Meet Bill Nye the Man
Bill jokes about his father Ned Nye self-proclaimed “boy scientist.”
You know the music, you know the bowtie, you know the gags, and if you don’t know the science, he will teach you. But, do you know the man? Meet the edgier, sarcastic, political, yet still light- hearted Science Guy at Bill Nye the Science Guy Live.
Bill imitates a bee’s wing movements while explaining that “adults lie” about science and gaps in science understanding.
I caught the show as it passed through Toronto, Canada at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. After the sing along intro, and the applause died down, Bill opened the show with the story of his life and family.
He opened with his parents, both prominent in STEM careers, to his work as a Mechanical Engineer at Boeing, his stand-up comedy days and finally, the donning of the famous Science Guy coat. Along the way, experiments, politics, history, jokes, and even sexual innuendo peppered the show. However, it may have been a little too long before the science guy coat made an appearance. As such this is more a show for his now adult original core audience.
Meet Bill Nye’s take on Science as Politics
Bill plays with liquid nitrogen with an audience member.
Much like the science of his old TV show, the experiments performed were not complicated or overly advanced. This is where the children could really get into the act. However, instead of using these experiments as an introduction for kids to STEM, the Science Guy used them as metaphor for the current state of the world and it's politics.
From the evolutionary debate, to genetically modified food, and climate change, Nye would often open the discussion with a scientific experiment or example once unpopular or unexplained in his youth. These acted as cautionary tales to the current science debates of our time. It brought a fresh look to these old backyard experiments we’ve all seen before.
Bill answers audience submitted questions. Unafraid to say "I don't know," when faced with questions which science has no answer too.
This naturally led to a discussion of Bill’s debate with Ken Ham on evolution. The crowd erupted with loud catcalls at the mere hint of Ham’s name. However, they roared with excitement with the announcement of Nye’s "coup de grace" on the debate, his new book “Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation.” Many a fans held a copy of the book for his post show "meet and greet".
The political debate continued with audience-submitted questions. Everything from marijuana, to genetically modified foods, dark matter and bow ties were on the table. When possible, Bill answered the questions not only with his opinion, but with science and facts. When faced with a question where the answers are unknown, like dark matter, Bill was unafraid to say the three most important words in science: "I don't know."
This fact based problem solving method, Bill expressed, is what made him different from the likes of Ham. Though Ham said no evidence will change his mind, Bill explained that there are countless scientific discoveries that would change his. Bill joked, "would you want someone set in their mind like Ken Ham on a jury?"
The Message of Bill Nye the Science Guy Live
Bill wags his finger poking fun at political issues like GMO and marijuana.
In short, I loved it. The show gave me the feeling of being a child again without insulting my intelligence as an older viewer. Bill swung at every pitch, commenting on politically charged issues, hecklers, and even offered the odd innuendo. The edgier, even darker tones of climate change and creationism as fact, fit the older audience but never crossed the line making the children’s favorite show inappropriate for the younger audience.
If you enjoy cartoons peppered with adult humor, or you want to introduce your children to your childhood idol, or you just want to relive your childhood moment; Bill Nye the Science Guy Live is a perfect choice.