1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome the Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas, and 4 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: we are still in the thick of the Atlanta summer. 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: The heat is awful, the the air just you feel 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: it like just thick against your skin. It's like like 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: wading through pudding. Then and it just numbs your brain. 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: You forget who you are. And and all around us 9 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: there's this cacophony. Yeah, just this, this chorus of just 10 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: insane insect noises, and you can almost feel it on 11 00:00:43,760 --> 00:00:46,319 Speaker 1: your skin, like like the sound we're hearing right now 12 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 1: in the background. Get can't possibly do it justice because 13 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: you because you you you almost feel it. And and 14 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: it's it has this this kind of rise and fall, 15 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: this uh crescendo rises up all around you, and then 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: it kind of murmurs it down again, and it's just 17 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: it's it's amazing. It's it's amazing. And it's also a 18 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: signal that your summer overlords have a right. And it's 19 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: it's not just us here in Georgia, this is all 20 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: over the world. So for all your listeners, you probably 21 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 1: know what we're talking about, are most of you, because 22 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: you know, they're everywhere. It's the greatest insect infestation in 23 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:28,919 Speaker 1: the world. Cicadas the best insect, the greatest, biggest, uh, 24 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: most craziest. Yeah, yeah, it's it's pretty crazy, it's and 25 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: and just amazing to behold these guys. Cicadas or cicadas 26 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: if you're rather Yeah, you'll hear me go between both, 27 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: because it's a weird little language thing for me. But yeah, 28 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: cicada's right now. But yeah, and they're obviously they've been 29 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: on our mind because, as you said, um, they sort 30 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: of usher in the hottest point of summer, at least 31 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: here in Georgia, and you become very aware of this 32 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: sound permeating the air all around you. Yeah. Currently we're 33 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: dealing with what is called brood thirteen, because there are 34 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: different broods of cicadas. Uh, and though they are numerous species. 35 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: For starters, they're like three thousand or more different species. 36 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: I suppose we should describe what they look like, just 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: in case people are not really familiar. Yeah. Yeah, they 38 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: are kind of monstrous looking or beautiful looking, depending on 39 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: your opinion. Well, I think both are apt. Yeah, they 40 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: based when when humans start really seeing them. They're they're 41 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: emerging as this little nymph, this little uh ground based 42 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: creature that looks kind of like if you've ever seen 43 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: the Miyazaki film uh Nasica Valley the Wind, those big 44 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: giant insects that are in that with a glowing red eyes, 45 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: they kind of look like that. They look they're kind 46 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: of they're really kind of awesome like that, because suddenly 47 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: they're everywhere crawling up the sides of trees and they're 48 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,720 Speaker 1: milky white. So yeah, yeah, and uh and they really 49 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: look alien like there is I mean, most insects do 50 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: have kind of an alien look to them, but these 51 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 1: guys really look awesome. And they crawl up to a 52 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: certain height and then they begin to mold, right, and 53 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: so they so they begin their life underground, so that's 54 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 1: why they got that kind of milky white body. And 55 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: like you said, they make their way to the trees 56 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: and then they begin to molt and low and behold 57 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: these beautiful wings just unfurl. Yeah, and they inflate them 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: and uh and and once they're ready to go that 59 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: they take off. They don't always get to take off 60 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: sometimes there are some some flaws in the emergence ritual 61 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: if you will, especially like if there's like pesticide in 62 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: the area, that'll mess with it and they just end 63 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 1: up being half emerged and something comes and eats them. 64 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: But yeah, once they have those wings, then they're able 65 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: to fly around make just fabulous noises and uh, and 66 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: they make different noises. The males are making mating noises, 67 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: but then they're all making they all will make noise 68 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: if their approached by a predator, right right, So um, 69 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: and that's something we'll get to in a little bit. 70 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: But that's important about the certain sort of calls that 71 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: they make because they're actually pretty specific. I know it 72 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: sounds when you're hearing them, it just sounds like one 73 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:00,040 Speaker 1: big chorus, but there's actually a very distinct noise is 74 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: emanating from that chorus. Yeah, and these guys don't sting, 75 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: they don't