NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, mechanical engineer Nate Ball explains why a spectacular failure helped him learn how to build a life-saving device. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife