Grant Imahara, Host of 'MythBusters' and 'White Rabbit Project,' Dies At 49 (hollywoodreporter.com) 81
Grant Imahara, an electrical engineer and roboticist who hosted the popular science show MythBusters and Netflix's White Rabbit Project, has died suddenly following a brain aneurysm. He was 49. From The Hollywood Reporter: An electrical engineer and roboticist by training, he joined Discovery's MythBusters in its third season, replacing Scottie Chapman and was with the show until 2014 when he left with with co-hosts Kari Byron and Tory Belleci. The trio would reunite in 2016 for Netflix's White Rabbit Project which lasted for one season. On MythBusters, Imahara used his technical expertise to design and build robots for the show and also operated the computers and electronics needed to test myths.
Born in Los Angeles, Imahara studied electrical engineering at the University of Southern California (though he briefly had doubts and wanted to become a screenwriter) before combining the two passions and landing a post-graduation gig at Lucasfilm-associated THX labs. In his nine years at Lucasfilm, he worked for the company's THX and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) divisions. In his years at ILM he became chief model maker specializing in animatronics and worked on George Lucas' Star Wars prequels, as well as The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Galaxy Quest, XXX: State of the Union, Van Helsing, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. [...] Imahara also starred in several episodes of the fan-made web series Star Trek Continues. He played Hikaru Sulu, a lieutenant, helmsman and third officer on the USS Enterprise, in the show that was an unofficial continuation of Star Trek: The Original Series. "We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," a representative for Discovery said in a statement on Monday.
Born in Los Angeles, Imahara studied electrical engineering at the University of Southern California (though he briefly had doubts and wanted to become a screenwriter) before combining the two passions and landing a post-graduation gig at Lucasfilm-associated THX labs. In his nine years at Lucasfilm, he worked for the company's THX and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) divisions. In his years at ILM he became chief model maker specializing in animatronics and worked on George Lucas' Star Wars prequels, as well as The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Galaxy Quest, XXX: State of the Union, Van Helsing, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, A.I. Artificial Intelligence and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. [...] Imahara also starred in several episodes of the fan-made web series Star Trek Continues. He played Hikaru Sulu, a lieutenant, helmsman and third officer on the USS Enterprise, in the show that was an unofficial continuation of Star Trek: The Original Series. "We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant. He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," a representative for Discovery said in a statement on Monday.
Very sad (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, it's a little different when a 49-year-old dies - definitely before his time. I quite enjoyed his work on Mythbusters. RIP, Grant.
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm still having a hard time processing this news - it's just so sudden and unexpected and at 49, he still had plenty of life ahead of him.
Just shocked.
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Re:Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Grant Imahara has always been the most competent of the Mythbusters hosts in my opinion. His death is an objective loss for the world of pop science at least. Not to mention the loss all the people feel that knew him personally.
Re:Very sad (Score:4, Insightful)
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Yeah, but Grant was very much an engineer, and the most scientifically-minded and rigorous presenter.
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Sometimes they screwed up. For example I remember them reporting how clean modern "Diesel" was by reading some emission statement from a car manufacturer, while not actually testing the thing themselves. I think it was even Grant himself who read the paper with the emission statements. A couple of years later Dieselgate happened and we can assume that the numbers they were given and read out loud on TV also came from the cheated readings.
Bu
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Because no actual scientists ever need to retract a paper or revise conclusions?
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In my university lab, if we do work that is based on the work of others, we usually let students, interns, or when there's nobody else a much more expensive technician or engineer do an internal replication study to make sure that it actually works before we use it ourselves.
Because if we discover that it doesn't work while started designing an implementation on a grander scale, it's going to cost us a lot more than the replication study does.
T
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In my university lab, if we do work that is based on the work of others, we usually let students, interns, or when there's nobody else a much more expensive technician or engineer do an internal replication study to make sure that it actually works before we use it ourselves.
