William Sanford "Bill" Nye (born November 27, 1955) is an American science communicator, television presenter, educator, mechanical engineer, and comedian. He is best known as the host of the popular educational program Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993–1998).
Nye was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in the nearby suburbs of Maryland and Virginia. He attended Cornell University, where he studied mechanical engineering and earned a BS degree in 1977. While at Cornell, he was a member of the fraternity Theta Delta Chi. After graduation, Nye worked as an engineer for Boeing in Seattle.
In 1986, Nye began working as a comedy writer for the Seattle sketch comedy show Almost Live! This gave him the opportunity to perform stand-up comedy and experiment with science-based material for the show.
Nye's big break came when he was chosen to host a show for PBS called Bill Nye the Science Guy, which aired from 1993 to 1998. The show was an instant hit and won 18 Emmy Awards. It also spawned a number of spin-offs, including Bill Nye Saves The World, which aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2018.
Since then, Nye has made numerous television appearances, including on The Big Bang Theory, Dancing With The Stars, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He has also written several books, including Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation, Everything All At Once, and Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World.
In addition to his work in television and books, Nye has become an advocate for science education and research. He was the CEO of The Planetary Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring space and advancing space science education. He is also an outspoken advocate for climate change awareness and is a vocal critic of pseudoscience.
Nye has received numerous awards and honors for his work, including the National Academy of Sciences’ Public Welfare Medal, the Science Communication Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Inamori Ethics Prize. He was also selected as a Disney Legend in 2017.
Nye has become an icon in the world of science and television, inspiring people of all ages to embrace science and have fun with it. He is a tireless advocate for science and space exploration, and his work has made him one of the most beloved figures in the scientific community.
