Podcast Summary
Finding joy in unexpected work situations: Even in unfulfilling jobs, people can find happiness and learn valuable skills through unexpected experiences and relationships with colleagues and bosses.
Even in less than ideal work situations, people find ways to make the best of it and find joy in the unexpected. The hosts of the Safety 3rd podcast shared stories of their past jobs, including one where the speaker was metaphorically "trapped" in a mouse trap during an intro, and another where he had to hide from his actual boss to work on more interesting projects. They reminisced about their time at Applied Mines, a company located next to Disney headquarters, where they were given menial tasks but also allowed to explore their interests. The speakers also discussed their relationships with their former bosses, some of whom they still kept in touch with. Despite the hardships and monotony of their past jobs, they expressed a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the experiences they gained.
The power of passion and community in bringing projects to life: Surround yourself with a supportive community and find a work environment that fosters creativity, passion, and collaboration to bring projects to life.
An enthusiastic and passionate approach to a project or idea can inspire and motivate others to help bring it to life. The speaker's experience of working on various projects, from a camera rig to a job at a high-tech company, highlights the importance of being surrounded by a supportive community and the potential downsides of being in a drab and unstimulating work environment. While the speaker acknowledges the short-term productivity gains of using stimulants, they also recognize the long-term health and decision-making consequences. Ultimately, the key takeaway is to find a work environment and community that fosters creativity, passion, and collaboration.
The importance of personal brand and recognition: Building a personal brand and gaining recognition can open doors in various industries, but anonymity can make progress difficult. Recognized names can lead to opportunities in the film industry and on social media platforms like TikTok.
The power of a personal brand and recognition can open doors in various industries, while anonymity can make it difficult to make progress. The speaker shared an experience of working on a project where they had to navigate through the film industry, and the importance of having a recognized name came to light. They also mentioned their attempt to engage with companies on TikTok, but the lack of response until they were recognized. However, the speaker also noted the potential for bots and deception in online communities, especially when it comes to selling products. The discussion also touched upon the ambiguity of drugs and the pressure to deliver in the film industry. Overall, the takeaway is that building a personal brand and gaining recognition can be a valuable asset in various industries.
Concerns about repetitive TikTok live streams and multi-level marketing schemes: Users reading scripts during TikTok live streams can cause unexpected pauses, possibly revealing involvement in multi-level marketing schemes. Seek work that provides more than just a salary and explore creative passions.
During a conversation about TikTok live streams, it was discovered that some users were reading scripts or promotional material for hours on end, leading to a pause or reaction when something unexpected, like the word "frog," was mentioned. This pause seemed to act as a prompt for the model or AI behind the live stream, causing it to momentarily stop and process the new information. The users were likely involved in multi-level marketing schemes, selling supplements or other products during their streams. The speaker expressed concern for these individuals, as they seemed to be stuck in a repetitive cycle, unable to break free from their scripts. They also shared their own experiences in the film industry, starting in low-budget productions in the 1990s and working their way up. The conversation touched on various topics, including movies, jobs, and advice. The speaker emphasized the importance of finding work that provides more than just a salary equal to the time invested, and encouraged exploring creative passions. They also shared their excitement about being able to find older films online, including one of their first jobs, "Nudist Calling the Dead," which was released in 1991.
From nude extra to animatronic designer: Passionate individuals can create something meaningful in the film industry, even with limited resources and technology. Long hours and challenges are worth it for the opportunity to bring creative visions to life.
Even with limited resources and technology, passionate individuals can create something meaningful and successful in the film industry. The speaker shared stories of working on low-budget films, including one shot on Super 8 film, where they climbed trees to get high angle shots and worked on makeup effects. At the time, these films were sold directly to the international video market and distributed through rental houses. The speaker's role evolved from a nude male extra to animatronic designer, where they worked on groundbreaking effects for movies like Starship Troopers and Alien Resurrection. Despite the challenges and long hours, the speaker expressed that being a part of bringing these creative visions to life was a dream come true.
Exploring the Excitement and Challenges of Large-Scale Puppetry: Developing new skills and tools can lead to a successful career in special effects, even without a specific project in mind.
The creative process, especially in the field of special effects and puppetry, can be both rewarding and challenging. Artists strive to create their best work, but often face external pressures and demands that can disrupt their vision. The use of industrial-scale equipment and materials was a way to push the boundaries of what was possible in puppetry, but it also required quick turnaround times and significant resources. This era of large-scale puppetry has largely been replaced by more time-consuming and lightweight alternatives, such as those used in live theater and theme parks. The speaker, who played a significant role in the creation of iconic puppets for movies like "Aliens," reflects on the excitement and challenges of this period, and the impact it had on his career. He started by learning new skills and tools, rather than having a specific project in mind, and this approach led him to a successful career in special effects.
