1 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff, a production from I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: All right, sari uh, this is gonna be the introduction 3 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: for the Don Bees interview about the Grant Amahara Steam Foundation. UM. 4 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: I will also put in a very short ultra at 5 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: the end of it. I apologize for all the audio 6 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,560 Speaker 1: being broken up this way, but I know you get 7 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: all handled. So here we go. Beep hey there, and 8 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 1: welcome to tech Stuff. I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm 9 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: an executive producer with I Heart Radio, and I love 10 00:00:55,800 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: all things tech. But on July eighth, twenty twenty, fans 11 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,280 Speaker 1: around the world were shocked to learn that Grant him Ahara, 12 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: a roboticist and popular science and tech communicator and television host, 13 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:15,960 Speaker 1: had passed away suddenly. Grant became famous as part of 14 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: the Build team on the television series MythBusters, in which 15 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: he would help put various myths and beliefs to the test, 16 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: often by devising intricate and complicated gadgets in order to 17 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: do so. He was active in fandom circles and had 18 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: previously been in the series battle Bots, first as a 19 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: competitor on one team of battle Bots, and then later 20 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,960 Speaker 1: on as a judge in a later season. Grant's passing 21 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: was shocking, and immediately there was an outpouring of grief 22 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,360 Speaker 1: and love from his friends, his family, and his fans. 23 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: I remember feeling gutted when I heard about it, and 24 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: I had only had the grief is meeting with him once, 25 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: many many years earlier. His family and friends would take 26 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: that grief and that love and they would focus on 27 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: that love that they had for Grant. They wanted to 28 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: do something to honor his memory, and so together they 29 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: would create the Grant Immahara Steam Foundation. So today I 30 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: want to talk a little bit about Grant's life and 31 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: his work in tech, and talk a little bit about Steam, 32 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: and then we'll have an interview with Don Be's, a 33 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: longtime friend of Grant and the one of the directors 34 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: for the foundation. He's the president of the Grant Imahara 35 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: Steam Foundation. Grant grew up in Los Angeles, California, and 36 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: his mom says that as a kid, he gravitated towards 37 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: toys that let him build things like Lego sets, and 38 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: once he got hold of a screwdriver, he also took 39 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: to taking things apart in order to learn how they worked, 40 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: which is a pretty familiar story. Whenever I talked to 41 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,679 Speaker 1: anyone who is an engineer, the idea that you want 42 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: to learn how something works, you take it apart, and 43 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: if you're lucky, you can keep it working when you 44 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: put it back together again. But often it just becomes 45 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,520 Speaker 1: a learning experience that and part of your education. Well, 46 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: when he was a young boy, the first Star Wars 47 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,079 Speaker 1: film came out, that is, Star Wars A New Hope, 48 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: or Episode four as we think of it these days. 49 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: Grant credited that movie as being the jumping off point 50 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 1: for his love of robots. He felt drawn towards the 51 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: characters the droids C three PO and R two D 52 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 1: two and thought, that's what I want to do. I 53 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: want to make robots. Well. Grant attended college at the 54 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: University of Southern California, and he majored in electrical engineering, 55 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: or E as the cool engineers call it. By his 56 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: junior year, he was no longer feeling really certain about 57 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: his chosen major. He felt that the discipline didn't really 58 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: give him enough space to be, you know, creative, and 59 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: he found the studies rather unfulfilling and a bit daunting. 60 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: And he was given the advice by a counselor to 61 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: speak with a professor of cinema at USC, a man 62 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: named Tom Holman, and Holman has an incredibly impressive list 63 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: of credentials, not the least of which is the invention 64 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: of the sound system called t X. And just as 65 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: a quick tangent, I'm not going to go on about 66 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 1: this for very long, but th h X is really interesting. 67 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: It's it's not about a sound format. It's not like 68 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: you record sound in a th h X format and 69 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: that's what makes it special. Instead, it's more of an 70 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 1: approach to quality control and sound reproduction. So a th 71 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: h X certified system is on that can play sound 72 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: back so that the reproduce sound you get when you're 73 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: watching a movie is as close to the original intentions 74 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:12,600 Speaker 1: of the mixing engineers as it can possibly be. In 75 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 1: other words, it's a means for theaters and filmmakers to 76 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: create the most faithful recreation of sounds possible for the 77 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: purposes of telling a story the way the filmmakers wanted to. 78 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: So you want that explosion to have a particular reverberation 79 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: and base to it. You want the music to come 80 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: through in a specific way to help elevate the emotions 81 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 1: of the audience. You want that dialogue to be crisp 82 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: so that people can understand what's being said. All of 83 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 1: these things play a part in it, and it meant 84 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: making theaters more uniform in the sense that they would 85 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: be able to replicate the stuff faithfully, and audiences who 86 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: would go in to watch a movie would be given 87 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: the opportunity to see it the way everyone wanted them to, 88 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: whereas otherwise, you know, your mileage may vary, kind of 89 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: like if signals coming in poorly over cable or or 90 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: broadcast TV, You'll be able to see and hear stuff, 91 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: but it probably won't be the way that the creators 92 00:06:20,960 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: of that content had intended. Well. Holman had Immahara work 93 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: as sort of an assistant, which meant Grant had the 94 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: chance to sit in on Holman's classes, and effectively he 95 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: got to take courses that his major would otherwise have 96 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: prevented him from taking because he was already in his 97 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: junior year of electrical engineering. So at that stage you 98 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: don't have as much freedom to take whatever courses you want. 99 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: You're kind of locked in. This gave him a chance 100 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: to work around that. Holman became a mentor to Grant, 101 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: and that relationship would oppress upon Grant the importance of 102 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: mentors in general, and he encounter several more. In his 103 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: early career. Emmahara heard about the intern program