Explore every episode of the podcast The Pulse

How does nature make durable materials like corals and seashells without a heat or a kiln? How do peacock feathers get their beautiful colors? Scientists are trying to understand these processes and to replicate them for sustainable human products and design. The field of biomimicry is growing. We'll explore its origins and hear about some of the latest innovations.

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Circadian rhythms affect more than our sleep — they can shape all aspects of our health, and are in turn shaped by the rhythms of our lives. We explore the intricate mechanics of our internal clocks, and how they affect our health.

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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.

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The process of therapy can sometimes seem a bit opaque. What exactly happens in therapy? How does it work? And which approach is right for which issues? On this episode, we get inside the heads of therapists to find out how they ply their craft, and what it takes to really feel better. We hear stories about what happened when a city took a bold step toward providing free, virtual mental health services to its residents. Also: what happens when politics and therapy collide; how Freud's brainchild — psychoanalysis — is still relevant; and what it's like to grow up as the child of two shrinks.

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The human brain has an incredible capacity for processing information, from sensory data, to casual conversations, to everything we hear and read — in fractions of seconds. Not only that, our brains make sense of it all, allowing us to learn, work, form relationships, and navigate the world. On this episode, we take a closer look at how this all works — and why it sometimes doesn't. We hear stories about listening instead of reading — and test the limits of speed listening; we'll find out why reading comprehension tests in schools may be misguided; and why some people who think they're hard of hearing might actually have a different issue going on.

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Who becomes a physician in this country — and who never gets that chance? It's a question a lot of medical schools are grappling with, as groups like Black people and Latinos remain especially underrepresented among students. What would it take to attract and retain a more diverse group of students? On this episode, we hear stories about people's path to med school, and the challenges they face along the way. We learn about a major push to increase diversity that happened in the 90s — and what happened to it; why some are rallying to do away with a tough entry exam applicants have to take; and the challenges of being the only person of color in your class.

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What is love? Is it that warm and fuzzy feeling, that crazed obsession, that deep sentiment of trust and good will? It's all of those things, but where and how does love happen in our bodies? On this episode, we put love under the microscope (and into a brain scanner) to understand where this emotion begins, and where it takes us. We talk with neurologists and psychologists to get a better understanding of the feeling that can turn us into heroes, fools — or both.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Before dinosaurs, before trees — even before Saturn had its rings – there were sharks. The fierce predators have been swimming in our oceans for hundreds of millions of years, standing the test of time as they survived all five of Earth's mass extinction events.

Now, though, many of them face unprecedented threats, from overfishing to climate change. But there's a movement underway to protect sharks — and to change their public image, which suffered after the classic movie Jaws.

On this episode, we explore the secret lives of sharks, and what can be done to help these ancient predators survive. We learn about the history of sharks, and what's made them so adaptable; hear about how some fishermen are helping to save them; and find out what the historical record can teach us about the largest, most fearsome shark to ever exist — the megalodon.

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Health care is a billion dollar industry in the U.S. — one of the biggest in the country. The business aspect of medicine is an invisible force in the doctor's office that shapes treatment decisions and care. As patients, financial worries can affect whether we go to the doctor in the first place, make us suspicious of expensive procedures, or even cause us to turn down necessary care. And patients aren't the only ones worrying about money — on the provider side, everyone from doctors to hospitals to insurance companies are also weighing the costs and benefits of expensive tests and treatments, along with whether or not patients can pay.

On this episode, we explore the complicated relationship between medicine and money, and how it affects patient care. We learn about the history of medical debt and why some patients end up in court over unpaid bills; we find out how financial incentives affect pharmaceutical companies' decisions about what treatments to develop; and we hear about a controversial practice that some are calling medical deportation.

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It's easy to forget that the earth below us is always changing and shifting — but sometimes, we get a dramatic demonstration of exactly that, like with the recent eruptions of a volcano in Iceland.

Volcanoes can devastate and destroy, but they're also an integral part of our planet's history and even evolution. And the same goes for the rocks beneath our feet — they're ancient artifacts, historical records, time capsules filled with clues about Earth's past and its future.

On this episode, we read into the geologic record — written in stone — to decipher the secrets it holds. We talk with an adventurous researcher, who explains how volcanoes helped shape our planet's evolution; we find out what we can learn from studying rocks; and hear about how rock collecting helped save one woman's life.

