55. From Goo to Butterfly
The transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly is one of nature’s most fascinating metamorphoses. Contrary to what might be expected, the caterpillar doesn’t simply sprout wings within its cocoon. Instead, its body undergoes a dramatic breakdown, dissolving into a cellular soup. From this primordial goo, a butterfly emerges, completely restructured at a cellular level.

Remarkably, despite this profound physical transformation, studies have shown that butterflies can retain memories from their caterpillar stage. This memory retention suggests that some elements of the caterpillar’s nervous system remain intact through the metamorphosis process, allowing the newly formed butterfly to remember experiences from its earlier life.