‘Star Wars’, ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Mythbusters’ genius Grant Imahara’s cause of death, confirmed

On July 13, 2020, sleuths, mythbusters, engineers, and the world of science education was hit with the news of Grant Imahara‘s death. 

Mostly known for his work as co-host on Discovery Channel’s pop science show Mythbusters from 2005 to 2014, and his 2016 return on Netflix’s White Rabbit Project, Grant Imahara was at the center of science and entertainment. The famous electrical engineer and roboticist died at 49 years old, not so long after another Mythbusters alum’s death. However, some of the details of the shocking news remain a little unclear to some.

The confirmed cause of Grant Imahara’s death

Due to Grant Imahara dying during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were some suspicions that he may have been a victim of the illness. However, Imahara’s death was confirmed by a Discovery Channel representative to be the result of a ruptured brain aneurysm, which he was unaware of. 

An aneurysm is a swelling in a blood vessel in the brain due to strain. The affected blood vessel then balloons with blood under the pressure and may rupture, leading to brain injury, and in many cases, death. 

According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF), intracranial aneurysms are “a silent killer,” responsible for the death of over 15,000 Americans each year, with half of victims aged 50 and younger. Unfortunately, there are no known symptoms or preventive measures against brain aneurysms.

Grant Imahara’s scientific artistry 

Grant Imahara first came on as the Mythbusters co-host in 2005 while the show was in its third season. However, behind the scenes, he had been working on the Mythbusters set for much longer. He would go on to air over 200 episodes before leaving in 2014.

As a child he was enamored by both science and television, despite the two careers being polar opposites. Still, he managed to make it work. He graduated with a Bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and promptly scored a spot at George Lucas’s Industrial Light & Magic division of Lucasfilm where he worked on making R2-D2 in the Star Wars prequels. He also worked on other high-profile films including Terminator 3, The Lost World, and the Matrix sequels.

Before his passing, Imahara shared on a Reddit AMA that he was planning on making a return to combat robotics. “In the time since I actively competed,” he said, “the technology has changed so much. The motors and batteries are significantly better. It’s a fun but demanding hobby. When I look back at it, I was a much younger man. With apparently a lot more free time!”

More shocking about this news is how close it came after the news of another Mythbusters alum’s death. Roughly one year before Imahara’s tragedy, Jessi Combs, the famous racer, died in a car crash in Oregon. Both of these deaths have pushed the narrative of the urban Mythbusters curse, alluding to deaths and scandals that have occurred among alumni. Nonetheless, it is not farfetched to say that the Mythbusters fandom and the scientific community at large will never be the same without Grant Imahara.