Great Regulars: Brain scientists say that the neocortex

tries to make sense of the world by asking the hippocampus to replay certain images long enough for a structure to emerge. A poet notices a caterpillar, say, and thinks on it over time, and out of that musing comes "Advice From a Caterpillar," which recommends molting and self-reinvention, along with cryptic behavior to confuse predators. ("If all else fails," it concludes, "taste terrible.")

from David Kirby: The New York Times: Animal Planet

~~~~~~~~~~~