Cicadas Challenge Fluid Dynamics Paradigms with Jet-Stream Urination

A recent study reveals cicadas' high-speed urination method, offering new insights into fluid dynamics and potential applications in technology.

Georgia Tech researchers have discovered that cicadas can pee in high-speed jets, challenging previous assumptions about fluid dynamics in small animals.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals that cicadas use less energy peeing in jets than in droplets, despite their small size.
This finding has implications for understanding fluid dynamics across a wide range of animal sizes, from tiny cicadas to large mammals like elephants.
The research could inform applications in soft robotics, additive manufacturing, and bio-monitoring, given cicadas' ability to create high-speed jets.
Ahead of a rare double emergence of cicadas in the US, the ecological impact of their urination on the ecosystem remains unknown.