The Pulse

We live in an age of self-optimization — a time when seemingly everyone is striving to squeeze more from our already packed days. But what are we sacrificing with all of that productivity? On this episode, we talk with two former overachievers about how the search for perfection impacted their lives, and how they decided to do less and find more joy. We talk with writer and filmmaker Priyanka Mattoo about learning to embrace inefficiency — and how, after a lifetime of perfectionism, letting go helped her rediscover joy. Her new book is “How to Be Less Useful: The Joy of Inefficiency.” For years, entrepreneur Pat Croce was best known for his boundless energy, business successes, and a can-do attitude that helped rocket Philadelphia’s 76ers from a losing record to the NBA finals. It wasn’t until more recently, though, that Croce realized that his lifelong pursuit of achievement had left him feeling unfulfilled. He harkens back to the moment that he reached that epiphany and explains how he finally found peace in meditation and spiritual exploration. His new book is "Enjoy Your Self Now!: 66 Sacred Shifts to Instantly Awaken the Peaceful Presence within You."

Sometimes, 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, stories about “the ghost in the machine.” We investigate why a strange man’s name kept appearing in our show transcripts, learn about the long history of tech in horror, and hear the spooky story of an AI agent that went rogue. A few months ago, Pulse producer Lindsay Lazarski noticed something strange — a man’s name that kept appearing in our interview transcripts: Aaron Ross Powell. In this homespun mystery, she leads us on an investigation into why this was happening. We talk with Aviva Briefel, a professor of English and Cinema Studies at Bowdoin College, about why "possessed" technologies have been such a persistent theme in the horror genre, and what it says about our anxieties related to technological change. We’ve all heard about the threat AI might pose to the future of humanity — but what if it went after you directly? Pulse reporter Liz Tung tells the story of Scott Shambaugh, and the vindictive AI agent that tried to take him down.

Most 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 often take a backseat to other commitments. We find ourselves canceling date nights to finish work, rescheduling family calls to catch up on chores — maybe even choosing to scroll on our phones over a night out with friends. It can be hard making time for friends and family — and easy to tell ourselves they’ll still be there tomorrow — but there’s a cost to neglecting our personal connections. New research is revealing just how important those ties are, and why nurturing them is an investment not only in our relationships, but in our own health and well-being. On this encore episode, we explore the science of human connection, from why it matters to how we can make it a priority in our lives.

Peptides 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 peptides, find out what lagging research and regulation could mean for regular users, and learn about how — and whether – to use peptides in a responsible way. We talk with Stanford pathology professor Katrin Svensson about what exactly peptides are, what led to their explosion in popularity, and the dangers of unregulated use, both for consumers and for the field of peptide research.  Reporter Bruce Gil dives into the world of consumer peptides, exploring what's driving their growing popularity, the science behind them, and the thorny regulatory landscape. He also talks with regular users about why they started using peptides, and what effects they’ve had on their health. Many people are interested in peptides, and want access. A growing fleet of clinics and medical providers provide peptide treatments targeting everything from weight loss to muscle growth to cognitive function and mental health. We talk with Evan Miller, the CEO of a chain of clinics called Gameday Men's Health, about how he got into peptides, and what patients should look out for when they’re seeking out peptide treatments. Peptides are also a hot commodity in skincare products. Dermatologist Elizabeth Houshmand breaks down the different categories of peptides in creams and serums, and how consumers can tell if a product has actually been studied or not. 

On 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 frustrating symptoms, hear about what it’s like receiving a diagnosis late in life, and find out why people with ADHD are often very sensitive. People with ADHD often struggle with task initiation — especially when it comes to tasks that they find boring, complicated, or aversive. Pulse reporter Liz Tung offers a day-in-the-life glimpse at what it’s like trying to start one of these tasks … and what she ended up doing instead. We talk with psychologist Russell Ramsay, the co-founder and former co-director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Adult ADHD Treatment and Research Program, about why ADHD in adults has been neglected for so long, and the many parts of people’s lives it affects — from work, to relationships, to their own self-perception. He also discusses what's behind time blindness, why people with ADHD struggle with long deadlines but excel at short ones, and what's going on in the brain that causes these behaviors. For a lot of adults with ADHD, finally receiving a diagnosis can be a relief — something that explains and reframes a lifetime of struggle. But it can also be destabilizing, especially when the diagnosis comes later in life. Pulse reporter Alan Yu tells the story of how one older woman’s diagnosis transformed her life, her understanding of herself, and her relationship with her daughter. For years, psychiatrist Sasha Hamdani thought she was just sensitive — she would cry at the drop of a hat and spiral when she’d made a mistake. It wasn’t until years later that she encountered a name for what she was experiencing: Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, or RSD — a powerful emotional reaction, common in people with ADHD, to perceived criticism or rejection. Hamdani discusses how RSD shaped her professional life, the proposed brain mechanism behind it, and techniques for dealing with it. Her book is “Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply.”