over at 104 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: Lucasfilm and he met with Holman to ask him if 105 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: he might write a letter of recommendation, because as you 106 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: can imagine, Lucasfilm is a pretty competitive spot when it 107 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: comes to internships. They only have a few and a 108 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: lot of people really seek them out because that's a 109 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: heck of a spot to have on your resume. Well, 110 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: Holman said, I'm not going to write you a letter 111 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: of recommendation, just have them call me. And apparently with 112 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: his recommendation over the phone, Grant landed a spot in 113 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 1: that intern program, and it's safe to say that Emmahara 114 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: really found his calling there. He also got a chance 115 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: later on to dress up as one of the robot 116 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: heroes he loved. He got to be C three p O. 117 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: Plus he got to work on a remote controlled operated 118 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: R two D two that a full size R two 119 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: D two that was used for promotional appearances. Grant really 120 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: took the lead in updating the electronics in that uh 121 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: that remote control are two because when it had originally 122 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: been built, it was built on nineteen eighties era technology. 123 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: Gret was able to update that into nineties technology and 124 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: slim things down a bit and give it a little 125 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: more of a robust versatility. And then Grantam Mahara would 126 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: later make a move over to work at Industrial Light 127 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: and Magic, the special effects studio, and he would work 128 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: on films like Jurassic Park, The Lost World. He worked 129 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: on Galaxy Quest, one of my favorite science fiction films 130 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,719 Speaker 1: of all time. I mean it's a comedy, but it's 131 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: a science fiction comedy and if you haven't seen Galaxy Quest, 132 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: you owe it to yourself to check out that movie. 133 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,959 Speaker 1: He worked on Ai, a very ambitious project that originally 134 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 1: started out as a Stanley Kubrick project, and then morphed 135 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: over to Steven Spielberg after Kubrick passed away. He also 136 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:07,119 Speaker 1: worked on the Star Wars prequels and the Matrix sequels, 137 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: and around that same time, Grant began to build robots 138 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: for the robot competition show battle Bots. In case you 139 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: have never seen this show, first of all, you're missing out. 140 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: This show was wildly entertaining, but it features teams of 141 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:29,959 Speaker 1: roboticists who compete in an arena combat competition and they 142 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: pit their remote controlled robots against others from other teams. 143 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: The robot that Emmahara worked on specifically was named dead Blow, 144 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: and it featured a very low slung body on four wheels. 145 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: It had a sort of wedge mounted in the front 146 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: as almost like a ramp, and behind the wedge was 147 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: an eight pounds sledgehammer arm that could slam down to 148 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: smash opponents. Later that weapon would be modified into a 149 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 1: CEO two powered pick acts. It competed in the middle 150 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: weight division of the competition. They had lightweights, middle weights, 151 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: and heavyweights, and dead Blow always did pretty well, though 152 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,360 Speaker 1: it never quite made it to number one, And as 153 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: the series went on and the competitors began to design 154 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 1: robots with uh particularly effective means of defeating opponents, dead 155 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: Blow started to kind of lag behind a little bit. 156 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:29,960 Speaker 1: But Grant also became really close friends with a lot 157 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,560 Speaker 1: of the other competitors at battle pots, and there are 158 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: stories of teams that would approach Grant to ask him 159 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: for advice about how they should best operate their their 160 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: robots and how the remote controls even worked, and time 161 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: and again, if you ask them about it. You'll hear 162 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: about how Grant was happy to walk people through how 163 00:10:50,080 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: the systems worked and how best to optimize them. I mean, 164 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: he was competing against some of these same teams, but 165 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,319 Speaker 1: he loved to talk shop and he loved to teach 166 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: what he had learned, so he started to become kind 167 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: of a mentor to some of the other battle Boats 168 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: participants along the way. A couple of other guys who 169 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: are also in the special effects industry and who also 170 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: competed in battle Bots were Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage. 171 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: Immahara would get to know them a lot better when 172 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: he would join the show MythBusters after the show's first season. 173 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: Adam Savage would go on to say that Immahara made 174 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: an incredible contribution to that show, and he added that 175 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 1: Emmahara was the only one of the hosts who had 176 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: an academic background in engineering, so he really also gave 177 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: MythBusters a sense of legitimacy. That way, Grant would end 178 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:47,959 Speaker 1: up building a lot of stuff for MythBusters in the 179 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: the efforts to test various claims and determine whether they 180 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: were busted that is, you know, not really possible, or 181 00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: if they were plausible or confirmed, and he also got 182 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: a chance to live out the fantasy of being in 183 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:07,720 Speaker 1: multiple different kinds of stunts and crazy situations. I'm sure 184 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: some of them were daunting, but the thing that really 185 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: struck me as a fan of MythBusters was that Grant 186 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 1: always seemed really excited and jazzed to do something truly 187 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: insane as part of that show, and it was something 188 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: that always found really really entertaining in the producers decided 189 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: to phase out the Build Team, of which Grant was 190 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: part of that and uh they focused solely on Hyneman 191 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: and Savage for the remaining seasons of MythBusters, but Imahara 192 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: kept working on various projects, including a show called White 193 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 1: Rabbit for Netflix, where he joined his former Build team 194 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 1: Comrades to do a season of that show. He also 195 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 1: designed and built the robot that is the second Banana 196 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: sidekick for Craig Ferguson's Late show and that was still 197 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: on and that was also known as Jeff Peterson the Robot. 198 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:10,079 Speaker 1: One of my favorite on screen characters one Craig and 199 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 1: And and Jeff the Robot. Their interactions together are some 200 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: of the funniest ones I've seen on Late night television. 