Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: A series of stories that celebrate the mystery and the magic of ... the Black Box
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 (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.
Martha’s daughter Annie Rosenthal captured the whole adventure on tape and produced a gorgeous audio feature, “Caterpillar Roadshow,” which was first published in the audio magazine Signal Hill.
You can find it on our feed (zpr.io/xPdAYXFUMr4s)
–or on Signal Hill’s website. (zpr.io/a4bjPKeXJQWK)
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
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Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Lily Padula
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
From the Radiolab podcast: A series of stories that celebrate the mystery and the magic of ... the Black Box
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 (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.
Martha’s daughter Annie Rosenthal captured the whole adventure on tape and produced a gorgeous audio feature, “Caterpillar Roadshow,” which was first published in the audio magazine Signal Hill.
You can find it on our feed (zpr.io/xPdAYXFUMr4s)
–or on Signal Hill’s website. (zpr.io/a4bjPKeXJQWK)
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Lily Padula
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