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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse: 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 complicated. What does it really mean to be free — and how free can we be? On this encore episode, we'll look at freedom from different perspectives. We'll talk with a neuroscientist who says we evolved to have free will — even though it can sometimes feel like our brains are just following a bunch of preset options. And we'll hear from a social psychologist who says that being human means we need other people and living in groups always comes with limitations. We'll also meet a man who relied on a single word to unlock more freedom in his life.

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With a contested presidential election looming, we explore what's at stake for health and science, from fertility medicine to cyber security with voting machines, and efforts by scientists to protect themselves from political influence.

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Amazon caught the wave of the early internet at a time when very few people even understood what the internet was. Launched in a garage 30 years ago, the company has grown from its humble beginnings to a global powerhouse that has expanded into all kinds of sectors, everything from cloud computing to health care. Founder Jeff Bezos wanted Amazon to become a daily habit for consumers — and for many people, it's become just that. And even if you're not ordering anything today, chances are, you are still using an Amazon service, whether you know it or not. On this episode, we'll explore the different innovations that have fueled Amazon's growth. We'll dig into its power-hungry data centers and peek inside the intricate clockwork that makes speedy deliveries possible.

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Imagine looking at a crowd of people, and they either all look vaguely familiar, or like complete strangers. It doesn't matter if this is a group of classmates or colleagues, or people you have never met before. That's a daily experience for people who have a condition called face blindness — who can't recognize people based on their faces. Face recognition takes up a lot of real estate in our brains, and for good reason; recognizing people allows us to form relationships, tell friend from foe, and create networks. On this episode, we explore how we recognize faces — and what happens when we can't. We'll also hear about people who are so-called "super recognizers," and find out how artificial intelligence could turn face recognition into a tool for surveillance.

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DIY culture is all about empowerment — teaching yourself new skills to do things on your own, like retiling your bathroom or fixing a leaky faucet. But what happens when the DIY approach extends to something as complicated and potentially dangerous as medicine?

On this episode, we take a look at the growing number of patients who are taking health care into their own hands — experimenting with DIY treatments ranging from brain stimulation to homemade wound ointments. We hear about a man who developed a cure for his persistent infection in his garage, find out why so many people are flocking to DIY medicine, and learn how one researcher carefully evaluates his patients' DIY approaches.

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Competent. Capable. Strong. Stoic. Provider. Protector. Leader. Patriarch. These are the kinds of words that we've long associated with masculinity and manhood — but in recent decades, ideas of what it means to be a man have undergone drastic changes.

As women have gained ground in education and careers, politics and culture, the role of men has shifted. They're no longer automatically assumed to be the main breadwinners, the decision-makers or leaders. And a lot of the "masculine" attributes that were once considered virtues — decisiveness, stoicism, paternalism — are now sometimes seen as problematic. In other words, the old script for what it means to be a man has been torn up. But some experts say that script has not really been replaced, leading many men and boys to feel destabilized and lost.

On this episode, we explore how our ideas of masculinity are changing — why there seems to be a void of positive messages, the lure of the manosphere, and how men are reinventing and re-envisioning their roles. Also — a look at how being more deeply involved in caring for babies and children is affecting men's brains.

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When it comes to science, it's often the flashiest stories that grab headlines — the cancer breakthroughs, the tech innovations, the discoveries of new species or distant stars. But there's also plenty of science that, while it may not make a huge splash, is quietly changing the way we live.On this episode, The Pulse celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a special live show that turns the spotlight on the science changing our everyday lives. We talk with a pediatrician and engineer whose work has transformed the way children travel – and saved countless lives; host Maiken Scott volunteers as a guinea pig for neurologists studying brain stimulation; and we hear from a biologist whose early-career quest changed the way she thinks about her work.

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On this rebroadcast of The Pulse - We often think of art and science as existing in different — even opposite — spheres. One revolves around creativity and imagination; the other around observable facts and data — and never the twain shall meet.
But really, art and science aren't as far apart as we might think. For centuries, artists have drawn on the natural sciences, and the wonders of the natural world, as inspiration for some of our most celebrated works.

On this episode, we explore the hidden architecture of science that often underlies music, literature, and more. We talk with a mathematician who makes the case that math is key to appreciating literature on a whole new level; a pianist who reveals how the natural world inspired some of classical music's most iconic composers; and an artist whose work on water blurs the lines between art, ecology, and activism.

