The Pulse

Every second counts when it comes to treating patients in cardiac arrest — which is why researchers and health care professionals are working constantly to find faster and better ways of delivering care. We hear about some of the latest advancements, from a new generation of networked AEDs to high- and low-tech innovations in treating heart disease.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What's the best educational setting for my child to learn and grow? It's a question many parents contemplate, but it's an especially difficult question for parents of autistic kids. We explore the often unseen challenges these kids face at school, the battles parents face advocating for change, and what experts say could actually make a difference.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We explore what it takes to recover from serious mental illness, with stories about how a patient's decades-long relationship with his psychiatrist helped him overcome severe depression, how a new crisis response program balances safety with providing help to those experiencing mental health emergencies, and how Patrick Kennedy went from politician to mental health advocate.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

You've heard that music is the language of the soul — but could it also be a treatment for the body? On this episode, we explore some of the latest science on the healing power of our favorite tunes, from how they affect our brains, to why they improve our workouts, to the promise they show in treating illnesses like epilepsy and Parkinson's.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Zoologist Bill Schutt argues that teeth were pivotal to the success of vertebrate animals, they're power tools for survival. His latest book is "Bite: An Incisive History of Teeth, from Hagfish to Humans." On this podcast extra, Schutt explains why teeth are key to understanding evolution; the controversy over fluoride in water; and why people once thought decay was caused by tooth worms.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There are countless hidden forces that affect how we behave, the choices that we make, and the general shape of our lives. On this episode, we take a deep dive into some of those forces. We hear stories about mirroring and how it affects our interactions, whether implicit bias trainings actually work, and how hierarchies influence productivity.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

On this encore episode of The Pulse - We're in a major technological revolution where artificial intelligence, gaming, and virtual reality are allowing us to create and enter totally new spaces and have new experiences.But as these worlds grow bigger, more intense, and more consuming, they're also raising questions about what this new future will look like.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Interest in using psychedelics for mental health treatments has taken off in recent years — but the field was just dealt a major blow on August 9, when the Food and Drug Administration rejected a bid by Lykos Therapeutics to approve the first-ever MDMA treatment for PTSD. The agency said it needed more research to show that the drug was safe and effective. The decision means that an active research community that has formed over the last few decades will likely continue as it started — more underground than above ground.On this episode, we look at the latest on psychedelics and mental health, along with the challenges to moving the research forward. We hear stories about the battle over MDMA, new questions about whether ketamine can actually help treat depression, and a group that says it's found the solution to cluster headaches in psilocybin.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

We've only been able to harness the cold for our benefit for a little over 100 years, but innovations like refrigeration and air conditioning have completely transformed the way we live and eat.A massive cold chain makes it possible to buy salmon from Alaska, grapes from Chile, and cheese from Italy; to have sushi in Kansas and ice cream in the summer. Air conditioning allows us to function and to be comfortable during the hot summer months. But it all comes at a cost, and not just financially. Refrigeration and air conditioning use a lot of energy, and that's a problem in our ever-warming world.On this episode, we look at how advances in cold technology have shaped our lives and changed the world — for better and for worse. We hear about working in a cold storage warehouse and the smell of frozen pizzas; about super-cold "blast" freezers that can bring us fresher seafood and reduce waste; and about the race to develop more sustainable air conditioners. We'll also find out what it actually looks like to have your body cryonically preserved.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Asking for help is hard. It can make us feel vulnerable, like we're sharing too much or admitting weakness. It can also stoke fears about our relationships and sense of self-worth — am I being a burden? Will they resent me later? What if they say no?And yet, the ability to ask for help is an important life skill that not only helps us survive, but can make us feel loved, supported and connected.On this episode, we hear stories about what happens when different people ask for help — from the struggles of a nurse and comedian to make herself vulnerable, to the dark side of GoFundMe, to how helpful a chatbot can really be for our mental health.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy