In a public place, preferably a park or market with people passing by, set up a video camera with a tripod and a sign below reading “The meaning of life is…” Invite people to share their thoughts and opinions, expressing their viewed essence of life and the answer to the question. Gather and organize your favorite responses. Create a video collage of perspectives, take this project with you around the world, and see what you discover with this experiment. Lastly, once you have picked out your favorites, set out to share short clips of your recorded responses at random to the emails of people you have never met and don’t know. Subject line your email with “The Meaning of Life” and see what curious responses you get from the people who happen upon this random act of kindness and shared insight.

An alternative version of this experiment is to pose an entirely different question. In your favorite public sitting spot, ask instead “What is the best idea you have ever had?” Take in people’s thoughts, record their many brilliant or not so brilliant ideas. Do as you did above, but with this different angle of approach. Enjoy the inspiration of your fellow human beings. Maybe you will come across an idea so brilliant it will alter your life or be worth saving for a later experiment.