22 thoughts on “Bill Nye”

  1. Wow, that’s super wrong. That clause gives Congress the power to grant limited monopolies in patent and copyright. The reason for that power is to promote the progress of the sciences and the arts. It’s a specific statement about the justification of a specific power, not a general pronouncement about the government’s obligations.

    What’s extra wrong about it is that the clause is permissive. At the beginning of Section 8, it says that “Congress shall have the power,” which means that in the enumerated powers of government, this is one of them, but nothing in that language requires Congress to allow patents and copyrights. It could legally repeal both areas of the law.

  2. There’s that word, “progress” again. Does he have a teleology to go along with that? Where does this “progress” lead us?

  4. Aside from misconstruing the Constitution, Nye also mentioned he applied to be an astronaut four different times — all four times, he was rejected by the U.S. government because he didn’t have the required levels of education.

    “I applied to be an astronaut four times, but I never got the gig, because I just don’t have the PhDs,” Nye told Vox, adding that he started doing stand-up comedy instead.

    “I won a local Steve Martin lookalike contest, and I started doing some standup comedy on the side,” Nye said.

    What a hoot! When I read the paragraph about the astronaut application, I though of this scene from The Jerk. But then I see that he won a Steve Martin look alike contest! (You can scroll ahead to about the 40 second mark if you want the direct punch line.)

  5. I’m not sure why anyone cares about what Bill Nye says–the man’s primary claim to fame is as an actor and entertainer. His degree is in mechanical engineering, and his non-acting accomplishments seem to be limited to a handful of minor patents and membership in organizations advocating for other people to do science. I could not find a list or even a mention of any scholarly papers that he’s written.

    1. Millions of Gen Yers and Millenials grew up being indoctrinated by watching “The Science Guy” and look up to Bill Nye the same way Gen Xers remember Mr Wizard or Carl Sagan.

      1. I was the age to remember both Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye as role models. Both had faults, but Bill Nye was definitely more presentation than science. He had his mad scientist look, and because of that the impression left was more like Art Bell. He seemed to talk an interesting talk, but the talk didn’t always seem to fit with reality. I see nothing has changed.

        I’m also happy that his stint on DWTS didn’t reboot his career. Obama is trying hard to assist him, but other than what Ace calls the “Science!” crowd, no one seems interested in Bill Nye.

    2. Well, I hate to pile on the guy but, since he has stuck his neck out…

      This is the kind of guy Pancho Barnes would refer to as a “pudknocker”.

      1. While I never met her, Pancho Barnes had the reputation of not suffering fools or posers gladly. She sounds like one hell of a woman.

    3. I’m not sure why anyone cares about what Bill Nye says–the man’s primary claim to fame is as an actor and entertainer.

      He’s an entertainer who helped persuade Congress that they should ignore massive overruns on projects like JWST and MSL and allocate billions of dollars in new spending for Europa Clipper/SLS.

      I could not find a list or even a mention of any scholarly papers that he’s written.

      Neil deGrasse Tyson has a very thin resume, but Bush appointed him to serve on the Aldridge Commission and Popular Mechanics called him “the smartest man alive.”

      It’s a mistake to think that celebrities don’t have influence in Washington.

      1. It’s a mistake to think that celebrities don’t have influence in Washington.

        Good point.

      1. Trent, I don’t quite follow. Have you met him? If so, how did it change your opinion of him?

        1. I have met him. Seemed nice enough. A guy’s gotta’ make a living. I blame him less than the people who would crucify him if he were to wander off the reservation.

  6. Since Bill Nye became the executive director of the Planetary Society, I am sorry I was ever a member of the organization. I’m certain I would have political and social policy disagreements with Carl Sagan, but it never doubted Carl Sagan was a smart, sincere and high quality person and scientist. The Planetary Society has tarnished itself, perhaps irretrievably, by putting someone like Bill Nye in charge of it.

  7. After Bill Nye steps down, they should appoint Robert Downey, Jr. He’s played both Tony Stark and Sherlock Holmes — he must be smart!

    1. I’d pick Carlyn Porco, Paul Spudis, Bill Stone, Bob Zubrin, Alan Stern, or Ed Lu.

        1. Perhaps. I don’t particularly agree with the politics of any of the people I mentioned. The one thread tying all together is competence in planetary science.

  8. It’s interesting that Nye, Tyson, and others who talk about the “Republican war on science” have said nothing at all about the protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope — an actual war on science led, from what I can see, not by tribal elders but by “native studies” majors.

    Not politically correct enough?

    (Can you imagine the reaction if fundamentalist Christians declared telescopes to be an offense to God and demanded their removal?)

    1. “Can you imagine the reaction…”

      Yep. That telescope would be built in record time.

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