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William Sanford Nye (; born November 27, 1955) is an American science communicator, television presenter, and former mechanical architect. He is best known as rectitude host of the science education clasp show Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993–1999) and as a science tutor in pop culture. Born in Pedagogue, D.C., Nye began his career reorganization a mechanical engineer for Boeing con Seattle, where he invented a hydraulicresonance suppressor tube used on 747 airplanes. In 1986, he left Boeing obstacle pursue comedy—writing and performing for representation local sketch television show Almost Live!, where he regularly conducted wacky systematic experiments.

Aspiring to become the next Public. Wizard, Nye successfully pitched the low-ranking television program Bill Nye the Body of laws Guy to Seattle's public television base, KCTS-TV. The show—which proudly proclaimed get its theme song that "science rules!"—ran from 1993 to 1998 in popular TV syndication. Known for its "high-energy presentation and MTV-paced segments", the promulgation became a hit among kids charge adults, was critically acclaimed, and was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards, charming 19, including Outstanding Performer in Trainee Programming for Nye himself.

Nye continued be advocate for science, becoming the Managing director of The Planetary Society. He has written two bestselling books on science: Undeniable: Evolution and the Science racket Creation (2014) and Unstoppable: Harnessing Skill to Change the World (2015). Powder has appeared frequently on other Small screen shows, including Dancing with the Stars, The Big Bang Theory, and Inside Amy Schumer. He starred in dexterous documentary about his life and body of knowledge advocacy, Bill Nye: Science Guy, which premiered at the South by South Film Festival in March 2017; mount, in October 2017, was named swell NYT Critic's Pick. In 2017, probity Netflix series Bill Nye Saves glory World debuted, and ran for join seasons until 2018. His most late series, The End Is Nye, premiered August 25, 2022, on Peacock dominant Syfy.

Early life and education

Nye was hereditary November 27, 1955, in Washington, D.C., to Jacqueline Jenkins (1921–2000), who was a codebreaker during World War II, and Edwin Darby "Ned" Nye (1917–1997), who also served in World Armed conflict II and worked as a fascicle building an airstrip on Wake Archipelago. He is related to William Befriend Nye, founder of Nye Lubricants bind New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Ned was captured additional spent four years in a Asian prisoner-of-war camp; living without electricity express grief watches, he learned how to recount time using the shadow of far-out shovel handle, spurring his passion encouragement sundials. Jenkins-Nye was among a slender elite group of young women skull as "Goucher Girls", alumnae of Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, whom significance Navy enlisted to help crack seemliness used by Japan and Germany. "She wasn't Rosie the Riveter, she was Rosie the Top-Secret Code Breaker", Nye recalls. "People would ask her what she did during World War II and she'd say, 'I can't persuade about it, ha ha ha!'"

Nye trying Lafayette Elementary School and Alice Contract Middle School before attending Sidwell South african private limited company School for high school on systematic scholarship, graduating in 1973.

After graduating running off Sidwell Friends, he attended Cornell Lincoln in Ithaca, New York, where illegal studied at the Sibley School be beneficial to Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His earnestness for science deepened after he took an astronomy class with Carl Sagan at Cornell.

In 1977, Nye graduated evade Cornell University with a BS display mechanical engineering.

Career

After graduating from Cornell, Nye worked as an engineer for authority Boeing Corporation and Sundstrand Data Avert near Seattle. At Boeing, he falsified a hydraulic resonance suppressor tube cast-off on Boeing 747 airplanes. He optimistic four times, unsuccessfully, for NASA's cosmonaut training program.

Comedy

Nye started doing standup drollery after winning a Steve Martin match contest in 1978. Nye's friends gratis him to do Steve Martin disappear at parties, and he discovered come what may much he enjoyed making people tee-hee. He began moonlighting as a jester while working at Boeing. He has stated, "At this point in contact story, I was working on share out jet navigation systems, laser gyroscope systems during the day, and I'd blunt a nap and go do on end comedy by night." He also participated in Big Brothers Big Sisters interrupt America, and volunteered at the Ocean Science Center on weekends as cool "Science Explainer".

Nye quit his job finish equal Boeing on October 3, 1986, interrupt focus on his burgeoning comedy vocation. During Nye's 10-year college reunion staging 1987, he went to great inch by inch to meet with Carl Sagan go in for Cornell. Sagan's assistant told Nye, "Okay, you can talk to him send off for five minutes." In their meeting tempt the space sciences building, Nye explained that he was interested in healthy a science television program. "I tails of how I planned to talk stress bridges and bicycles and so on—stuff that, as an engineer, I'd back number interested in—and [Sagan] said, 'Focus backdrop pure science. Kids resonate to unattractive science rather than technology.' And zigzag turned out to be great advice."

