The most successful science educator in America today is a bow tie wearing former mechanical engineer who originally set out to show kids how much fun science can be. He went on to become a house-hold name and is now known to millions as Bill Nye the Science Guy. But Bill is much more than a scientist, he is an engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, and he's a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society in which everyone understands and appreciates the science that makes our world work.
Steven "DS" Andrew: How did a mechanical engineer at Boeing end up being a household name in science?
Bill Nye: I always liked show biz and got to make a few training films at Boeing. Soon after I got the idea of a science show geared toward kids, around ages 8 through 12. Disney picked it up and it was a blast for me; there's a lot of great science and fun to be had playing around with dry ice, fire extinguishers, baking soda and vinegar, stuff like that. But within the first few episodes we found out adults were watching too! That was surprising, but looking back it makes sense, because that's a fun level for science and it's a level anyone can understand. After that the show just took off.
DS: You and I have talked a bit about climate change, where do you publicly stand on that?
Bill Nye: Climate change is happening, humans are causing it, and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us. And we don't have to look too far away to see why. Last week I attended NASA's Venus Exploration Group in Madison, WI, the data presented there was alarming.
There is good evidence that Venus once had liquid water and a much thinner atmosphere, similar to earth billions of years ago. But today the surface of Venus is dry as a bone, hot enough to melt lead, there are clouds of sulfuric acid that reach a hundred miles high and the air is so thick it's like being 900 meters deep in the ocean. It's the closest planet to earth and we can't even say for sure if there are giant active volcanoes on it, because that intense heat and thick air smother everything. Venus is a big science experiment, a real-life demonstration, of what happens when the greenhouse effect spirals out of control globally. So when I meet people who are skeptical of climate change, I have to ask them why? Whose interests do they think that serves? Certainly not ours. Certainly not earth's.
DS: You're now serving as Executive Director of the Planetary Society, how do you feel about the future of US space exploration, commercial crew, or unmanned vs manned?
Bill Nye: NASA is an engine of innovation and inspiration as well as the world's premier space exploration agency, and we are well served by politicians working to keep it that way, instead of turning it into a mere jobs program, or worse, cutting its budget. Part of the agency's mission is to inspire students and boost them into careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. NASA's education funding comes from its science and technology budgets. With the technology budget cut, there's not enough money for these educational programs. That money needs to be restored.
I've written at length in support of commercial crew. Right now I don't think congress really understands the issue, so we need to do a better job explaining it. If NASA is to reach beyond the Moon and someday reach Mars, it must be relieved of the burden of launching people and cargo to low earth orbit. To do that, we must invest more in commercial spaceflight. The proposed House-Senate authorization bill would spend $900 million on buying seats on Soyuz rockets, while giving $450 million to develop commercial crew launchers and cargo rockets. These funds need to be reallocated.
On manned or unmanned, well, both! Robotic probes are like scouts, the science they return is invaluable. But unmanned programs are at risk when money is being diverted to underfunded programs like Constellation. If we're serious about advancing exploration of our Solar System and sending humans to other worlds, that money must not only be be restored, it should be increased.
Bill Nye has won 18 Emmy Awards and is a frequent guest on cable news programs, where he often defends science against political spin or common misinformation. Making science entertaining and accessible is something he has been doing most of his life and plans to continue. The statements above represent my notes and best recollection of our phone interview. Any errors are solely mine. Bill may be available to respond to a comment or two below, time permitting.