Last Tuesday, thanks to the Vanderbilt University Speakers Committee, hundreds of students got to see Bill Nye talk for free. College aged students grew up watching, Bill Nye The Science Guy, and for many it was a dream come true to see the scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor in person.
Tickets for Nye's talk sold out in 39 minutes, and many students were disappointed that there was not room for them. Here is a recap of 10 cool, inspiring, or hilarious things that I took away from Bill Nye's talk.
1. Nye's father, Ned, was obsessed with sundials. This resulted in Nye developing and launching two MarsDials, which are sundials currently on Mars.
2. He makes sundials at the beach using beer and wine boxes (which of course he "found").
3. His mom, Jacqueline, had great legs in the 1940s.
4. He played Ultimate Frisbee in college and still has great Frisbee skills. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8_ESHZCs3A&list=U...
5. He won't pick a favorite bow tie.
6. Nye is currently the Executive Director of The Planetary Society, the world's largest space-interest group.
7. He won seven national Emmy Awards for Bill Nye The Science Guy and the show won 18 Emmys in five years.
8. He studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University, where he took classes taught by astronomer, Carl Sagan.
9. He still waits for his viewers to ask follow up questions in unison.
10. He wants to change the world. He is doing this by teaching the world about, and fostering interest in, science through comedy.
Nye's talk had an inspiring message. To change the world and survive as a species, we must be educated and recognize the importance of space exploration and science.