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When psychologist Lewis Terman launched his decades-long study of high-IQ children in 1921, he had a specific goal in mind: to prove that "gifted" people were born leaders, and superior in just about every way. Although his theory didn't pan out, Terman did kick off national interest in identifying and cultivating intellectually gifted children.
Just over a century later, experts in science, education, and psychology are grappling with questions about how we define giftedness, who qualifies as gifted, how we should teach and treat gifted children, and where the limits of their talents lie.

On this episode, we hear stories about the challenges of growing up gifted, how musical prodigies are made — and identified, and what a chess wunderkind has to teach us about the value of raw talent vs. experience.

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We hear all the time about the joys of motherhood — the incomparable sense of love, the magic of watching your kids discover the world, the pride and fulfillment of seeing them grow. But motherhood can also be a grind. These days, moms are expected not only to care for their kids, but to grow their careers — all while juggling housework, swimming lessons, doctor's appointments, play groups, the family calendar, and more.
On this episode, we take a look at the experience of modern motherhood — the challenges, the sometimes impossible standards, and strategies some moms have developed to not just maintain their sanity but to thrive. We talk with therapist Erica Djossa about her new book "Releasing the Mother Load: How to Carry Less and Enjoy Motherhood More," hear about how one surgeon successfully pushed her department to become more friendly to new mothers, and how a diagnosis of breast cancer changed and deepened the bond between a mother and her son.

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In January 1995, the New York Times Magazine published a bombshell story with the headline: "THE GREAT IVY LEAGUE NUDE POSTURE PHOTO SCANDAL." The article revealed that, from the 1940s through the 1960s, elite colleges had taken naked photos of thousands of freshmen, including future luminaries like George Bush, Bob Woodward, Meryl Streep, and Hillary Rodham. For years, the schools had teemed with anxious, tawdry rumors about both the purpose and fate of the photos. Who had them? What were they really for? And where did they end up?
On this episode, we get the real story behind the photos from science historian Beth Linker, whose new book, "Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America," dives deep into the era's widespread obsession with standing up straight, and how researchers tried to connect posture to people's health and character. We also hear from historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela about how America came to be both more obsessed with exercise than ever — and, yet, also unhealthier. Her book is "Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America's Exercise Obsession"

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When medical mistakes happen, patients and their families often find themselves at a loss trying to figure out exactly what went wrong. Something bad happened. And then, communication drops; there's no real explanation, and no apology. Suddenly, everybody seems on guard. Health care providers can often feel bound by an imposed cone of silence that's designed to protect them and their institution, but makes it impossible to fully face up to their mistake, or have open conversations about preventing future ones.
On this episode, we explore the breaking of that silence, along with new solutions to avoid medical errors. We hear stories about what prompted one surgeon to go public after performing the wrong procedure, how the death of a young woman prompted her parents to try and change the system, and an investigation into an OB-GYN and the trail of injured women left in his wake.

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It's that time of year when we celebrate something we usually hate: fear. We visit haunted houses and corn mazes or binge-watch the scariest horror movies. In its most primitive form, fear is about survival — so we can face or escape serious threats. In other settings — where there's no danger — fear can feel exhilarating or fun. On this episode, we explore our complicated relationship with fear.

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Every day, we hear about countless environmental threats — from air pollution and microplastics, to deforestation and global warming. And a lot of us feel overwhelmed by the scale of these problems, and helpless to enact global big-picture solutions.

But small, everyday decisions matter too — and they add up. How you do your laundry, how warm or cool you keep your home, what you eat for lunch, what kinds of products you buy and or how you sort your trash — all of them have the potential to make a big difference.

On this special Earth Day episode, we look at everyday choices that can lead to greener living. We hear stories about laundry detergents, and how we can clean our clothes without hurting the planet, what it'll take for plant-based meat to make it to the big leagues, and an innovation that could revolutionize recycling as we know it.

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Over the past few decades, Latinos have become the largest racial or ethnic minority in the United States, making up nearly 20 percent of the country's population. Despite that, many Latinos feel alienated by our medical system, due to cultural and language barriers, and a lack of Latino physicians — and those barriers can have a real impact on their overall health.
On this episode, we look for solutions to provide better care to Latino communities and patients. We hear stories about one physician's bold initiative to bridge the language gap between doctors and farmworkers, new approaches to help victims of gun violence, and a national effort to increase the number of Latino physicians.

