Posted
on November 27, 2013
A
lot of “science guys” aren't famous. Perhaps especially the
mechanical engineers who apply every few years to NASA to become
astronauts, but are rejected each and every time!
But
Bill Nye crafted an entertainer / educator role for himself, somehow,
and has become one of the most famous science educators around.
Perhaps
he was inspired by one of his college professors, who also became a
science educator and media darling, Carl Sagan. Perhaps he realized
that he liked being in front of a camera when he worked at Boeing
starring in training films. Perhaps it was because a television show
host teased him and created that famous rhyming name, Bill Nye the
Science Guy.
Why
would a TV show host tease a mechanical engineer? Well, the host of
Almost Live! mispronounced a word, gigawatt,
pronouncing it jigawatt.
Bill Nye called in to correct the mistake. And the host asked him,
“Who do you think you are—Bill Nye the Science Guy?”
Perhaps
the host didn't like being corrected. Or perhaps the host was a
genius who knew how to use a call-in to recruit a new actor for the
sketch comedy show.
Because
Nye became “the Science Guy” on the show. From there he earned a
nonspeaking role as an assistant and demonstrator on Back
to the Future: The Animated Series,
and eventually his own show—called, of course, Bill Nye
the Science Guy. That show lured
a wider audience than expected, including adults, and became popular
as a teaching aid in schools. And Nye wasn't just the eager science
buff on-camera—he wrote for the show and became a producer as well.
Nye's Science Guy persona became popular enough to be the subject of
parody, and Nye joked right back.
 |
| Nye is sometimes called "a firebrand for science." |
Becoming
a cultural icon
Even
though Nye's show ended after 100 episodes, in 1998, Nye continued to
act and teach science and act some more. From acting in movies to
being the voice-over in features at Walt Disney World, from hosting
TV specials to guest starring in shows such as Numb3rs
and The Big Bang Theory,
from being one of the “stars” on Dancing with the Stars
to being an on-camera expert on television news programs, Nye has
continued to help people understand science, help people laugh, or
both at once!
Bill
Nye is very involved with two organizations I like to promote. He is
a fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, and he is the
Executive Director of The Planetary Society.
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