The Pulse

We think of life and death as clear cut — you're alive or you're not; your heart's beating or it isn't; your brain functions or it doesn't. But when you look a bit deeper, both on a biological level, and in terms of people's experiences, the border where life ends and death begins starts to look less firm, leading to questions about what comes next.On this episode, we explore the blurred line between life and death. We hear about near-death experiences, and what researchers say about the difference between our brains and our consciousness; we discuss a pioneering approach to collecting organs that is raising questions about the definition of death; and we'll explore why some people experience sudden bursts of lucidity before death. Also, a story about a controversial contest to prove the existence of life after death.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Lots of things can get in the way of taking care of your health, catching medical issues early on, and getting treatment. Navigating insurance woes, trouble scheduling appointments, big medical bills — but also broader issues like lack of access, distrust in the medical system, and language barriers can stand in the way of patient care. On this episode, we'll take a look at barriers to health care — especially for America's most vulnerable populations — and explore potential solutions. We hear stories about a new initiative to screen for colorectal cancer, how AI is helping to bridge language divides, and a recent push to institute screenings for the forgotten sense.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

What comes to mind when you think of the ocean? Maybe a day at the beach — swimming in the waves, snorkeling through coral reefs, fishing, surfing, and sunsets that kiss the blue horizon. But Earth's oceans are more than all of that; they're our planet's defining feature, its largest ecosystem, the original source of all life, and, according to physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski, the engine that powers our planet. On this episode, we talk with Czerski about her new book, "The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works," and why she says the ocean is critical not only to our climate system, but to the big and small processes that sustain and shape life on Earth. She also helps us understand the many intricacies of the sea, from the reasons why it's salty to how the Earth's rotation affects its currents. We also hear stories about efforts to restore coral reefs using sound and find out why scientists are looking for climate time capsules at the bottom of the ocean.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For decades, the idea that you could attack genetic illnesses right at the root — that you could modify people's genes to treat or cure disease — sounded like science fiction. But in recent years, several new gene therapy treatments have been FDA approved, and many others are showing promise in clinical trials. On this episode, we take a look at what's new with gene therapy, what's on the horizon, and the challenges standing in the way. We hear stories about making these treatments more affordable by changing the manufacturing process, what happened when one family tried to enroll their son in a clinical trial under a looming deadline, and one man's DIY approach to curing his own condition. We also chat with a pioneer in the field of gene therapy about sticking with her research during a time when funding dried up and interest in the field had faded.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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 marketing, but also climate change, global supply chains, nutrition science, health concerns, and social media influencers. On this episode, we'll look at what we eat and why.We'll find out how lima beans are getting a makeover, and why seed oils ended up becoming a lightning rod in nutrition debates. We'll also taste a futuristic green with self-proclaimed superpowers, meet one physician who's trying to convince people to eat more organ meats, and another who says to stay away from anything marketed as health food.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Chris van Tulleken, a physician known for his insights on public health, shares his intriguing four-week experiment consuming ultra-processed foods. He reveals alarming impacts on his health and mood, highlighting connections to obesity and anxiety. The conversation dives into the addictive nature of these foods, the dangers of deceptive marketing, and their troubling prevalence in diets, especially among children. Van Tulleken advocates for awareness and regulatory changes to combat the food industry's misleading practices.

Fabian Falch, a Norwegian tech entrepreneur, and a conflict researcher discuss their real-time study on resolving conflicts. The podcast explores topics such as different perspectives in conflicts, conversational receptiveness, the consequences of stopping a conversation, depolarizing perspectives, the role of play in teaching conflict resolution, and the impact of COVID-19 on children's social development.

Rejection, or even the thought of it, can strike fear into our hearts, and leave a bad taste in our mouths. It often leads to a mix of sadness, shame, anxiety, and anger — along with nagging questions. What's wrong with me? Why did this person not like me? Why didn't I win this award? Why didn't I get the job? But it doesn't have to be that way, and there's a lot we can learn from not making the cut. On this episode, we explore the experience of rejection — what it feels like, how it functions, and the lessons we can draw from it.We'll hear from a fear and anxiety researcher about the evolutionary roots of anxiety — and why asking someone out on a date can feel like a life-or-death situation. Then we'll explore a common experience among people with ADHD, known as rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), and hear how one future physician dealt with the worst rejection of her life.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

For most of the big moments in life, we have rituals — proposals, weddings, births, graduations, and anniversaries. We know how to talk about them, how to celebrate them, how to honor them. But there's one moment we all face that lots of people don't know how to deal with: dying.In fact, a majority of Americans avoid end-of-life planning, even though most say it's important. Losing a loved one — not to mention facing your own mortality — is a hard reality to contemplate. So how do we go about having those tough conversations about the end of life? Is there a "right" way to talk about it? Can we really prepare for death and the grief it brings in a way that is helpful? And does it get any easier when people know it's coming?On this episode, we explore how we talk — or avoid talking about — death; the funny, tender, and hopeful moments that arise in those conversations; and how we can best support our loved ones in their final moments. We hear stories about two very different approaches to confronting death, how death doulas help usher their patients into the unknown, and new approaches to dealing with prolonged grief.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Flying saucers, little green men, and the X-Files — for years, that's what most people associated with unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. They were the stuff of sci-fi and supermarket tabloids, conspiracy theories and punchlines.But ever since a bombshell article in The New York Times several years back documented confirmed sightings by navy pilots, UFOs — or UAPs, unidentified aerial phenomena, as they've been rebranded — have been slowly migrating into the mainstream.Today, it's not uncommon to find scientists, elected officials, and decorated members of the military talking publicly about UFOs. Records are being unclassified, research projects launched — there was even a Congressional hearing dedicated to UFOs. And beneath it all lies the age-old question: Are we alone?On this episode, we explore the past — and future — of the search for life on other planets. We talk with a historian about how attitudes towards UFOs have changed over the decades; we look at how scientists are approaching the study of UFOs; and we hear the strange story of a sighting back in the 90s that begs the question of what — and who — we believe.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy