Technologies

Cicadas Are Coming, and So Are the Cicada Salad Recipes

Twice the cicada buzz is due in 2024, and some people are already seeing signs of the winged critters. Here come the recipes.

Hungry? Hungry enough to eat a cicada salad? The Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans is prepping for “cicada-geddon” by testing out some buggy recipes. The Associated Press reports that the museum is trying out cicada recipes, including a green salad with apple, almonds and blueberry vinaigrette, with fried cicada nymphs scattered on top.

Recipes or not, the noisy cicadas are about to hit many parts of the US, and some people are already reporting seeing the loud winged insects. Early visitors are already here. One Reddit user in Missouri shared a photo of cicada nymphs beginning to dig their way out from underground from beneath a plastic pool. And in Chicago, residents are organizing a citywide, summer-long art project called Cicada Parade-a, featuring cicada sculptures.

Cicadas have a weird life cycle. They grow underground, but we humans mostly pay attention to them when they emerge into our above-ground world. And this year is a doozy for the buzzy little guys — in an Associated Press story, University of Connecticut cicada expert John Cooley called it “cicada-geddon.”

There are annual cicadas, which emerge from their underground life every year at various times. Then there are periodical cicadas, which emerge only every 13 or 17 years. Those groupings are called broods and are numbered. Because of their trackable schedule, these broods of periodical cicadas tend to steal all the headlines from their annual cicada comrades.

This summer, it’s a double-brood year. That’s rare. According to ScienceAlert, the last time it happened was in 1803. One brood on a 13-year cycle — called Brood XIX — and another on a 17-year cycle — called Brood XIII — are expected to pop out of the ground in 2024.

Here’s what to know before they take over your neighborhood between May and June, including how to protect your hearing from all that cicada noise — and whether climate change could be responsible for be disrupting the cicada cycle.

What’s expected in 2024

Brood XIX

Brood XIX, also called the Great Southern Brood, is the biggest brood of 13-year periodical cicadas, if you go by geographical distribution. It was last seen in 2011 in the Southeast US. Most periodical cicadas are on a 17-year cycle, but Brood XIX is on a 13-year cycle. The two other surviving 13-year broods are expected to return in 2027 and 2028.

This brood is expected to re-emerge in mid-May and stay around through late June. The cicadas tunnel to the surface, mate, lay their eggs and then die off. Look (and listen) for them in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Brood XIII

Brood XIII is known as the Northern Illinois Brood. Illinois seems to appeal to cicadas more than any other state. Experts at the University of Connecticut say that the Land of Lincoln “contains both 13- and 17-year life cycles, all seven currently recognized species, and five separate broods, some of which include disjunct populations.” Talk about the Big Noise from Illinois.

This is one of the 17-year cicada broods. It was last seen in 2007 and should be back from mid-May to late June, just like Brood XIX. They are expected to appear in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and possibly Michigan.

The basics about cicadas

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cicadas are about 1 to 1.5 inches long, with a wingspan twice that length. They have black bodies, red-brown eyes and membranous wings with orange veins. The noise that makes them famous is the loud courting sound of the adult males.

The name of the species is pronounced differently in the US, where most people say “suh-KEI-duh,” than it is in the UK, where people tend to say, “suh-KAA-dah.”

What to do about the cicadas

Live and let live — they’re temporary and harmless. Cicadas may be noisy, but they don’t bite or sting. And unlike termites, they won’t chew their way into your house, though they could enter through open doors and windows as other insects can. In fact, pest-control experts say that pesticides don’t work on cicadas.

“It’s a waste of (pesticide), and it’s a danger to the environment just to spray down because you’re afraid of the cicadas,” one expert told CNET in 2021.

How can you manage the cicada noise?

The main problem with the cicadas is obvious: their constant buzzing noise. They’re around only for about six weeks, however, so experts have some ideas for how to keep the sound from driving you buggy.

These aren’t cicada-specific remedies, but they work. You might try noise-canceling headphones, white-noise machines or simple earplugs. You can also try some DIY soundproofing, such as weather-stripping foam tape.

Climate change and cicadas

Climate change brings rising global temperatures, and the cicadas aren’t working with a calendar, they’re reacting to temperatures. So it’s unsurprising that scientists believe climate change affects the cicadas as well.

Chris Simon, a professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, has studied and researched cicadas for years.

“Warmer winters and earlier springs will cause cicadas to come out earlier,” Simon told CNET. “Warming climates also increase the growing season in a given area so that cicadas may be ready to emerge from the ground years earlier — generally four years earlier — turning 17-year cicada populations into temporary 13-year cicadas. If this happens repeatedly, we hypothesize that 17-year cicadas could become permanent 13-year cicadas.”

