Teams of brilliant content strategists in tall, fancy office buildings obsess over what they can do to make videos go viral online. Here’s a pro tip: Put a baby girl in the hands of a futurist and have them stare into each other’s eyes.
Jason Silva, the Emmy-nominated host of the Emmy-nominated show Brain Games on NatGeo, posted a 53-second video on his Facebook page in which he holds a baby and waxes philosophical about how human beings are created. As Silva informs this big-eyed baby that she is both like a “wetware Android” and “transcendent,” she looks at him as though she understands and is fascinated by every single word he says.
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Silva, who is also the creator of the wildly popular YouTube series Shots of Awe, says the video is a great example of the kind of awe he wants everyone to seek out in life. “Curiosity and wonderment are a big part of the human condition, but often as we ‘grow up’ we tend to lose this connection to the wonder of it all,” he said in an email. “I often explore big ideas in my series Shots of Awe to wake people up, and I think bringing this sensibility to an actual baby's wonderstruck face struck a nerve... I'm thrilled.”
The video has had almost 22 million views on Facebook and almost 50,000 views since Silva posted it on his YouTube channel. It may feel a bit on the crazy side. But, trust us. Just try to watch it only once.