201 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: If you've never noticed or seen that, I recommend going 202 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: to YouTube and just searching for like Craig and Jeff 203 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: that's geo Ff compilations, because they are They made me cry. 204 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,119 Speaker 1: I laughed so hard. Grant also worked with Disney Imagineering 205 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: on various projects, including he built an animatronic baby Yoda 206 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:45,079 Speaker 1: figure from the Mandalorian and it was meant to be 207 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: a device that you could take two different children's hospitals, 208 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 1: which dang, hit y'all, that's just I mean, that's just 209 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 1: awesome and inspirational. He also would take time to volunteer 210 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:01,920 Speaker 1: at high school robotics organization. He lent his expertise and 211 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:04,680 Speaker 1: his knowledge to help kids who were just getting into 212 00:14:04,880 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: mechanical and electrical engineering, and he encouraged their work and 213 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 1: taught them how to do things, and again that mentor 214 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: mentality was really coming in strong. His impact continues to 215 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: be felt throughout the worlds of engineering and entertainment. If 216 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: you do a search of his name, you will find 217 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 1: countless examples of amazing stories about his exploits, the impressions 218 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: he did, his projects, and his genuine love of other people. 219 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: The foundation named in honor of Grant Immahara will focus 220 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:46,320 Speaker 1: on providing resources for STEAM education. STEAM stands for science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, 221 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,040 Speaker 1: and mathematics. Uh, it's great that it's STEAM rather than STEM. 222 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: STEM is very important. STEM is is science, technology, engineering, 223 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 1: and math, but it doesn't have the art component there. 224 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: But Grant found a lot of satisfaction by applying his 225 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: knowledge in those other fields, specifically within the arts, and 226 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: I think a lot of people that that really resonates. 227 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: So STEAM is a wonderful kind of approach to this. 228 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: And there is no doubt about it that there are 229 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: too many schools and school systems around the world, but 230 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: particularly in the United States, where there is a real 231 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: need for more STEAM resources and education. Coming up, we've 232 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: got my interview with Don Be's, the president and director 233 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: of the Grant Imahara Steam Foundation. But first let's take 234 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: a quick break. Don. First of all, thank you so 235 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: much for giving us your time and and being on 236 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: the show. I am really please to have you on. 237 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: I am an advocate for STEAM education in general, and 238 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: to have this chance to talk about something a cause 239 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: so near and dear to my heart means a lot 240 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 1: to me, and I'm certain it means a lot to 241 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: my listeners as well. So thank you for your time, 242 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: thanks for having me, thanks for reaching out to us 243 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: and asking for the interview. That's great. Absolutely, I was 244 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: also one of the Well I can't say that I 245 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: was one of the first, because I know that the 246 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: reaction upon the announcement of the foundation was positive because 247 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: I was seeing it in real time, But I was 248 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: determined to be an early supporter, and so I did. 249 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: I was one of those early donators to the foundation. 250 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: I was so excited to see such passion. Well, it's 251 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: thank you. I mean, my contribution is tiny in comparison, 252 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: but it is, Uh, it is something that I'm really 253 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: excited to talk about. But before we get into that, 254 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: I was hoping that maybe you could tell us about 255 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:10,440 Speaker 1: how you met Grant and how your friendship formed and 256 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: and sort of the things that you observed about Grant 257 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: Amhara to kind of understand the inspiration behind doing something 258 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:23,119 Speaker 1: as as momentous as as building a foundation. So Grant 259 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: actually has a really interesting story as to how he 260 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,239 Speaker 1: wound up at Lucasfilm which is where we met. Um. 261 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: He was a student at USC and UM he was 262 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:36,639 Speaker 1: in he was an engineering student, an electrical engineering student, 263 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 1: and I guess roughly his junior year he decided he 264 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: didn't want to do it anymore. He just was bored 265 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 1: with it. And um so he was trying to jump 266 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: over to the cinema studies, I believe, and he couldn't 267 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:58,440 Speaker 1: do that. So somebody had suggested to him to, uh 268 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: talk to Tom Holman. Who Tom Holman is the man 269 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: who invented t X sound system. Um and it was 270 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: red con but everyone was calling it th h X 271 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: stood for Tom Holman's Experiment, but that's not true. But 272 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 1: um so anyway, uh and Tom was a professor at USC. 273 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: So he went in and I heard the story from Grant. 274 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: I've also heard the story more recently from Tom. But 275 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: essentially he went in and and said to Tom, you 276 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:32,680 Speaker 1: need an intern and and so he offered to start 277 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: cleaning up Tom's office, and one thing led to another, 278 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: and Tom started giving him jobs to do and this 279 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:41,960 Speaker 1: and that, and then then the internship possibility popped up 280 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: for Grant at at Lucasfilm because they had every year, 281 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 1: I think they had two sets of interns, you know, 282 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,920 Speaker 1: like a spring spring and a fall semester or something 283 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: like that. And uh so he uh, he said I 284 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 1: wanted to I want to do the internship at Becasfilm. 285 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 1: Could you write me a letter of recommendation? And Tom said, 286 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: she just said, we'll just have him call me. It'll 287 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: be fine, and so he called. They one thing let 288 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,679 Speaker 1: to another in course, and uh. Grant was an intern 289 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: at the thh X division of Lucasfilm. And so that's 290 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: actually where I met Grant. I was in between doing 291 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: film work, I was also doing I was also the 292 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: Lucasfilm Archives, so I took care of all the props 293 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,399 Speaker 1: and models and costumes and everything from Star Wars and 294 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 1: Indiana Jones and Willow and even Howard the Duck. So 295 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:33,480 Speaker 1: I knew people because of the work at the ranch, 296 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: Skywalker Ranch and I l M. I knew a lot 297 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: of a lot of people and we would have lunch together, 298 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:42,480 Speaker 1: you know, do different people. I got to be friends 299 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: with different people, and and that's how I met him. 300 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: He came to lunch one day with some friends and 301 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,720 Speaker 1: um and a matter of fact, the first actually the 302 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: first time I met him was at the thh X 303 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: office and he was hanging on to someone's leg and 304 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:00,680 Speaker 1: she was dragging him along the ground and I'm like, 305 