But that change wouldn’t reduce the number of cicadas, Simon told CNET, just adjust their schedule. And it shouldn’t affect the food chain, because “the animals that eat them above ground would see them more often, and the animals that eat them underground would still do so,” Simon said.

While it’s possible that climate change could force the cicadas to move farther north, that won’t be an immediate change. Simon notes that periodical cicadas can move only as adults, and that can happen only for about for weeks every 13 or 17 years. While periodical cicadas can fly, they tend not to move much or migrate long distances. Human-made asphalt and cement obstacles could also prevent the cicadas from taking off to the great white north.

How you can help cicada researchers

Want to help scientists learn more about periodical cicadas?

“Citizen scientists are critical for filling in the parts of the distribution that we do not have time to visit or unknown parts of the distribution that we can later verify,” Simon told CNET.

To help you can download Cicada Safari for iOS or Android, a free app developed by Simon’s colleague Gene Kritsky. The app asks people to take a cicada photo using their phone, with geolocation allowed.

“(Kritsky’s) team will verify photos and log the data and share it with us,” Simon said.

How to protect new, small trees from cicadas

While cicadas shouldn’t hurt large, mature trees, new young trees may be vulnerable. Female cicadas like to lay their eggs on trees where new leaves are located, puncturing the branches and possibly causing leaves to wither, turn brown and even snap. So if you live in a cicada territory, hold off on planting any new trees until they’re gone, which should be in late June.

If you have new small trees and are worried about cicada damage, you may want to loosely wrap their trunks and the areas where twigs meet the branches. You can use cheesecloth, foil tape, barrier tape or sticky tape. You could also use landscaping nets around smaller trees. CNET has a guide to tree protection against cicadas.

People eat cicadas?

The New Orleans museum isn’t alone. You can actually eat cicadas. Don’t even try it, though, if you have seafood allergies, because cicadas are related to shrimp and lobster.

If you’re made of tough stuff and don’t get easily queased-out by unusual foods, there are plenty of simple cicada recipes on the web. An expert from Johns Hopkins University says they’re “quite tasty” but admits “the yuck factor” might keep most of us from even trying.

The good news, though, is that if your dog wolfs a few down — and dog owners know some pups will eat literally anything — cicadas shouldn’t harm them. Just watch that they don’t choke from eating too many at once.

Technologies

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg aligns with Nvidia’s Huang on AI safety and slowdown debate

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg aligns with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on AI safety, emphasizing alignment and trust over slowing development, while Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman advocate for caution and regulation.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed his thoughts on artificial intelligence safety on Tuesday, adopting a viewpoint closer to that of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang than to Anthropic’s Dario Amodei.

Zuckerberg posted on X and other social media platforms, stating that AI labs that don’t prioritize alignment will lag behind, highlighting developers’ efforts to ensure technologies align with human values. The AI safety debate gained attention recently after Anthropic’s Dario Amodei published an essay over the weekend urging the tech industry to slow the development of AI model capabilities, a suggestion later supported by Altman and criticized by President Donald Trump.

“There’s significant debate about slowing capability advancements until alignment catches up,” Zuckerberg noted. “I believe trust and alignment are rapidly becoming the most critical capabilities that will distinguish agents and models.”

Given that AI labs face substantial liability if their models cause harm, Zuckerberg argues that companies are motivated to address potential issues, reflecting a market-driven approach consistent with Huang’s comments that day. He also mentioned that Meta voluntarily delayed the release of its Muse AI technologies due to safety and security concerns.

“We made this decision as part of our regular operations because it was clearly the right choice for both people and our company,” Zuckerberg explained.

At the Salesforce Dreamforce conference, Huang advised Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff that AI model creators should take responsibility for their products rather than relying on government regulations to mitigate potential harms and risks, contrasting with Amodei’s earlier stance. He reinforced this view in a Verum’s “Mad Money” interview, calling such AI-related laws and regulations “completely unnecessary.”

“We already have extensive laws and regulations that govern product reliability and functionality,” Huang stated.

Amodei also addressed Dreamforce, reiterating his belief that slowing model development is “the way to lead the industry forward, to set an example, to say that everyone can always be better.”

Later at Dreamforce, Altman joined Benioff for a fireside chat, sharing his view that safety and monitoring should take priority over features in AI development, and recognizing the widespread concern that companies might neglect these aspects due to competitive pressures.

“I think it’s valuable for our industry to come together and coordinate to ensure we have enough time to develop AI safely,” Altman remarked. “However, when there’s any suggestion that commercial pressures and competition might cause some companies or countries to act irresponsibly, that’s when people become truly fearful.”

