I don’t think Bill Nye needs much of an introduction. His show is legend, of course, and a generation (cough cough a tad younger than me cough) grew up loving science because of him.
In the years since, he’s done more TV, and I applaud him for that, but even more he’s been a strong advocate for science and against anti-science. When reporter John Schwartz contacted me and asked me about Nye, I was too happy to help. The article he wrote is now live at the New York Times site:”Firebrand for Science, and Big Man on Campus.”
The money quote people seem to like (judging from Twitter and Facebook) is this:
Mr. Plait said admiringly of Mr. Nye, “He will very calmly tear [anti-scientists] apart,” adding, “His big advantage is, he’s right. We know that climate change is real. We know creationism is wrong. These are no longer scientific controversies.”
“When people call these ‘controversial topics,’ that’s misleading,” he continued. “They are only controversial politically. And politics is not necessarily evidence-based.”
It’s a well-written article, and you should read the whole thing.
Nye is a good guy and doing good work. He has a solid background in engineering and science, and he uses that to get people to stretch their imaginations to see what can be done. His new motto is, “You can change the world!”
He’s right. Again.
Related Posts:
Bill Nye: Creationism Is Bad for Children
“That’s Just How It Is”
Our Future In Space - Panel at TAM 9