The fusion of practical and digital effects in filmmaking: The collaboration between practical and digital effects artists extended their careers and inspired new generations, despite the challenges and great expense.
The fusion of practical effects and computer graphics in filmmaking revolutionized the industry and extended the careers of those involved, rather than rendering them obsolete. The speakers shared their ideas and skills across various disciplines, from puppeteering to special effects to robotics, as they adapted to the changing landscape of film production. This period, marked by the release of groundbreaking films like Jurassic Park, saw artists collaborating to create visually stunning and functional effects, often at great expense. Despite the challenges, the integration of practical and digital effects continued to evolve and inspire new generations of artists, who remain dedicated to their craft due to the inherent creativity and challenge it presents. The speaker's own journey reflects this evolution, as he transitioned from puppeteer robotics to a more consistent engineering role in a company that straddled both the effects and robotics industries.
The Unforgettable Boss with a Love for Blue Cheese: Unique workplace characters can leave lasting impressions despite seemingly trivial quirks
Even in a corporate setting, there are unique and memorable characters that can leave lasting impressions. The speaker shared a story about a company boss who had an unusual preference for an excessive amount of blue cheese dressing with his steamed broccoli. This incident became a core memory for the speaker due to its absurdity. The boss was described as having a long tactical vest, a big beard, and a favorite drink of canned pineapple juice. Although these details might seem trivial, they contributed to the overall intrigue and uniqueness of the character. The story serves as a reminder that every workplace has its quirks and memorable personalities.
A Man of Unusual Preferences and Habits: A man who boldly embraced his unique tastes and work methods, consuming unconventional foods and asserting dominance through unconventional means, while remaining dedicated to his projects and unapologetic for his choices.
The person being discussed had unique and unusual preferences and habits, particularly when it came to food and work. He enjoyed eating only certain parts of certain foods, such as the veiny side of Snickers or the bottom half of chewy orange peanut butter bars. In his professional life, he was an iconoclast who asserted dominance through unconventional means, like consuming large amounts of blue cheese in front of his employees. He also had a penchant for large, custom-built vehicles, such as the Unimog, which he transformed into a research caravan complete with advanced equipment. Despite the challenges and hardships involved in bringing his projects to fruition, he remained dedicated and unapologetic about his choices. Ultimately, he was a man who knew what he wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it, even if it meant enduring some discomfort or criticism along the way.
Ambitious Projects: Unimog Motorhome and 10,000 Year Clock: Individuals with a deep desire to see their ideas come to life, regardless of practicality or cost, create ambitious projects like the Unimog motorhome and 10,000 Year Clock, inspiring excitement and satisfaction through turning ideas into reality.
Both the Unimog motorhome and the 10,000 Year Clock are examples of ambitious projects driven by individuals with a deep desire to see their ideas come to life, regardless of practicality or cost. The Unimog motorhome, with its impressive yet impractical features, serves as a showpiece for its owner and the company, demonstrating their capabilities and integrating various technologies. The 10,000 Year Clock, an ego piece originally conceived by computer scientist Danny Hillis, represents a long-term investment in a thought-provoking and intriguing project, showcasing his expertise in various fields and his fascination with time. Both projects serve as a reminder of the excitement and satisfaction that comes from turning ideas into reality, even if the outcome may not be justifiable by traditional means.
Rethinking Perception of Time and Durability: Understanding materials deeply and making informed decisions based on their properties is crucial for creating long-lasting objects. The 10,000 Year Clock project demonstrates the significance of durability and continued learning.
The 10,000 Year Clock project embodies the idea of rethinking our perception of time and durability. The clock, which is a complex system of thousands of mechanisms designed to run for 10,000 years, is an ambitious endeavor that requires extremely durable materials and slow operation to prevent disintegration. This project highlights the importance of understanding materials at a deep level and making informed decisions based on their known properties and long-term behavior. Despite the clock's enormous size and complexity, it is just a blip in geological time, but a significant timespan for a manufactured object. The project also emphasizes the importance of continued learning and collaboration to tackle complex challenges and make better decisions.
Designing a 12,000-year clock using scientific principles and materials: Creating a 12,000-year clock involves understanding various scientific principles, choosing appropriate materials, and designing mechanisms to capture energy and maintain functionality for millennia.
