AWE STRUCK

Jason Silva, 38, is a freestyle philosopher who captures moments of wonder by describing the ineffable. He poetically examines the human experience in his YouTube series Shots of Awe. A truth-seeker at his core, Silva tries to make sense of the world in a way that walks the path of both empirical and mythopoetic truths. His vigor for life is evident whenever he speaks; his thoughts are consistently delivered with eloquence and exuberance.

Silva recalls information and quotes the teachings of others with impressive acuity. Although he was the host of the National Geographic TV series , he doesn’t often utilize memorization practices such as mnemonic games. “The things I tend to recall so effectively are things that have landed so vividly and emotionally that it was almost like I didn’t have a choice,” he says. “If something is beautiful and also sophisticated, I want to absorb it into my cells. These are quotes that now hang in the wallpaper of my mind. The desire or compulsion to retain that doesn’t follow a