A common thought experiment posits that a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil can, over time, lead to a chain of events that sets off a tornado in Texas. It seems this old saw may be more true than previously thought, as a new study in the journal iScience suggests that insects can be a source of "atmospheric space charge," which is the level of electricity in the atmosphere.
In other words, massive swarms of insects, such as bees or grasshoppers, may be influencing the weather, carrying an electrical charge equivalent to a thunderstorm cloud. The study gives a whole new meaning to the term "bug zapper."
