Mark Rober
A former NASA engineer who uses viral YouTube videos to make science wildly entertaining and accessible for millions.
Born 1980 (age 46)·American YouTuber and engineer·Birthday: March 11·Generation X
Biography
Mark Rober’s path was forged in the labs of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he spent seven years helping design the suspension system for the Mars Curiosity rover. This engineering rigor, followed by a stint at Apple working on secretive projects, gave him a unique toolkit. He pivoted to content creation, blending the meticulousness of a scientist with the showmanship of a master storyteller. His videos—whether orchestrating the world’s largest glitter bomb to scam-bait porch pirates or building a squirrel-proof obstacle course—are elaborate experiments in joy and curiosity. He doesn't just explain concepts; he turns them into spectacles, inspiring a new generation to see the fun in physics and the magic in problem-solving.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mark was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Spent seven years as a NASA engineer at JPL, contributing to the mobility system of the Mars Curiosity rover.
- Built a YouTube channel with tens of millions of subscribers dedicated to popular science and inventive engineering projects.
- Created and launched the annual "Science Fair" video series, raising millions of dollars for science education charities.
- Held a position as a product designer in Apple's Special Projects Group, authoring patents related to virtual reality.
Did You Know?
He holds a mechanical engineering degree from Brigham Young University and a master's from the University of Southern California.
His first viral video was a Halloween costume featuring an iPad as a moving eyeball.
He taught a digital fabrication class at his alma mater, BYU.
His glitter bomb package revenge video was so popular it temporarily crashed the shipping company's tracking website.
““The world is a fascinating place if you look at it through the lens of science.””
