Connect with us

People & Blogs

How to Make Learning Impossibly Fun | Mark Rober | TED

What if science class felt less like studying out of a textbook and more like an unforgettable field trip? From viral glitter-bomb traps to backyard engineering marvels, former-NASA-engineer-turned-YouTuber Mark Rober has spent years proving that curiosity is contagious — and that the best way to teach science is to make it impossibly fun. In conversation…

Published

1 month ago

on

What if science class felt less like studying out of a textbook and more like an unforgettable field trip? From viral glitter-bomb traps to backyard engineering marvels, former-NASA-engineer-turned-YouTuber Mark Rober has spent years proving that curiosity is contagious — and that the best way to teach science is to make it impossibly fun. In conversation with TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, Rober shares how play, wonder and a healthy dose of mischief can transform the way kids learn … and gives a peek inside his plan to bring magic to every classroom in America. (This conversation was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.) (Recorded at TED Membership on July 29, 2026])

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Education #MarkRober

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. @NolanIssacHicks

    September 6, 2026 at 11:16 am

    Best way to make learning fun is to sell your channel to private equity

    Reply

  2. @syedaghazala7274

    September 6, 2026 at 11:35 am

    Why has he not answered the question about screen?

    Reply

    • @karenwagner6880

      September 6, 2026 at 1:57 pm

      @syedaghazala7274 I absolutely heard the answer. He’s contrasting engagement and independent exploration vs the “sage on a sage” model. Listen to the potential energy example. The kids figure out what factors affect the outcome. Then the teacher uses those examples to define terms like height and velocity. The kids are solidly engaged.

      Reply

  3. @MRWKFClark

    September 6, 2026 at 1:14 pm

    When someone is politically or financially motivated, you cannot trust anything they try and teach you. That trust is gone forever.

    Reply

  4. @Bythirteen

    September 6, 2026 at 7:00 pm

    “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” is the quote he attempted. 👍

    Reply

  5. @nielp91

    September 6, 2026 at 11:29 pm

    Mark is a sellout. Wouldn’t trust a word he says. 🤡

    Reply

  6. @deuk66

    September 7, 2026 at 6:11 am

    I love Mark
    the best science teacher

    Reply

    • @amzarnacht6710

      September 7, 2026 at 12:41 pm

      _Modern_ science teacher.

      But there have been very MANY excellent science teachers on broadcast over the years. Some positively ancient guy back in the 1980s, then Bill Nye, and others.

      Reply

  7. @toddchavez8274

    September 7, 2026 at 7:17 am

    I don’t like the initial framing of making learning fun only be for kids. Adults should find learning fun too. Lots of problems would be solved real quick.

    Reply

    • @catatonicbug7522

      September 9, 2026 at 7:56 pm

      The problem is that kids are born with curiousity, and the modern education system beats that curiousity out of them. If we can maintain the curiousity through childhood, learning for the sake of learning becomes fun for adults.

      Reply

  8. @Jerry-f7k6s

    September 7, 2026 at 12:20 pm

    24:21 “that’s why we’re making it free”, so it is free indeed. Or is it? I’ll go online and search for the answer.

    Reply

    • @Jerry-f7k6s

      September 7, 2026 at 12:38 pm

      true

      Reply

  9. @RomanOstolosh

    September 7, 2026 at 12:38 pm

    5:30 it’s absolutely true. Teaching is the single most important investment to our future. Thank you Mark for everything you are doing for the future generations of scientists.

    Reply

  10. @BritishRick

    September 8, 2026 at 6:06 am

    Fun is defined by the interpreter. There is no such thing as “absolute fun” just your interpretation of fun.

    Reply

  11. @jakereyson972

    September 8, 2026 at 7:07 am

    Why does this host feel so off..

    Reply

  12. @catatonicbug7522

    September 9, 2026 at 7:53 pm

    40 years ago, I built a system to turn off the bathroom light from my bed! String, tape, toilet paper tubes…

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

People & Blogs

Campaigns Spend Millions to Influence Voters. This Works Better | Katie Paris | TED

Katie Paris quit her career in Washington, DC, to figure out how to make politics feel less like strangers shouting at each other and more like friends looking out for each other. In this practical talk, she reveals why conversations between real people can have a bigger impact on elections than anything millions of campaign…

Published

20 hours ago

on

October 17, 2026

By

Katie Paris quit her career in Washington, DC, to figure out how to make politics feel less like strangers shouting at each other and more like friends looking out for each other. In this practical talk, she reveals why conversations between real people can have a bigger impact on elections than anything millions of campaign dollars can buy. (Recorded at TED Democracy Philadelphia on June 13, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #Community

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

AI and the End of Loneliness | Paul Bloom | TED

AI companions may soon cure loneliness, says psychologist Paul Bloom: a gift for the isolated and the elderly, but a danger for the young, who need to experience the hard work of real relationships. So what happens to a generation raised on chatbots that never need an apology or get bored of a story? Bloom…

Published

2 days ago

on

October 16, 2026

By

AI companions may soon cure loneliness, says psychologist Paul Bloom: a gift for the isolated and the elderly, but a danger for the young, who need to experience the hard work of real relationships. So what happens to a generation raised on chatbots that never need an apology or get bored of a story? Bloom pitches a stranger, more hopeful solution, one that lets us lean on AI without ever losing our humanity. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 16, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #AI

Continue Reading

People & Blogs

Why I’m Building Libraries Inside Prisons | Reginald Dwayne Betts | TED

At age 16, Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison. He turned to books to help hold onto his sanity — and developed a belief that we find what we look for, even in the toughest places. Now a lawyer and poet, he’s opened hundreds of Freedom Libraries inside prisons across the…

Published

3 days ago

on

October 15, 2026

By

At age 16, Reginald Dwayne Betts was sentenced to nine years in prison. He turned to books to help hold onto his sanity — and developed a belief that we find what we look for, even in the toughest places. Now a lawyer and poet, he’s opened hundreds of Freedom Libraries inside prisons across the US, putting books he once dreamed of reading into the hands of incarcerated people. In this profound talk, he makes the case that hope is something people pass on to one another. “We put millions of people in prison. I would put millions of books inside,” he says. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 16, 2026)

Join us in person at a TED conference:
Become a TED Member to support our mission:
Subscribe to a TED newsletter:

Follow TED!
Instagram:
LinkedIn:
TikTok:
Facebook:
X:

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less) — plus originals, podcasts and exclusive content. Look for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design as well as science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit for our entire library, transcripts, translations and personalized recommendations.

Watch more:

TED videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with the TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a request at

#TED #TEDTalks #SocialChange

Continue Reading

Trending