Uh, this is uh, Bill’s interview for the
Secret Life of Scientist and Engineers, take
one.
Thank you, Spencer, nicely done.
I love science from when I can’t remember.
I remember watching bees, I remember watching
bumble bees, how can this relatively large
body, be flown around by these seemingly tiny
wings.
I remember reading in Ripley’s Believe It
Or Not, according to aerodynamic theory, bumble
bees should be unable to fly.
I remember thinking, look, the bees are fine,
the problems gotta be with the theory.
So it was just interesting to me that, don’t
believe everything that grown ups tell you.
When I was kid, I thought bicycles were just
the coolest thing, bicycles and airplanes,
come on.
So then I found out that there’s a whole
business called mechanical engineering, which
is pretty much involved in bicycles and airplanes.
Well our story begins really when I was a
senior in college, my friend came hurrying
to my house and he wanted me to see Steve
Martin performing on cable television.
And he goes, look, this guy is just like you,
look at this, he’s just, you’re just like
Steve Martin, look at this, this is what you
oughtta be doing.
And I, ok fine, I was focused on being graduated
from engineering school, getting a job, being
a productive member of society, but then about
a year later when I was working for Bowing,
I entered the Seattle, Steve Martin look-a-like
contest and I won.
People wanted me to be Steve Martin at parties,
I was approached professionally.
After that, naturally you want to start doing
your own material.
Cause after you get laughs on stage, it’s
really, it’s addicting.
I um, started writing for this comedy show
called Almost Live in Seattle and at the same
time I volunteered at the Pacific Science
Center in Seattle.
So we were in a meeting for this comedy show
and we had to fill six minutes.
The guy who was the host of the comedy show
he said, Bill why don’t you do that stuff
you're always talking at the science center,
you could be Bill Nye the science guy.
Oh the science guy, ya know, that’s pretty
good.
That’s when the first science guy bit came
to be.
When I was in college, I took astronomy from
Carl Sagan.
Carl Sagan influenced me a great deal.
Then at my tenth reunion, I met with him for
a few moments and I said I want to do this
show about science for kids, this and that,
affect the future.
He said, focus on pure science, kids resonate
to pure science.
That was his verb, resonate.
Now, if it’s a television show it has to
be entertaining first, and if you want to
entertain a kid of any age, you make it funny.
People like things that are funny, or make
them smile or what have you.
And you’re saying well why are you doing
this interview bill, why don’t you do something
funny, what’s the deal.
I’m stumped.
When we made the show, I created the document
which we call, the rules of the road.
The first thing it says on the rules of the
road is, change the world, and now people
come up to me and say the reason I’m a physician,
the reason I’m an orthopedic surgeon, the
reason I’m a chemical engineer, is because
they watch the show.
