The Pulse
by WHYY
Latest episode
The Ghost in the Machine: When Tech Seems to Have a Mind of Its Own
The Ghost in the Machine: When Tech Seems to Have a Mind of Its Own
About this podcast
Go on an adventure into unexpected corners of the health and science world each week with award-winning host Maiken Scott. The Pulse takes 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.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 225 episodes
- The Ghost in the Machine: When Tech Seems to Have a Mind of Its Own · 49 minSometimes, it can feel like tech has a mind of its own — from the smart speaker that suddenly starts laughing, to the chatbots that say oddly human things. On this episode…
- Why Nurturing Connection is Good for Your Health · 50 minMost Americans say that spending time with loved ones is one of the most important things in their lives — and yet, amid the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day, relationships…
- The Peptide Craze: Benefits, Risks and the Science Behind Them · 50 minPeptides are having a moment – but how much do we actually know about them? On this episode, we explore the potential benefits and risks. We investigate the science behind…
- Adult ADHD: Why You Know What to Do But Can’t Do It · 50 minOn this episode, we explore ADHD in adults — how to spot it, how to treat it, and how to function with it. We talk with a leading psychologist about what’s behind ADHD’s often…
- The Fight to Save Rural Hospitals — and Access to Healthcare · 50 minIt’s a story that’s unfolding across America, from Texas to Tennessee, Kansas to the Rust Belt — rural hospitals are struggling or closing, leaving residents, towns, and entire…
- The Strange Science of Color — And Our Quest to Understand It · 50 minOn this encore episode, we explore the world of color — from how we perceive it, to our efforts to describe and differentiate its many shades. We talk with a lexicographer about…
- How the Cereal Industry Won Breakfast · 28 minCereal was born as a health food — but quickly, sweet, crunchy flavor, bright colors, and fun shapes became more important than the nutritional value. That didn’t stop cereal…
- The Science of Eating: What We Get Wrong About Diet and Nutrition · 49 minWe all know we’re supposed to eat healthy — but what exactly does that mean? On this episode, what’s on your plate, why it matters, and how to make sense of conflicting nutrition…
- Under Pressure: How Weather Affects our Health · 50 minAs summer winds down, some people are celebrating the approach of fall, while others are dreading the shorter, colder days. We know that weather can affect our mood — maybe we're…
- 'I Could Have Been Lindsay Clancy’ · 41 minA judge declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy after jurors said they were deadlocked over whether she should be held criminally responsible for strangling her…
- The Search for Life on Mars: From Mars Mania to NASA’s Rovers · 50 minOn this episode, a look back at our search for life on Mars. We hear about the Viking mission to Mars — the first to land a craft on the Red Planet — and the controversy over…
- Jon Ronson, 101 Princesses, and a World of Unraveling Men · 49 minJournalist Jon Ronson's new book starts with a series of panicked text messages from his son — who had been lured to a massive, gothic-looking castle in Connecticut. A female…
- The Search for Wilderness · 49 minSometimes, modern life can feel like an endless cacophony of distractions. We spend our days being inundated with noise and traffic, news and emails, obligations and hectic…
- What's Really Going On Inside Animals' Heads? · 50 minDo animals feel love, anger, or empathy? Researchers have long dismissed such ideas as anthropomorphism, arguing that attributing human emotions to animals was unscientific. But…
- Quitting Antidepressants: From Withdrawal to Tapering One Step at a Time · 49 minErica Gerard tried to find the right antidepressant for over two decades, one where the benefits outweighed the side effects. Finally, she decided to get off her medication. What…
- The Science of Imagination: Transforming How We Think, Feel, and Live · 29 minIn some ways, our imagination is like an all-access pass. It can transport us to a different place, it allows us to picture a beautiful beach, or a lush flower garden. We can…
- Think Inside the Box: How Limits Fuel Creativity · 24 minWe tend to think that creativity flourishes in the absence of limits, when we have all of the freedom to innovate and dream big. But what if the opposite is true? What if…
- The Future of Pain Relief: Managing Chronic Pain, Laughing Gas, and Safer Opioids · 50 minMillions of people in the U.S. have chronic pain that’s unresponsive to medical interventions. But there are new and comprehensive ways of treating pain. We explore how emotions…
- Jet Lag, Cruise Outbreaks, and Vacation Constipation: How to Deal with Travel Health Woes · 50 minVacations are a time to experience new things, and restore our minds and bodies — but sometimes the opposite happens. On this episode, when vacations wreck your health — and how…
- How Reliable Is Forensic Science? The Truth About Criminal Profiling and Investigations · 50 minInvestigators have long relied on science to help solve crimes, from fingerprint and blood splatter analysis to the psychology of criminal minds. But not every investigative…