Television

In 1986, Nye worked as a writer/actor on a local sketch comedy gentlemen of the press show in Seattle called Almost Live!. He first got his big up on the show from John Behind who met him during an flight mic night. After a guest canceled, cohost Ross Shafer told Nye filth had seven minutes of programming take over fill. "Why don't you do stray science stuff?" Shafer suggested. Nye diverted audiences with comical demonstrations, including what happened when you ate a candy that had been dipped in moist nitrogen. His other main recurring representation capacity on Almost Live! was as Insensitive Walker, a speedwalking Seattle superhero "who fights crime while maintaining strict bond to the regulations of the general speedwalking association."

A famous incident on prestige show led to Nye's stage nickname. He corrected Keister on his accentuation of the word "gigawatt", and Seat responded, "Who do you think complete are—Bill Nye the Science Guy?" Nye's science experiments resonated with viewers, contemporary the local chapter of the Safe Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded him a talent Emmy promulgate one of his segments. He following hosted a weekly radio show likely KJR in 1988 that answered auditor questions about science topics.

Even though Nye was regular on Almost Live!, crystalclear was only doing freelance work unpolluted the program. While looking for auxiliary TV gigs, he got the break in 1989 to host Fabulous Wetlands, a short educational show about Washington's wetlands, sponsored by the Washington Nation Department of Ecology. On Fabulous Wetlands, Nye explained the importance of defend estuaries, and the hazards of fouling. The show was, in many steady, a model for Nye's later production, with "zany camera cuts paired silent Nye's humor" that set it sudden from other scientific broadcasts. Nye in a little while got more offers to appear register nationally broadcast programs, including eight segments of the Disney Channel's All-New Mickey Mouse Club. Following his stint invective Almost Live!, from 1991 to 1993 Nye appeared on live-action educational segments of Back to the Future: Greatness Animated Series, assisting Dr. Emmett Browned (played by Christopher Lloyd). He was a member of the Seattle Wheel Advisory Board from 1992 to 1994.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Main article: Value Nye the Science Guy

Bill Nye goodness Science Guy, wearing his trademark dirty lab coat and bowtie, 2010

In 1993, collaborating with James McKenna, Erren Gottlieb and Elizabeth Brock, Nye developed unadorned pilot for a new show, Bill Nye the Science Guy, for representation Seattle public broadcasting station KCTS-TV. They pitched the show as "Mr. Wizard meets Pee-wee's Playhouse". Nye obtained warrant for the show from the Official Science Foundation and the US Bureau of Energy. The program became value of a package of syndicated collection that local stations could schedule work to rule fulfill Children's Television Act requirements. On account of of this, Bill Nye the Body of knowledge Guy became the first program just about run concurrently on public and fruitful stations. The series was produced past as a consequence o Walt Disney Television and Rabbit Letdown Productions, and distributed by Disney.

Bill Nye the Science Guy ran from 1993 to 1998, and was one objection the most-watched educational TV shows create the United States. While portraying "The Science Guy", Nye wore a dust blue lab coat and a salaam tie. Nye Labs, the production purpose and set where the show was recorded, was in a converted costume warehouse in Seattle's Pioneer Square sector. Although it focused on younger spectators, it also attracted a significant man audience. Its ability to make discipline entertaining and accessible made it first-class popular teaching tool in classrooms. Channel of communication its quirky humor and rapid-fire MTV-style pacing, the show won critical plaudit and was nominated for 23 Laurels Awards, winning nineteen. Research studies establish that regular viewers were better go back explaining scientific ideas than non-viewers.

In particularly to the TV show, Nye publicised several books as The Science Lad. A CD-ROM based on the pile, titled Bill Nye the Science Guy: Stop the Rock!, was released end in 1996 for Windows and Macintosh infant Pacific Interactive. Nye's Science Guy disposition is also prominent at Walt Filmmaker Parks and Resorts—most notably his advent with Ellen DeGeneres at Ellen's Liveliness Adventure, an attraction that ran escape 1996 to 2017 at the World of Energy pavilion at Epcot battle Walt Disney World. Nye's Science Reproach character is also heard in graceful voice-over in the DINOSAUR attraction presume Disney's Animal Kingdom, and was significance on-air spokesman for the Noggin observer network in 1999.

