Bill Nye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Nye
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Nye wearing one of his signature bow ties, 2017
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William Sanford Nye
November 27, 1955 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Education | Cornell University (BS) |
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Blair Tindall
(m. 2006; ann. 2006)Liza Mundy
(m. 2022) |
| Awards | Presidential Medal of Freedom (2025) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mechanical engineering |
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William Sanford Nye (born November 27, 1955) is an American science communicator, TV host, and former mechanical engineer. He is best known as the host of the popular science show Bill Nye the Science Guy. This show ran from 1993 to 1999.
Nye was born in Washington, D.C.. He started his career as an engineer at Boeing in Seattle. There, he invented a special tube used on Boeing 747 airplanes. In 1986, he left engineering to try comedy. He wrote and performed for a local TV show called Almost Live!, where he did funny science experiments.
Nye wanted to create a science show for kids. He successfully presented his idea for Bill Nye the Science Guy to a public TV station in Seattle. The show's theme song famously declared, "science rules!" It aired from 1993 to 1998 across the country. The program was loved by kids and adults. It won 19 Emmy Awards, including one for Nye himself.
After the show, Nye kept promoting science. He became the CEO of The Planetary Society. This group supports space science and exploring other planets. He has written two popular science books. Nye has also appeared on many other TV shows. These include Dancing with the Stars and The Big Bang Theory. A documentary about his life, Bill Nye: Science Guy, came out in 2017. In the same year, his Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World began. His most recent show, The End Is Nye, started in 2022 on Peacock.
Contents
Bill Nye's Early Life and Education
Bill Nye was born on November 27, 1955, in Washington, D.C.. His mother, Jacqueline Jenkins, was a codebreaker during World War II. She helped crack secret codes used by Japan and Germany. His father, Edwin Darby "Ned" Nye, was also in World War II. He worked building an airstrip on Wake Island.
Ned Nye was captured and spent four years in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. Without electricity or watches, he learned to tell time using the shadow of a shovel handle. This sparked his love for sundials. Bill Nye remembers his mother as a "top-secret code breaker."
Nye went to Lafayette Elementary School and Alice Deal Middle School. He then attended Sidwell Friends School for high school on a scholarship. He graduated in 1973.
After high school, he went to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He studied mechanical engineering. His interest in science grew stronger after taking an astronomy class with the famous scientist Carl Sagan at Cornell. In 1977, Nye earned his degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell.
Bill Nye's Career Journey
After college, Nye worked as an engineer for Boeing and Sundstrand Data Control. At Boeing, he invented a special part for Boeing 747 airplanes. He tried four times to join NASA's astronaut program, but he wasn't accepted.
From Engineering to Comedy
Nye started doing stand-up comedy after winning a Steve Martin lookalike contest in 1978. His friends often asked him to do impressions at parties. He found he really enjoyed making people laugh. He worked as an engineer during the day and performed comedy at night. He also volunteered at the Pacific Science Center as a "Science Explainer."
On October 3, 1986, Nye left his job at Boeing to focus on comedy. In 1987, he met with Carl Sagan at Cornell. Nye told Sagan he wanted to create a science TV show. Sagan advised him to "Focus on pure science." This turned out to be excellent advice.
Bill Nye's Television Shows
In 1986, Nye worked on a local comedy show in Seattle called Almost Live! He got his big chance when a guest canceled. The cohost asked Nye to fill seven minutes of airtime. Nye entertained the audience with funny science demonstrations. He once showed what happened when you ate a marshmallow dipped in liquid nitrogen.
A famous moment on the show led to his nickname. He corrected the host on how to say "gigawatt." The host replied, "Who do you think you are—Bill Nye the Science Guy?" People loved his science experiments. He even won an Emmy for one of his segments. Later, he hosted a radio show where he answered science questions.
Nye also appeared on other shows. He hosted Fabulous Wetlands, an educational show about Washington's wetlands. He explained why it's important to protect estuaries and avoid pollution. This show was a lot like his later famous series. He also appeared on the Disney Channel's All-New Mickey Mouse Club. From 1991 to 1993, he was on Back to the Future: The Animated Series.
Bill Nye the Science Guy
In 1993, Nye worked with others to create a pilot for a new show. It was called Bill Nye the Science Guy. They described it as "Mr. Wizard meets Pee-wee's Playhouse". The show received funding from the National Science Foundation. It became one of the most-watched educational TV shows in the United States.
As "The Science Guy," Nye wore a light blue lab coat and a bow tie. The show's offices and set were in a converted warehouse in Seattle. Even though it was for younger viewers, many adults also watched it. The show made science fun and easy to understand. This made it a popular teaching tool in classrooms. It won 19 Emmy Awards. Studies showed that regular viewers were better at explaining scientific ideas.
Besides the TV show, Nye wrote several books as The Science Guy. He also appeared at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. He was in the Ellen's Energy Adventure attraction at Epcot. His voice is also heard in the DINOSAUR ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
The Eyes of Nye and Other Shows
After Bill Nye the Science Guy, Nye worked on a new project called The Eyes of Nye. This show was for an older audience. It talked about more serious science topics. These included genetically modified food and global warming. The show aired in 2005 but only lasted one season. Nye later said that not wearing his bow tie on the show was a mistake.
In 2016, Netflix announced a new series with Nye. It was called Bill Nye Saves the World. It started in 2017 and ran for three seasons. His next series, The End is Nye, premiered in 2022 on Peacock. In this show, Nye explores natural and unnatural disasters. He explains them scientifically and talks about how to survive or prevent them.
Other Media Appearances
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From 2000 to 2002, Nye was a technical expert on the show BattleBots. He also hosted 100 Greatest Discoveries and Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye on the Science Channel.
