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0:00Evolve, level five, midterm test 1B,
0:05listening one.
0:08>> I was wondering, why do some things go
0:10viral and others don't?
0:12>> Hmm, that's an interesting question. I
0:15think it tends to depend on what type of
0:17thing we're talking about. The reason a
0:20video goes viral isn't the same reason a
0:23picture or a meme does.
0:25>> Yes, I guess that's true. Is it
0:27something to do with how satisfying it
0:29is to watch a video, for example? I
0:32mean, some videos I watch on social
0:34media show people doing very impressive
0:36things, like skydiving or mountain
0:39climbing.
0:40>> Yeah, probably. I'll always look for
0:42videos that show people doing something
0:44I wouldn't do myself.
0:47I used to watch literally hundreds of
0:49videos of people climbing tall
0:50buildings, but I'm actually terrified of
0:53heights.
0:53>> Do you remember the video of Nora, the
0:56piano cat? That got something crazy like
0:5930 million hits on YouTube, didn't it?
1:02Maybe things go viral when they're
1:03surprising.
1:04>> Yes, I think you could be right. Nobody
1:07expects a cat to play the piano, after
1:09all. So, it's both surprising and
1:12newsworthy.
1:13Do you know that Nora now has her own
1:15merchandise, like buttons and t-shirts
1:18and calendars? It's amazing. I wish I
1:21had a cat that wanted to seek fame. I
1:24might make a lot of money.
1:25>> [laughter]
1:26>> Some of those videos are such a waste of
1:28time, but they're entertaining. That's
1:31why people like them so much. I also
1:33think videos go viral when they make
1:36people feel happy. I was studying last
1:38night when a friend emailed me a video
1:40about a firefighter who saved a kitten
1:42that was stuck in a tree.
1:44It just made me feel happy, because
1:46there are a lot of good people in the
1:48world doing good, kind things.
1:51>> Well, yes. And it's much more
1:53entertaining to watch a video than to
1:55study.
1:56>> [laughter]