Spring is here! And with it comes one of nature’s most astonishing transformations. But what if we told you the most mind-blowing part isn’t the wings?
Have you ever watched a caterpillar crawl slowly along a leaf and thought: how on earth does that become a butterfly?
It’s one of spring’s most magical mysteries. And scientists have been puzzling over it for years. But here’s the part that will really make your brain fizz with wonder:
Some butterflies can remember things from when they were caterpillars.
Wait — what?
Let’s think about this together. When a caterpillar wraps itself into a chrysalis, something extraordinary (and honestly a little bit gross) happens inside. Nearly everything melts. The caterpillar’s body turns into a kind of thick soup, a slurry of proteins, amino acids and the basic building blocks of life. Scientists call this complete metamorphosis, and it’s so dramatic that you might even wonder: is there still a living creature in there?
The brain connections that a caterpillar built up during its whole life? Completely dissolved and rebuilt. Which means, by all our understanding of how memory works…
…the butterfly should remember absolutely nothing.
And yet. Nature, as always, has other ideas.
Researchers have trained caterpillars to avoid a specific smell by pairing it with a small electric shock. When those same creatures emerged from their chrysalis as fully-formed insects, they still avoided that smell. The memories had somehow made the journey through the goop. The scientists tested this in moths, close cousins of butterflies, and the same principle is thought to apply to butterflies.
How? We honestly don’t know yet! And that’s what makes this one of science’s most exciting open questions.
Think Like a Biomimicry Detective
Biomimicry is all about looking at what nature does and asking: what can we learn from this?
Here’s your wondering prompt for today:
If a butterfly can carry memories through total transformation — what could that inspire us to design or invent?
Imagine a robot that could completely rebuild itself but still remember its original instructions. Or a material that could melt, reshape into something completely different, and still “know” how to behave. Could a medicine somehow carry information through the body even while changing form?
Nature figured this out millions of years ago. We’re just beginning to ask the right questions.
Try This!
Next time you’re outside this Spring, look for caterpillars on leaves. Watch how they move and behave. Can you spot anything they seem to like or avoid?
Write down your observations — just like a real scientist would! You never know where a question might lead you.
Next blog: Meet the 10-year-old boy who asked a question no one had ever asked before — and changed what scientists thought they knew about butterfly memory forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.