Return of the 17-Year Cicadas

a movie by

Roger Hangarter & Samuel Orr
Indiana University

In 2004, the residents of Bloomington, Indiana had the good fortune to be visited by one of the largest and most spectacular biological events on earth, the return of the 17-year periodical cicadas know as Brood X.

In order to allow others to share in the experience of this remarkable event, we decided to document it using video and time-lapse techniques. The movie documents the entire above-ground cycle of the Brood X 17-year cicadas, as it occurred during the spring and summer of 2004 in our town. Although scientifically accurate and comprehensive, the film was created in a style that presents the science in an enjoyable way accesible to a wide audience.

The movie was awarded 1st place in the
Non-Interactive Media category of the 2005 Science & Engineering
Visualization Challenge. This annual competition, jointly sponsored by
the National Science Foundation and Science magazine , recognizes outstanding achievement in the use of graphics media to illustrate scientific processes.

Click on the link below to watch the movie (QuickTime format).

Play
Return of the 17-Year Cicadas

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