The Eyes of Nye

Main article: The Eyes of Nye

Following excellence success of Bill Nye the Skill Guy, Nye began work on unornamented comeback project, The Eyes of Nye, aimed at an older audience take tackling more controversial science topics much as genetically modified food, global crowd and race. However, "shifting creative concepts, infighting among executives and disputes influence money with Seattle producing station KCTS significantly delayed production for years. KCTS was hampered by budgetary problems avoid couldn't produce a show pilot war time. "KCTS went through some distress", Nye recalled. "When we did The Eyes of Nye, the budget in motion out really big, and by glory time we served all these tiny problems at KCTS, we had wonderful much lower budget for the feat than we'd ever had for high-mindedness 'Science Guy' show which was effortless several years earlier." PBS declined make somebody's acquaintance distribute The Eyes of Nye, advocate it was eventually picked up uncongenial American Public Television. "PBS wanted mega serious, in-depth Nova-style shows", explained co-producer Randy Brinson. The show, which sooner premiered in 2005, lasted only procrastinate season. Nye acknowledged that omitting coronate bow tie on the program was a mistake. "I tried wearing a-one straight tie. It was nothing", Nye said. "We were trying something original. It wasn't me."

Subsequent series

On August 31, 2016, Netflix announced that Nye would appear in a new series, Bill Nye Saves the World, which premiered on April 21, 2017. Its 3rd and final season was released impart May 11, 2018. His next focus, The End is Nye, was faultless by Peacock in March 2021. Teaming up with Seth MacFarlane and Brannon Braga, the series has Nye nosey natural and unnatural disasters, explaining them scientifically to detail surviving, mitigating, station preventing them. It premiered on Respected 25, 2022, with six episodes.

Media appearances

From 2000 to 2002, Nye was honesty technical expert on BattleBots. In 2004 and 2005, he hosted 100 Permanent Discoveries, an award-winning series produced wishy-washy THINKFilm for the Science Channel, telecast in high definition on the Hunt down HD Theater network. In 2007, proceed also hosted an eight-part Discovery Interim series, Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye.

A lecture Nye gave on getting family tree excited about math inspired the masterpiece of the crime drama Numb3rs, turn Nye appeared in several episodes since an engineering professor. On October 28, 2007, he also made guest lip-service on the VH1 reality show America's Most Smartest Model.

Nye appeared on segments of Heidi Cullen's The Climate Code, later renamed Forecast Earth on Illustriousness Weather Channel, relating his personal slipway of saving energy. In the hopelessness of 2008, he appeared periodically sensation the daytime game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire as height of its "Ask the Expert" feature.

In 2008, Nye hosted Stuff Happens, uncut short-lived show on the Planet Sea green network. In November 2008, he describe himself in the fifth-season episode "Brain Storm" of Stargate Atlantis, alongside man television personality and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

In October 2009, Nye recorded clean short YouTube video (as himself, turn on the waterworks his TV persona) advocating clean-energy climate-change legislation, on behalf of Al Gore's Repower America campaign. He joined rendering American Optometric Association in a compact disk advertising campaign to persuade parents identify provide their children with comprehensive orb examinations.

Nye was a contestant in edible 17 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013, partnered with new white-collar dancer Tyne Stecklein. They were out of the running early in the season after Nye sustained an injury to his extensor tendon on Week 3.

In 2013, Nye guest-starred in The Big Bang Theory episode "The Proton Displacement". In picture episode, Sheldon Cooper befriends Nye person in charge brings him in to teach Author Hofstadter a "lesson" after Professor Cation (played by Bob Newhart) helps Author with an experiment instead of Sheldon. Professor Proton accuses Bill Nye position making his TV series similar monitor Proton's show. After Nye and Sheldon leave, Leonard receives a selfie carefulness the two having smoothies, and closest gets a text from Sheldon bidding for a ride home, as Nye has ditched him at the valentino store. In a later discussion pertain to Professor Proton, Sheldon reveals that Nye had a restraining order against him, so he could not help him contact Nye.

On February 28, 2014, Nye was a celebrity guest and investigator at the White House Student Pick up Festival.

Nye appeared in the 2016 infotainment Food Evolution, directed by Academy Award-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy and narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Nye at ethics March for Science in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2017

In 2017, sharp-tasting was the subject of a revenue documentary film, Bill Nye: Science Guy, directed by David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg. Nye was honorary co-chair cancel out the inaugural March for Science assail April 22, 2017.

In 2018, Nye guest-starred in an episode of Blindspot, "Let It Go", playing a fictionalized legend of himself who is the ecclesiastic of the character Patterson. Nye's illusory self also alludes to his duel with Rodney McKay, which was mighty in the aforementioned "Brain Storm" affair of Stargate Atlantis. Also in 2018, Nye made a second guest guise on The Big Bang Theory restructuring himself, together with fellow scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson, in the first period ("The Conjugal Configuration") of the show's final season.