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It sneaks up on us while we're sitting in traffic, or waiting at the doctor's office, or doing our taxes — boredom, that restless feeling of dissatisfaction that arises when we harbor "the desire for desires," as Leo Tolstoy said.
At the same time, we're living in an age of never-ending stimulation, all at our fingertips — texting, social media, 24-hour news, and streaming galore. But despite this constant content consumption, we're still getting bored — maybe even more so than ever. We find ourselves hopping from tab to tab, scrolling through Instagram while watching a show, tuning out of meetings to check our email. And now some researchers are worried that all this stimulation could be changing our brains.

On this rebroadcast episode, we look at boredom in the age of information overload, and whether or not it's really good for us and our brains. We hear stories about what happened when two reporters quit their digital addictions for four weeks, a monk who took his search for boredom to the ultimate extreme, and why there's value to the slow pace of baseball.

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On April 8, a swath of North America will be treated to a rare and spectacular sight — a total solar eclipse; in some places, the first in more than a century, and the last for at least another 20 years. The path of totality, where it's possible to see the moon completely block out the sun, stretches in a narrow ribbon from Mexico, through Texas, all the way to Maine.
It's an event that eclipse chasers have been anticipating for years. On this special episode, we find out why so many people call total solar eclipses a life-changing experience, and why they will go to great lengths to witness this fleeting spectacle of nature. We'll hear what scientists are hoping to learn during this brief but important moment, and we'll pay tribute to the celestial body that makes the eclipse possible: the moon.

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Identity's a complicated thing — a mixture of nurture and nature, ethnicity, gender, culture, conscious decisions, coincidences, and more. In many ways, though, who we think we are boils down to the stories we tell ourselves; stories based on our origins, our families, and how we came to be.
But what happens when those stories change? When we discover that the narrative of our lives is completely different from what we've always believed?

On this episode, we explore stories of identity, and what happens when long-buried secrets are uncovered. We hear about a journalist who discovered that his father wasn't who he thought he was, one woman's search for her childhood self in the records of a long-running experiment, and how a fateful medical decision changed the future of a baby born in 1986.

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It's been four years since COVID-19 struck, transforming our modern world in ways we'd never seen before — and we're still processing the aftershocks. The pandemic exposed fault lines lurking beneath the surface of our everyday lives — friendships and bonds that weren't as strong as we thought; political rifts that turned into chasms; shifts in our fundamental beliefs of who we should trust, and what rules we should follow. It showed us how fragile we are — as human beings, and as a global community.
Now, we find ourselves trying to pick up the pieces — to understand what happened, and what we can do better next time. On this episode, we explore the major changes caused by the pandemic, what we can learn from them, and how we can move forward. We hear stories about one man's dogged search for a treatment for his long COVID, how the pandemic both hurt and revived the field of public health, and how to repair relationships that became frayed or broken by the pressures of the pandemic.

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Know the signs of depression. Recognize symptoms of anxiety. Pay attention to your friend's changing moods. There's been a push to raise mental health awareness for decades, and now, the topic is everywhere. It's leading the charts on social media sites, and everybody from celebrities to politicians to sports superstars are talking about it more openly. At the same time, it seems like our overall mental health is declining, as more and more people report having mental health issues. On this episode, we explore how the field of mental health is changing and adapting. We'll find out what traditionally trained therapists make of mental health advice on social media, why some experts argue that too much awareness can backfire, and why mental illness can be so tricky to diagnose. Also, one woman's quest to stay on her ADHD medications as shortages drag on.

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In 1944, a brilliant, young Harvard physics student named Ted Hall was recruited to work on the super-secret mission that had already assembled the country's top scientists: the Manhattan Project. Soon, Hall was on his way to Los Alamos, where he worked on the implosion mechanism for the nuclear bomb. As the project started to succeed, Hall became increasingly concerned that it would spell disaster for the world, especially if the U.S. were the only country to have nuclear capacity. So, at the age of 18, Hall decided that he needed to do something, and he became a spy for the Soviets. Hall may have been an incredible physicist, but he was not the stealthiest of spies. Still, he was never officially caught or charged. On this episode, investigative journalist Dave Lindorff details why Ted chose this path and how he managed to evade intelligence agencies. Lindorff's new book is called, "Spy for No Country: The Story of Ted Hall, the Teenage Atomic Spy Who May Have Saved the World." We'll also hear about the state of America's nuclear arsenal today and find out why some experts argue it needs a big upgrade.

