Bill Nye is coming back to TV. The End is Nye, his forthcoming Peacock program, will see him investigating the myriad potential threats to Earth. Nye explores potential catastrophic scenarios and tries to clear the air around them in this six-part series. He delves into the science underlying it all and investigates potential countermeasures and survival strategies. Topics covered in the program include natural calamities such as large storms, virus outbreaks, and asteroids, with an emphasis on six cities throughout the world: Los Angeles, Tokyo, Mexico City, London, Rio de Janeiro, and New York.
On Thursday, August 25 at 3:01 a.m. 2022, the premiere of The End is Nye will air on Peacock. Let’s take a peek at some of Bill Nye’s fascinating life history before we get into the post-apocalyptic series.
Here are 5 little-known facts about Bill Nye, including who he looks up to, what he’s invented, and more.
1) His loved ones urged him to study science in college and later on in life.
Bill Nye’s parents, Jacqueline Jenkins and Edwin Darby Nye brought him into the world on November 27, 1955, in the nation’s capital (Ned). Jenkins, Nye’s mother, was one of the top Goucher students hired by the Navy to decipher Japanese and German wartime communications. During World War Two, Nye’s dad worked as a contractor on Wake Island, where he helped build an airfield. He spent four years as a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp after being captured. In order to tell time, Ned grew fixated with sundials, which used the shadow of a shovel handle.
Bill indulged Ned’s obsession with sundials by launching one into orbit. He always stood out as smart, even when he was little. He received full scholarships to attend Lafayette Elementary and Alice Deal Junior High School, then moved on to Sidwell Friends before enrolling in the Sibley School of Engineering at Cornell University, a top-tier Ivy League institution.
2) He has been awarded many patents in the United States.
After finishing college in 1978, Nye found a job at Boeing. Furthermore, he developed a hydraulic resonance suppressor for the Boeing 747. Nye has multiple patents in the United States, including ones for ballerina pointe shoes, a magnifying glass constructed from a transparent plastic bag filled with water, an athletic training gadget, and a design patent for a digital abacus. In addition, he designed a Marsdial for NASA’s Curiosity rover, which was used in the Mars Exploration Rover project. The dial was both a sundial and a color calibrator, thanks to its integrated color panels.
3) Nye is a supporter of environmental causes
Also, he has long been a leader in the environmental movement and a vocal supporter of efforts to combat climate change. For him as a scientist, it is clear that human-caused global warming is a major problem that has to be addressed immediately. For the last decade, he has represented the Chabot Space & Science Center’s exhibition Bill Nye’s Climate Lab. During Obama’s administration, he met with Obama to talk about climate change.
4) Bill Nye was influenced by Steve Martin
After finishing college, Nye spent almost a decade working at Boeing before quitting in 1986 to pursue a career in comedy. After winning a Warner Brothers Steve Martin lookalike contest while working on aircraft, Nye was often asked to portray Martin at social events.
Following his departure from Boeing on October 3, 1986, Nye went on to become a writer for the comedy program Almost Live! and a fixture on Seattle radio. He became a well-known TV host rather rapidly, and he is now known as “The Science Guy.”
5) His TV appearances
Nye gained widespread renown in the 1990s for his position as “Bill Nye the Science Guy” on his own television program. Everybody, young and old alike, was impressed by the lively protagonist’s enthusiasm and dedication to science. The program was well-received by critics and went on to win 19 Emmy Awards. Not only was it the first to air simultaneously on public and commercial channels, but it was also the first to do so simultaneously.
As a presenter, he was responsible for the 1989 series Fabulous Wetlands. In addition, he had a voice role in 1991–1993 Back to the Future animated series. In 2005, Nye tried a return with the PBS series The Eye of Nye, but it was a failure. Later that year, under contract with Netflix, he made three seasons of Bill Nye Saves the World, which marked his comeback to the small screen. In addition to guest-starring on series like Big Bang Theory, Dancing with the Stars, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Nye has also made several television appearances.