Rise of the Cicadas
Two broods of cicadas are expected to emerge next month, which could result in the appearance of more than one trillion insects in the eastern and midwestern United States. Periodical cicadas, known for their unusually long and synchronized life cycles, surface in spring only every 13 or 17 years, as millions of insects materialize from the soil in a matter of weeks—and die shortly thereafter. In between, they’re tough to miss, making a raucous clicking sound that can be heard far and wide.
How Do Cicadas Know When to Surface?
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Why Are They So Noisy, Anyway?
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Here’s Why Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years
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From an escalation of war in the Middle East to the anniversary of an iconic rock and roll band, here’s more on a few stories that people are talking about today.
Iran launches attack
On Sunday Iran mounted a direct military attack on Israel, launching a barrage of missiles and drones, 99 percent of which were intercepted by Israel using defense technology such as the Iron Dome, according to the Israeli government. Iran’s offensive follows an Israeli strike at an Iranian consulate building in Syria that killed two Iranian generals. On Monday, the leader of Israel’s military announced that it would retaliate against Iran, though world leaders are urging restraint.
Rushdie’s brush with death
Salman Rushdie releases his latest book, Knife, this week, an examination of his August 2022 stabbing while onstage at a literary event in Chautauqua, New York. Rushdie has lived under threat of attack since 1989, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him, and a bounty was offered for his murder. In 1998, the Iranian government announced it would not enforce the fatwa, but Rushdie remained a marked man with private citizens still outraged at the perceived blasphemy in his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses.
Passing the torch
Today in Greece the Olympic torch will be lit in a ceremony that hearkens back to the ancient games. It marks the beginning of a long relay that ends with the lighting of the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games on July 26. Notably, a few new sports will be introduced at this year’s Olympic Games, including surfing, climbing, breaking, and skateboarding.
Time was on their side
This week marks the 60th anniversary of the release of the first Rolling Stones album, simply titled The Rolling Stones. The album comprised mostly cover versions of older rock and roll songs, but featured one original, “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back),” penned by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, a duo who became one of the most successful songwriting teams in rock history.
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