Nye's lecture about getting kids excited about math helped inspire the TV show Numb3rs. He appeared in several episodes as an engineering professor. He also made guest appearances on America's Most Smartest Model and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
In 2008, Nye hosted Stuff Happens. He also played himself in an episode of Stargate Atlantis with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In 2009, he made a YouTube video supporting clean energy. He also worked with the American Optometric Association to encourage eye exams for children.
In 2013, Nye was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. He had to leave early because of an injury.
In the same year, Nye guest-starred in The Big Bang Theory episode "The Proton Displacement". He played himself. He later appeared again on The Big Bang Theory in 2018 with Neil deGrasse Tyson.
In 2017, a documentary film about him, Bill Nye: Science Guy, was released. Nye was also an honorary co-chair for the first March for Science in Washington, D.C.
In 2018, Nye guest-starred in an episode of Blindspot. He played a fictional version of himself who was the father of a character. In 2019, he was a guest on a podcast where he discussed climate change and clean energy. His voice was also featured on a song by electronic music producer Steve Aoki.
Nye also voiced himself in the animated movie Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! He played a character in the 2020 movie Mank. He later competed on The Masked Dancer as "Ice Cube."
Bill Nye's Science Advocacy
In the early 2000s, Nye helped create a small sundial for the Mars Exploration Rover missions. This sundial, called MarsDial, helped track time and calibrate colors. From 2005 to 2010, Nye was the vice president of The Planetary Society. This group supports space science and exploring other planets, especially Mars. He became the group's Executive Director in 2010.
In 2010, Nye became the face of a science exhibit in California. The Bill Nye Climate Lab invited visitors on a mission to fight climate change.
From 2001 to 2006, Nye was a professor at Cornell University. In 2011, he gave a public lecture at Cornell. He talked about his father's love for sundials and his own work on the Mars rovers. He also presented a special sundial to the university.
Nye is a member of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. This group promotes scientific thinking and investigates unusual claims. Nye has said that a big concern is "scientific illiteracy." He believes people need basic science knowledge to understand claims.
In 2012, Nye said that creationist views threaten science education in the U.S. In 2014, he debated creationist Ken Ham about whether creationism is a valid scientific model. In 2016, Ham gave Nye a tour of the Ark Encounter. Footage from Nye's visit was in the documentary Bill Nye: Science Guy.
Since 2013, Nye has been on the Advisory Council of the National Center for Science Education. On Earth Day 2015, Nye met with U.S. President Obama. They visited Everglades National Park to discuss climate change and science education.
In March 2015, Nye changed his mind about GMOs. He now supports them. He rewrote a chapter in his book to reflect his new view. He said there's no difference in allergies between people who eat GMOs and those who don't.
In 2017, Nye noted that most climate change deniers are older people. He said we might have to wait for them to "age out." He continues to speak out against climate denial.
Bill Nye's Personal Life
Nye has homes in Los Angeles, New York City, and near Seattle. His California house uses solar power. He enjoys showing visitors how it sends extra power back to the public grid.
Nye and his neighbor, actor Ed Begley Jr., have a friendly competition. They try to see who can have the lowest carbon footprint. Nye often appeared on Begley's TV show Living with Ed.
In 2012, Nye supported President Barack Obama's reelection. He often advised Obama on science. He famously took a selfie with Obama and Neil deGrasse Tyson at the White House. Nye attended the 2018 State of the Union Address. He later supported Joe Biden for president in 2020. He urged people to vote for climate change and science.
Nye married musician Blair Tindall in 2006. However, he ended the marriage seven weeks later because the license was not valid.
In a 2017 documentary, Nye shared that his family has a condition called ataxia. This condition affects balance and coordination. Because his father, sister, and brother struggled with it, Nye decided not to have children. He wanted to avoid passing on the condition.
In 2018, Nye played in the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game. He got a hit, which made the crowd cheer loudly.
Nye married journalist Liza Mundy in 2022.
Bill Nye's Published Books
Nye has written many books, including:
- Bill Nye the Science Guy's Big Blast of Science (1993)
- Bill Nye the Science Guy's Consider the Following: A Way Cool Set of Science Questions, Answers, and Ideas to Ponder (1995)
- Bill Nye the Science Guy's Big Blue Ocean (1999)
- Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Dinosaur Dig (2002)
- Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Tiny Germs (2005)
- Bill Nye the Science Guy's Great Big Book of Science - featuring Oceans and Dinosaurs (2005)
- Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World (2017)
- Jack and the Geniuses Lost in the Jungle (2017)
- Jack and the Geniuses in the Deep Blue Sea (2018)
- Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science (2020)
Bill Nye's U.S. Patents
Nye holds three United States patents. One is for ballet pointe shoes. Another is for an educational magnifying glass made by filling a clear plastic bag with water. The third is for a device to help athletes throw a ball. He also has a design patent for a digital abacus.
Awards and Honors for Bill Nye
Nye has received many awards and honorary degrees. In 1999, he received an honorary doctor of science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also received honorary doctorates from Johns Hopkins University (2008) and Willamette University (2011). In 2015, Rutgers University gave him an honorary doctor of science degree.
In 2010, he received the Humanist of the Year Award. In 2011, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry gave him their highest award, In Praise of Reason. They noted that "No one has more fun than Nye when he is demonstrating principles of science." In 1997, he also received the Candle in the Dark Award for his "lively, creative" work. In 2024, Nye received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On January 4, 2025, President Joe Biden awarded Nye the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Presidential Medal of Freedom, United States (January 4th, 2025)
See also
In Spanish: Bill Nye para niños
