Periodical cicadas emerge in cycles of 17 and 13 years, making them a kind of cultural bug clock -- a buzzing reminder of invasions of yore, and a good excuse to think back on where we were the last time they burst from the ground in massive, memorable hordes.

Photo by: Megan Tan

After a grueling campaign season -- rocking red carpet glam, hobnobbing with locals, and trying to be seen in all the right places -- the hypothetical placental mammal reclined in Washington Square Park to catch ...

Schrëwdinger lives it up in the last red carpet event before voting closes today in the Name Your Ancestor contest...

Our common ancestor was seen trying to cajole the box office attendant at the Cherry Lane Theatre earlier today. But the imposing mammal was turned away -- apparently even the animal that led to all of us needs ID when picking up will call tickets.

Super PAC (Wo)Men for Mancestor makes a final push for its candidate in the last 24 hours of the Name Your Ancestor vote.

They call them Romance Pants, from Instructables.com, one of the world's premier do-it-yourself sites. They're for the Romantic Man who has overplanned (and overthought and overdone) his upcoming night of love. One 7805 voltage regulator required.

Look who we spotted grabbing a cup of coffee this morning. We would've said hi, but it's kind of awkward...we still don't know this critter's name. Help us out -- vote now and let us know who you'd rather wake up to: Schrëwdinger or Mancestor.

There's nothing prehistoric about this creature's fashion sense!

Common ancestor supporters are out in force for their candidates, in the final days of the vote...

They're not locusts. They don't eat crops, don't sting babies to death, don't even harm fruit. Yes, they make loud, screechy noises, but if you were a female cicada, you'd find the love songs ... um ... lovely. Here come the cicadas!

No shirt, no name, no service...

Desperate for a name, our common ancestor is hitting the streets to get out the vote.

This town's not big enough for two hypothetical placental ancestors. Both Mancestor AND Schrëwdinger were caught sporting the same gown over the weekend. Who wore it better?

This is the moment all you placental ancestor lovers have been waiting for: we're down to the final two pop culture monikers for the little hairy beast. Who'll it be? Schrëwdinger (is she our oldest common ancestor, is she not), or Mancestor (the ancestor of man)? Cast your ballot below, and keep an eye out for these two common ancestors on the street, trying to grab your vote...

You probably know the feeling: You turn on your computer, decide to mosey around, but only for a minute or two, you have important things to do, and then — whooooosh! The computer sucks you in and you can't stop clicking. Why does this happen? Artist Dina Kelberman knows why. Let her trap you.

Bursting broods of bugs and ... beer? Believe it! The 17-year cicadas are coming, and Radiolab is inviting armchair scientists, lovers of nature and DIY makers to help predict the emergence of cicadas by building a homemade sensor and sharing your observations.

Our Bliss episode (which airs across the country this week) begins with a perfect moment -- polar adventurer Aleksander Gamme finding a hidden stash of utter happiness under the ice at the end of a 3-month trek in the South Pole. And it was all caught on camera.

Some of the best science reporters, like the best Vaudevillians, the best circus performers, the best teachers, are hungry for attention — not for themselves, but for a way to seize your mind, to bring you to an idea, a puzzle, or a creature.