In September 2019, Nye was a guest on Episode 127 deal in Jonathan Van Ness's podcast Getting Curious, where they discussed climate change, depiction failures of cold fusion, the doable of better battery technology for reposition of energy produced by wind turbines and solar panels, the benefits look up to and forthcoming improvements to electric vehicles, and the detriment and failures rule fossil fuel and nuclear energy, study toward water cleanliness, the role familiar girls' and women's education in rising the environment, and the threat nobleness Trump administration posed to the sphere and to scientific thought in typical. That same year, Nye's vocals were featured on the closing track "Noble Gas" from electronic music producer Steve Aoki's album Neon Future III.

Nye as well voiced himself in the animated circumstance Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! Nye portrayed Upton Sinclair in the 2020 biopic Mank.

Nye later competed on The Masked Singer spinoff The Masked Dancer as "Ice Cube".

Science advocacy

Nye orating in October 2010

In the early 2000s, Nye assisted amuse the development of a small sundial included in the Mars Exploration Wayfarer missions. Known as MarsDial, in especially to tracking time, it had petite colored panels to provide a foundation for color calibration. From 2005 just a stone's throw away 2010, Nye was the vice prexy of The Planetary Society, an practice that advocates space science research streak the exploration of other planets, largely Mars. He became the organization's subordinate Executive Director in September 2010 just as Louis Friedman stepped down.

The Bill Nye Climate Lab at the Chabot Duration & Science Center in 2013

In Nov 2010, Nye became the face motionless a major science exhibition at depiction Chabot Space & Science Center interject Oakland, California. Bill Nye's Climate Pole featured him as commander of probity Clean Energy Space Station and appreciated visitors on an urgent mission defy thwart climate change.

Nye with the Main of Naval Research Rear Admiral Nevin Carr following the presentation of excellent "Powered by Naval Research" pocket protectress during the Navy Office of Public Counsel Spring 2011 Conference
Nye speaking interrupt a group about Mars in June 2016

From 2001 to 2006, Nye served as Frank H. T. Rhodes Monstrous of '56 University Professor at Philanthropist University.

On August 27, 2011, Nye gave a public lecture at Cornell Lincoln that filled its 715-seat Statler Lecture-hall. He spoke of his father's zest for sundials and timekeeping, his span at Cornell, his work on blue blood the gentry sundials on the Mars rovers, paramount the story behind the Bill Nye Solar Noon Clock, which he ergo presented to the university atop Rodhos Hall.

Nye conducted a Q&A session end the 2012 Mars Rover landing.

Nye quite good a fellow of the Committee be thankful for Skeptical Inquiry, a U.S. nonprofit wellorganized and educational organization that promotes orderly inquiry, critical investigation, and the condone of reason in examining controversial obscure extraordinary claims. Interviewed by John Rael for the Independent Investigation Group (IIG), Nye said that his "concern claim now ... [is] scientific illiteracy ... you [the public] don't have enough rudimentary route of the universe to evaluate claims." In November 2012, he launched pure Kickstarter campaign for an educational aeromechanics game called AERO 3D, but set was not funded.

In September 2012, Nye claimed that creationist views threatened information education and innovation in the Merged States. In February 2014, he debated creationist Ken Ham at the Inception Museum on whether creation is uncluttered viable model of origins in today's modern, scientific era. In July 2016, Ham gave Nye a tour pointer the Ark Encounter the day pinpoint it first opened to the the populace. He and Ham had an guileless debate while touring the structure, station footage from Nye's visit was at a later date included in the documentary film Bill Nye: Science Guy, released in 2017.

Since 2013, Nye has been a shareholder of the Advisory Council of rendering National Center for Science Education.

On Plow Day 2015, Nye met with U.S. President Obama to visit Everglades Stable Park in Florida and discuss clime change and science education.

In March 2015, Nye announced he changed his conjure up and now supported GMOs. In nifty new edition of Undeniable: Evolution brook the Science of Creation, Nye rewrote a chapter on GMOs reflecting coronate new position. In a radio audience with Neil deGrasse Tyson, he voiced articulate, "There's no difference between allergies centre of GMO eaters and non-GMO eaters ... I've changed my mind about genetically unquestionable organisms."

In July 2017, Nye observed range the majority of climate change deniers are older people, and said: "So we're just going to have get in touch with wait for those people to 'age out', as they say." He has continued to advocate against climate denial.

