Melody Bodette

This episode of But Why is a serious one. We're talking about death. Why do people die when they get too old? What happens to people when they die? What does it feel like when you're dead? Our guide is Jana DeCristofaro from the Dougy Center: The National Center for Grieving Children in Portland, Oregon, which supports children and families facing serious illness or coping with the loss of a family member.

Just last week, Vermonters in many parts of the state were still looking at the green leaves of summer, with some even browning prematurely due to a long span of unseasonably hot weather. But over the weekend that changed quickly, according to Mike Snyder, Commissioner of Vermont's Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation. His department puts out the state's weekly fall foliage report.

Four years ago, a huge fireball appeared over the small Quebec town of Lac Megantic. The fireball was from an explosion caused by a runaway train that crashed into the downtown. Nearly 50 people were killed.

That tragedy is being examined again this week in a courthouse in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where three railway employees are on trial for criminal negligence.

Last week cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, showed up in blooms that closed beaches on Lake Champlain and Lake Carmi, disappointing swimmers looking for relief from the late September swelter. But more than an inconvenience, it also posed health concerns for people and pets who might come into contact with the bacteria.

What is Vermont doing to prevent these blooms from happening? We asked Julie Moore, Vermont's Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources.

Sunday's mass shooting at a Las Vegas music festival Sunday night has been called the deadliest in modern American history, with at least 59 people killed hundreds more injured. Among those shot dead was a native Vermonter, 35-year-old Sandra Casey of Dorset.

VPR's Mitch Wertlieb spoke with Vermont Congressman Peter Welch on the prospect for legislation to change the country's gun laws.

In the wake of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history in Las Vegas on Sunday, we're re-releasing our special episode for parents. We speak with Dr. Robin Gurwitch about how to answer questions children may have about violence they hear in the news. She’s a child psychologist at the Duke University Medical Center and she has served on numerous commissions and committees about children and trauma, including the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters.

Is it OK to do something that you were told not to do and then never tell anybody? We tackle that question from 10-year-old Finn from Seattle. Also in this episode: why do people make really bad choices and want other people's lives to be harder?

In the last couple of weeks, two big hurricanes have hit parts of the United States and Caribbean islands. In this episode we answer questions from kids who have been hearing the news and wondering: How do hurricanes form? Why do hurricanes strike Florida? Why do hurricanes have names? We speak with atmospheric scientist Shuyi Chen of the University of Washington.

How is glass made? Why does glass break? Why do bubbles pop? What's it like inside a bubble? We make everything clear in this episode! Our questions from kids in Arizona, Brazil, California and Cambodia.

Why do bees pollinate? How do bees make honey? Why do bees have stingers? Why do bees die when they sting you? What's the difference between a bee and a wasp? Does honey have healing properties? Vermont farmer and beekeeper John Hayden of The Farm Between answers all of your bee questions! And we learn about one curious kid's app, which he hopes will help save pollinators.

Construction crews are installing two steel temporary bridges in downtown Middlebury, giving the town a taste of what the larger construction project will mean for the area.

In this episode, we're answering some of our frequently asked questions, the questions we hear a lot from all of you: why are there so many different languages? Why do we get hiccups? Why do our fingers get wrinkly in the tub? Why are plants so many colors? Why do leaves change colors in the fall? Why is the sky blue?

We’re answering ten questions as quickly as we can in this episode of But Why. Why do onions make you cry? How do hummingbirds hum? Why do flamingos stand on one leg? Do moths have veins in their wings? Do cats that share a home have the same meow? What was the first book? How do libraries get money if people borrow books for free? Why do people have fidget spinners? Why can't my stuffed animal get wet? And how do pigs poop? Can we do it all in 20 minutes?!

A team of archeologists is conducting a dig at one of the most remote farms in Vermont this summer. The South Champlain Historical Ecology Project is digging in West Haven for the second summer, and its early findings include some objects that may date back almost 11,000 years.

How is bread made? Who made the first cake? Why shouldn't you touch raw eggs? On this episode of But Why, we're talking about baking. We get a lesson in bread making on a field trip to King Arthur Flour. Later, the Botanical Society of America weighs in on a recent episode where we talked about why some berries are poisonous.

A Charlotte family is working to turn their family farm into a non-profit to celebrate African-American heritage and culture. The Clemmons family has a long history of bringing communities together and celebrating African art and culture, and now they are finalists for a grant to expand their vision.

In this episode we're celebrating the official return of summer to the northern hemisphere by answering some summertime questions! How do fireflies glow and can they control how they blink? Why are owls nocturnal? How do they swivel their heads around? And how do they hoot? Plus a few burning questions about why bug bites itch, why poison ivy and caterpillars and berries can all be poisonous, and how come we have to wear sunscreen!

We'll get answers from wildlife biologists Kent McFarland and Bryan Pfeiffer. Plus we hear an episode of one of VPR's other podcasts, Outdoor Radio.

How are babies made? We speak with Cory Silverberg, author of What Makes A Baby, for answers to questions about how we all come into the world.