It’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 regions without access to important healthcare services, from cancer screenings to maternity care. For some people, it can even mean a several-hour drive to the nearest emergency room — and in life-or-death situations, those extra miles can make a big difference. On this episode, we explore the rural healthcare crisis, and emerging solutions aimed at increasing — or at least preserving — access to care. We visit communities in rural Pennsylvania where residents are fighting to save their hospitals. We find out how other systemic pressures, like prior authorization, are squeezing rural healthcare systems. And we hear about potential solutions, ranging from state-funded reimbursement programs, to sophisticated “hospitals on wheels” aimed at bringing healthcare to the people.SHOW NOTES: Reporters Nicole Leonard and Alan Yu take us on a journey to two towns in rural Pennsylvania facing similar pressures — Bradford, a once-booming oil town now in decline, and Honesdale, a former railway hub nestled in the Pocono Mountains. For years, both locales have dealt with shrinking populations and a loss of businesses. We hear about the residents’ efforts and struggles to save their hospitals. Many states, including Pennsylvania, have been working to prevent hospital closures in rural areas through experimental initiatives aimed at shoring up their finances. The Pulse's Alan Yu explains how one such initiative — the Pennsylvania Rural Health Model — aimed to combat these financial pressures by replacing the traditional fee-for-service model with a value-based model, which shifts the focus to preventative care in exchange for fixed, predictable funding. We explore how the five-year experiment played out — and why economists say it didn’t ultimately work for some hospitals.  We talk with Miranda Yaver, an assistant professor of health policy at the University of Pittsburgh, about another challenge squeezing rural hospitals — prior authorization. Her new book is “Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States.” In some parts of rural America, patients have to travel hours in order to access care — but what if medical care could come to them? That's the idea behind a new, federally funded program called PARADIGM, which deploys AI-enabled mobile health units to patients who don’t have access to healthcare. We talk with PARADIGM’s director, emergency medicine physician Bon Ku, about how these mobile clinics work, and  hear from reporter Grant Hill about one of the program's latest creations — MARCUS, a futuristic hospital on wheels that contains an exam room, scanning machines, and even a laboratory. 

On 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 efforts to standardize synthetic colors, and how we describe them, and investigate how we know that the colors we see are the same as the ones everyone else sees. The Pulse host Maiken Scott adds some pops of color to her all-black wardrobe with help from Jill Rafter, a color consultant with House of Colour, who breaks down seasonal palettes and how to choose your ideal hues based on your skin’s undertones. We talk with lexicographer Kory Stamper about her deep dive into the origins of ultra-specific color definitions, and the fascinating history of how major global changes, ranging from industrialization to international warfare, led to a government effort to standardize not just the production of synthetic colors, but also how we talk about them. Stamper’s new book is “True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color – from Azure to Zinc Pink.” How do we know that the colors we see are the same as the colors other people see? Pulse reporter Liz Tung talks with University of Pennsylvania researcher David Brainardabout the science of how we perceive color, what we know — and don’t know — about our shared perceptions, and the philosophical questions this raises about the nature of subjective experience. Pulse producer Nichole Currie talks with Cricket Matthews, who experiences  grapheme-colors synesthesia, a unique neurological trait in which letters, numbers, and words trigger specific colors in your mind.

Cereal 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 companies from leaning into health claims, though.  From Cheerios to Frosted Flakes and Wheaties, brands made bold promises to lower cholesterol, promote weight loss, boost fiber and even help prevent cancer. These healthy messages were also paired with eye-catching designs and beloved mascots. It was all a powerful marketing formula, one that sold a dream to buyers — that indulging in sugary cereal could also be a healthy choice. But, over the years, the healthy veneer has chipped off the cereal box.On this episode, public health nutritionist Marion Nestle and former Vice President of Nutrition at Kellogg Company Lisa Sutherland discuss their new book, “Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America’s Favorite Breakfast Food.”  

We 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 advice. We talk with paleoanthropologist Daniel Lieberman about what human evolution can teach us about how we should eat, look at a typical teen’s sugar intake, and explore barriers to serving healthy and fresh school lunches. We all know we’re supposed to limit our sugar intake — but tracking how much we’re actually eating can be hard, especially given how many products, ranging from pasta sauce to salad dressing, contain added sugars. We talk with recent high school grads Joe Faranda and Jay Lopez about what they discovered after tracking their sugar intake for a week. It's a question we ask ourselves every day, multiple times a day: What should I eat? The answer has gotten increasingly complicated over the years, as our food options have ballooned, and dietary advice shifts. We talk with evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman about why humans are poorly adapted to decide what to eat, how our diets — and the way we think about them — have changed, and why nutrition labels don't give the full story. Lieberman’s new book is “Fed Up: What Evolution Reveals About Food, Diet, Health and Eating Well.” Growing research on the negative health effects of ultra-processed foods has led to a call for healthier school lunches — but what does that really mean, and what would it require? Reporter Megan Myscofski visits a California school district that provides nutritious, locally sourced meals that are mostly made from scratch  — and finds out why similar efforts are out of reach for many districts.

As 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 extra irritable when it's hot, or gloomy when it's gray — but it can also influence our overall health. On this episode, a look at how weather affects well-being and health, from its impact on menstrual cycles to chronic conditions like asthma and pain. Can extreme heat affect your menstrual cycle? The internet thinks so. In June, , a strange phenomenon went viral on social media — thousands of women experienced unexpected changes to their periods as temperatures soared. For some, it came early; for others, late. Still others missed it entirely, or reported having a second period shortly after their first. Pulse producer Nichole Currie investigates the potential connection. Writer Alison Espach was taking a dip in the ocean one summer when something strange happened — she emerged covered head-to-toe in hives. She dismissed it as a fluke, but then it happened again when she swam in a lake, and again in a river. We talk with Espach about the bizarre culprit: her sudden allergy to cold.  Heat waves don't just make for uncomfortable temperatures — they often lead to poor air quality, which, in many places, has been exacerbated by wildfires. Pulse reporter Alan Yu talks with patients affected by air pollution, why it's dangerous to our health, and the people working to better track air quality. We talk with writer Lorraine Boissoneault about her new book of essays, "Body Weather: Notes on Chronic Illness in the Anthropocene," which explores the ways in which her own chronic illnesses mirror the weather changes wrought by climate change. Psychologist Trevor Harley explains the science of how the weather affects our mental and physical health, the evolutionary roots of our sensitivity to the weather, and how we can use that knowledge to improve how we feel. His new book is “Head in the Clouds: How the Weather Affects Our Minds and Mental Health.”