The Pulse Folgen

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