Bill Nye Biography

Fast Facts

• Received numerous honorary collegiate degrees including certificates from Johns Hopkins University, Lehigh University and Willamette University
• Received the 2010 Humanist of the Year honor by the American Humanist Association
• Began serving as the vice president of The Planetary Society in 2005, an organization that promotes space research and exploration
• Served as a member of the U․S․ Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, a non-profit scientific organization
• Studied mechanical engineering under astronomer Carl Sagan at Cornell University
• Began his on-screen career as both an actor and comic for local Seattle programming before landing his own series "Bill Nye the Science Guy" in 1993
• Began his professional engineering career with Boeing as a consultant in the '70s
• Quote: "There is nothing cooler than science․ It is very interesting to me․ When you look into my eyes, you believe me because I am passionate about it․"
• Quote: "The joy of discovery is the essence of the scientific enterprise․ That is what the process of science is all about․"
• Starred in numerous educational science programs after "Bill Nye the Science Guy" ended
• Served as producer and writer for television show "Bill Nye the Science Guy․"
• Claimed that he used to apply to become a NASA astronaut every few years while working as an engineer
• Claimed that his love of science stemmed from his father's obsession with sundials, which also inspired him to work on a NASA campaign to equip the Mars Rover with sundials for its first journey in 2012