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:04,119 Speaker 1: what what a little nutcase, this guy. So that was 306 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,639 Speaker 1: my first impression of ground. But he we met, like 307 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 1: I said, at lunch, and he just started kind of 308 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 1: hanging out with him. He was only I think he's 309 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 1: twenty two. He's turning twenty three that year. When we 310 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: met in like ninety three, and I was doing a 311 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,880 Speaker 1: huge project at the archives at that point. We're getting 312 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: a huge a lot of the models and archival stuff 313 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: ready for an exhibition in Japan, and uh so people 314 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: are coming over and looking at it and checking it 315 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: out a lot. And he would come over the archives 316 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,239 Speaker 1: and kind of hang out with us a little bit. 317 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: And then when I found out he was an electrical engineer. Um, 318 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: one of the other side jobs I had was operating 319 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: rt D two for personal appearances, and and our two 320 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: was always in need of some sort of upgrade. You know, 321 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: he's dealing with seventies early eighties technology at that point. 322 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: So um, I, you know, I asked, Granted, says, you 323 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: want to come and help me fix up our two, 324 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: and he said of course, and and uh and that's 325 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: how we bonded, you know, that's how we really first met. 326 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 1: So yeah, I hear that there's no there's no experience 327 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 1: that brings people closer together than working over a droid 328 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: late late into the evening hours. Uh, that's that's incredible. 329 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: How would you how would you describe Grant to someone 330 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,160 Speaker 1: who had never met him? Well, at that point, well 331 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,399 Speaker 1: he was I mean he's he always was generous. I mean, 332 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: but uh, you know he continued that. But he was, 333 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: especially at that point. He was really young, really enthusiastic, Uh, 334 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: incredibly knowledgeable, especially for someone that young, willing to you know, 335 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: take on any kind of problem and try to solve it. 336 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: He was really good at like reverse engineering something. So 337 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 1: you know, it's like, you, this is the problem we have, 338 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: how do we get here? And he would figure it 339 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: out and come back to stuff. So, uh, he made 340 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: a really good fit with a lot of us that 341 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: you know, we're working in industrial light and magic as well, 342 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: because that's a lot of a lot of people there 343 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: did this similar things. So he was just uh, incredibly clever. Um. 344 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: Never really in a bad mood. Um. I mean I 345 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: I got to witness a few you know, temper tantrums 346 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: here and there, but they were always well deserved. But 347 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: but he yeah, he was always really friendly. Uh, love 348 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: to laugh, love to have a good time. He was 349 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: like he had he could do killer impersonations. It was. 350 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: He had a great impersonation of George Lucas. And he's 351 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: the one that created the whole Jamie Hyneman where you 352 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,119 Speaker 1: put your hands up, you know, by your by your 353 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,800 Speaker 1: mouth and pretend to be have his mustache as your fingers. 354 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: That was Grant that came up with that. Uh so, yeah, 355 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:56,200 Speaker 1: he was always doing impersonations and um yeah. So yeah, 356 00:22:56,560 --> 00:23:00,879 Speaker 1: just really really talented, friendly, nice guy really and and 357 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: what that was what was great about when he ultimately 358 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,639 Speaker 1: uh found the success with MythBusters. I mean everything he 359 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 1: was doing he was successful, and but the MythBusters just 360 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: elevated into this level is global uh fame, and you know, 361 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: he was one of those people that really deserved it. 362 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: You know he really, um he you know, you wish 363 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 1: that kind of thing on those kinds of people and 364 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,440 Speaker 1: and and there's so many people out there that deserved 365 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: that kind of recognition and don't get it. And he 366 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: was so fortunate to be in the right place in 367 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:42,000 Speaker 1: right time to get it and and definitely deserved it. 368 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 1: And it never went to his head. You know, he 369 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: was I hear from people that you know, met him 370 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: years later, because of course I knew him before he 371 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: was famous. Uh, but I, you know, met him, met 372 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: people that just said he was always took the time, 373 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, would would remember people. Uh. He never acted 374 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,440 Speaker 1: like a celebrity, So that was great to hear that. 375 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: He continued, you know, being pretty much the same person 376 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,040 Speaker 1: his entire life. It's funny. I I briefly met him 377 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,120 Speaker 1: at a dragon Con many years ago. Was the very 378 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: first time that the MythBusters build team were guests at 379 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: the dragon Con convention. And uh, my introduction to MythBusters 380 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 1: was when I went to a farmer's market and two 381 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,119 Speaker 1: different people stopped me. Uh. At the time, I was 382 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,200 Speaker 1: wearing glasses and they saw me to say, do you 383 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: do you have you as anyone ever told you? You 384 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: look kind of like that guy from the MythBusters. And 385 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: I hadn't seen the show yet. I didn't know what 386 00:24:43,760 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: they were talking about. And I said, no, no one 387 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 1: has ever told me that. And then the second person 388 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:50,320 Speaker 1: said that, I said, well, okay, literally five minutes ago 389 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 1: someone told me that. Well, dragon Con one of the 390 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: biggest things there is cosplay, something that Grant loved and um, 391 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: and so I thought it would be funny. I've been 392 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:04,680 Speaker 1: going to Dragon Constance I was a little kid. My 393 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: father's a science fiction author, and I thought it would 394 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:10,640 Speaker 1: be really funny as as a costume that I would 395 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,359 Speaker 1: dress up as Jamie from MythBusters. So I got I 396 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: went and got a military beret, I did the Oxford shirt, 397 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 1: I did khakis and uh, and the MythBusters crew were 398 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: in the Hall of Fame section they were doing autographs, 399 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: and so I made it a point to walk by 400 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 1: to say hello. I was a big fan, and Grant 401 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: looked up and gave the best laugh and then he 402 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: said he pointed to me and said, you can't put 403 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,399 Speaker 1: me to work. I'm on vacation and uh, and it 404 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,440 Speaker 1: was just a wonderful moment. And also he hung out 405 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:49,159 Speaker 1: by all the battle butts. There's a battlebuts competition at 406 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: Dragon Con, and he was still just ready to to 407 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:56,880 