On Second Thought

Pearl Cleage has returned to one of her earliest works in 1983’s "Hospice," the story of a woman named Jenny facing her mother’s rapidly approaching death.

African-American churchgoers have increasingly disappeared from church pews in recent years. When it comes to predominantly white evangelical churches, the absence of black congregants looms even larger. In 2014, the Pew Research Center found only 14 percent of African Americans in Georgia identified as an Evangelical Protestant. The national average is even lower. What's behind this shift in church? We sat down with Chanequa Walker-Barnes , an associate professor of pastoral care at Mercer

Frankenstein has been a popular novel turned movie since it was first published in 1818. At Emory University , three Atlanta playwrights took a new look at Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with modern scientific research. They each contributed to a single show that’s being performed at the Atlanta Science Festival . We were joined by Neely Gossett and Edith Freni , two of the three playwrights from the show "Frankenstein Goes Back to the Lab." Here's a clip from the 1936 movie "Frankenstein".

The Philadelphia art-rock group, Palm performed on Tuesday night in Atlanta at The Mammal Gallery . NPR said its sound “turns rock tropes inside-out.” On Second Thought’s Reid Williams caught up with band member Eve Alpert , who said it’s ok for her group not to have a clear label. https://youtu.be/NaWtA9e-2XM?t=13s

Now that it’s warming up, you may consider visiting one of Georgia’s many historic monuments. The Ocmulgee National Monument near Macon was designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The most prominent features at Ocmulgee are huge earthen mounds that spread across 700 acres. Native Americans first settled there thousands of years ago. We talked with a professor at Middle Georgia State University, Matt Jennings, to learn more about the history.

Throughout March, the Atlanta Science Festival is putting on events to celebrate science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This year, it tried something new: The festival has partnered with the Center for Puppetry Arts to show kids how science and the arts come together. On Second Thought producer Maura Currie went to a workshop and brought back an audio postcard.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta save lives and eradicate sicknesses, but the CDC is also in show business. In its more than 70-year history, it’s captured the imagination of TV writers and filmmakers. So, could the monkey in the movie Outbreak actually spread disease? Could flesh-eating zombies like the ones in The Walking Dead actually be a reality? On Monday night, the Atlanta Science Festival separates fact from fiction. On Second Thought’s Sean Powers took a quick

Every week on GPB-TV, our younger audience goes to an imaginary world under the sea. PBS’ " Splash and Bubbles " is a stop-motion animation show that teaches kids about oceanography. Atlanta-based puppeteer Raymond Carr works on the program, and told On Second Thought contributor Michelle Khouri about the use of digital puppetry to bring the show alive.

Georgia ranks near the top nationally for having the most human trafficking cases. Data compiled by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center shows that this year alone, Georgia has the seventh highest rate of cases. Most involve sex trafficking. Legislation is working its way through Congress to give prosecutors and sex trafficking victims a way to take legal action against websites, like Backpage.com, that welcome ads for prostitutes. However, some companies worry this measure could hurt

New organic meat regulations are coming in May. The USDA will be less strict on how animals are raised, fed and transported. We looked at what this means for Georgia’s massive poultry industry.