Often you can't easily replicate things at reasonable cost, though. Sometimes you can't even repeat observations or experiments easily or at reasonable cost or a reasonable time frame, or ethically. Twin studies are difficult to replicate, for example, it's not considered ethical to separate twins at birth at the same frequency as once happened, and determining risk of diseases of middle age and the to each of a pair of fraternal or identical twins takes a long time. However, some of the past twin studies a
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Some people bizarrely think that retracting or revising statements is a failure. Witness the current administration attacking a noted health expert for having changing advise over time. I'd say the opposite, that having an unchanging opinion in the face of changing evidence is a sign of being unscientific. The science-illiterates amongst us don't understand this, they want science to instead justify their own biases.
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They put up literal "science warnings" and went out of their way to "bleep out" details. Neither did they use scientific methods in their "testing".
It was about as anti-science as show as you can get without going full-on creationism.
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Their science tended to be better than that found in many public schools. Most of it was pretty good even if a bit frivolous at times.
They never claimed they were going to cure cancer or crack GUT.
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Though they sometimes did the right thing by saying "we did this wrong in an earlier episode so we will revisit it again." The best thing for the pro-science side however was - they tried to test it, not just accept anecdotal evidence as the trust. That's lightyears beyond the average American's anti-science outlook.
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I liked the show, but in reality they did terrible science.
Oh come on. What could be more scientifically rigourous than testing whether you can clean out cement which has hardened inside the drum of a cement truck by using explosives?
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Terrible science is still science. It's probably way more science than you get in modern science class in schools nowadays. And yes, there's nothing wrong with entertainmen
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You can do mentos and diet coke
A friend did that. He ended with coca cola on his crotch. We told him that science required he repeat the experiment a few times. He declined to do so.
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Grant was the only one with a real engineering background and was by far the smartest guy on the show.
That said, the format of the show often handicapped him from doing real science. Don't fool yourself, the science on the show is abysmal. They almost never use a control, they often don't repeat experiments more than once, and the people building the experiments besides Grant seem to be a middle-school level knowledge of science. The show was much more about showing explosions and car crashes then about doi
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I'm sorry, but your test results have come back-- You have terminal narcissistic superiority complex. And John Glenn says you're a wuss.
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Grant was my favourite host. He always thought like an engineer, while Jamie and Adam are really just special effects guys. Sad way to go, but it can hit anyone.
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Insightful)
Jamie had a sort of carpenter, almost lumberjack vibe to me. Adam gave off the vibe of teenage assistant more than anything. I'm imagining 17-year-old Adam applying for a summer job at Lucasfilm in a Star Wars shirt... and there's no difference.
RIP to Grant... Even if the show started sagging toward the end (along with the rest of that channel)... He got to do what many only fantasize about. And, he entertained 17-year-old me for many evenings. Maybe one day we'll have some non-shitty TV channels again for the next generation. Or something with the rare confluence of budget and sense will develop on YouTube.
this is slashdot, act like it! (Score:1)
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She was only good looking within the context of the show. This is California we're talking about.
Combining two passions (Score:3)
> He got to do what many only fantasize about.
This part of the summary stuck out to me:
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Born in Los Angeles, Imahara studied electrical engineering at the University of Southern California (though he briefly had doubts and wanted to become a screenwriter) before combining the two passions and landing a post-graduation gig at Lucasfilm-associated THX labs.
--
I wish 30 years ago someone had talked to me about finding two things you enjoy doing, then find which of the 10,000 or so jobs combine those things.
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Very sad (Score:5, Informative)
Grant also created the gay skeleton robot Geoff Peterson for Craig Ferguson.
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How does one know if a robot is "gay"? Or maybe I shouldn't ask.
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I was wondering this too, but apparently Craig Ferguson referred to him as his "gay robot pal". Now, how a robot can be gay is something that I still don't understand.
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Suspiciously good dress sense, and a cable loom to die for?
But don't worry, it will happen, in a very physical sense. Sooner than you expect, not as soon as some people want. Rule 34.
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You ask him... as a few guests on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson did.
Geoff only had a few canned sound bites at the beginning but was then Grant upgraded him and he was voiced and operated by the great Josh Robert Thompson. The byplay between Craig & Geoff was very often the highlight of an extremely funny show.
I highly recommend checking out “Craig Fergusun Geoff Peterson” on YouTube.
