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Today’s Pulse rundown
UK Super-University
Transcript: What if your school suddenly merged with another one to create a massive super-campus? On September 7, the United Kingdom will launch its first ever super-university. The new London and South East University Group is merging the universities of Greenwich and Kent. It will host fifty thousand students across four campuses in London, Medway, and Kent. This means it will become the third largest higher education institution in the UK. Students will still graduate from their originally chosen school, but the merger creates a stronger financial foundation for the future. If you could design a super-university, what classes would you add?
Nurdles Clean-up
Transcript: Imagine trying to clean up a billion tiny plastic beads from the beach! Up to two thousand volunteers are doing exactly that in north-east England. After a ship collision on July 19 at the Port of Tyne, up to twenty-five tonnes of plastic pellets washed ashore. These tiny discs act as the raw material to manufacture most plastic products. Animals can easily mistake them for food with deadly consequences. To protect the coastline, the volunteers are painstakingly sifting the sand with dustpans and kitchen sieves, recovering two hundred eighty-five kilograms of plastic by Sunday. How would you invent a machine to sift sand faster?
Mirror-Image Flowers
Transcript: Did you know some flowers grow in perfect mirror images of each other? Researchers at the University of Potsdam solved a mystery about South African butterfly lilies. They discovered that two tightly linked genes determine whether the plant's parts bend to the left or to the right. The plants achieve efficient cross-pollination due to the mirror-image arrangement of the floral parts. The styles rotate and continue to grow asymmetrically under the influence of gravity. This ensures that pollen is deposited exactly where visiting insects can pick it up and carry it to the opposite type of flower. What other plants use clever tricks to survive?
First Grader Bird Scientist
Transcript: What would you ask your absolute biggest hero? Seven-year-old Khalib Townsend, a first grade student in Philadelphia, wants to be a conservation scientist. This spring, NPR arranged for him to interview his hero, Keith Russell, at the Audubon Discovery Center. Russell works to protect migrating birds. He explained that birds die from flying into windows because they see lights on ships or buildings and go toward them. Over one billion birds die this way every year in the United States. Khalib learned that putting special stickers on glass can save their lives. What kind of scientist would you want to be?
App Store Hidden Gems
Transcript: Are artificial intelligence bots going to replace all of our favorite apps? Not anytime soon! According to a new report, worldwide new app releases soared in 2026, up sixty percent in the first quarter. AI coding has enabled people to ship software more quickly and allowed novices to participate in the app ecosystem. Independent developers are creating fun tools like digital pen pals, neighborhood marketplaces, and retro internet boards. Instead of replacing apps, these new coding tools are helping creative people build exactly what they want to see on their phones. If you could code any app in a single day, what would it do?
2027 Solar Eclipse
Transcript: Are you ready for the longest solar eclipse of the century? Astronomers at TimeAndDate.com are already preparing for August 2, 2027. The moon's shadow will sweep across Spain and North Africa, crossing over eighty-nine million people. Near Luxor, Egypt, totality will last an incredible six minutes and twenty-two seconds. Moving a short distance inland can improve weather prospects because coastal fog and low cloud occasionally develop near shorelines. This will be the longest total solar eclipse visible from land until the year 2114, giving skywatchers plenty of time to stare at the stars. Where in the world would you travel to watch an eclipse?
World Dog Surfing Championships
Transcript: Have you ever seen a dog catch a perfect wave? Hundreds of people gathered in Pacifica, near San Francisco, for the tenth year of the World Dog Surfing Championships. Pups of all sizes hit the water wearing colorful life jackets. This means the talented canines got to show off their skills in surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and tandem events. Judges scored the dogs on the length of their ride, their technique, and their confidence on the board. Best of all, the organizers donate the money raised from the event to local animal charities. What sport do you think your pet would be best at?
Baba is You Board Game
Transcript: What if your favorite digital video games jumped off the screen and onto your table? Two popular indie video games are getting physical board game adaptations. A Kickstarter campaign begins on September 15 to fund tabletop versions of the 2019 puzzler Baba is You, and Party House from UFO 50. The Party House deckbuilding game supports four players. Players have to move on to the shopping phase when they exceed seven Trouble during a party. Meanwhile, the Baba is You board game turns the famous rule-bending puzzles into a competitive race to win. Which video game would make the best board game?
Elaine Paige Playlist
Transcript: Do you remember the very first song you ever fell in love with? Legendary stage actor and singer Elaine Paige shared the playlist of her life. She revealed that she used to sing Everly Brothers songs with her schoolfriend when she was eleven or twelve. This means fans get a peek into the music that shaped her massive career. She bought her first Perry Como record in Barnet High Street, and later starred in the 1968 musical Hair. She even admitted that her favorite song to play at a party is Roxanne by The Police! What song would be at the very top of your life playlist?
Mortgage Rules
Transcript: Have you ever wondered how people actually afford to buy a house? In the United Kingdom, the average house price is nearly three hundred thousand pounds. To help first-time buyers, financial rules have recently been relaxed. Mortgages will be within reach for more people because regulation limited how much lenders were able to lend, but those rules have been relaxed. Now, buyers can borrow up to six or seven times what they earn in a year. However, experts at Trinity Financial warn that buyers still need a good credit history and a regular salary to qualify. If you bought a house, what color would you paint the front door?