Gregr is a nerd and he talks, therefore it's Nerd Talk with Gregr.
Hear the latest in tech, gadgetry, and general geekdom weekdays at noon on your favorite Audacy Alternative stations.
This week, Gregr's got all the buzz on the cicada super brood x!
WATCH MORE: Nerd Talk - Cicadalicious
Is it Brood "X" or "ten," like an iPhone? We'll never know. Anyway, Brood X is here after spending almost two decades dormant underground. Now they're crawling back up through the dirt and there's over a TRILLION of the little buggers in total in the U.S. alone. That's a lot, and if you're out walking in the woods and hear them chirping, you may want to put on a hat. Why? Because where there are cicadas, there's cicada pee -- or some other excretion -- but "pee" sounds way less aggressive than "excretion."
On the other hand, cicadas are a huge source of protein and some say humans should be eating them. Before you flinch, more that 2 BILLION people include insects in their diet. The question Gregr has is, HOW? Do we snatch cicadas out of the air, or scoop 'em out of the bug zapper? Mmm, BBQ! Cicada flour, maybe? That's a great way to ruin a birthday party. Apparently, they taste like shrimp -- and there's even a cookbook. Where's the cocktail sauce?
If things weren't already weird enough for you, there's more. A fungus is causing Brood X to have tons of sex while also turning them into little, flying salt shakers of cicada death. The fungal spores also have an amphetamine-like effect on the insects, so, keep an eye on your copper piping.
There’s a whole lot more beautiful nerdiness where this came from. Listen weekdays at noon on your favorite Audacy Alternative stations. Download the free app now to listen on the go!
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