Speaker 1: look at how people were designing their robots and operating them. 408 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: And as you say, it winted too that he had 409 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: a genuine love for technology, for curiosity, and something that 410 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: I personally found very inspirational is that he was so 411 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: good at communicating that because I've I've met a lot 412 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: of engineers who are brilliant and they're great problem solvers, 413 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: but they don't always have the skill to communicate that 414 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: in a way that's accessible. And I feel like Grant 415 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,119 Speaker 1: definitely had that. I felt he shined on MythBusters when 416 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: he was explaining his thought process for a design of 417 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: a build and the and the approach to trying to 418 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: test a myth. So to me, uh, he is was 419 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: one of the great communicators of technology and engineering and 420 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,520 Speaker 1: science and the fact that he had that love for 421 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,360 Speaker 1: it just made that even more genuine and exciting. It's 422 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,879 Speaker 1: one of those rare qualities that you see in people 423 00:26:56,040 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 1: who are in that position. Uh. You know, I uh 424 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: really admired that of him and considered him, uh, quite 425 00:27:04,359 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: the role model for people who want to take that 426 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: kind of approach to trying to to explain topics that 427 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 1: are in science and tech. And I imagine that that 428 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: was a large part of the inspiration as well for 429 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:22,360 Speaker 1: the friends and family who came together when conversations first 430 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:27,159 Speaker 1: started about forming the Grandamahara Steam Foundation. Is them I 431 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 1: on the right track here, Yeah, pretty much. I mean, 432 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 1: you know, when just going back to what you were 433 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,240 Speaker 1: talking about with his ability to communicate that way. What 434 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:39,360 Speaker 1: was what was always amazing. You know, there's a stereotype 435 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: of the the science or electronic or engineering nor the 436 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:46,159 Speaker 1: I T. Guy. You know that that kind of like 437 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:51,400 Speaker 1: socially in that kind of person. And that's what made 438 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:57,200 Speaker 1: really made Grants uh different from everybody else is that 439 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 1: he didn't have that. He he was you know, his 440 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 1: personality was great. He was affable, he was he was friendly, 441 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 1: was completely approachable. You never felt intimidated by him or 442 00:28:07,359 --> 00:28:10,479 Speaker 1: anything like that. Yet he knew so much I mean, 443 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 1: and and his ability to explain what he was doing 444 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 1: and and and make it fun on the show. One 445 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: of the things since we started the foundation, we've got 446 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: all this amazing, amazing emails and and and responses on 447 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 1: social media and everything about how much he inspired people, 448 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 1: which which is inspiring. You know that that he was 449 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: such a role model and and I think that's one 450 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: of the things that that kind of led us to 451 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:42,080 Speaker 1: do this. Well, first of all, we wanted to do something. 452 00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:44,600 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, obviously all of us are were 453 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:49,680 Speaker 1: heartbroken when he passed away, and um and the ability 454 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:53,840 Speaker 1: to try to do something in his honor just seems 455 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: so right, you know. Um, so his mother and another friend. 456 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: Um Uh, we're the ones that started talking about and 457 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: then they asked the select group of people. Um uh. 458 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: And I was fortunate, both myself, myself and my wife, 459 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,560 Speaker 1: who knew Grant for as long as I have, UM, 460 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: we're fortunate enough to be asked to be part of it. 461 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: And and it was really you know, for me personally, 462 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: it's kind of it's a way to help uh mourn, 463 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 1: you know it. It's it lessens the pain a little 464 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:35,320 Speaker 1: bit by knowing that we're doing something in his honor. 465 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 1: And then the positive feedback we've gotten because of it, 466 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: UM is h is really good. You know, is is 467 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: really again heartwarming to to hear. UM. So uh yeah, well, 468 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:51,959 Speaker 1: you know, it just it just seemed the right thing 469 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 1: to do. And then when we got together our first 470 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: meeting got together, there's seven of us. There's grands mother 471 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: of course, who's wonderful, wonderful ma sing lady, so strong 472 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:06,880 Speaker 1: in in this and and so so um touched, incredibly 473 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: touched by by the the outpouring of love and affection 474 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: for her son. Um. And then uh, there's Ijuana, who's 475 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: actually a former girlfriend of Grants that they he stayed 476 00:30:21,080 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: in touch with and stayed friends with all these years, 477 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: myself and my wife and Ed ed Chin and his 478 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,360 Speaker 1: wife Kaya Elliott Ed and Koya well Ed was Grant's 479 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: roommate UM at USC and so they've known each other 480 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: for close to thirty twenty five years or something like that. 481 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:45,800 Speaker 1: UM and Uh and and then quite Uh Ed and 482 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: Quaiya met Um I think at Skywalker Ranch because Koi 483 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 1: is a sound editor at Skywalker Ranch. And then Fon 484 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: Davis who Faun worked with us at Industrial Light and Magic. 485 00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: A matter of fact, Fawn and Grant got hired on 486 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: very the first project Grant got hired on at I 487 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,720 Speaker 1: l M. Faun was hired on and fun Works and 488 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: Stills works in the special effects industry is one studio 489 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: down Funco Studios down in Los Angeles. So the seven 490 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:15,920 Speaker 1: of us got together and we're, you know, we were 491 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,920 Speaker 1: just really trying to form what exactly it was that 492 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:24,160 Speaker 1: we should do. Um And because the love of robotics 493 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 1: that Grant had um he in the early two thousands, 494 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: Uh mentored a team, a robotics team in Richmond, California, 495 00:31:35,280 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: and and we kind of used that as a springboard 496 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: as to like, let's let's honor and and start being 497 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: able to help. It was it was actually a a 498 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: team team a school that's you know, um of unrepresented, 499 00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: underrepresented youth um and and he made such a positive 500 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,680 Speaker 1: impression on those people and those kids that one of 501 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: the kids that he mentored is still now runs the program. 