How Bill Nye Became "The Science Guy"

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How Bill Nye Became "The Science Guy"

June 3rd, 2015

Awake Goy

In our very first edition of “Tuesdays with Bill,” Bill (with an assist from Kiera) goes back to the beginning and tells the story of how “Bill Nye the Science Guy” came to be. Do you want to ask Bill a question for a future “Tuesdays with Bill?” Click here to learn how to submit: ().Read more at : Big Think here:YouTube: : : – Kiera: Hi my name is Kiera and my question for you is what was your influence to start Bill Nye. Like did someone ask you to or why do you still continue it?Bill Nye: Kiera thats a great question. Let the record show I did not cue Kiera to ask this question. She said why did I start doing the science guy. So I had very influential teachers. I had great teachers when I was in school. And then I got a job at Boeing in Seattle. It was a long way. I grew up back East. I grew up in Washington For those of you not in North America, I went 5,000 kilometers from home, 3,000 miles from home. And I didnt really know anybody. I started I was a Big Brother, a United Way Big Brother, and I started volunteering at the Pacific Science Center which is still there, one of my beloved institutions. And I was a science explainer because Im a mechanical engineer. I took a lot of science. I especially took a lot of physics. I took a lot of physics. And so I was a science explainer and it was fun. And then I was w jet, a navigation system for business jets that was going to be two-thirds as big as the one it was going to compete with in the marketplace you cant do that in three months. And these guys were obsessed with it. And I just decided I wanted to effect the wanted to affect people like you Kiera. And I was in a writers meeting and we needed six minutes of not only was I working on a drawing board making just tiny, very precise instruments that can detect the gravitational pull of the moon every day. Not only was I doing that, I was writing jokes for a comedy show in Seattle. And we had to fill six minutes which in television is a long time. And this guy whos still just a dear friend of mine, Ross Shafer, said why dont you do that stuff youre always talking about Bill. That stuff about the science. You could be, I dont know, Bill Nye, The Science Guy, or something. Ross Shafer is the guys name. And then he left. He had to go do his radio show. He was a DJ in Seattle. And I thought thats a good idea. So I did that. Household uses of liquid nitrogen because, you know, we all have liquid nitrogen around. Of course we do. And it was funny. And that led to this I had this idea. I want to be the next television science communicator. The next television science educator. I grew up with a guy named Don Herbert whose theatrical name was Mr. Wizard. He was just a great guy and I wanted to carry the torch. And Im just delighted that you watch the show. I love you Kiera. Thank you.

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