In this episode, first aired in 2014, we examine three very different kinds of black boxes—spaces where we know what’s going in, we know what’s coming out, but can’t see what happens in-between. From the darkest parts of metamorphosis to a sixty-year-old secret among magicians, and the nature of consciousness itself, we shine some light on three questions. But for each, we contend with an answerless space, leaving just enough room for the mystery and magic, always wondering what’s inside the Black Box. EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by Tim Howard and Molly Webster Produced by Tim Howard and Molly Webster EPISODE CITATIONS: Radio Show: ABC's Keep Them Guessing (https://tinyurl.com/9r9zmftr) LATERAL CUTS: Last year we shared a story on our feed about butterfly researcher Dr. Martha Weiss, and how she befriended a little boy on the other side of the world who wanted to do his own caterpillar memory study. You can find it on our feed ( https://zpr.io/xPdAYXFUMr4s ) –or on Signal Hill’s website. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.