502 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:14,760 Speaker 1: And uh so UM again using that Grant's love of 503 00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: of course science, technology and math. Uh was it was 504 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 1: natural for STEM. But but the other thing that we 505 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: really felt strong about adding was the a the arts, 506 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: the steam and steam and because Grant was such a 507 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: huge supporter of of arts, as you mentioned the couseplay stuff, 508 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:36,440 Speaker 1: obviously the film work and television work that he did. 509 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:41,720 Speaker 1: He loved making things that were artistic in addition to technical, 510 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,680 Speaker 1: you know. So so that was kind of that was 511 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 1: that you know, we that was it just seemed all right, 512 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,040 Speaker 1: I guess is the best way to say. You know, 513 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: it just seemed the right thing to do, and it's 514 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: so important to me. Uh So. My own background was 515 00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: with a liberal arts degree in English literature with a 516 00:33:00,640 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 1: focus on Renaissance and Shakespearean studies. And now I talk 517 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 1: about technology, so so I I definitely have a deep 518 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 1: respect for the arts as well as for the the 519 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 1: STEM that we normally hear about. So when I saw 520 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: that it was the Steam Foundation not the STEM Foundation, 521 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:24,160 Speaker 1: um that also was I found it not surprising but 522 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:27,920 Speaker 1: encouraging because I also feel that when you incorporate arts 523 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 1: into the other, uh, the other disciplines, you get really 524 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: special outcomes as a result. Uh you mentioned the robotics. 525 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: I assume that the foundation is it's going to be 526 00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: playing a role in the first robotics competitions. First Robotics 527 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: I believe Dean Cayman founded that many years ago, and 528 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 1: it's a big thing here in Atlanta where I'm at. 529 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:58,200 Speaker 1: We have the the Georgia Tech robo Jackets as a 530 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 1: participants in that because the Yellow Jackets are there. I 531 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:04,320 Speaker 1: was a u g A graduate, so I'm not allowed 532 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:08,960 Speaker 1: into those rooms. Um. Good old rivalries die hard. But 533 00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:12,360 Speaker 1: what's what what sort of involvement does the foundation have 534 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 1: with the or water The plans for the involvement of 535 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:20,800 Speaker 1: the Foundation with the robotics competitions, well, one of the 536 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 1: things we're actually to be honest, we're still working out stuff. 537 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: We we've literally formed the paperwork in August and we 538 00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,880 Speaker 1: officially launched it on the twenty three October, which was 539 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 1: grants fiftieth birthday. Um. Until that point, we had no 540 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:42,840 Speaker 1: money um and so uh the donations actually literally started 541 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: pouring in from that moment on. It was a really 542 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:47,640 Speaker 1: amazing to watch that we crashed the website and all 543 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 1: that sort of stuff. It was really amazing to watch 544 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,600 Speaker 1: that that happened. Um. And what was also amazing is 545 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 1: the reach. You know, it is literally from around the world. Um, 546 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 1: so it wasn't just limited to United States or Australia, 547 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: which is where Mythbuses was also was was created. Um 548 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 1: so Uh. So we're working out exactly how we're going 549 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:15,880 Speaker 1: to do things. One thing is is mentorship. Because of 550 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 1: the donations that we did get in the very first 551 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:23,279 Speaker 1: donation that we're a scholarship funding whatever you'd want to 552 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:25,480 Speaker 1: call it, that we're gonna be doing is with the 553 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: Richmond team uh in that grant mentor and so we're 554 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,560 Speaker 1: able to actually fund them a fund a bunch of 555 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 1: home kits for them, home tool kits for them. So 556 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,560 Speaker 1: that's the first thing that we're gonna do. We We've 557 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:44,480 Speaker 1: discussed everything from mentorships to scholarships to our own individual programs. 558 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,279 Speaker 1: So um, we're we're still working all that out. Um, 559 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:52,200 Speaker 1: but we you know, at this point, nothing is off 560 00:35:52,239 --> 00:35:55,520 Speaker 1: the table, you know. We we've gotten had questions about 561 00:35:55,600 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 1: like how how would we incorporate arts and music. Perhaps 562 00:36:01,040 --> 00:36:03,120 Speaker 1: even a lot of people don't know Grant was actually 563 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:08,960 Speaker 1: an excellent piano player. Uh so um so uh yeah, 564 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:12,000 Speaker 1: so you know, we're we're we're looking and we're open 565 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: for ideas essentially at this point. Uh um, We're you know, 566 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,000 Speaker 1: next year will be uh, We're gonna be doing a 567 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 1: huge fundraiser that will be everyone will know about because 568 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:28,880 Speaker 1: it will be we'll be hitting pr really hard with 569 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:35,320 Speaker 1: that one. Uh. But uh, with that, with that influx 570 00:36:35,360 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 1: of money, hopefully then we'll be able to to expand 571 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:42,760 Speaker 1: out to to do other kinds of supports for schools 572 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:47,520 Speaker 1: and and individual programs. Well. With that in mind, um, 573 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: I guess a good segue would be to ask you, 574 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 1: don what does steam mean to you? How is how 575 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:58,880 Speaker 1: has the various disciplines in in the under the steam umbrella, 576 00:36:58,960 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: How has that affect your career path? For example? You know, 577 00:37:04,719 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 1: I didn't realize it into more recently that I was 578 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:14,160 Speaker 1: I'm really into engineering. Um uh that um, kind of 579 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,120 Speaker 1: the things that I've done all my life and my 580 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:19,839 Speaker 1: career have been engineering in some form or another. Uh, 581 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:22,800 Speaker 1: certainly I wouldn't call myself an engineer, you know, I 582 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't want to insult the people that have trained in 583 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:30,320 Speaker 1: those careers. But but you know, it is all of 584 00:37:30,360 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 1: a matter of unfolding and figuring out how the best 585 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:37,479 Speaker 1: solutions for different things. And I'm fascinated about how things 586 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: work and I've always been that way, So that that 587 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 1: drive for the curiosity. But the other thing that my 588 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: time in the film industry has also taught me is that, 589 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,680 Speaker 1: like you were discussing earlier than important element of art 590 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:54,640 Speaker 1: because um, you know you could. I think a good 591 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:58,200 Speaker 1: um example is like the Apollo program. A huge fan 592 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:00,960 Speaker 1: of the Space program and the Apollo program. You see 593 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: the lunar module. Now that thing was designed by engineers. 594 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:06,279 Speaker 1: There was no art in that thing. I mean, it's 595 00:38:06,320 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: it's beautiful in its functionality, but it certainly doesn't look 596 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,799 Speaker 1: like a spaceship. You know it was you could tell 597 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:15,800 Speaker 1: his designed by engineers. And then you look at the 598 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 1: stuff like SpaceX is doing and it's like, Okay, that's 599 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:23,320 Speaker 1: the art mixed in with the technology. And and like 600 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: I said, never get rid of the lunar module. I 601 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:28,080 Speaker 1: love the lunar module, but I think it's a prime 602 00:38:28,160 --> 00:38:31,760 Speaker 1: example of how how the two UH should work together, 603 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:35,840 Speaker 1: or in that case didn't work together. UM. And so 604 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:40,120 Speaker 1: so the the the idea of science and technology and 605 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,480 Speaker 1: art and engineering. In my mind, math I was never 606 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 1: good at. But but the first the first four letters 607 00:38:48,719 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: UM I used constantly all the time in my career. 