bite, no, no, and they're not going to 76 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: hurt you. They're not going to ruin anything in your yard. Um. 77 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: If anything, you'll get some nicks in the tree branches 78 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: from the females when they're laying their eggs. But but no, 79 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: they're they're not gonna hurt you. The only thing I 80 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 1: did see though, is Sir Richard Attenborough had a little 81 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: clip that I saw and he was hanging out with 82 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: the cicada and um he was making yeah, he was, 83 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: of course, and he was trying to woo it, and 84 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: he was making little clicks of the finger like that, 85 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: and it was coming toward him. It hopped down on 86 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 1: him and began to think it needed to mate with him. 87 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. So if you were to do that, 88 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: you should be prepared for for some sort of mating 89 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: ritual to happen on your arm, and perhaps even like 90 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: the little probiosist to start pecking away at your arm. Wow, man, 91 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: Edinburgh is the best, really, I mean yeah, I loved 92 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: it when he in the episode of Life and Mammals 93 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: where he had some hedgehogs come into it in his backyard. 94 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,480 Speaker 1: But now he's actively wooing cicada's in But I assume 95 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: this is Life of Insects. I can't remember where the 96 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: clip was from, probably, but but yeah, I mean he 97 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:10,720 Speaker 1: he just sexes up everything. It's that voice, it's that approach, 98 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 1: it's the wooing. Oh yeah. But we should probably talk 99 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 1: about these these guys, um where we can find them 100 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: in the in the United States, mostly in the southeastern 101 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: United States, in Australia all over. In fact, there are 102 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,280 Speaker 1: two hundred species alone in Australia. Oh wow, Yeah, those 103 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: guys always get some good, good credits. Yeah, and again 104 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: we talked a little bit about what they look like. 105 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: But again you've got green bodied ones, black bodied ones, 106 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: brown and so on and so forth, and in various sizes. 107 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: To the really amazing form of cicadas. There of course, 108 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: the periodical cicadas and uh, and we're about to discuss 109 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,599 Speaker 1: those in a little more detail. You only find those 110 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:52,040 Speaker 1: in eastern North America. So sorry Australia, but but we've 111 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: got the goods on the on the really awesome bugs 112 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: this time, you know. Yeah, in the periodical we should 113 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 1: talk about that a little bit of the difference between 114 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: a periodical cicada and the annual cicada. Yes, annuals of 115 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 1: course come out every year, or members of the different 116 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: brute of that particular species will come out every year. 117 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 1: So it's like, oh, well, it's guys, these guys from 118 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: this particular species. I see those guys all the time. 119 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: But then there are other uh cicadas, these uh, these periodicals, 120 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: and they will stay underground for tremendous periods of time, 121 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 1: especially when you think of insect because so many insects 122 00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: where live such short lives from the insect world is 123 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: so hostiles and short lived. It's just staggering that you 124 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 1: have cicadas, periodical cicadas with thirteen year life cycles, seventeen 125 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,760 Speaker 1: year life cycles. Um. There are seven species, uh of 126 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: periodical cicadas, and there four with thirteen year life cycles 127 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: and three with seventeen year life cycles. And we are 128 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:48,720 Speaker 1: in the thirteen years, so these guys would have hung 129 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: out in Georgia at least May three to June. Yeah, 130 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: So it's I mean, it's just really amazing too to 131 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: think it's it's this presence that just vanishes for a 132 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: decade or more, you know. And eighteen years underground, thirteen 133 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: years underground and um, and then the annuals are what 134 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:07,679 Speaker 1: we're hearing right now because it's July, July in August, 135 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: excuse me, it's August now and uh, and that's what 136 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: we're hearing up in the trees. So that's kind of cool. 137 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: And we really want to talk a little bit more 138 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: about those seventeen years, thirteen years, one or two years underground, 139 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: depending on the species. Yeah, it's it's really interesting because 140 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 1: they come it's like this brief not even the whole summer, 141 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: you know, just a very brief, you know, high time 142 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: of mating in the trees and making lots of noise 143 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: and uh, giving cats and dogs things to play with. 144 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: But but yeah, there's a whole prequel to the cicada 145 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: life we see underground and the last thirteen or seventeen 146 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: years for the periodicals um generally it's a lot of 147 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: root drinking. So it's not exactly is it's it's not 148 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: nearly as exciting as the tree mating. