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HTDE: Crickets and Clowns

March 18, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The temperature outside can theoretically be calculated by counting the chirps of a tree cricket in 15 seconds and adding 40, though this formula is highly limited to a specific warm temperature range and only works for tree crickets, not field crickets. 
  • Tree crickets engage in a unique mating ritual where the female chews a nutritious gland on the male's wings while he calls, a behavior known as providing a nuptial gift. 
  • Clowns (and now drag queens) can register and effectively trademark their unique makeup looks by having them painted onto eggs and recorded in the Clowns International Egg Register, a practice started by an accountant named Stan Bott nearly 100 years ago. 

Segments

Cricket Chirp Temperature Hack
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(00:00:15)
  • Key Takeaway: Temperature in Fahrenheit is calculated by counting cricket chirps in 15 seconds and adding 40, provided the cricket is a tree cricket and the temperature is within a specific warm range.
  • Summary: The Dolbert method calculates Fahrenheit temperature by counting cricket chirps in 15 seconds and adding 40. This method is only reliable for tree crickets because their chirp rate is stable, unlike field crickets. Crickets are exothermic, meaning their body functions, including chirping, speed up in warmer temperatures.
Tree Cricket Mating Rituals
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(00:05:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Male tree crickets attract females by calling while the female consumes a nutritious gland on the male’s wings, a nuptial gift that aids egg production.
  • Summary: Male tree crickets present a nuptial gift during mating by secreting material from a gland on their wings, which the female consumes. This act is not fatal to the male, unlike the behavior seen in some mantids. This gift can weigh up to 30% of the male’s body weight in some singing insects like katydids.
Listener Mail and Punctuation Dilemma
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(00:09:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Listeners proposed several creative solutions, including using a quotation mark or a superscript two, to represent the possessive apostrophe in the name ‘Autumn’s’.
  • Summary: The hosts addressed listener feedback regarding the difficulty of writing the possessive form of the name Autumn’s, which features an apostrophe on her birth certificate. Suggestions included using two apostrophes (Autumn"S"), an upside-down semicolon, or Autumn Squared (Autumn²S). One practical suggestion was to use the middle name, Autumn’s Hope, for possessives.
Clown Makeup Registration System
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(00:12:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Clowns secure ownership of their unique makeup looks by registering them on painted eggs managed by the Clowns International Egg Register.
  • Summary: The Clowns International Egg Register, managed by Julie Proctor, allows clowns to claim their unique looks, functioning similarly to trademarking. The process began nearly 100 years ago when Stan Bott, an accountant, painted clown faces onto eggs to catalog them. Registrants must provide multiple photos and costume pieces so the egg can be painted to represent their full look.
Historical Reflection and Closing
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(00:15:37)
  • Key Takeaway: A historical search revealed that 100 years prior to the recording date, an offer to put a wristwatch on the Statue of Liberty was rejected.
  • Summary: The hosts noted that both expert segments began by referencing events from approximately 100 years prior. A subsequent search for March 18th, 1926, revealed that the Assistant Secretary of War rejected a proposal to install a wristwatch on the Statue of Liberty.