Crickets can predict temperature: Here’s how
You must have heard that eels can produce electricity and dolphins love to make guest appearances whenever there are human visitors in the middle of the ocean (imagine being on a cruise!). The animal kingdom is replete with many more such miracles. While some of them are true, most of these are vague. Have you heard your elders say that crickets tend to chirp faster when it’s warm, which gradually slows down as and when the temperature subsides? In fact, some even believe that these insects are nature’s own thermometer. As wild as it may sound, this trivia is actually true.
How does a cricket predict temperature?
You may possibly know that most insects are generally cold-blooded (having an unregulated body temperature) and cricket is no different. This simply means that they adapt to the temperatures of their surroundings, that is, they feel warm when its warm outside, and cold when the temperature has dropped. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. Crickets have custom-made bodies. They react to heat by speeding up their muscle contraction when temperature is high, and it automatically slows down once it's cold outside. Therefore, the hotter it feels, the faster and easier their chirps are. On the other hand, when the temperature falls, the reaction rate gets slower, automatically diminishing their chirping rates. You may also find it interesting that they produce these chirps by rubbing one wing against another. So, the next time you wonder why crickets chirp rapidly during the day and take breaks during the night, you will know the answer.
Who discovered cricket’s correlation with temperature?
Towards the late 19th century, a contemporary American physicist, professor and inventor named Amos Dolbear, postulated that the rate at which crickets chirp is directly proportional to the air temperature outside. He dedicated years of his research to closely study various species of crickets and determine their rate of chirp based on temperature fluctuations. In 1897, he published an article based upon his research and developed what is now known as the Dolbear’s Law.
Dolbear’s Law: A brief overview
From the point of formula, Dolbear’s Law can get pretty confusing. However, in reality, it’s surprisingly simpler than you think. According to this theory, in order to convert cricket chirps into Fahrenheit (and in turn calculate the temperature outside), you just need to count the number of chirps (of a single cricket) in 15 seconds and then simply add 40 to the number in hand to get the temperature. Scientists believe that crickets can best predict the temperature when it ranges between 55 and 100-degree Fahrenheit.