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 149 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: These these little guys they hatch up on the trees 150 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 1: right out of their egg, and then they make their 151 00:07:58,200 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: way down and they brow under the ground, and they 152 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: survive underground by sucking xylem, which is sap from tree 153 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,040 Speaker 1: roots um, as you mentioned, and through the appropriousis, which 154 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: is like a feeding tube. And again yet you mentioned too. 155 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: These are called nymphs, And oddly enough, like a year 156 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:18,360 Speaker 1: after year they live underground and somehow and they still 157 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: don't know why this is or how this is, they 158 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: detect that this is the year that they need to emerge, 159 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: and that it's the temperature has risen to degree that 160 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: it should that would be good for them to go 161 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: ahead and and emerge from the earth. And that's when, 162 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: as you mentioned before, they just kind of, you know, 163 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 1: start making their way slumbering toward the top of the 164 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,839 Speaker 1: tree where they then molt um. And this is really 165 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: cool too. After they meet, and we'll talk a little 166 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: bit more about mating two and the mating rituals. The 167 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: females lay their eggs and they use something called an avipositor, 168 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: which just sounds like it should have a trade mar 169 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 1: it's it's the it's it's in species like wasps and bees, 170 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: it is of course the stinger, but in these guys 171 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: it has only one purpose, and that's to lay some eggs. 172 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: The original purpose. Yeah, it's kind of like a samurai sword, 173 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,079 Speaker 1: just making these deep cuts into the branches and then 174 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: they deposit about between four hundred and six hundred eggs. 175 00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: And that's that's like the main crux of this whole thing. 176 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: Seventeen years underground just to emerge mate and then you know, 177 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: lay your eggs and die away. Well, that's that's a 178 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: genetic mission, you know, to mate, put out these these 179 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: young in the in the tree and make sure that 180 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: they that the brood can continue, you know. Yeah, and 181 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: you had brought up an interesting question the other day 182 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: when we were just kind of talking about this over 183 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: the water cooler. But you know, what, what do if 184 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: they could talk to us? You know what might they 185 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,319 Speaker 1: consider themselves? Like they've lived seventeen years underground in this 186 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,400 Speaker 1: one form and then they become changelings and they inferl 187 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: those wings and those are the adults, and that's what 188 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: we recognize them. Yeah, we recognize the adults as a 189 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: cicada because well, for one thing, that's what we see. 190 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: It is the adult form. It's the form that actually 191 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: mates and reproduces. But for the for the vast majority 192 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: of their lifespan, they are nymphs. So I mean, in 193 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,520 Speaker 1: a way, it's like which is the species, which is 194 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:17,079 Speaker 1: the which is the form? You know? Yeah, yeah, which 195 00:10:17,120 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: is you know, it's just one of those interesting questions, 196 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,520 Speaker 1: like if they were looking at all the literature online 197 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: and they were like, hey, that's not me. Really, that's 198 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: me for two weeks and then I die. Yeah. It's 199 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: it's like if somebody was was like, I can't believe 200 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,559 Speaker 1: everyone's published all these pictures in me on spring break. 201 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 1: That's just me on spring break. The rest of the time, 202 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,760 Speaker 1: I'm a I'm a contract lawyer, but I don't under 203 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: seen any pictures of me. And you know in a 204 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: tide going through contracts with red ink. No, you focus 205 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: on me in Miami Beach. Yeah, in a in a 206 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: banana hammock, which that's fine, if you want to wear 207 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: a bananhammock, that's fine. But anyway, Yes, that is their 208 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 1: mission and uh and which brings us again to the 209 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 1: whole mating process and the reason why that call, that 210 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: that um siren like call, at least to the other 211 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 1: female psicotas, is so strong and so loud, sometimes up 212 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: to a hundred and ten decibles. And just to give 213 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: everybody an idea of what that sounds like, your lawnmower 214 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:18,080 Speaker 1: is ninety deciples. A car horn is a hundred ten decibles. 215 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 1: Now think of like thousands of these guys and gals. 216 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: Actually not the alex of theyn saying all in chorus. 