SEATTLE Before he was Bill Nye the Science Guy, he was just a guy, working as an engineer at Boeing, when he happened to pop into a comedy club. "It was kinda funny, because they were in my studio one day to record a song. The debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham on the question "Is Creation A Viable Model of Origins?" was held February 4, 2014, at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky.. Ken Ham, founder and chief executive officer of the Young Earth creationist (YEC) ministry Answers in Genesis (AiG), challenged Bill Nye, a science educator best known for hosting the 1990s television series Bill Nye the . It premiered on August 25, 2022, with six episodes. I was working on the Nye theme as they walked in and I told them, 'Hey, do me a favor and go in the booth and chant 'Bill, Bill, Bill' over and over again.' If you look back on all the teachers that you liked, I am sure you will find they were very entertaining. 1 on iTunes", "Bill Nye the Science Guy, Vol. Research studies found that regular viewers were better at explaining scientific ideas than non-viewers. Nye Labs, the production offices and set where the show was recorded, was in a converted clothing warehouse near Seattle's Kingdome. Updated: 7:46 PM PDT June 22, 2020. [23] Noggin and Nye chose not to develop new episodes of the show, and instead created original shorts featuring Nye, in character and costume from Bill Nye the Science Guy. He Has a Lot of Degrees In 1994 and 1995, Walt Disney Home Video released five volumes of Bill Nye the Science Guy, such as "The Human Body: The Inside Scoop", "Powerful Forces: All Pumped Up", "Dinosaurs: Those Big Boneheads", "Reptiles & Insects: Leapin' Lizards", and "Outer Space: Way Out There". The show has featured many guest appearances. 1995. Kool J. They had no idea what it was for, but they're cool, so they did. He is best known as the host of the science education television show Bill Nye the Science Guy (19931999) and as a science educator in pop culture. His father was held in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, where he had no electricity for four years. [105], Nye and his neighbor, environmental activist/actor Ed Begley Jr., have engaged in a friendly competition "to see who could have the lowest carbon footprint", according to Begley. All Rights Reserved. In July 2018, Nye played for the National League squad at the MLB All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. When Greene was enlisted to write the theme song, the show's producers requested that the song "not sound like a kid's show"; the final result was accordingly uncommon for the time. (with Bill lip-syncing), "Inertia is a property of matter", and "T-minus seven seconds". Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The show was primarily funded by the National Science Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the annual financial support from the viewers/stations of the PBS network. From 2005 to 2010, he served as vice president and then as second executive director of The Planetary Society, one of the largest space-interest groups in the world. : What Seattle Sketch Comedy Gave to Us", "On Seattle TV, It's a Comic, It's an Engineer It's Science Guy! Also Known As: William Sanford Nye, Bill Nye the Science Guy, mother: Jacqueline, Jacqueline Jenkins-Nye. After striking out in his first at-bat, he singled in the bottom of the third inning to a rousing ovation from the Nationals Park crowd. By 1986, Nye was finally ready to make the leap and quit his job at Boeing to take a stab at a full-time comedy career. The program became part of a package of syndicated series that local stations could schedule to fulfill Children's Television Act requirements. Bill Nye is an American television presenter, science communicator, and educator. Nye got his start in comedy after winning a .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Steve Martin look-alike contest and went on to work as an engineer by day and a stand-up comic by night. Most people know him as Bill Nye, the Science Guy, which was largely due to his scientific career and a mechanical engineering degree.His rise to fame was credited to a show on KCTS-TV named Bill Nye, the Science Guy that ran from 1993 to 1998, and was the reason he got that nickname. A video game based on the series was released in 1996, and a subsequent television show for adults, Bill Nye Saves the World, was broadcast two decades later. He eventually quit his day job and became a comedy writer and performer on the show Almost Live. The show became extremely popular and won a lot of TV . The Bill Nye the Science Guy theme song was written by songwriter (and former math teacher) Mike Greene. [120] In the United Kingdom, it was distributed on VHS by ViewTech, Bristol. Wizard. He corrected Keister