608 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 1: And and I love, I love every aspect of that. 609 00:38:56,320 --> 00:39:00,279 Speaker 1: And and I really having kids now that are growing up, 610 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:04,480 Speaker 1: but UH, watching what was what was working for them, 611 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:10,840 Speaker 1: it was always a practical, uh, instant instituting all those practically, 612 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 1: So it's not you're just not studying one. You're seeing 613 00:39:13,239 --> 00:39:16,000 Speaker 1: how one affects the other and it connects all together. 614 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:19,360 Speaker 1: So I think that's a real important thing that I 615 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:23,400 Speaker 1: think more education should should, uh you know, have more of. 616 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:27,360 Speaker 1: Is the integration of of all those things together. I 617 00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: completely agree with you. I'm also the son of two 618 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 1: retired teachers, so obviously this this subject matter is really 619 00:39:34,680 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 1: important to me. We'll be right back with more from 620 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 1: my interview with Don Bees, the president of the grant 621 00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:52,800 Speaker 1: Imahara Steam Foundation. After this short break. One thing, Amahara 622 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: one thing Grant was really really really good at was 623 00:39:56,280 --> 00:40:01,840 Speaker 1: inspiring that that curiosity right to He made it exciting 624 00:40:02,160 --> 00:40:05,160 Speaker 1: to want to know how something was going to work 625 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,200 Speaker 1: or how he was going to tackle a particular challenge. 626 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: And I find that that is an approach that resonates 627 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:18,120 Speaker 1: so well with younger people. Uh this, you know, talking 628 00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:21,759 Speaker 1: about how that curiosity, that excitement is a cool thing 629 00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:27,799 Speaker 1: and and it engages students, I feel far more than 630 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 1: if you were just to memorize formula, you know, all 631 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:36,280 Speaker 1: the different uh formula for physics, understanding how to apply 632 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 1: that in a way that's practical and fun, and you 633 00:40:39,719 --> 00:40:43,839 Speaker 1: can actually see the result of that application and no, oh, 634 00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:47,200 Speaker 1: I understand why it did the thing it did. I 635 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:51,759 Speaker 1: find that that for me anyway, always cemented the concepts 636 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: much better in my mind, rather than just you know, 637 00:40:55,719 --> 00:41:00,600 Speaker 1: vomiting out a series of different formula for the you know, 638 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:04,560 Speaker 1: nine points per second per second or something along those lines. 639 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:10,000 Speaker 1: And uh, that's something that I'm seeing in the in 640 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:14,200 Speaker 1: the promotional material for the foundation, there's an amazing video 641 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:17,719 Speaker 1: um that Honestly, as soon as I watched it, that's 642 00:41:17,719 --> 00:41:19,280 Speaker 1: where I was like, Okay, well, I have to donate 643 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:22,759 Speaker 1: to this because that video was so well done UM 644 00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:26,160 Speaker 1: and anyone who hasn't seen it needs to go to 645 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 1: the Grand Omahara Steam Foundation page and watch it, because 646 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:36,440 Speaker 1: I feel like that encapsulated that whole philosophy, that ethos 647 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:44,839 Speaker 1: of curiosity being this incredible motivating force. UM. So I'm 648 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:49,480 Speaker 1: very excited to see what comes down the line with 649 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:54,919 Speaker 1: the foundation UH and and I can't wait to learn 650 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,320 Speaker 1: more about it, UM and to see the results, to 651 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:02,879 Speaker 1: see to see how people are benefiting from it through mentorship, 652 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:07,120 Speaker 1: or through scholarship, or through being able to do UH 653 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:12,000 Speaker 1: class work that has been either developed by or for 654 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: or funded by or or however it manifests UM. And honestly, 655 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,680 Speaker 1: all the stuff I've seen so far just shows the 656 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:27,280 Speaker 1: the amount of passion, which speaks a lot about Grant's 657 00:42:27,560 --> 00:42:31,120 Speaker 1: impact on everyone else's lives. When you see that that 658 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,840 Speaker 1: it has motivated you and the other founders to go 659 00:42:35,000 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 1: to these extraordinary steps to create the foundation and then 660 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:45,400 Speaker 1: moreover inspired thousands of people to already contribute and to 661 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:49,719 Speaker 1: UH to follow along. UM. It says a lot about 662 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:52,839 Speaker 1: his character and the impact he had on on all 663 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 1: the people around him, whether he whether they were close 664 00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,160 Speaker 1: friends or just people who had seen him on television. 665 00:42:58,840 --> 00:43:03,080 Speaker 1: Uh so this is one of those things that um uh, 666 00:43:03,719 --> 00:43:06,920 Speaker 1: I'm really really truly excited about. And uh and I 667 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:09,239 Speaker 1: say that as someone who only met him the one time. 668 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:11,680 Speaker 1: And that's one of the biggest regrets I have is 669 00:43:11,719 --> 00:43:14,239 Speaker 1: that I didn't really get a chance to to talk 670 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:17,160 Speaker 1: with them or to to spend more time with him. 671 00:43:17,200 --> 00:43:20,440 Speaker 1: But everyone I know who did um had nothing but 672 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:25,120 Speaker 1: the best things to say. So you kind of touched 673 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,880 Speaker 1: on it. But um, what has been the general reaction 674 00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:33,920 Speaker 1: among the founders to the response that you've seen from 675 00:43:34,120 --> 00:43:36,440 Speaker 1: from people who who have just who have learned and 676 00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:40,920 Speaker 1: started to support the foundation already? I think amazing? Is 677 00:43:40,960 --> 00:43:43,480 Speaker 1: he we just we like that first day, we were 678 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:49,960 Speaker 1: just like astounded. Uh that the the I think we might. 679 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:55,239 Speaker 1: I certainly expected, you know, some positive reaction, but not 680 00:43:56,000 --> 00:44:00,200 Speaker 1: as positive as we've gotten. Grant. I like that I 681 00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:03,720 Speaker 1: knew Grant for it, met him ninety three. He started 682 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:06,200 Speaker 1: He left I l M I think roughfubly two thousand 683 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:10,000 Speaker 1: five for MythBusters and then was on MythBusters until two 684 00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 1: thirteen or something like that. But then he moved down 685 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:15,160 Speaker 1: to Los Angeles, and um, so I didn't get to 686 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:17,920 Speaker 1: see him that much anymore, and we we hardly talked 687 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:20,919 Speaker 1: in more recent years. Uh, just about a month before 688 00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:23,280 Speaker 1: he passed away, we happened to be texting back and forth. 