We have all seen bright kids on television, but every so often, a child comes along who is so unapologetically brilliant and confident that even seasoned hosts don’t know what to do. Enter Maxim, a 6-year-old inventor who didn’t just bring his incredible mechanical creations to the Little Big Shots stage—he brought a level of sass that had the audience roaring with laughter. You absolutely must watch this exchange.

When you think of a 6-year-old’s hobbies, you usually picture coloring books, action figures, or maybe playing tag. Maxim from Paramus, New Jersey, however, spends his time building Rube Goldberg machines. For those unfamiliar, these are intentionally complex contraptions designed to perform a very simple task through a chain reaction.

Right from his introduction, Maxim made it clear he was not your average first-grader. Dressed sharp in a tie and radiating confidence, he proudly declared that he is an inventor and a builder. But it wasn’t just his impressive projects that stole the show; it was his incredibly sharp wit when facing off with the legendary Steve Harvey.

The true magic of Little Big Shots lies in the unscripted, raw interactions between Steve Harvey and the children. Steve often uses his comedic timing to playfully tease the kids, but Maxim was ready for everything.

When Steve asked what family of machines his invention belonged to, Maxim quickly dropped the word “quintuple.” When Steve asked him to repeat it, clearly taken aback by the advanced vocabulary, Maxim didn’t hesitate to playfully mock the host’s confusion.

But the funniest moment came when they discussed intelligence. Steve, trying to gauge the boy’s confidence, asked, “How smart are you?” Maxim looked at him and said with absolute sincerity, “Smarter than anything in the world.”

If you want a reason to click “play” right now, it’s the debate over Steve Harvey’s hands. During a hypothetical conversation about being locked in a room, Steve mentioned he couldn’t dig through stone because his hands were soft. Maxim, holding Steve’s hand, bluntly corrected him: “Your hand is very hard. It’s very slimy and hard.”

What followed was a back-and-forth argument between a grown comedian and a 6-year-old about whether sweat equals slime. “See when I’m performing my hands get wet… but it’s not raining,” Steve tried to explain. Maxim’s deadpan logic and refusal to back down had the crowd in absolute stitches. It is a masterclass in unintentional comedy that you simply have to witness for yourself.

Part of being an inventor is dealing with failure, and Rube Goldberg machines are notoriously difficult to execute perfectly on the first try. During a demonstration of a smaller machine on Steve’s desk, a piece triggered prematurely.

Most 6-year-olds would panic on national television. What did Maxim do? He immediately took on the role of the show’s director. “Pretend they got surprised,” he instructed the audience. “If you saw it, just shut up, act like you didn’t see it.”

His ability to command the room and handle the mistake with such mature poise was nothing short of astounding. As Steve perfectly summarized, “I love your attitude cause nothing stops you.”

Of course, the show couldn’t end without a massive spectacle. The production team helped Maxim set up a giant, stage-sized version of his machine. It had everything: a tire swing, dominoes, a ball chain reaction, a rocket that popped balloons, and a mechanism designed to launch a “ginormous tennis ball.”

Watching the anticipation build as the machine runs its course is incredibly satisfying. The suspense of whether the complex chain reaction will complete its cycle keeps you on the edge of your seat. And the joy on Maxim’s face when everything works out is the pure, wholesome content the internet needs more of today.

 [WATCH MAXIM’S INCREDIBLE RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE HERE]