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A Running Record of Findings from the Internet / August 17, 2026

Nature's Oldest Mandolin: The Poetic Science of How Cicadas Sing

Drawing on a century-old naturalist's field guide, Maria Popova traces how cicadas — with no vocal cords, only drum-like tymbals — became nature's oldest unbroken musicians, loud enough to rival a jet engine and old enough to have serenaded Homer.

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By Maria Popova · The Marginalian

Transformation of the periodical Cicada Septemdecim. Illustration by Lillie Sullivan, 1898
Transformation of the periodical Cicada Septemdecim. Illustration by Lillie Sullivan, 1898
Design

  1. LANZA Atelier's Serpentine Pavilion Bends Around a "Crinkle-Crankle" Wall

    ArchDaily·Aug 17

  2. Porto Rocha's New Identity for Almeida & Dale Keeps the Art in the Spotlight

    BP&O·Aug 13

  3. Designing for 3 Billion: Inside Instagram's New Brand System

    It's Nice That·Aug 17

  4. Inside "Marques of the Machine," a Deep Dive Into Early American Car Logos

    Inside "Marques of the Machine," a Deep Dive Into Early American Car Logos

    PRINT Magazine·Aug 17

Arts & Culture
  1. Wiley Wallace's Jewel-Toned Paintings Conjure Enchantment in the Desert

    Wiley Wallace's Jewel-Toned Paintings Conjure Enchantment in the Desert

    Colossal·Aug 17

  2. In "Breathing Moons," Shirley Tse and Dana Berman Duff Turn Gravity Into Art

    Hyperallergic·Aug 14

  3. Andreas Angelidakis Turns the Greek Pavilion Into a Strobe-Lit Escape Room

    Wallpaper*·Aug 3

  4. Arthur Jafa on "Helter Skelter" and the Power of Images

    Whitewall·Aug 14

Sound

  1. Akusmi :: Terra Incognita

    Aquarium Drunkard·Aug 17

  2. Jeff Mills: Seeing Is Believing

    Jeff Mills: Seeing Is Believing

    Resident Advisor·Jul 7

  3. Cuba's DIY Music Scene Endures Despite Constant Crackdowns

    Bandcamp Daily·Aug 13

  4. ABBA's "Dancing Queen" Turns 50

    The Quietus·Aug 16

Collecting

  1. A New Collection of Vintage Japanese Lottery Tickets

    Present & Correct·Aug 11

  2. Big Max and His Electronic Conveyor, From Remco (1957)

    Toy Tales·Aug 17

  3. In Your Bag 1782 – Eliot Herman

    In Your Bag 1782 – Eliot Herman

    Japan Camera Hunter·Jan 8

  4. I Hate Mondays: Inside the Garfield Merchandise Empire

    The Strong National Museum of Play·Jun 18

Document

  1. The Rediscovered Dust Jackets of Kenneth Romney Towndrow

    V&A Blog·Aug 11

  2. Amauta: The Radical 1920s Magazine That Reimagined Peruvian Art

    Public Domain Review·Jul 8

  3. The Peacock Flower and Reproductive Resistance Under Slavery

    JSTOR Daily·Jul 29

  4. Archaeologists Uncover 40,000-Year-Old Bird Sculptures Carved From Mammoth Ivory

    Archaeologists Uncover 40,000-Year-Old Bird Sculptures Carved From Mammoth Ivory

    Smithsonian Magazine·Jul 31

Film
  1. Locarno's Leopards: This Year's Big Festival Winners

    Locarno's Leopards: This Year's Big Festival Winners

    Criterion·Aug 17

  2. The First-Ever Film of a Solar Eclipse, Restored

    Sight and Sound·Aug 11

  3. An Odyssey Across the Japanese Archipelago

    Aperture·Aug 13

  4. Paul Ridd on Directing the Edinburgh Film Festival's 79th Year

    Little White Lies·Aug 14

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