Health & Science
The cicadas are coming; Solar power lifts off; Sandy’s sewage dump; Meditation’s genetic impact
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
The cicadas are coming
Billions of cicadas with sex on their minds are about to emerge from underground hiding places from North Carolina to Connecticut. “It’s going to be shovel loads of cicadas,” says John Cooley, a University of Connecticut entomologist. During this once-every-17-year event, in fact, the bugs with bulging red eyes will outnumber humans in affected states by at least 600 to one. Periodic cicadas—which emerge to mate and lay their eggs once every 13 or 17 years—live only in eastern North America and make up 15 broods, each on a different schedule in a unique location. This wave of invaders comes from Brood II, whose parents popped above the ground in 1996. The cicada nymphs they conceived that year burrowed underground and have lived out of sight, feeding on tree roots, ever since. This year, when the soil temperature reaches exactly 64 degrees, they will dig out, climb into trees, and start buzzing to attract a mate at lawnmower-like volumes that can reach 90 decibels. Over four to six weeks, cicadas find a mate, lay their eggs, and then die, and then their offspring tunnel underground—not to be seen again until 2030. The life cycle of periodic cicadas may have evolved in part to confuse or overwhelm birds and other predators, who can’t possibly eat a majority of the billions of insects that appear at the same time. How the insects keep track of their time underground, though, is a complete mystery. “It’s just an amazing accomplishment,” University of Illinois entomologist May Berenbaum tells the Associated Press. “How can anyone not be impressed?’’
Solar power lifts off
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The first solar-powered airplane capable of flying day and night without stopping has completed the first leg of a cross-country tour from California to New York, landing safely in Arizona. The Swiss-built plane, called Solar Impulse, has electric motors that run entirely on solar power. Its wings—wider than a 747’s—are covered with 12,000 silicon solar cells that stockpile power in batteries weighing 800 pounds, which is a substantial portion of the plane’s ultralight weight of 3,500 pounds. To keep its body light, Solar Impulse can carry only a single passenger, so its pilots have to land periodically to rest; the plane itself never needs to pause to refuel. The plane’s maximum speed is just 40 mph, and it usually cruises along at about 30 mph for optimum efficiency. An around-the-world trip is planned for 2015. For now, the plane is not practical for transporting passengers or cargo, but serves as a demonstration of the potential of solar energy to power all kinds of vehicles, Solar Impulse pilot Bertrand Piccard tells The Washington Post. “The people who criticize Solar Impulse,” he says “are like those who looked at the Wright Brothers and said, ‘This has no future.’”
Sandy’s sewage dump
No one paid much attention at the time because of all the other damage, but Hurricane Sandy caused a massive sewage spill into the waterways of New York and New Jersey. The storm flooded wastewater treatment plants, sending more than 10 billion gallons of raw and partly treated sewage into the streets, rivers, canals, and bays, a new study has found. The amount of sewage that went directly into these waterways was enough to bury Central Park under 41 feet of sludge. “Our sewage infrastructure isn’t designed to handle this type of storm surge,” researcher Alyson Kenward tells The New York Times. If such storms become more frequent due to climate change, she says, it could have serious public health and environmental consequences. Currents and tides washed most of the gunk out to sea in a matter of days or weeks, though experts say it’s too soon to tell whether the spill created any lingering effect.
Meditation’s genetic impact
Plenty of research has proved that meditation and yoga can lower blood pressure, improve mood, counter stress, and benefit your mental and physical health. Now a new study has shown for the first time that these ancient centering practices can actually affect your genes, turning beneficial ones on and harmful ones off. Researchers analyzed the genes of 26 volunteers who were unfamiliar with meditation, and then taught them a 10 to 20 minute meditation routine that involved rhythmic breathing, chanting, and focusing the mind. After the volunteers meditated twice a day for eight weeks, researchers found that the practice had activated genes that make cells more efficient at metabolizing energy and that protect telomeres, the caps at the end of chromosomes that help protect DNA from damage caused by aging. The practice also appeared to deactivate genes related to chronic inflammation, a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer. Meditation is “not New Age nonsense,’’ study author Herbert Benson of Massachusetts General Hospital tells New Scientist. “These effects are quite powerful in how they change your gene activity.’’
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Dianne Feinstein, history-making Democratic US senator, dies at 90
The Explainer Her colleagues celebrate her legacy as a trailblazer who cleared the path for other women to follow
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Why is the government on the brink of a shutdown?
Today's Big Question GOP infighting is bringing the country to a standstill, but even Republicans aren't entirely sure why
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
Today’s political cartoons — September 29, 2023
Friday's cartoons - Biden's dog bite incident, the government shutdown and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
Antimatter isn't immune to gravity, landmark experiment confirms
Speed Read Antimatter is the mysterious evil twin of matter, but new research proves they do have something fundamental in common
By Peter Weber Published
-
'Inverse vaccine' shows promise treating MS, other autoimmune diseases
New research effectively cured mice of multiple sclerosis–type symptoms. Could this work in humans?
By Peter Weber Published
-
Air pollution is now the 'greatest external threat' to life expectancy
Speed Read Climate change is worsening air quality globally, and there could be deadly consequences
By Devika Rao Published
-
How Antarctica has become the enduring climate change bellwether
The Explainer Despite its remote location, the southernmost continent is stricken with climate change issues
By Justin Klawans Published
-
NASA fully restores contact with Voyager 2 spacecraft
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Extremely dangerous heat wave' to scorch parts of US
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Are shark attacks really on the rise?
The Explainer Reports of shark sightings across U.S. beaches continue to make headlines
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Brain disease linked to head injuries diagnosed in female athlete for first time
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published