on his pronunciation of the word "gigawatt", and Keister responded, "Who do you think you areBill Nye the Science Guy? After graduating from Cornell University, he moved to Seattle to work as a mechanical engineer for Boeing and eventually became a comedy show writer and performer. Shortly after reading my article, Nye began discussing philosophy with his friend David Kyle Johnson, a . Nye was born November 27, 1955,[7][8] in Washington, D.C., to Jacqueline Jenkins (19212000), who was a codebreaker during World War II, and Edwin Darby "Ned" Nye (19171997), who also served in World War II and worked as a contractor building an airstrip on Wake Island. After the opening credits, announcer Pat Cashman says "Brought to you by", in which a product name is related to the episode's theme. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [9] His persona's first on-air appearance, as it is contemporarily known, occurred on January 10, 1987, by circumstance when the primary guest for that night's performance of Almost Live! "[20], A famous incident on the show led to Nye's stage name. He is also a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a nonprofit scientific and educational organization that aims to promote scientific inquiry and critical investigation: Nye has said that he is concerned about scientific illiteracy and wants to help teach the use of reason in examining controversial and extraordinary claims. He was made the vice president of The Planetary Society in 2005. [5] During his tenure on the show, Nye began cultivating a science-explaining TV persona; the first instance of the persona occurred in 1985 when Nye called Shafer on-air to correct his pronunciation of the word "gigawatt", to which Shafer retorted, "Who do you think you are Bill Nye the Science Guy? [46], Nye was a contestant in season 17 of Dancing with the Stars in 2013, partnered with new professional dancer Tyne Stecklein. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Nye_the_Science_Guy&oldid=1142149610, 1990s American children's comedy television series, 1990s American sketch comedy television series, American children's education television series, American television series with live action and animation, Television shows filmed in Washington (state), Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. [5] He combines the serious science of everyday things with fast-paced action and humor. The show didn't air until a year later, so it wasn't until then that they understood what this was really for. Shafer suggested. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 19:52. Both his parents were World War II veterans; his mother was a code-breaker, while his father spent four years in a prisoner-of-war camp. [35] Its ability to make science entertaining and accessible made it a popular teaching tool in classrooms. The experience made Edwin a sundial enthusiast, with his son later becoming one himself. We had an exciting day at the Ark Encounter today! See a demonstration of how cigarette smoke can infiltrate and injure lungs. He earned a mechanical engineering degree from Cornell University. In a recent video, Bill also re-emphasized the importance of wearing masks, which has led some people to wonder how much expertise is behind all of Bill's claims. [14][15] He moved to Ithaca, New York to attend Cornell University and study at the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Birthday: November 27, 1955 ( Sagittarius) Born In: Washington, D.C., United States 176 19 TV Presenters #9 Mechanical Engineers #6 Media Personalities #7 Quick Facts Nick Name: The Science Guy Also Known As: William Sanford Nye, Bill Nye the Science Guy Age: 67 Years, 67 Year Old Males Family: Spouse/Ex-: Blair Tindall (m. 2006-2006) [3], Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the series in its entirety on DVD, as part of the series' 20th anniversary. At the end of each episode, Nye thanks the viewers for watching, before explaining in a clever description of a theme's activity. The official website of Bill Nye The Science Guy featuring books, shows, appearances, episode guides, and home demos. Take a listen - stitcher.com/podcast/earwolf/getting-curious-with-jonathan-van-ness @Stitcher @earwolf", "Exclusive Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo! [20], Nye quit his job at Boeing on October 3, 1986, to focus on his burgeoning comedy career. When surveyed whether Nye was a scientist or actor and comedian, most students asserted he was a scientist, though many said both. Days after a wide-ranging debate on creationism and evolution between Bill Nye and Ken Ham, the event is driving an online conversation. Bill Nye was originally an engineer for the 747 airliner at Boeing, having moved to Seattle in 1977 after he was accepted for the position. Nye is a member of two trade unions. Education [56], In October 2009, Nye recorded a short YouTube video (as himself, not his TV persona) advocating clean-energy climate-change legislation, on behalf of Al Gore's Repower America campaign. [41] The show, which eventually premiered in 2005, lasted only one season. [3] Studies also found that people that viewed Bill Nye regularly were better able to generate explanations and extensions of scientific ideas than non-viewers.