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If you're training to become a physician, your first patient is usually dead. In fact, "first patient" is what med students call the human cadavers that they work on in anatomy class — when they first learn to make careful incisions, and lay eyes on the beautiful intricacies of bone, muscle, blood vessels, and organs that make our bodies work.
Human cadavers have long played a crucial role in medicine and science. They not only teach generations of doctors about the human body — they allow researchers to learn valuable lessons about everything from the causes of rare diseases to the effects of how we live our lives. But how do bodies end up on dissection tables in the first place? What can they still teach us? And why do people choose to donate their remains?

On this episode, we explore bodies donated to science — how they're used, why they're so important, and why people make this choice for their remains. We hear stories about one woman's mission to recruit future medical cadavers, and how 19th century medical schools got involved in body snatching. We'll take a closer look at a program that connects med students to the families of their "first patients," and find out why one firefighter has opted for a future in the Body Worlds exhibition.

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You can feel it coming on — your face flushes hot, maybe your fists clench, your heartbeat speeds up and blood pressure rises. It's rage — and it can go from zero to red-hot in a matter of seconds. Best-case scenario, it disappears just as fast. Worst-case scenario — it completely takes over. It's normal to feel angry when you or somebody else has been wronged, mistreated, or hurt. But even justified rage can become destructive, like a wrecking ball ruining careers and relationships. So, how do we handle these fiery emotions when they erupt? On this episode — how to deal with anger and rage. We learn about healthy ways of expressing our ire; the rise of "rage rooms" and what psychologists have to say about them; and what causes toddlers to throw such terrible tantrums.

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Your face flushes hot, maybe your fists clench, your heartbeat speeds up and your blood pressure rises. It's rage and it can go from zero to red-hot in seconds. It's normal to feel angry when you or somebody else has been wronged, mistreated, or hurt. But even justified rage can become destructive. How do we handle these fiery emotions when they erupt?

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It can show up as a spark or a lightning bolt; a glance or a touch; an easy rapport or butterflies in your stomach. Attraction — it's a feeling we know when we experience it, but we're often not sure exactly what fuels it. Is it about looks or personality? Psychology or chemistry? Instant fireworks or long-term compatibility? On this episode, we explore the mysteries of attraction — what kindles it, what kills it, and why we're often totally wrong about who we might be attracted to. We talk with a leading attraction researcher about the factors that determine attraction, and why he often advises people to follow their gut. We find out what dating apps — and the massive amounts of data they gather — are teaching researchers about who we're drawn to and why. And we hear the story of a couple whose mutual attraction changed over time — and why that turned out to be a good thing.

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Medical records are an important part of health care. They create a history of past issues, test results, and medications. They paint a picture of somebody's general health. Patients now have more access than ever before to their records, and these changes have come with some growing pains — like receiving test results straight from the lab, before their doctor can review them, or discovering mistakes. On this episode, we crack open those medical records to get a better sense of how they can help and hinder care. We'll hear about how physicians struggle to access different parts of the record to create a cohesive picture of a patient's health. We dig into issues around law enforcement accessing these records, and why they're so valuable to hackers.

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After covering the 2016 U.S. presidential election, reporter Jeff Horwitz knew that "something really weird was going on," that social media sites, especially Facebook, had played a role in shaping the election. But how — exactly? In his new book, "Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets," Horwitz details his chase to crack open this notoriously secretive black box that is Facebook. Host Maiken Scott talks to Horwitz about the powerful algorithms that favored engagement above all else, that not just amplified specific content, but started to shape everything from what we see, to what we post, to how politicians design their campaigns. Horwitz covers technology for The Wall Street Journal and was one of the reporters on the award-winning series "The Facebook Files."

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Twenty years ago, a group of college sophomores created a website that would end up changing the world — fundamentally altering how we connect with other people, how much we know about each other, and how we curate our existence. That website was Facebook.
In the years since, Facebook quickly grew from a quirky site for college students to a global powerhouse — one that can affect everything from how we feel about ourselves to the outcomes of elections.
On this episode, a look at Facebook as it turns 20 — its history, its ongoing impact, and what we really know about how it operates. We hear stories about a curious coincidence linking Facebook to a defunct government surveillance project, why many researchers have mixed feelings about Facebook, and how the website's ever-changing features transformed the lives and mental health of young people.

