The Pulse Folgen

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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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"Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy