Black Box

2026-02-27 · 66 min · episode 682 · 12 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

→ discusses Society & Culture concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Society & Culture
→ discusses Science concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Science
→ discusses History concept

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Feed category: History
→ discusses Documentary concept

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→ hosted by WNYC Studios company

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Feed author/publisher: WNYC Studios
→ discusses Natural Sciences concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Natural Sciences

Entities found in this episode

concepts 10

mentioned Society & Culture concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Society & Culture
mentioned Science concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Science
mentioned History concept

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evidence rules-v4
Feed category: History
mentioned Documentary concept

0.50

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Documentary
mentioned Natural Sciences concept

0.50

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Natural Sciences
discusses Society & Culture concept

0.40

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Society & Culture
discusses Science concept

0.40

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Science
discusses History concept

0.40

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: History
discusses Documentary concept

0.40

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Documentary
discusses Natural Sciences concept

0.40

evidence rules-v4
Feed category: Natural Sciences

companys 2

mentioned WNYC Studios company

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evidence rules-v4
Feed author/publisher: WNYC Studios
hosted by WNYC Studios company

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evidence rules-v4
Feed author/publisher: WNYC Studios

Episode description as stored

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. 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 ( https://zpr.io/xPdAYXFUMr4s ) –or on Signal Hill’s website . ( https://zpr.io/a4bjPKeXJQWK ) Signup for our newsletter!! 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. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org . Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.