Community Magazine April 2019

adar II - nissan 5779 april 2019 99 Why Locusts Swarm Efraim Harari Connection leaving no sustenance for the Jewish people, the ruination is described in this way: …And they came as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels without number, and they came into the land to destroy it ( Shoftim 6:5). It is also interesting to note that during the plague of locusts, Pharaoh hurried to call Moshe and Aharon; he seemed to want to repent. Then Pharaoh changed his mind. What happened? Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, zt”l , explains that each of the previous plagues had lasted seven days. Therefore, Pharaoh thought that if he “repented” before the seven days of this plague were up, he could still save some of his crops. However, once Pharaoh saw how much damage had already been done by the locusts, he decided that there was nothing to gain from repentance. So, he changed his mind and would not repent, after all. Scientists have discovered that a chemical in the brain, called serotonin, is what is responsible for turning solitary locusts into gregarious, swarming insects, and physical touch is what triggers the production of serotonin in these creatures. When the locusts crowd together, physical touch is unavoidable, and this causes the locusts to produce serotonin. Scientists performed studies on the desert locust, one of the most devastating pests in the world. (This species is infamous for wreaking havoc in both Africa and Asia.) In the laboratory, solitary desert locusts turned into gregarious ones in just two hours, simply by the scientists tickling their hind legs to imitate the jostling that locusts Now in Stores! A Brand-New Book by The Jewish World of Wonders Fascinating Questions & Answers on the Mysteries of the Animal Kingdom Now available in Judaica stores and online at: www.israelbookshoppublications.com and Amazon. experience in a crowd. During this period, there was an increase in the chemical serotonin in specific parts of the insects’ nervous system. Experiments were then designed to show that serotonin is indeed the reason behind the drastic change of behavior. When scientists injected the desert locusts with a serotonin blocker (chemicals that block the action of serotonin), the locusts stayed solitary even in swarm-inducing conditions. Knowing what causes this swift change of behavior in locusts may help governments and farmers develop methods to control future locust outbreaks with chemicals that would suppress the offending serotonin. Swarm of locusts ADAR II - NISSAN 5779 APRIL 2019 99 hy Locusts Swarm Efraim Harari Connection leaving no sustenance for the Jewish people, the ruination is described in this way: …And they came as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels without number, and they came into the land to destroy it ( Shoftim 6:5). It is also interesting to note that during the plague of locusts, Pharaoh hurried to call Moshe and Aharon; he seemed to want to repent. Then Pharaoh changed his mind. What happened? Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin, zt”l , explains that each of the previous plagues had lasted seven days. Therefore, Pharaoh thought that if he “repented” before the seven days of this plague were up, he could still save some of his crops. However, once Pharaoh saw how much damage had already been done by the locusts, he decided that there was nothing to gain from repentance. So, he changed his mind and would not repent, after all. Scientists have discov red that a chemical in the brain, called ser tonin, is what is responsible for turning solitary locusts into gregarious, swarming insects, a d p ysical touch is w at triggers the pr duction of serotonin in these cre tures. When the locusts crowd together, physical touch is unavoidable, and this causes the locusts to produce serotonin. Scientists performed studi on the desert locu t, one of the st devastating pests in the world. (This species is infamous for wreaking havoc in both Africa and Asia.) In the laboratory, solitary desert locusts turned into gregarious ones in just two hours, simply by the scientists tickling their hind legs to imitate the jostling that locusts Now in Stores! A Brand-New Book by The Jewish World of Wonders Fascinating Questions & Answers on the Mysteries of the Animal Kingdom Now available in Judaica stores and online at: www.israelbookshoppublications.com and Amazon. experience in a crowd. During this period, there was an incr ase in the chemical serotonin in specific parts of the insects’ nervous system. Experiments were then designed to show that serotonin is indeed th reason behind the drastic change of behavior. When scientists injected the desert locusts with a serotonin blocker (chemicals that block the ction of serotonin), the locusts stayed solitary even in swarm-inducing conditions. Knowing what caus s this swift change of behavior in locusts may help gov rnments and f rmers dev lop met ods to control futur locust outbreaks with chemicals that would suppress the offending serotonin. Swarm of locusts