Abstract: Decades of research shows that infants look long at events that violate their expectations (e.g., witnessing a ball pass through a solid barrier). A growing body of research extends these findings, demonstrating that beyond looking longer infants also exhibit heightened exploration towards the object they witnessed behave unexpectedly. In a series of studies, I discuss the function of surprise-induced exploration and offer evidence that infants not only seek explanations but can also integrate them when they are found. Interestingly, infants’ responses to explanations are varied. In a follow-up study I explore whether surprise affects individuals differently. Finally, I demonstrate that prediction itself plays a crucial role in detecting violations. Together this body of work suggests that violation detection is not a monolithic process and that critically it ignites the search for explanations.