Mark Rober: The Journey of a Renowned YouTuber and Innovator
Mark Rober has established himself as a leading figure in the intersection of technology and science on YouTube, amassing over 65 million subscribers. His path to becoming a full-time content creator is marked by a distinguished educational and professional background. Rober holds two advanced degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University (2004) and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California (2014).
His career began at NASA, where he made significant contributions over a nine-year span. Immediately after his graduation in 2004, Rober joined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). During this time, he played a pivotal role in the Curiosity rover project, which was launched in 2011 to explore Martian landscape features such as Gale Crater and Mount Sharp.
In addition to his engineering feats, he was a key figure behind JPL Wired and researched innovative applications for wiki technology within corporate environments. His academic prowess was demonstrated through his publication—Capturing Knowledge via an “Intrapedia”: A Case Study—in 2011.
Mark Rober’s YouTube odyssey commenced while he still worked at NASA. He launched his channel on October 19, 2011, gaining immediate virality with his debut video, which featured a unique Halloween costume that utilized iPads to create an illusion of seeing through his body. You can check out the video here.
His early content experiments—like creating a glowing Super Mario night kite—highlighted his science and engineering expertise, alongside anecdotes from his NASA tenure. Soon after departing from NASA, he shifted his focus entirely to YouTube and his DIY projects. Rober’s creativity resonated widely, leading him to establish CrunchLabs, a platform that provides engaging science kits for children.
Among his numerous popular videos, the one titled “World’s Largest Jello Pool – Can You Swim in Jello?” , released in May 2019, stands out, having attracted over 181 million views. The spectacular visual of a life-sized pool filled with Jello captivated audiences globally.
Unraveling the Controversy Surrounding Mark Rober’s Tesla Video
Despite his widespread acclaim, Mark Rober has recently faced allegations that cast a shadow over his otherwise stellar reputation. In particular, he was accused of manipulating the content of his video titled “Can You Fool a Self-Driving Car?” In this video, Rober tested a Tesla’s autonomous driving capabilities by approaching a fake wall. Allegations surfaced from Twitter user @AlexFinnX that Rober had disabled the autopilot, rendering the test potentially misleading.
Furthermore, the same user suggested that Rober’s video had an unintended consequence of artificially driving up the stock price of Lidar technology—an essential aspect of self-driving cars—by 27% on its first trading day.
The controversy deepened when criticisms emerged about Rober’s claims regarding the filming equipment used in the production of his video. Although he stated that it was shot with a Google Pixel, viewers spotted an iPhone’s reflection on the Tesla screen.
To date, Mark Rober has not issued a public response to these allegations. Nevertheless, the video continues to engage viewers, amassing over 15 million likes since its release on March 15, 2025.