Bill Nye has long been known for his
children's show Bill Nye The Science Guy and recently for his
views about climate change. He has a BS degree in mechanical
engineering. He is an entertainer, and although known as the
'science guy' he does not claim to be a scientist. In order to
earn the privilege of calling yourself a 'scientist' one
normally has to have an earned PhD in the natural sciences.
Nye started doing standup comedy during 1978 while working at
Boeing as an engineer. He eventually left Boeing and began
writing and performing jokes and bits for a local sketch
television show Almost Live!, where he would regularly conduct
wacky science experiments, such as what happens when you eat a
marshmallow that has been dunked in liquid nitrogen. He moved
from that show to do eight segments for the Disney Channel's
All-New Mickey Mouse Club.
Throughout it all, he had his eyes on bigger things and went on
to star in Bill Nye Science Guy for public broadcasting station
KCTS-TV in Seattle. It became part of a package of syndicated
series that local stations could schedule to fulfill Children's
Television Act requirements. It ended in 1998. He was also host
of an eight-part Discovery Channel series called Greatest
Inventions with Bill Nye and appeared in a number of other TV
shows. In addition, he holds several United States patents,
including one for ballet pointe shoes and an educational
magnifying glass created by filling a clear plastic bag with
water.
During 2012, Nye supported President Barack Obama's reelection
bid and frequently consulted with Obama on science matters
during his presidency. He has also received a number of honorary
degrees, including one in pedagogy, although he has never
contributed any research to the scientific community.
Incidentally, there are many other entertainers who have
honorary degrees, including Ben Affleck, P, Diddy, Alec
Baldwin, John Legend, Aretha Franklin, Kanye West, Jon Bon
Jovi, Conan O'Brien, LL Cool J, and Jimmie Fallon, among
others.