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More than a third of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine, ranging from acupuncture to herbalism, Ayurveda to homeopathy. But despite its growing popularity, complementary and alternative medicine remains, for the most part, outside the Western medical mainstream — regarded by some as fringe, and by others as straight-up quackery. Despite that, many researchers and supporters have been trying to gain a deeper understanding of medical practices from around the world, and to incorporate them into our health care system. And that's led to more questions: Which practices work, and for what conditions? How do they work? And how do we measure and standardize treatments when they're removed from their cultural contexts? On this episode, we step outside the boundaries of Western medicine to explore those questions. We hear stories about a mysterious Vodou treatment, the struggle to bring acupuncture into the medical mainstream, and answers to Western skeptics.

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Humans crave certainty — in science and politics, in our lives and our leaders, in our decisions and our futures. We find comfort in knowing the facts, and we fear the murky unknown. In the age of information, we've grown increasingly unnerved by uncertainty and do everything we can to mitigate that anxiety. We do research online, play out scenarios in our heads, make plans A, B, and C — imagining that if we can just prepare well enough, everything will be OK. But in her latest book, "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure," author and journalist Maggie Jackson makes the case for an opposite way of being — embracing the unknown as an invitation to pause, an opportunity for growth and innovation. On this episode, we talk with Jackson about her book, and what science teaches us about living — and even thriving — amid uncertainty. We also hear stories about one reporter's quest to make a life-changing decision while filled with doubt, and how saying "yes" to the unknown changed an introvert's life.

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We're in a major technological revolution where artificial intelligence, gaming, and virtual reality allow us to create and enter totally new spaces and have new experiences there.In these virtual worlds, we can reinvent ourselves, connect with people around the world, or take on new challenges and adventures. But as these worlds grow bigger, more intense, and consuming, they're also raising questions about what this new future will look like.We all know things are going to be different — but how? Will we soon have entirely new and far more fabulous lives in the virtual realm? Or will things feel surprisingly similar and mundane? How will a computer-generated life intersect with real life?On this episode: virtual worlds, virtual lives, and how they're changing our reality. We hear stories about Second Life — and the surprising political power structures that have emerged there; what happens when romantic relationships with AI go bad; and how increasingly realistic gaming worlds have led to the emerging discipline of archaeogaming.

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We all know that exercise is good for us — for both our bodies and our minds — but motivating yourself to hit the gym, take a run, or even go for a walk sometimes feels like the hardest thing in the world. There are constant rebuttals that arise in our minds: We're too busy. We're too tired. We need a break — we'll start next week. At the same time, we're bombarded by messages from people who are all about fitness — influencers with seemingly perfect bodies and a healthy glow, who convince us that we too can get into shape. It's a habit that many of us try to cultivate — yet often seem to hit a wall. On this episode, we look at the science of fitness, the evolution of cultural messages surrounding exercise, and how we can overcome inertia to start fitting it into our lives. We'll hear about how exercise affects our mood and overall health, different approaches to getting in shape, the real-life struggle of becoming an Instagram fitness influencer, and one couch potato's reluctant journey to getting active.

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It's the goosebumps you get at the crescendo of your favorite song; the stupefying wonder that comes with witnessing a birth or a death; the astonishing mystery we feel when gazing at the vast night sky. This is awe — a complex, often overwhelming emotion that can elicit everything from pleasure and connectedness to a crawling sense of uncertainty. Moments of awe can create unforgettable memories — and they can have a lasting impact on our minds and the way we interact with others. One of the leading scientists studying awe is Dacher Keltner, a University of California, Berkeley psychologist, who's dedicated the past 15 years to investigating the origins and effects of this emotion. On this episode, we talk with Keltner about his new book "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life." He discusses his own, very personal experience of awe amid profound grief, the ability of awe to transform our experience of the world, and how we can cultivate awe on a daily basis. We also hear from listeners about their experiences of awe, and listen back to a story about how voyages to space change the way astronauts perceive life, their relationships, and Earth as a whole.

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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.

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Police generally aren't trained to deal with mental health crises — and yet they constantly find themselves called to intervene in these challenging situations, sometimes leading to disastrous results. On this episode, we explore efforts to change how law enforcement and health care work together.

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