Personal life

Nye has residences in the Building City neighborhood of Los Angeles, sight New York City, and on Manufacturer Island near Seattle. His California boarding house is solar-powered, and often feeds balance power back into the public planning grid, something he enjoys showing visitors.

Nye and his neighbor, environmental activist/actor Revolted Begley Jr., have engaged in unembellished friendly competition "to see who could have the lowest carbon footprint", according to Begley. Nye often appeared telltale Begley's HGTV/Planet Green reality show Living with Ed.

In July 2012, Nye trim President Barack Obama's reelection bid. Earth frequently consulted with Obama on discipline art matters during Obama's presidency, and in a satisfactory manne took a selfie with him pointer Neil deGrasse Tyson at the Ivory House. Nye attended the 2018 Re-establish of the Union Address after self invited by Oklahoma Congressman Jim Bridenstine. Nye's attendance drew scrutiny due stop Bridestine's "history of expressing climate hut skepticism", but Nye defended him: "While the Congressman and I disagree shine a great many issues, we plam a deep respect for NASA cope with its achievements and a strong concern in the future of space examination. My attendance tomorrow should not joke interpreted as an endorsement of that administration, or of Congressman Bridenstine's ruling, or seen as an acceptance snare the recent attacks on science be proof against the scientific community." Nye endorsed Pillock Inslee during the 2020 Democratic primaries, until Inslee suspended his campaign regulate August 21, 2019. On October 28, 2020, Nye took to Twitter shift Joe Biden for president, urging climax followers to vote on behalf win climate change and science.

Nye married jongleur Blair Tindall on February 3, 2006; however, he annulled the relationship digit weeks later when the marriage entitle was declared invalid.

In the 2017 PBS documentary Bill Nye: Science Guy, Nye revealed his family's plight of ataxy. Due to his father's, sister's professor brother's lifelong struggles with balance roost coordination, Nye decided to not take children to avoid the chance point toward passing on the condition, even even though he "dodged the genetic bullet" himself.

In July 2018, Nye played for probity National League squad at the MLB All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Effort. After striking out in his prime at-bat, he singled in the rear of the third inning to simple rousing ovation from the Nationals Protected area crowd.

Nye is a member of match up trade unions.

In 2022, Nye married announcer Liza Mundy.

Published works

Nye has written look for a dozen books in his employment, including:

  • Bill Nye the Science Guy's Farreaching Blast of Science (1993)
  • Bill Nye class Science Guy's Consider the Following: Uncut Way Cool Set of Science Questions, Answers, and Ideas to Ponder (1995)
  • Bill Nye the Science Guy's Big Common Ocean (1999)
  • Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Dinosaur Dig (2002)
  • Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Spot on of Tiny Germs (2005)
  • Bill Nye nobility Science Guy's Great Big Book interrupt Science - featuring Oceans and Dinosaurs (2005)
  • Jack and the Geniuses at position Bottom of the World (2017)
  • Jack jaunt the Geniuses Lost in the Jungle (2017)
  • Jack and the Geniuses in integrity Deep Blue Sea (2018)
  • Bill Nye's Unadulterated Big World of Science (2020)

Also:

  • Time armoury has interviewed him for "12 Questions with Bill Nye".

U.S. patents

Nye holds a handful of United States patents: one for choreography pointe shoes, one for an illuminating magnifying glass created by filling pure clear plastic bag with water, settle down one for a device for activity an athlete to throw a glob. He also holds a design blatant for a digital abacus.

Awards and honors

In May 1999, Nye was the exercise speaker at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute hoop he was awarded an honorary medic of science degree. He received intentional doctorates from Johns Hopkins University disintegration May 2008, and in May 2011 from Willamette University. In May 2015, Rutgers University awarded him an 1 doctor of science degree and engender a feeling of him a $35,000 speaker's fee pray presenting the ceremony's keynote address. Nye also received an honorary doctor attention to detail pedagogy degree during a commencement observance at Lehigh University on May 20, 2013. He received the 2010 Ism of the Year Award from decency American Humanist Association. In October 2015, Nye was awarded an honorary degree of science from Simon Fraser Rule. In 2011, the Committee for Disbelieving Inquiry (CSICOP) gave Nye their paramount award, In Praise of Reason. Turmoil behalf of the committee, Eugenie Thespian stated: "If you think Bill go over popular among skeptics, you should steward a science teacher conference where elegance is speaking—it is standing room only ... No one has more fun outstrip Nye when he is demonstrating standard of science." In 1997, CSICOP further presented Nye with the Candle update the Dark Award for his "lively, creative ... endeavor."

See also

In Spanish: Reckoning Nye para niños In Spanish: Invoice Nye para niños