[4]. Before his show launched, Nye had previously worked alongside Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future: The Animated Series, where he played Doc Brown's assistant and demonstrated several experiments. [5], As Nye produced more demonstrations for Almost Live!, he began to develop the idea of a show featuring his "Science Guy" persona; KING-TV declined his proposal, though he eventually received assistance from station alumni James McKenna and Erren Gottlieb. McKenna and Gottlieb all met while McKenna was a producer on Almost Live!, a Seattle-based comedy show.[16]. It was produced by television station KCTS and McKenna/Gottlieb Producers and distributed . Airdates were taken from the Newspaper Archives. Nye's Science Guy character is also heard in a voice-over in the DINOSAUR attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom,[38] and was the on-air spokesman for the Noggin television network in 1999. We want your voice. Nye later competed on The Masked Singer spinoff The Masked Dancer as "Ice Cube". Good thing Im not touchy about my singing!' Bill Nye's real name or birth name is William Sanford Nye. Bill Nye, pseudonym of Edgar Wilson Nye, (born Aug. 25, 1850, Shirley, Maine, U.S.died Feb. 22, 1896, Arden, N.C.), journalist and one of the major American humorists in the last half of the 19th century. [49] In 2007, he also hosted an eight-part Discovery Channel series, Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Nye is in an affable competition with the environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. [81] Interviewed by John Rael for the Independent Investigation Group (IIG), Nye said that his "concern right now [is] scientific illiteracy you [the public] don't have enough rudimentary knowledge of the universe to evaluate claims. NOTE: The Production Codes were taken from the United States Copyright Office. After attending the private Sidwell Friends School, Nye enrolled at Cornell University, where he studied mechanical engineering. [70] Nye portrayed Upton Sinclair in the 2020 biopic Mank. A CD-ROM based on the series, titled Bill Nye the Science Guy: Stop the Rock!, was released in 1996 for Windows and Macintosh by Pacific Interactive. [47], From 2000 to 2002, Nye was the technical expert on BattleBots. He made the show for the KCTS television show. [57] He joined the American Optometric Association in a multimedia advertising campaign to persuade parents to provide their children with comprehensive eye examinations. "Why don't you do that science stuff?" [44], His next series, The End is Nye, was ordered by Peacock in March 2021. So we kept my voice on there. Nye has patents for ballet pointe shoes, educational magnifying glass, etc. It sounded great, so that's the version we kept. [9][10][11][12] Jenkins-Nye was among a small elite group of young women known as "Goucher Girls", alumnae of Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, whom the Navy enlisted to help crack codes used by Japan and Germany. [50], A lecture Nye gave on getting children excited about math inspired the creation of the crime drama Numb3rs, where Nye appeared in several episodes as an engineering professor. He also hosted the 100 Greatest Discoveries show and began appearing in videos for several attractions at Walt Disney World and Epcot, including one with Ellen DeGeneres. How tall is Bill Nye? [32] The series was produced by Walt Disney Television and Rabbit Ears Productions, and distributed by Disney. In one study, it was found that viewers of the program made more observations and sophisticated classifications than non-viewers. Bill Nye was born William Sanford Nye on November 27, 1955, in Washington D.C., USA, to Jacqueline Nye and Edwin Darby Nye. Bill Nye the Science Guy ran from 1993 to 1998, and was one of the most-watched educational TV shows in the United States. [7] Nye eventually left Boeing in 1985 to join Shafer and Keister in writing and performing for Almost Live!, a then-fledgling sketch comedy television show produced by local NBC affiliate KING-TV. Thanks to the popularity of Back to the Future: The Animated Series, Nye landed an educational television program titled Bill Nye the Science Guy. The show, which ran from 1993 to 1998, had 100 episodes. [59] In the episode, Sheldon Cooper befriends Nye and brings him in to teach Leonard Hofstadter a "lesson" after Professor Proton (played by Bob