"What makes something interesting?" His answer is "novelty", since that's the basis of Baillargeon's experiment. Note that this is not exhaustive as other thing

"What makes something interesting?" His answer is "novelty", since that's the basis of Baillargeon's experiment. Note that this is not exhaustive as other things appear to be interesting to audiences, such as sex and violence. Also, any method of satisfying a currently unmet need will hold our interest, as an oasis in the desert. We can cast novelty in these terms by saying we are insatiably curious. I agree it has survival value, provided it doesn't kill us a la the cat).