Creating intricate mechanisms, such as a 12,000-year clock, requires an in-depth understanding of various scientific principles and materials. For instance, designing a clock based on crystal structures of different elements, like steel and titanium, is crucial to prevent alloying. The clock's energy is captured through the day-night thermal cycle on Earth, and the differential pressure between two tanks is used to keep it running. The clock's components are tested to determine their limits, and the clock is housed in a mountain for temperature stability. The clock's ultimate goal, as described, is to provide a long-lasting mechanism that challenges the notion of time and our perception of joy.
A 10,000 year clock that calculates solar noon: The 10,000 year clock is a unique, ambitious project that inspires awe and adds to the world's knowledge despite its significant cost.
The 10,000 year clock is a unique and ambitious project that calculates solar noon and helps keep time, even in cloudy conditions. Its creation involves significant resources, but the investment is seen as worthwhile due to its potential to inspire and add to the grandeur of America's infrastructure. The clock existed before Jeff Bezos' involvement and is a testament to the vision and resources of a select few individuals. Compared to other large infrastructure projects, the clock's cost may seem high to an average person, but it pales in comparison to the expenses of relocating wildlife or building massive structures. The clock project represents a different kind of investment, one that adds to the world's knowledge and inspires awe, rather than just providing practical benefits.
Creating Immersive Command Centers with Disney Inspiration: Innovative technologies and compelling storytelling can create groundbreaking command centers, inspiring clients and leading to successful implementation.
The discussed project involved creating advanced command and control centers for clients, using innovative technologies like spinning rooms, high-definition video projectors, and large spherical screens to enhance situational awareness. The team sold the idea by telling compelling stories and creating immersive experiences, drawing inspiration from Disney theme parks. Despite the challenges and complexities, the team's dedication to storytelling and innovation resulted in groundbreaking solutions that have since been released and showcased on the company's website. The project's success highlights the power of storytelling in selling and implementing advanced technologies.
Exploring the Innovative Projects at Applied Minds: Applied Minds, a pioneering R&D lab, is known for groundbreaking projects like large-scale look-down projector arrays, fault-finding robots, and collaborations with astronauts. They've also contributed to cutting-edge robotics and even art.
Applied Minds, the innovative research and development lab, has a rich history of groundbreaking projects, some of which include building a large-scale look-down projector array using mirrors and kinematic mounts, creating robots for artists and film, and even developing technology for testing underground electrical faults using giant capacitor banks and spikes. One particularly memorable project involved creating a robot to test for faults in underground power lines by sending a high voltage charge through the ground and identifying the resulting cavern. Another fascinating aspect of Applied Minds was their collaboration with astronaut Story Musgrave, who worked on various projects at the lab. The lab also contributed to the development of cutting-edge robotics, such as a snake robot and a rolling robot, and even dabbled in the world of art with the creation of a "sexy dancing creepy goblin doll" meme. Overall, Applied Minds' work showcases their commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and science.
The man's unique experiences led to a groundbreaking discovery: Passionate individuals bringing their experiences and creativity to their work can lead to unexpected solutions and groundbreaking discoveries.
Passion and creativity can lead to innovative solutions, even in unexpected places. The man with the dogs, who was a war veteran, surgeon, astronaut, and palm tree farmer, brought a unique perspective to his work. His suggestion to bring a common farming tool to space led to the repair of the Hubble telescope. This demonstrates the importance of individuals bringing their personal experiences and interests to their work, as it can lead to groundbreaking discoveries. Additionally, the man's ability to think outside the box and utilize multiple microprocessors instead of relying on one powerful one, shows the value of problem-solving and adaptability. Overall, this anecdote highlights the power of passion, creativity, and resourcefulness in achieving success.
Embracing the spirit of experimentation: Success comes from taking risks and learning from failures. Embrace experimentation to innovate and grow.
Fearless experimentation and a willingness to take calculated risks are essential for innovation and success. The speaker admires individuals, like Kevin and Peter, who aren't afraid to create and build, even if things don't work out the first time. They approach problems with a "let's see what happens" attitude, learning from their mistakes and moving forward. This contrasts with those who are overly cautious and hesitant to try new things due to the fear of failure. The speaker also acknowledges the importance of balancing risk with safety, especially in fields like engineering and robotics. Ultimately, the willingness to take risks and learn from failures has led to many groundbreaking discoveries and innovations throughout history.
Balancing safety and innovation in robotics: In robotics, ensuring safety and trust requires clear communication, military-like adherence to rules, and constant awareness of potential hazards.