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Re:Very sad (Score:5, Interesting)
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What incredibly sad news. He seemed to likeable and was a highlight of the show for me.
Wow, cut down so young. Very sad news.
Re: Our condolences to his family (Score:5, Insightful)
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... but I thought you were very "on topic" ... and exceedingly succinct yet articulate.
Cheers
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5 Insightful, ouch and the tribe has voted ;)
Re:Our condolences to his family (Score:4, Informative)
What can I say, SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that just keeps F-ing people up.
Here's a link to one article, though there are a lot out there at the moment.
https://scitechdaily.com/delirium-brain-inflammation-nerve-damage-and-stroke-linked-to-covid-19/
Re: Our condolences to his family (Score:2)
Actually last week CDC was saying 25+ million people.
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Actually last week CDC was saying 25+ million people.
Possibly/potentially. It is speculated.
This is not fear mongering, we are in a safe place : Honestly i'm concerned more about what we do not know about covid than what we do. Knew about the potential permanent lung damage long before I just recently found out about the possibility of permanent brain damage. Tack-on the kids with "kawasaki" like illness, the inflammatory and blood thickening components , and add a dash of air-borne contagion.
Haven't yet had covid, much like the vast majority of the popula
Re: Our condolences to his family (Score:3)
Have you been tested for covid antibodies? If not you could have already had it.
I've read plenty about serious and random long term health effects some have had. What I have not seen anywhere is how many have long term effects. If it's 1% of all cases that's a lot but not end of the world. If it's 50% we're pretty fucked. If it's 1 in a million the. I'm sorry for those rare few individuals but overall don't care as that's just too few to worry about at scale as a large scale medical issue.
The fact that
Re: Our condolences to his family (Score:4, Interesting)
Take any antibody test result with a small mountain of salt: their false-positive and false-negative rates are poor, such that the results of any one individual's test aren't a particularly clear indication [cdc.gov] of previous/current infection or any amount of immunity. Furthermore, all those antibody tests that suddenly suddenly showed up on the market did not have to submit clinical evidence to the FDA for approval, so there are a lot of shady players alongside some higher-quality tests. Antibody tests are meaningful at the level of a population, but that also depends on the prevalence of the disease [scientificamerican.com].
Re: Our condolences to his family (Score:4, Funny)
God speed, and may angles set you to your eternal slumber ...
Well, he was an engineer.
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Remember ACs are no longer allowed to post here, which means this person has an account and then actively chose to hide their username because they didn't want to be associated with their own comment. This implies enough intelligence to know what they wrote was moronic, and yet be enough of a shit-stain to none the less write it anyway.
Honestly at this point I'm torn. Does the ability for people to leak insider information on Slashdot really outweigh the benefits of just blocking this low value shit?
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Well, since posting as AC is as simple as creating an account and clicking "Post Anonymously", it's only a very small hurdle to overcome.
Sometimes I post as AC - like if I've already modded in a thread or if I feel a need to be open about something while still maintaining a degree of personal privacy.
Perhaps it's time for ACs to have some degree of Karma. If an AC just created their account or it's a year old and they've never posted anything that wasn't AC and they were mostly modded Troll or Flamebait sta
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Are you unaware of all the odd blood-clotting issues involved with this virus?
Will be missed. (Score:5, Insightful)
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Creator of Geoffry on Craig Fergeson Show (Score:5, Interesting)
Grant Imahara was the creator of Geoff on the Craig Fergeson show.
I'm shocked that Grant would die so young.
Re:Creator of Geoffry on Craig Fergeson Show (Score:4, Informative)
That is the thing about brain aneurysms. Weak spot in a vein/artery, you don't know it for years, then one day you stand up, or cough wrong, or whatever causes a tiny spike in your BP at just the wrong moment and POP... there it goes, and most likely you.
RIP Geoff Peterson's Creator (Score:1)
I'm Incredibly Sad (Score:5, Interesting)
I once had the privilege of interviewing the build team for an article I was writing for the Christian Science Monitor on reality TV. I was obviously more than a bit star struck, but managed to do my job. The high point of the interview for me is when I refered to Grant as the Chief Science Officer for the team, and he giggled uncontrollably.
