We can probably blame something called the mirror neuron for the millions and squillions of views that a brief film called Baby Laughing Hysterically at Ripping Paper has clocked up.
To date, that film has notched up more than 60m views, a truly staggering number for a video that lasts just under two minutes, with a cast of one and a script made up almost totally (apart from a few background noises from the child's father) of laughter. Every time the father rips a bit of paper, it seems to entirely surprise the little boy. Every single time, he lets out a delightful rip of laughter, full of wonder and happiness. And, even though we don't see the father, any parents out there will remember that wonderful period of life when they could perform miracles simply by turning on a tap or off a light.
The mirror neuron – a recently identified feature of our minds – flares up when we watch someone else perform an action, allowing us to feel the same sensations as the person we are looking at. Scientists think the mirror neuron may be at the heart of the exceptional empathic abilities that humans have – and surely it is the reason that it is absolutely impossible to watch this film without starting to smile, and then, every single time, starting to laugh.
There are hundreds of other famous baby/child films out there – in Talking Twin Babies, Charlie Bit My Finger, David After the Dentist. They are often wonderful and touching too. The ancient practice of forcing strangers to look at pictures of your children basically went viral.