Safety in robotics and innovation can be a challenging balance. Robot inspections involve imagining potential dangers and trusting others' explanations of their robots' functions. Disagreements about what could go wrong can lead to rigidity in rules and protocols. A small mistake, like dropping a remote or forgetting a safety feature, can result in significant damage or injury. The stakes are high, with potential energy outputs reaching tens of thousands of joules. These situations require a military-like adherence to rules and a constant awareness of potential hazards. The field of robotics is filled with competition and uncertainty, making trust and clear communication essential.
The Danger Zone Around a Spinning Object: Stay far away from a spinning object's plane of danger to avoid potential harm, ideally under a protective barrier or bunker.
The plane of the ecliptic refers to the orbital plane of planets in our solar system. The danger zone around a spinning object is often referred to as the "plane of danger." This imaginary plane extends 200 feet in every direction and can be visualized as a sheet of paper. If a large object explodes, debris will travel in the direction of this plane. While some objects, like a gyroscopically stable platform, may not be able to tip over, others may flex and self-destruct. To avoid potential danger, it's best to be as far away as possible, ideally under a protective barrier or bunker. In a more lighthearted note, the conversation also touched on the topic of what one would do if they had a billion dollars. Some ideas included creating a giant landship or inventing a unique product to sell to a wealthy buyer. Overall, the conversation highlighted the importance of being aware of potential dangers in space and the endless possibilities for creativity and innovation when it comes to spending vast sums of money.
Media's impact on memories and imagination: Media, even of poor quality, can deeply influence our memories and imagination through unique imagery and concepts, shaping our thoughts and dreams.
Our memories and imagination can be deeply influenced by the imagery and concepts presented in various forms of media, even if the media itself may not be of high quality. The speaker shared an example of a tri-wheeled RV from a movie called "Damnation Alley," which left a lasting impression on him despite the movie being terrible. He described the vehicle's unique features, such as its ability to rotate when encountering obstacles and float in water. The speaker also mentioned another vehicle from a different movie, "Mad Max," which he believed might have been similar. He went on to share his ambitions of creating large-scale projects, such as a giant cannon capable of shooting satellites into orbit. The speaker expressed frustration with software and suggested funding open-source software to eliminate paid alternatives. Lastly, he mentioned the Getty Museum and its hovercraft transportation system, which he found fascinating. Overall, the discussion highlights the power of imagination and the impact of various forms of media on our thoughts and dreams.
Monopolies in Software Markets: Monopolies in software markets can result in subpar products and high prices. Open-source projects offer alternatives, but competition is needed for optimal growth and development.
The lack of competition in certain software markets can lead to subpar products and exorbitant prices. The speaker's frustration is with companies like Getty Images, which hold copyrights on historical images and limit access to them, while also hoarding wealth that could potentially be used to develop better software. The speaker admires open-source projects like Blender, which thrive on passionate communities, but acknowledges that without competition, these projects may not reach their full potential. The speaker also criticizes the clunky and expensive software in the CAD and embroidery markets, wishing for more optimized and user-friendly options. The frustration lies in the fact that better alternatives often come with hefty price tags, leaving consumers feeling stuck with subpar software.
Investing in open-source projects: Significant investment in open-source projects can lead to financial returns and innovation, but maintaining secrecy about funding is crucial to prevent diminishing product value.
Creating and funding open-source software projects can be a viable investment strategy for those with significant resources. The software component is often the most challenging aspect of larger projects, and once it's developed, anyone can use it. However, maintaining secrecy about the funding is crucial to prevent the perception of endless resources, which could diminish the product's value. The community-driven aspect of open-source projects can lead to innovation and profit, but it's essential to allow the creators to retain control until they've exhausted their resources. The open-source community is a unique collection of talented individuals who share a passion for engineering and building. Events like Open Source Conferences provide opportunities to connect with these individuals and potentially collaborate on projects. In summary, investing in and contributing to open-source software projects can lead to significant returns, both financially and in terms of innovation and community engagement.
The importance of clear communication and staying calm under pressure: Effective communication prevents conflicts, staying calm ensures positive outcomes, and providing value to loyal fans is essential for successful endeavors.
Effective communication is crucial, especially during stressful situations. In the given conversation, Michael seemed upset and was about to hang up on his colleague, but he took a moment to regain composure and clarify the misunderstanding. This prevented a potential conflict and ensured a positive outcome. Additionally, the use of Patreon as a platform for exclusive content highlights the importance of monetizing content and providing value to loyal fans. Michael's ability to pivot and address his audience in a professional manner showcases his adaptability and commitment to his audience. Overall, the conversation underscores the importance of clear communication, staying calm under pressure, and providing value to your audience. By prioritizing these aspects, individuals and organizations can build strong relationships and successful endeavors.