length: 58:59
  • Purchases: 16
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The killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis has sparked another wave of national outrage over police brutality and violence. Prot...

Bought by KUCR 88.3 fm Riverside, Calif., KQED, KUOW, WITF, WAMU and more


  • Added: Jun 05, 2020
  • Length: 58:58
  • Purchases: 17