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What you’ll hear in this episode

• Jamie Hyneman’s long and full career
• How he began working with DIU
• The future of defense technology

Jamie Hyneman hasn’t always been a household name. Growing up in the Midwest with an open mind and free spirit didn’t always bode well for him. After running away one summer, Jamie’s mother sent him to survival school, thus beginning his long and interesting career. He decided special effects was the right choice for him due to the broad, creative, and collaborative nature of the business. He started in the business cleaning shops but quickly rose up to owning his own special effects shop. The special effects business is wavering and unreliable, but he kept the doors open by making prototypes and doing any SFX film work that came his way. While in the SFX business, Jamie accepted an offer to work on the television show MythBusters which became wildly popular. While working on MythBusters, he had the experience of working with the government a hand full of times which opened the door to him working with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

When Jamie Hyneman sees a problem he goes into his shop, starts prototyping, and doesn’t come out until he’s found the solution. One of the first times he worked with the government was to find a way to board a ship that was more reliable than just throwing a grappling hook and catching it on the side of the boat. The old way was difficult, impractical, and dangerous. The solution Jamie came up with is a device the size of a suitcase that carries the service person onto the ship by using strong magnets and rubber treads.

Through his experience with the DIU, he says that they’re all about finding ways of doing whatever it takes to keep our nation’s defense up-to-date. He sees the work that he has done with them as patriotic, and he knows he is building things that will keep our nation safe.

Jamie says his experiences in life have been like surfing. You’re not going to be able to fight the ocean, you just have to follow the waves, but where they take you is up to you.

Tune into the seventh installment of the DIU podcast “From Tanks to Teleportation” to hear more from Jamie Hyneman about his vast life experiences, MythBusters, and working with DIU. If you like what you hear, be sure to subscribe and share with a friend or colleague! If you haven’t already, check out previous episodes!

From Tanks to Teleportation is a founding_media podcast created in partnership with the Department of Defense and the Defense Innovation Unit.

Hosts: Dan Dillard, founding_media

Zach Walker, Defense Innovation Unit

Guest: Jamie Hyneman