Bella Isaacs - Thomas

Apr 30, 2024 | pbs.org | Bella Isaacs - Thomas

With spring in full swing, a subterranean clock is ticking in more than a dozen states. Once the soil in those places reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit, billions of periodical cicadas will emerge to kick off their adulthood in the world above. If you live in their path, you can expect to see a staggering number of these bugs dominating your local landscape — and loudly buzzing — between May and June. In warmer locations, some cicadas may have hit the scene as early as April.

Apr 28, 2024 | pbs.org | Bella Isaacs - Thomas |Xander Landen |John Yang |Harry Zahn

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Audio To most people, the sun is a steady, never-changing source of heat and light. But to scientists, it’s a dynamic star, constantly in flux, sending energy out into space. Experts say the sun is now in its most active period in two decades, causing potential disruptions to radio and satellite communications. John Yang speaks with Bill Murtagh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center to learn more.

Apr 19, 2024 | pbs.org | Bella Isaacs - Thomas

Coral reefs worldwide are in major trouble. Their numbers have dwindled dramatically over time and today, they’re facing yet another mass bleaching event. But research has offered hope that human intervention can help restore these crucial ecosystems. Once-decimated swaths of coral reef off Indonesia’s coast are now bouncing back after years of efforts by the Mars coral reef restoration program. That’s according to a recent study from an international group of researchers who analyzed the project.

Apr 5, 2024 | pbs.org | Bella Isaacs - Thomas

For scientists focused on unlocking the secrets of the sun, it’s not a newfangled invention but a cyclical celestial event — and an appetite for world travel — that offers them an unmatched opportunity to observe our nearest star. Though, the high-tech equipment helps, too.

Apr 3, 2024 | pbs.org | Bella Isaacs - Thomas

As consumer concern about plastic pollution grows, a third of adults in the United States say they have reduced their use of plastic products over the past five years. That’s according to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, which found that close to half of Americans (47 percent) said they had maintained their use of these items — like water bottles, razors or straws.