Cicadas
Fruit/Vegetable
West Coast (Best Coast?)
100
How long do cicada cycles typically last?
13/17 years, depending on location. 13 in the south, 17 in the north.
100
What are three "vegetables" that are actually fruits?
Tomatoes
Pumpkins
Avocados
Cucumber
Zuchchini
Squash
Eggplants
Peppers
Peas
100
What state is the only state to be named after a president?
Washington.
Just making sure everyone is awake
200
What is a group of cicadas called?
A chorus (when they sing together)
A cloud/A Plague (when they emerge in masses)
200
True or False: There are seeds on the outside of strawberries
False. These are called Achenes. Most people think these are seeds, but actually they are the TRUE FRUIT of the strawberry, similar to a sunflower seed and its shell. A medium-sized strawberry has about 200 achenes.
200
What is the only state to have a twosided flag?
Oregon
300
What makes cicadas so loud?
Cicadas make noise using a specialized part of their exoskeleton called a tymbal, which are located on their abdomens. These tymbals act as resonance chambers, amplifying the sound produced by male cicadas. This tymbal muscle flexes anywhere between 120-480 times A SECOND.
This can hit over 100 decibels, louder than a motorcycle. Only males make noise(blame it on the men)
300
What common fruit's tree is considered an herb?
Banana.
A banana (Tree) is considered an herb in botanical terms because it never forms a woody stem (or trunk) the way a tree does. Rather, it forms a succulent stalk, or pseudostem.
Technically actual bananas (Fruits) are classified as berries. They develop from a single flower with one ovary and feature fleshy insides and seeds, fitting the strict scientific definition of a berry
300
This famous California neighborhood began a a lima bean ranch. Where?
Beverly Hills
In the early 1900s Beverly Hills began as a lima bean ranch part of Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas. the early 1900s. It might now be a prestigious and expensive zip code of Southern California, but Beverly Hills has much more humble origins than you might expect.
After its stint as a lima bean ranch, the Amalgamated Oil Company purchased the land of Beverly Hills with the hope of discovering oil. Unsuccessful, they renamed the land in 1906 and began redeveloping the land into a residential community. Decades later, Beverly Hills’ popularity and status kept on growing as it attracted more Hollywood stars and wealthy residents.
400
Why do cicadas make the most noise during the hottest part of the day?
Their predators are out and about least during the hottest points of the day, allowing them to mate/breed during this time without facing predator attacks.
Fun Fact: A Cicada's cymbal doesn't become flexible enough until temps rise above 72 degrees Fahrenheit
400
There is a lot of litigation around fruits/vegetables. What fruit or vegetable has the most famous produce litigation?
Tomatoes.
Nix v. Hedden (1893), a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that legally decided whether the tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. The Court unanimously ruled that the tomato is a vegetable for trade and tax purposes based on common use, despite acknowledging its botanical classification as a fruit. [1, 2]
400
How many days a year does the west coast endure microseismic activity?
365 days a year!
500
Part of a cicada is antibacterial. Can you guess which part of their body?
Wings!
Cicada wings are covered with tiny pillars so small they can only be seen with an electron microscope. When a microbe moves over these “nanopillars,” they bend and rupture the pathogen’s membrane and kill it.
500
What was the first vegetable grown in space?
What was the first fruit grown in space?
BONUS: How many years between the two experiments?
Small spring onions (scallions), cultivated by Soviet cosmonauts aboard the Salyut 4 space station in July 1975. This holds a Guiness World Record of the first grown food in space.
The first fruit grown and harvested in space was the Hatch chile pepper, harvested October 2021 (in space).
46 years!
500
What do Alaskans call the remainder of US?
"the outside"