John Hanke | The Video Game That Was Secretly Mapping Your World

What if the summer you spent chasing Pikachu in the park was actually you volunteering to build a global military mapping system? Yeah. That happened. Ever wondered where Google Earth actually came from? Buckle up, because this one goes to some wild places. This week Jaron and Tim dig into John Hanke, the University of Texas grad who helped build one of the very first MMOs (Meridian 59), then pivoted to a tiny startup called Keyhole that was basically Google Earth before Google Earth existed. Nobody wanted it — realtors shrugged, civic planners laughed — until the War on Terror hit and cable news made satellite imagery a household thing overnight. Then Google bought them, Street View was born, and Hanke spun off Niantic to make augmented-reality games like Ingress and, eventually, the cultural tidal wave that was Pokémon GO. But here's the mind-bending part: those AR mapping tasks where you filmed statues to make Pikachu climb them? That was 30 billion user scans of the planet, feeding a visual positioning system now partnered with defense contractors, Palantir, and a CIA-linked investment firm called In-Q-Tel. It's a story about maps, video games, and the uncomfortable truth that the coolest thing you loved might have quietly become something else entirely. Fascinating, hilarious, and just a little bit horrifying. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: ⁠⁠https://tilln.com/johnhanke⁠⁠ Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: Pokemon → https://youtu.be/V-H81cGo1nk?si=6l0jiWoe6twAoqeu Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices