Modern Wisdom #1035 - Mark Rober - How to Engineer a Life You Love
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Dec 20, 2025 
Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer and popular YouTuber, shares his fascinating journey from working on the Mars Rover to engaging in viral experiments. He discusses the importance of embracing failure as a learning tool and how to rekindle curiosity in adults. The conversation dives into engineering principles that can enhance everyday life, the impact of AI on society, and the blend of storytelling with technology. Rober also shares insights from his time at Apple and the creative processes behind his famous glitter bomb projects.
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Designing A Working Mars Rover
- Mark Rober spent seven years as a mechanical engineer designing a section of the Mars rover that still operates on Mars.
- He describes the pride of touching the hardware that exists 90 million miles away and may outlast Earthly artifacts.
A Satellite For Space Selfies
- Mark built a small satellite that displays submitted pictures and takes photos so people can get a selfie from space.
- He launched it as a free outreach project and maintains a deorbit plan so it burns up after ~5 years.
Prototype To Learn Limits Fast
- NASA's prototyping culture teaches you to build many ugly, failing versions before the final product.
- Intentionally breaking prototypes reveals limits so the final design is confidently reliable.