Newhart) helps Leonard with an experiment instead of Sheldon. Menswear designer Nick Graham cast the beloved '90s TV geek to narrate his Mars-themed galactic runway show for Fall 2017 (oh, and astronaut Buzz Aldrin has been chosen as the closing model). [125] He also holds a design patent for a digital abacus. [48] In 2004 and 2005, he hosted 100 Greatest Discoveries, an award-winning series produced by THINKFilm for The Science Channel, broadcast in high definition on the Discovery HD Theater network. "[5][8][9] As a result, Nye was subsequently asked to give scientific answers to the show's call-in questions. Knowing that Nye was a super science genius outside of his nightly thespian routine . Settling in Laramie, Wyo., in 1876, he served as postmaster and justice of the peace and contributed to the Denver Tribune and Cheyenne Sun. In the shorts, Nye's "Science Guy" persona worked as the "head sparkologist" of Noggin,[24] and he tried to find out what topics sparked viewers' imaginations. What is Bill Nye's real name? Sagittarius TV Show Host #1. The showwhich proudly proclaimed in its theme song that "science rules! "[23], In conjunction with the production of Bill Nye the Science Guy, KCTS-TV conducted several research studies that evaluated how effective the program was as an educational tool. In 2012, Nye appeared on CNN to express his views on the devastating natural repercussions of nuclear incidents in Japan. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. . Bill has dedicated his career to making science interesting for people of all ages, and in doing so, he's turned an entire generation of young people onto it as a career. Bill Nye Saves the World 2017 | Maturity Rating: TV-14 | 3 Seasons Emmy-winning host Bill Nye brings experts and famous guests to his lab for a talk show exploring scientific issues that touch our lives. Parody of ", "Soundtrack of Science" Parody song: Momentisey "The Faster You Push Me" Parody of ", "Soundtrack of Science" Parody song: No music video the commercial-free PBS version of the episode, however, had a brief spoof entitled "Cold Blooded". [2] After the show's first run was completed, Nye continued to portray the Science Guy character for a number of short interstitial segments for the cable television channel Noggin, which aired during rebroadcasts of Bill Nye the Science Guy. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. "[23], 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. His most recent series, The End is Nye, premiered August 25, 2022, on Peacock and Syfy. "After they approved it, I hired singers because I wanted to make it better. It'd be hard to come up with a reasonable hypothesis that explains the trajectory of Bill Nye's career. My attendance tomorrow should not be interpreted as an endorsement of this administration, or of Congressman Bridenstine's nomination, or seen as an acceptance of the recent attacks on science and the scientific community. ", "Bill Nye on the terrifying ascendancy of American 'dingbatitude', "Bill Nye is angrily telling everyone to get their act together and fight climate change: 'The planet's on f---ing fire', "Eco-Friendly Competition: Who Can Go Greener? He first got his big break on the show from John Keister who met him during an open mic night. Some scientists were skeptical that Bill Nye the Science Guy, who made his name as the host of a TV show for children, could hold . He then invented a digital hydraulic tube. Nye conducted a Q&A session after the 2012 Mars Rover landing. Birth State: Washington, D.C. Jay Inslee announces 2020 presidential bid", "Bill Nye the Science Guy -- Locked in $57,000 Battle with Stalker Ex-Girlfriend", "Documentary reveals how a troubled Bill Nye tries to save the world", "Bill Nye Surprised AOC at SXSW to Talk About Climate Change", "A Fight for the Young Creationist Mindin 'Undeniable', Bill Nye Speaks Evolution Directly to Creationists", "Bill Nye the Science Guy among attractions at Engineering Open House March 8, 9", University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, "Willamette University announces commencement speakers and honorary degree recipients", "Bill Nye tells Rutgers grads to 'change the world' at 2015 commencement", "Bill Nye "The Science Guy" to deliver commencement address", "Humanists hold 69th annual conference San Jose, California", "Bill Nye Receives Honorary Degree From SFU", "Bill Nye Wins In Praise of Reason Award", "Changing The World With Science Education", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Nye&oldid=1140847002, Cornell University College of Engineering alumni, Participants in American reality television series, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Pages using Sister project links with wikidata namespace mismatch, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:01.