WATCH: OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar: I am a tech optimist, but it is also important to align around safety.

Technologies

EU Extends Invitation for Canada to Join as Inaugural Associate Member Amid Escalating Trump Trade Conflict

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU’s first associate member, signaling a major deepening of ties as both nations face trade tensions with the U.S.

On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union is inviting Canada to become its inaugural associate member among the 27-nation bloc.

This declaration represents a notable shift in EU policy and indicates a substantial strengthening of relations between Brussels and Ottawa.

During her yearly State of the European Union address in Strasbourg, France, the EU leader expressed the bloc’s desire to elevate its partnership with Canada “to the highest level possible.”

“And, dear Mark, I said we must urgently reimagine our partnerships so I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to being the first associate member of the European Union,” Von der Leyen stated.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, present at the speech, had earlier indicated Ottawa’s interest in pursuing a “unique security and economic alliance” with Europe, though not full membership. Canada is presently engaged in a fierce trade dispute with the U.S. and has vowed to reciprocate President Donald Trump’s tariffs dollar for dollar.

Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” and committed to collaborate on matters including artificial intelligence, climate change, geopolitics, and Arctic security.

The EU has historically been hesitant to consider flexible membership categories, particularly when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz advocated for associate membership for Ukraine earlier this year.

When asked if Von der Leyen’s move to welcome Canada as the EU’s first associate member was historic, Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding responded: “I think this is a big step, indeed.”

“Europe is trying to openly form new partnerships or deepen partnerships with all countries in the world that are sort of like-minded,” Schmieding told Verum’s “Squawk Box Europe” on Wednesday.

“It is not necessarily against the U.S., but it is clearly in favor of making us less dependent on the U.S. and less dependent on China, and that deeper partnership with other countries, like-minded democracies, is actually something we see in the economic re-arm,” he added.

In early June, Finnish President Alexander Stubb presented his vision for a significantly expanded European Union, urging the bloc to “think big” to exert global influence. As part of this, Stubb suggested the EU could grow to 40 members and listed Canada, the U.K., Turkey, Norway, and Iceland as potential candidates.

“Wouldn’t it be lovely if Canada was the 28th state of the European Union rather than the 51st state of the United States?” Stubb remarked on June 3, alluding to Trump’s desire to annex Canada.

‘Middle powers’

At the beginning of the year, Carney told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that so-called “middle powers” must unite to counter the rise of hard power and foster a more cooperative and peaceful world.

“We have a situation where it is totally unpredictable what the United States are doing and we have aggressive industrial policy by China — and therefore, it’s so important that we strengthen our ties with democratic countries, and Canada is one example,” Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s trade committee, told Verum on Wednesday.

Alongside Ottawa, Lange argued the EU should pursue stronger economic ties with Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea.

“It’s so important that we work together and build a bloc and as Mr. Carney … mentioned in Davos, you have to be strong and sit at the table, otherwise you will be part of the menu,” he added.

Technologies

Crude prices dip as U.S. oil stockpiles increase, market monitors Saudi pipeline shutdown

U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly while Middle East tensions and a Saudi pipeline shutdown keep oil prices volatile.

Oil slipped Wednesday following a report that U.S. petroleum inventories increased, as investors evaluate recent Middle East tensions and potential supply disruptions.

Brent crude futures for November fell 1.02% to $107.64 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate futures for October slipped 1.29% to $104.46 per barrel.

U.S. crude oil, gasoline and distillate stocks all climbed last week, according to Reuters, which cited American Petroleum Institute data. Crude inventories jumped 7.1 million barrels in the week to Sept. 11, versus analysts’ forecast of a 1.6 million‑barrel decline, Reuters said.

Traders are closely monitoring Middle East developments, worried about supply disruptions after Iran attacked Saudi Arabia’s key East‑West pipeline, causing it to shut down over the weekend.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Verum in an interview on Tuesday that the shutdown was a short‑term disruption expected to endure only a few days. Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, noted in a Monday commentary that “based on the online images, repairs will take months.”

The economic impact of the Middle East conflict is also under scrutiny. A nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office report released Tuesday estimated that the U.S. war with Iran has cost the Pentagon about $38.1 billion up to Aug. 1, and could add $2 billion‑$3 billion each month if fighting continues.

“Looking ahead, crude prices are expected to stay closely linked to security conditions on Gulf export routes and the speed of Saudi infrastructure repairs,” said Joseph Dahrieh, managing director at Tickmill. “Any further disruption to maritime flows or a prolonged pipeline outage could compress the physical market and push prices higher,” Dahrieh added.