217 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: It can be deafening, as I'm sure some people know. Yeah, 218 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:30,319 Speaker 1: but I think in a really positive way, Like I 219 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: used to my family used to live out in the 220 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: middle of nowhere in eastern western Tennessee, and I mean 221 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: the forest would just buzz with these guys. It was 222 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: just I mean, the cicadis. We're also interesting in a 223 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: number of other ways too, because you could go and 224 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: pick the little ship shells that they leave behind molt 225 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 1: because the molting is it's kind of like it's similar 226 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: to what crabs go through. It's it's it's it's not 227 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: like a cocoon process, you know. It's like they leave 228 00:11:55,120 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: this outer shell that looks just like them, or it 229 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: looks just looks just like the nymph form. Yeah, it's 230 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: like their little sarcophagus. And you can pluck it off 231 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: the side of the tree. You can, and you can 232 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: sort of stick it on your shirt. You can have 233 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: it crawl over the head of a g I Joe 234 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:13,000 Speaker 1: man Um, you know, all sorts of thing that example. Yeah, yeah, 235 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:14,559 Speaker 1: well that's just one of the many fun things you 236 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: can do it. But yeah, it's like they leave all 237 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: these grotesque litle toys for you to chase your sister with. 238 00:12:19,559 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: So I always enjoyed that aspect of it. And then 239 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: of course cats and dogs have a big time with 240 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: the adult version. Yeah, I saw a photo of a 241 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 1: Japanese artist who and I think that she was maybe 242 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: a pop singer or something, um, who had adorned her 243 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: head with them, and it was actually really cool. Again, 244 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: the adults are the notes with the shell. Yeah, um, 245 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure it was the shell, but it was 246 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: like a very buerk move, which I admired. It pretty cool, um, 247 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,480 Speaker 1: but yeah, I mean we're talking about shells and you're 248 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: talking about um. What we're able to see, it really 249 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 1: doesn't represent how many are actually out there, because within 250 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: one anchor you could have one point five million of 251 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: these little things hanging out again, and that's that's why 252 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:07,440 Speaker 1: you've got such a loud cry there. UM. And again 253 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 1: you've got the mating sound, which is really important because 254 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:16,520 Speaker 1: that call, which is specific to this, to the picular species, right, UM, 255 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: will attract the female. And you know they're all competing 256 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: for that female's attention. And I think it's fascinating that 257 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:27,160 Speaker 1: each one is different, and each one was like, hey 258 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: come over here, hey ladies, um. And they'll actually all 259 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: sing again in chorus, but they'll also fly together. And 260 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: sometimes it's thought that the reason why they become so 261 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 1: loud to is just to scare off would be predators 262 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:43,000 Speaker 1: like birds, who might find it so deafening that they 263 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: don't really want to hang around them. Yeah, Like, if 264 00:13:44,960 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: you pick one up in your hand, it's gonna start 265 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: doing a lot of or more of a cat starts 266 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: playing with one, they're gonna do a lot of loud buzzing. 267 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: It's just kind of, hey, stay away from me kind 268 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:54,480 Speaker 1: of a deal. But that's the limit really of their 269 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: defensive capabilities. That and just flying away of course, which 270 00:13:57,320 --> 00:13:59,559 Speaker 1: they'll try and do as well. Yeah, but in a 271 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: mo ment after this break, we're going to talk about 272 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: something called predator satiation, which is this probably one of 273 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 1: the coolest sort of like warfare warfare moves you could 274 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:15,120 Speaker 1: make as a consect. All right, here we go. This 275 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: podcast is brought to you by Intel, the sponsors of 276 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: Tomorrow and the Discovery Channel. At Intel, we believe curiosity 277 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: is the spark which drives innovation. Join us at curiosity 278 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: dot com and explore the answers to life's questions. Okay, 279 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: we're back. Okay, So again this concept predator satiation, which 280 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,440 Speaker 1: is which is more like a defense move not an offense. 281 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:42,920 Speaker 1: It kind of makes me think of the whole like 282 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: if somebody. Um, it's kind of like turning the other cheek, 283 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: you know, well, it's kind of to me. It's like, hey, 284 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,800 Speaker 1: eat all of my friends here and then don't eat me. 285 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: Let me just give you a buffet of us, and 286 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 1: then which will ensure that the other you know, nino 287 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: of us live because there are only certain amount of 288 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: predators that are going to eat the cicadas, right and 289 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: so if you survive, you know, a hundred thousand and 290 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: they all get stuffed, then hey, they don't. They're not 291 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: really interested in the cicadas anymore. It's a brilliant. They 292 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: might as well just go and put out a website 293 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: with free recipes, because they say, like, come on, eat us, 294 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: We're delicious. You can't possibly eat all of us. There's 295 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: so many of us. Dude, they again, we're we're great. 