Mark Rober Launched A ‘Jugaad’ Contest To Celebrate Indian Innovations!

The science genius, Mark Rober, sat down with our Editor-in-Chief, Kamiya Jani, over a delicious meal at Imlee – The Chat Gully. Mark Rober and Kamiya Jani enjoyed Mumbai’s iconic Vada Pav with a chilli! While having the spicy Vada Pav, Mark Rober brought up the Indian term ‘Jugaad’, which surprised Kamiya.  He then launched a contest named ‘Mark Rober Jugaad Contest!’ Let’s see how Mark Rober came across the word ‘Jugaad’ and what kind of contest he came up with.

How Mark Rober Is Aware Of The Word ‘Jugaad ’?

What does ‘Jugaad’ mean?’  ‘Jugaad’ is an Indian term for a clever hack or resourceful fix, basically an innovative solution using limited resources, often when conventional options aren’t available. Mark Rober is fascinated by the concept of ‘jugaad’ and looks for new jugaads every day. He continued saying that he came across an Indian ‘jugaad’ where people wore bike helmets while cutting onions, and he absolutely loved it. That’s when Kamiya began asking him science-related questions. She asked, “Why do we cry when we cut onions?” To this, Mark shared a funny story from his childhood. Once, when his mom asked him to cut onions, he wore swim goggles to protect his eyes.

Mark has always been a ‘jugaadu’ at heart since his childhood, always finding creative ways to solve problems! He is impressed by how resourceful Indians are, and to celebrate that, he created a contest to let the world know about Indian innovations. So, what’s in the contest? There will be 10 winners, and each will receive ₹5 lakhs! All you need to do is come up with an innovative ‘jugaad’ and share it.

Rules:

• Film yourself demonstrating the ‘jugaad’
• It must be your original idea
• If your ‘jugaad’ is among Mark Rober’s top 10 favourites, you win ₹5 lakhs!

How Was His Experience Working at NASA?

When Kamiya asked about his experience at NASA, Mark shared that he worked there for nine years. He was responsible for the rover that is currently on Mars. His job was to ensure that the rover collected soil samples from the surface and deposited them into its storage compartment. Technically, he was in charge of the mechanism that accepted those samples. And, the hardware he built is still functioning today. Truly, what an intelligent and talented guy he is!

Also Read: Mark Rober Spills All About The Indian Influence In Silicon Valley

So, if you’ve got a creative idea, then participate in the contest and win a big prize! And if you want to know what other fun conversations Kamiya had with Mark? Watch the full episode now on the Curly Tales YouTube channel!

Cover Image Courtesy: Internal