5 things to know about Bill Nye

Bill Nye is set to return to screens. In his upcoming Peacock show, The End is Nye, he takes on the task of exploring the many disastrous possibilities that Earth may face.

In the six-part series, Nye delves into possible disaster scenarios and demystifies them as best he can. He explains the science behind it and looks into ways to survive or prevent it. The show focuses on six cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Tokyo, Mexico City, London, Rio de Janeiro, and New York City, and covers topics such as massive hurricanes, virus outbreaks, asteroids, and other natural disasters.

The End is Nye premieres on Peacock on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at 3.01 a.m. Before we get into the apocalyptic series, let's look at some interesting facts about host and educator Bill Nye.

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5 facts about Bill Nye that you may not know - His idol, inventions and more

1) His family encouraged him to pursue a career in science

Jacqueline Jenkins (Image via 9gag)

Bill Nye was born in Washington DC on November 27, 1955, to Jacqueline Jenkins and Edwin Darby Nye (Ned). During WWII, Nye's mother, Jenkins, was part of a group of elite Goucher girls recruited by the Navy to decode messages from the Japanese and German fronts.

Nye's father also served as a contractor on Wake Island during WWII, where he was tasked with constructing an airstrip. He was taken as a POW and imprisoned in a Japanese camp for four years. Ned became obsessed with sundials, which enabled him to tell the time by the shadow cast by a shovel handle.

Bill took Ned's love of sundials a step further by sending one into space.

Sibley Hall in Cornell University (Image via Cornell)

His intelligence was obvious from an early age. After attending Lafayette Elementary and Alice Deal Junior High on scholarship, he went on to Sidwell Friends before attending Ivy League Cornell University's Sibley School of Engineering to study mechanical and aerospace engineering.

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2) He holds multiple U.S. patents

Nye worked at Boeing after graduating in 1978. He even invented a hydraulic resonance suppressor for the Boeing 747.

Nye holds several US patents, including one for ballet pointe shoes, another for a magnifying glass made by filling a clear plastic bag with water, another for an athletic training device, and a design patent for a digital abacus.

Curiosity Rover from NASA's Mars Exploration Program (Image via NASA)

He also helped NASA's Mars Exploration Rover project by designing a Marsdial for the Curiosity rover. The dial served as a sundial, as well as having colour panels built into it to aid in colour calibration.

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3) Nye is a climate advocate

He has also been an outspoken advocate for climate change and has spearheaded numerous green projects over the years. As a scientist, he recognises that global warming is one of the most serious threats to the planet right now, and that only humans can do anything about it.

Over the last decade, he has become the face of Bill Nye's Climate Lab, an exhibition at the Chabot Space & Science Center. He even met with former President Barack Obama during his presidency to discuss climate change.

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4) Bill Nye was inpired by Steve Martin

Bill Nye and Steve Martin (Images via Bill Nye Productions/ Getty)

After graduation, Nye worked at Boeing for more than a decade before leaving to pursue a career in comedy in 1986. While working on planes, Nye won a Warner Brothers Steve Martin lookalike competition, which led to numerous requests for him to play Steve Martin at parties.

Nye went on to become a writer for the comedy show Almost Live! and a regular on Seattle radio after leaving Boeing on October 3, 1986. He quickly rose to prominence as a TV personality, eventually taking on the persona of the Science Guy.

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5) His television appearances

In the 1990s, Nye was best known for his role as Bill Nye the Science Guy on his own show. The energetic character, who is passionate about science, wowed everyone, young and old alike. The show received critical acclaim and won 19 Emmys. It was also the first to be broadcast on both public and commercial platforms at the same time.

In 1989, he hosted a show called Fabulous Wetlands. He also appeared in Back to the Future: The Animated Series from 1991 to 1993. Nye attempted a comeback with The Eye of Nye on PBS in 2005, but it was a flop. Later that year, he returned to the screen on a Netflix contract, producing three seasons of Bill Nye Saves the World.

Nye has also made appearances on shows like Dancing with the Stars, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, The Big Bang Theory and others.