296 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: And indeed I hear they are delicious. Yeah, I have 297 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: heard this. Um. They are supposed to be protein rich. 298 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: They are supposed well, I know they are protein rich. 299 00:15:34,040 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: Actually they're they're per pound um on par with red meat. 300 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 1: Actually in terms of protein. They're supposed to taste like almonds, 301 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: and the males because they have a hollow abdomen, they 302 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: are reported to taste crunchy like popcorn. And we should 303 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,120 Speaker 1: talk about the abdomen because it's really important in creating 304 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: the deafening sound. Yeah. Um, the organs that produce a 305 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: sound are called timbles, and there are a pair of 306 00:15:56,920 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 1: ribbed membranes at the base of the abdomen. And when 307 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: a contract that, you get the internal timble muscles, causing 308 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: timbles to buckle in word, and then it produces a 309 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: pulsive sound. And then by relaxing these muscles, the timbles 310 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: pop back to their original position. And then in some 311 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,200 Speaker 1: scada species, the pulsive sound is produced as each rib buckles. 312 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: Cool is that? I mean it's basically like your body 313 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: is an instrument. I can't do that. I would love 314 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 1: to do that well in a way like we kind 315 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:26,720 Speaker 1: of use our bodies as an instrument the whole, like 316 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:28,840 Speaker 1: you know, seeing from your diaphragm kind of thing. I mean, 317 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: it's we're using a lot of internal space if we're 318 00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: seeing properly. Yeah. But if I could pop, you know, 319 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 1: a couple of ribs and make a cool sound, you know, 320 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: to to for my uh would be mates to start 321 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: dancing towards me. That that would be an amazing skill, 322 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: and it would it would be I'm picturing just a 323 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: very kind of slightly grotesque, um like solo music career 324 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: where you're like, you're like doing your your music. What's 325 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: your your character name? Oh, acoustic girl, Acoustic girl. You're 326 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 1: doing acoustic girl. And then instead of like a um 327 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: solo in the middle of it, there's like a rib popping. 328 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: I love it, right, And I'd be glamouring my audience. 329 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 1: And I've been watching them too much True Blood of 330 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: course with the glamouring reference. But you know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah, 331 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: it's very cool stuff. Um, but yeah, I mean that's 332 00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: that's the really neat thing about these creatures. And again 333 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: this this happens to be the year of eating cicadas, 334 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:25,800 Speaker 1: or at least it seems. There's stuff all over the 335 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: web of what people have been trying to do in 336 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 1: terms of eating cicadas, including a guy in Missouri and 337 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: this is from Huffington Post. Uh, he's got Sparky's Homemade 338 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: ice cream and Columbia, Missouri, and he sold out the 339 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: only batch made by the way of the insect filled 340 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: dessert within hours of its June one debut. Well, on 341 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: one hand, you can just say, oh, it's the novelty. 342 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: And ice cream is going through that thing with foodies 343 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 1: where let's make every possible version of ice cream possible, 344 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,880 Speaker 1: every weird flavor that is imaginable. So foodies are gonna 345 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:00,159 Speaker 1: go nuts for It's like it's made from cicadasing it 346 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: on and you know, even if it doesn't taste aff good, 347 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 1: but um, but then maybe it is. You know. It's 348 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: like we were. It's like, also, Kata's there here, there's 349 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: something in us. It's like, we should eat these things. 350 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: They're everywhere and they're high in protein. Like well, at 351 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: some level we recognize that. Well, it's not unusual in 352 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: the Moysia or Latin America to have us a street 353 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: food either. Oh yeah, definitely, I mean, oh yeah, we've 354 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,400 Speaker 1: talked before about eating bugs, in fact, in the Evolution 355 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 1: of Food Intro podcasts that we did recently. Uh, they're 356 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: high in protein, they're out there. We really should be 357 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: eating more of them. I'm disappointed that you said that 358 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: we couldn't eat them during this podcast. Well, I told 359 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: you I'm a vegetarian. Yeah, but it's a vegetarian like 360 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 1: I said, you're gonna eat insects now, and I teld 361 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: you that's why do not drive a motorcycle, because I 362 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 1: don't want to get any nats might the average person 363 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: every night, true fact, um, they you'll accidentally consume six 364 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:52,399 Speaker 1: spiders per night. Why are you doing to all of 365 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: us out there? We don't want to know that we've 366 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,199 Speaker 1: been eating bugs. Okay, that's not that's not a real figure. 367 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: But but anyway, another interesting thing about these these broods, 368 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,600 Speaker 1: like why the whole let's go disappear for thirteen seventeen years. 369 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: It's it's very much like laying low. It's like the 370 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: guy who steals a bunch of money from the mob 371 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,120 Speaker 1: and goes to live on the beach in South America 372 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: for a decade before he dares sort of become a 373 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:18,520 Speaker 1: little more active. The idea is that these guys have enemies. 374 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: But if you dis if your species has a habit 375 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:26,640 Speaker 1: of disappearing for nearly two decades, it prevents there from 376 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: being as many specialized cicada killers. I mean, there are 377 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: some predators out there who specialized in eating cicada. Yeah yeah, 378 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: so they haven't, you know, completely dodged it, but but 379 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:43,000 Speaker 1: it it keeps there from being an explosion of cicada predators. Uh. 380 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: But incidentally, the way they do that, but it's it's 381 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 1: kind of amusing the way they do that though. They 382 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: end up having this this large just glut of cicadas, 383 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: so everything becomes a cicada predator while the emergency is 384 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: going on. So yeah, yeah, but I like that idea 385 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: of like this witness relocation program to confuse the squirrels. Yeah, 386 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,679 Speaker 1: schirls are like, what what thirteen years? I didn't you know, 387 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:06,920 Speaker 1: I didn't think you were going to come out in 388 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: thirteen years at school has already did in thirteen years. Yeah, 389 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,120 Speaker 1: Like squirrels would not be able to to depend on 390 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:16,119 Speaker 1: these huge emergencies for their survival. You just have to 391 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: be a treat when it happens. So there you go, 392 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: a treat for squirrels, a treat for humans sometimes. And 393 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,680 Speaker 1: if you want, if you want more information about the 394 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: different broods, I highly recommend you check out some of these. Uh. 395 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:32,080 Speaker 1: There there's some really cool cicada websites over Cicada Mania 396 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: that s I C A d A m A n 397 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: i A dot com is a really good starting point 398 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: for a lot of this. And they have like these 399 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: neat charts where they show like the different seventeen year broods, 400 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: and you know where they are in terms of of 401 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: of their emergence. Like, uh, I was looking at it 402 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: in particular, I think it's a brood eleven. It's a 403 00:20:56,560 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: seventeen year brood and it emerged. The emerged in ninety 404 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 1: seven and Connecticut. Then they emerge again in nineteen fifty 405 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,720 Speaker 1: four and they have an emerged center because they weren't extinct. Yeah, 406 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: and it is sad um. I saw that on the 407 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:11,560 Speaker 1: chart and I was like, oh uh. And if you 408 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 1: want to check out that that clip of Sir Richard 409 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 1: at Borough wooing cicada, you can also go to Cicada 410 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: Invasion dot blogspot dot com. They've got a couple of 411 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: different clips that are really funny and interesting. Yeah, we'll 412 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 1: definitely linked to all this stuff on the blog post 413 00:21:27,119 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: companies this episode. So get out there, listen to some cicadas, 414 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: eat some cicadas if you will, and if you if 415 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: you have tried any recipes for these or have some 416 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,600 Speaker 1: of that ice cream, contact is let us know how 417 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 1: it taste. We'd love to hear about it. You can 418 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: find us on Facebook and Twitter. Uh, we'll blow the 419 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 1: mind on both of those, and we would we'd love 420 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: to hear about from you about any of these topics 421 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: we've covered. Let us know what other topics you want 422 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: us to hit. Um we're all years And if you're 423 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: like me and you feel like cicadas are sort of 424 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,200 Speaker 1: like our harbingers of summer doom uh signaling the hottest 425 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:07,399 Speaker 1: part of the lazy days of summer and angst to follow, 426 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,160 Speaker 1: you can always send us an email about your thoughts 427 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: concerning that at Blow the Mind at how stuff works 428 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 1: dot com. Be sure to check out our new video podcast, 429 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,239 Speaker 1: Stuff from the Future. Join how Stuffwork staff as we 430 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.