689 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:26,680 Speaker 1: So he had just finished, Uh, he had done the 690 00:44:26,719 --> 00:44:31,520 Speaker 1: Baby Yoda and then he had he had just finished 691 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:34,040 Speaker 1: an R two D two and that was an rt 692 00:44:34,160 --> 00:44:36,920 Speaker 1: D two project that I was part of when they started, 693 00:44:37,200 --> 00:44:40,439 Speaker 1: had started twenty years before. UM. I never did mine, 694 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:43,840 Speaker 1: but he, uh, he was able to finish his. And 695 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:50,120 Speaker 1: so you know the grant I knew, and and we 696 00:44:50,239 --> 00:44:56,399 Speaker 1: were more apart, distant apart, UM, and so I never 697 00:44:56,520 --> 00:44:58,960 Speaker 1: really saw the impact that I never had any gauge 698 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:03,320 Speaker 1: or any sense of what what he did two four people, 699 00:45:03,440 --> 00:45:07,840 Speaker 1: what is what he meant to people? And and to 700 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:12,800 Speaker 1: see this coming in um when when we announced it, 701 00:45:13,200 --> 00:45:18,840 Speaker 1: UM was so touching, as is the best way I 702 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:21,359 Speaker 1: could describe it. I just you know, all of us 703 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:26,000 Speaker 1: were just heartwarm that that that he made such an 704 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:30,080 Speaker 1: impression on people. UM. I know his mother in particular 705 00:45:30,239 --> 00:45:34,359 Speaker 1: has been so so touched and so overwhelmed by by 706 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:42,000 Speaker 1: the response. UM. And UM, yeah, it's it it you know, 707 00:45:43,320 --> 00:45:46,640 Speaker 1: I think the the other thing about you know, his 708 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:49,680 Speaker 1: passing is in and the need for the foundation. I 709 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:54,000 Speaker 1: personally feel like I don't want anyone, I really want 710 00:45:54,040 --> 00:45:57,279 Speaker 1: to continue his memory. I really want to continue he 711 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:01,600 Speaker 1: because of that, seeing that response and people has really 712 00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:06,680 Speaker 1: inspired me to want to, um keep it going and 713 00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:10,000 Speaker 1: and and of course that's the biggest challenge because you know, 714 00:46:10,120 --> 00:46:12,680 Speaker 1: we're not him, you know, but how can we keep 715 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:15,680 Speaker 1: it going? What? What cool things can we do that 716 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:17,960 Speaker 1: would he would be proud of that, He would the 717 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:20,719 Speaker 1: way he would do something. So that's I think are 718 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:24,840 Speaker 1: going to be our biggest challenge moving forward. Well, I 719 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:30,200 Speaker 1: think part of the response maybe that, uh this was 720 00:46:30,400 --> 00:46:32,880 Speaker 1: this was a way for lots of people also to 721 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:36,680 Speaker 1: process his passing, because I know that for many people 722 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:40,960 Speaker 1: and myself included, Uh it was it was a real um, 723 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:46,759 Speaker 1: a real shock and turning. Having having a means to 724 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:52,240 Speaker 1: honor somebody and to make a positive change or positive 725 00:46:52,280 --> 00:46:56,319 Speaker 1: impact on the world in their name is such. It's 726 00:46:56,360 --> 00:46:59,040 Speaker 1: such a grand thing to do. Uh It's such a 727 00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:04,319 Speaker 1: wonderful expression in a way to give people that means 728 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:09,640 Speaker 1: of processing this and to feel good about the process. Um. 729 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:13,960 Speaker 1: It was like when I saw it, I was immediately 730 00:47:14,520 --> 00:47:16,520 Speaker 1: attracted to it. I thought that this was such a 731 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:22,080 Speaker 1: brilliant approach and such a wonderful cause to to you know, 732 00:47:22,280 --> 00:47:28,120 Speaker 1: further education and to to recognize that there are a 733 00:47:28,200 --> 00:47:32,560 Speaker 1: lot of communities out there that are in need of 734 00:47:33,320 --> 00:47:36,680 Speaker 1: that support, that we need to have this kind of 735 00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:45,160 Speaker 1: uh educational support for underrepresented populations in in particular, that 736 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:49,719 Speaker 1: to me is really important because we've seen the gap 737 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:52,799 Speaker 1: between the halves and the have nots, particularly right now 738 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:56,040 Speaker 1: as we're in the middle of a of a pandemic 739 00:47:56,800 --> 00:48:00,080 Speaker 1: and we're seeing the struggles that various communities have of 740 00:48:01,040 --> 00:48:04,640 Speaker 1: whether to to access to things like digital education and 741 00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:07,560 Speaker 1: distance learning. UM, you know, there are a lot of 742 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 1: communities that are really struggling with that. So to have 743 00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:14,200 Speaker 1: have another way of saying, this is a way for 744 00:48:14,320 --> 00:48:18,360 Speaker 1: us to kind of support systems and support learning and 745 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:23,560 Speaker 1: encourage learning, and to remember that that really the the 746 00:48:23,680 --> 00:48:30,000 Speaker 1: goal here is to inspire, which leads to bigger and 747 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:33,440 Speaker 1: better things. I think all of that is really phenomenal 748 00:48:33,800 --> 00:48:40,040 Speaker 1: and UH really something to be proud of. UH. And 749 00:48:41,360 --> 00:48:43,520 Speaker 1: the only other question I have for you, then, Don 750 00:48:43,800 --> 00:48:47,960 Speaker 1: is for listeners out there who maybe are just learning 751 00:48:48,000 --> 00:48:52,640 Speaker 1: about this, how might they get involved with the foundation? 752 00:48:53,360 --> 00:48:55,839 Speaker 1: So you could go to the website. We have an 753 00:48:56,080 --> 00:49:00,640 Speaker 1: info email that you can click on. I will respond. 754 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:04,320 Speaker 1: Usually it's me that will respond. Um At at the 755 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:07,160 Speaker 1: moment we've had we've had quite a few people that 756 00:49:07,239 --> 00:49:11,719 Speaker 1: had responded and asked, UM, how they could help, you know, 757 00:49:12,239 --> 00:49:14,040 Speaker 1: they can't might not be able to donate, but they 758 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:16,600 Speaker 1: would love to help in some way. How we're going 759 00:49:16,680 --> 00:49:20,560 Speaker 1: to roll out any kind of mentorships or volunteer stat 760 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:24,440 Speaker 1: is still to be determined. Again, we're open to ideas 761 00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:27,920 Speaker 1: if people have ideas. A few people have suggested some 762 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,239 Speaker 1: stuff that that sounds good, that will probably we will 763 00:49:30,320 --> 00:49:34,440 Speaker 1: be discussing amongst the board. Um. Obviously there's a lot 764 00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:39,640 Speaker 1: of uh, there's geographic things to consider. You know, people 765 00:49:39,680 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: are writing literally from all over the world. Um so um, 766 00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:49,080 Speaker 1: but um, we're keeping a database of everything everybody that's 767 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:52,680 Speaker 1: that's writing into us as we as we develop and 768 00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:57,360 Speaker 1: discover which programs and how we're gonna be able to 769 00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:00,680 Speaker 1: utilize the talents that people are writing, and we'll be 770 00:50:00,800 --> 00:50:06,240 Speaker 1: reaching out fantastic. Don I wish you and and everyone 771 00:50:06,280 --> 00:50:11,759 Speaker 1: at the Foundation the absolute best, Uh, I am. I'm 772 00:50:11,840 --> 00:50:14,600 Speaker 1: looking forward to seeing what comes next, and who knows 773 00:50:14,640 --> 00:50:18,400 Speaker 1: maybe you'll be getting more emails from me, uh, because 774 00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:22,080 Speaker 1: I would love to be part of it. Absolutely. Yes, 775 00:50:22,160 --> 00:50:23,800 Speaker 1: you've been You've been so kind with the ones that 776 00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:28,360 Speaker 1: we've said already and UH and and thank you again 777 00:50:28,520 --> 00:50:32,000 Speaker 1: for being on the show. I greatly appreciate it, and 778 00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:37,680 Speaker 1: and I look forward to lots of more conversations about 779 00:50:38,120 --> 00:50:42,640 Speaker 1: about steam education and UH and ways to inspire well. 780 00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:45,040 Speaker 1: Thank you, and thank you. I really appreciate you having 781 00:50:45,320 --> 00:50:48,840 Speaker 1: having me on. Thank you. It was a pleasure to 782 00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:52,239 Speaker 1: speak with Don Bees about Grant's impact and the goals 783 00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:56,040 Speaker 1: of the Grant Imahara Steam Foundation. Grant's own life points 784 00:50:56,080 --> 00:50:59,920 Speaker 1: to the importance and impact of mentorship, and the foundation 785 00:51:00,040 --> 00:51:03,360 Speaker 1: aims to continue that important work and to expand upon it. 786 00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:06,480 Speaker 1: If you would like to learn more and get involved, 787 00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:12,080 Speaker 1: visit Grant Emma Horror Foundation dot org and watch that 788 00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:16,560 Speaker 1: video because holy cow, it is so well done. It 789 00:51:16,719 --> 00:51:22,080 Speaker 1: is inspirational and loving. It's a little sad, obviously, but 790 00:51:22,920 --> 00:51:26,279 Speaker 1: it ends on a note of hope that I think 791 00:51:26,440 --> 00:51:29,800 Speaker 1: is phenomenal, and it really just gets me excited to 792 00:51:29,880 --> 00:51:32,560 Speaker 1: see what the foundation is able to do down the line. 793 00:51:33,160 --> 00:51:35,560 Speaker 1: And I really hope that I can play a small 794 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:39,800 Speaker 1: part in that if you guys have any suggestions for 795 00:51:40,040 --> 00:51:42,600 Speaker 1: topics I should cover on future episodes of tech Stuff, 796 00:51:42,840 --> 00:51:47,279 Speaker 1: whether it's a specific technology, a company, a trend in tech, 797 00:51:47,400 --> 00:51:50,279 Speaker 1: whatever it may be, reach out. The best way to 798 00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:53,520 Speaker 1: do that is over on Twitter. The handle is tech 799 00:51:53,600 --> 00:51:56,880 Speaker 1: stuff H s W and I'll talk to you again 800 00:51:57,760 --> 00:52:05,520 Speaker 1: really soon. Text Stuff is an I Heart Radio production. 801 00:52:05,760 --> 00:52:08,560 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the i 802 00:52:08,719 --> 00:52:11,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 803 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:12,880 Speaker 1: your favorite shows