It was always a sweet memory for me, but now it will be tinged bittersweet. I've gotten used to my idols that are older than me dying, but one who's 10 years younger just seems wrong...
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> Chief Science Officer
Before or after he played Sulu, rather than Spock, on Star Trek Continues?
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Way before
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Oh. Something ... different [wikipedia.org]. Hmmm, I'll give that a shot [startrekcontinues.com] in a bit, but seeing Ms "Star Freedom" named reminds me that I haven't done my Swahili lessons for today. (That's "Nyota Uhura", for monoglots.)
I'm surprised the legal-vultures of Hollywood haven't picked the carcass t
Not trying to be funny but... (Score:3, Funny)
... remember on Mythbusters when he did that skinny jeans challenge that was supposed to be potentially fatal?
Will be sorely missed. (Score:4, Interesting)
Once guys like Grant disappeared, Discovery Channel became totally unwatchable, with BS shows like Naked and Afraid, Gold Rush and Moonshiners.
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Once guys like Grant disappeared, Discovery Channel became totally unwatchable, with BS shows like Naked and Afraid, Gold Rush and Moonshiners.
No, while they're not the best, there is still educational value to those shows. Naked and Afraid teaches survival, although not as well as Dual Survival or Bear Grylls. Moonshiners teaches a bit about chemistry, economics, and backwoods engineering. Gold Rush teaches about geology, engineering, and economics. I actually enjoy Gold Rush quite a bit. The show opened with the assumption that if you have a gold mine, you will make millions, but quickly showed that you are burning thousands of gallons of f
Now Simone Giertz has to pick up the role. (Score:2)
Cause Grant's were anything but "shitty robots" (what Simone calls hers). :) :)
The guy would have had no problem being a real-world Knight Rider builder, had he been older in the 80s.
*Throws coin into Simone's Proud Parent Robot* *Imagines Grant's body under there*
I would have liked to hear what led up to this, though. Like, too much fast food from too much stress, or something specific. This didn't just come totally out of nowhere, did it?
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BAReFO0t wondered:
I would have liked to hear what led up to this, though. This didn't just come totally out of nowhere, did it?
It most likely did come "totally out of nowhere." Aneurysms occur when weak spots in the walls of blood vessels blow out. Under normal circumstances, unless there's some reason to suspect blood vessel abnormalities, doctors don't routinely order the kind of circulatory system imaging that would reveal a potential aneurysm, both because it's quite expensive, and because it's physically quite painful, as well.
Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Airplane/Starship almost died of an aneurysm in 1980
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It definitely can come out of nowhere. Hell, a friend of mine had this happen to her 10-year-old son. He made it through the surgery, but definitely a tense night in the hospital.
Most TV presenter could drop dead (Score:5, Insightful)
right here and there and I wouldn't shed a single tear. But not Grant Imahara: he was a great guy. I'm oddly moved by his passing in a way that hasn't happened to me in many years for someone I don't know personally.
Thank you for many intelligent and enjoyable hours of television. May you rest in peace Grant.
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This one hit me in the feels. I would not have thought so if you'd asked, but it did. Caught me completely off guard.
Sucks (Score:1)
Grant played Sulu for Star TRek Coninues (Score:1)
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Oh, man! (Score:2)
RIP Grant (Score:4, Insightful)
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That sucks. My sons liked watching Mythbusters with my wife and I. I think it was one of the many experiences in their life that lead to my oldest son becoming a "Solutions Engineer", my middle son a "Production Engineer", and my Youngest son an '"IT Engineer". I don't know if Grant realized it or not but his work motivated many students to pursue a career in STEM. RIP Grant.
That show made science and tech interesting and fun for many people. Lots of creativity all around.
RIP Grant Imahara (Score:2)
To an amazing engineer and television host! Your amazing feats will be remembered!
Hard to loose one of the Good (Score:2)
I'm sadden that we have lost a good shining light and a good person, the world need more of them not less.
Thank you for all the amazing stuff you have worked on and done, the world is a much better place thanks to you.
(*)