That's Interesting
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Two Broods of More Than a Trillion Cicadas Will Emerge in the U.S. This Year
04th March, 2024More than a trillion cicadas will be coming to the U.S. in an event that has not happened since Thomas Jefferson was U.S. president in 1803. Two adjacent broods of the red-eyed flying cicadas will emerge from the ground in April, and residents in the Midwest and Southeast should brace themselves for a season of high-pitched buzzing. 2024 will mark the first time in more than 200 years that Brood XIX, which arrives every 13 years, and Brood XIII, which arrives every 17 years, will emerge at the same time. The next co-emergence of these broods won’t happen for another 221 years.
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What Plants Hear
21st February, 2024They sense the buzzing sounds of pollinators, the vibrations of the wind.
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One in five butterfly species sold online across borders
18th February, 2024Humankind’s appreciation for butterflies spans cultures and millennia, including the practice of assembling butterfly collections. This paper monitored the global e-commerce platform eBay.com for one year and obtained 50,555 time-stamped transactions of 3767 species (739 genera) of butterflies. This is nearly 20% of all butterfly species on Earth. A total of 552 sellers were based in 44 countries across five continents. At least 96% of the traded species required transportation of the specimen from its country of origin to its seller, usually from the Global South to the United States and Europe.
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The Hidden Butterfly Trade
18th February, 2024Butterflies are perhaps the most extensively traded animals on the planet. But just how many are traveling, of which potentially endangered or threatened species, and from which points of origin, has been a mystery. Unlike elephant ivory or pangolin hide, butterflies pass invisibly through X-ray scanners at international ports of entry.
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How the World’s Deadliest Crises Go Unseen
06th February, 2024In the Central African Republic, researchers found an astronomical death rate. Could a major emergency be invisible?
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The Economic Dynamics of City Structure: Evidence from Hiroshima’s Recovery
03rd November, 2023The article provides a new theory and evidence on the resilience of internal city structure after a large shock, by analyzing the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which destroyed the city center but not
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Longitudinal evidence that infants develop their imitation abilities by being imitated
30th October, 2023Theoretical advances in social sciences over the last century purport imitation as a central mechanism for the emergence of humans’ unique social-cognitive abilities. Uncovering the ontogeny of imitation is therefore paramount for understanding human cultural evolution.
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5 things serious coffee fans should know
22nd October, 2023A look at the science behind the beverage that 63% of Americans drink daily (more than tap water), according to the National Coffee Association.
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Pointless: the climate impact of frequent flyer status
09th October, 2023Frequent flyer programs (FFPs) are a key part of the business model of ‘full-service’ airlines, driving not just ticket sales, but increased flight provision. FFPs increase air travel emissions by incentivising the most carbon-intensive seating options and encouraging additional flights. This article assesses the emissions associated with gaining different levels of membership in the frequent flyer programmes offered by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
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Frequent Flying’s Dirtiest Habit: Mileage Runs
02nd October, 2023Imagine taking a flight you don’t want or need, to stretch your legs in the destination airport before heading straight back. For years, frequent flyers have been taking mileage runs – also sometimes referred to as segment runs or tier point runs – solely to maximize the airline points or reward status they accrue. On message boards and social media, they trade nerdily specific details of flight routes, airline promotions, and reward tiers, calculating the exact itineraries that will bring them to a certain status or keep them there.
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