American mechanical engineer, science communicator, and television presenter, Bill Nye began his career as a mechanical engineer for Boeing in Seattle. He is also a well-known inventor. But did you know, before he became a celebrity, he invented something for the 747 airliners?
Bill Nye, famously known as the Science Guy, used to work with Boeing before he became popular. During this time, he invented a hydraulic component used on the 747 airliners and holds three patents for other inventions.
Who is Bill Nye?
William Sanford Nye was born on November 27, 1955, in Washington DC. Both his parents, Jacqueline Jenkins and Edwin Darby Nye served in World War II. His mother was a codebreaker and his father worked as a contractor, building airstrips.
Nye went to Lafayette Elementary School and Alice Deal Junior Highschool. He graduated in 1973 and moved to New York to attend Cornell University. He studied at the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He was completely drawn to science and his love for astronomy deepened when he attended a class taught by Carl Sagan. Nye graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1977.
He is a man with a great list of achievements. Thanks to his degree in mechanical engineering, he was able to invent the hydraulic resonance suppressor tube that is used by Boeing 747 airliners. He also tried his luck in being a NASA astronaut training program, but after four tries, he finally threw in the towel. (Source: Popular Mechanics)
Bill Nye and His Interest in Comedy
Nye left Boeing on October 3, 1986, to concentrate on his rapidly blossoming comedy career. He was writing and performing for the local sketch television show Almost Live! He especially enjoys the segments where he conducted wacky science experiments. Even though he is a regular on Almost Live!, he was only a freelancer for the program.
While searching for more TV gigs, he got the opportunity to host Fabulous Wetlands in 1989, a short educational show about Washington’s wetlands, governed by the Washington State Department of Ecology. In this show, he discusses the worth of preserving estuaries, and the danger of pollution. Nye also appeared on live-action educational segments of Back to the Future: The Animated Series, assisting Dr. Emmet Brown. (Source: Popular Mechanics)
The Birth of Bill Nye The Science Guy
Aiming to be the next Mr. Wizard, he successfully started the Bill Nye the Science Guy show. It was a children’s television program, for Seattle’s public television station KCTS-TV. It was produced by Walt Disney Television and Rabbit Ears Productions at the time.
The show was a big hit among kids and adults alike. It was even nominated for twenty-three Emmy Awards, hitting nineteen trophies, including Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming for Nye himself. As a conclusion to the popular show, Nye produced various books as The Science Guy. (Source: Popular Mechanics)
What was Bill Nye’s Advocacy?
Primarily in the 2000s, Nye helped in the expansion of a small sundial included in the Mars Exploration Rover missions. It had tiny colored panels to provide a basis for color calibration, known as MarsDial.
Nye was the vice president from 2005 to 2010, an organization that advocates space science research and exploration of other planets, particularly Mars. In 2010, Louis Friedman stepped down as the organization’s Executive Director, making the position available for Nye as the second position.
In July 2017, Nye noticed that the majority of those who disapprove of climate change are older people. He has continued to advocate against climate change.
On Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on May 12, 2019, he discussed climate change and the proposed Green New Deal and said:
Here, I’ve got an experiment for you—safety glasses on. By the end of this century, if emissions keep rising, the average temperature on Earth could go up another 4 to 8 degrees. What I’m saying is the planet’s on fucking fire. There are a lot of things we could do to put it out. Are any of them free? No, of course not—nothing’s free, you idiots. Grow the fuck up. You’re not children anymore. I didn’t mind explaining photosynthesis to you when you were 12, but you’re adults now and this is an actual crisis. Got it? Safety glasses off, motherfuckers.
Bill Nye, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, May 12, 2019, Business Insider
(Source: Popular Mechanics)