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If you live in the United States, get ready for billions of cicadas to emerge in what some researchers are calling a 'cicadapocalypse.' Cicadas come in multiple broods, with one brood emerging every 13 years and another brood emerging every 17 years. This year will be the first time the broods have emerged at the same time since 1803, and the rare event won't happen again until 2245. However, these are periodical cicadas, which are different from annual cicadas. Annual ones stay underground for shorter periods of time and emerge in the later phases of summer, while periodicals stay underground for either 13 or 17 years (based on the brood) and emerge in the spring. Annual ones also come around a lot more often, as there are numerous broods that emerge at various time periods. This year, both periodical broods will be emerging together, which is extremely rare. Periodical newborn cicadas burrow underground during the previous emergence, and they count the number of years based on the growing cycles of the trees that they munch on. Then, in the year that they are scheduled to emerge, when the temperature about 8 inches into the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit, it signals them that it is time to emerge. This year, around mid-May, expect to hear continuous loud noises and find numerous cicada exoskeletons scattered around your lawn and your porch, as cicadas' lifespans after coming aboveground are only 2 to 6 weeks. However, don't be frightened-- despite cicadas' scary red eyes, they are absolutely harmless. When they emerge and you hear annoying, droning loud noises from outside for over a month and a half, make sure to remember that this rare, double-brood event won't happen again for another 221 years, so try your best to enjoy it (in some way or the other)!
Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): When spelling out numbers, the letter B doesn't appear until one billion. Also, the letter A doesn't appear until one thousand despite being the second most common letter in the English language.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): The difference between a boss and a leader: a boss says ‘Go!’ – a leader says, ‘Let’s go!’ (E.M. Kelly)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Discomfit (verb)- To discomfit someone is to make them confused or upset. Discomfit is a formal synonym of the also formal (but slightly less so) disconcert.
In a Sentence: Jacob was discomfited by the new employee’s forward, probing questions.
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