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MPR News Staff

Bobak Ferdowsi on what drives us to explore

Bobak Ferdowsi discussed Arthur C. Clarke
On The Thread podcast, Bobak Ferdowsi discussed legendary sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke.
Portrait via Getty Images, book cover courtesy of publisher

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On The Thread podcast, books are just the beginning. Host Kerri Miller talks with comedians, scientists and other big thinkers about how books and reading have shaped their lives.

You may not recognize Bobak Ferdowsi's name, but you probably recognize his hair. He was the mohawked scientist who helped land the Curiosity rover on Mars in 2012. And when he's not working his day job at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he's reading science fiction.

One of his favorite books is Arthur C. Clarke's sci-fi masterpiece, "Rendezvous with Rama," which Bobak says inspires him to think about what might exist out in the universe for us to discover.