The phenomenon that became the beloved children’s science show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” started right here in Seattle.
Inspired by and starring William Sanford Nye, a former Boeing engineer with a passion for all things science, the show was produced by Seattle’s KCTS and ran from 1993 to 1999 on PBS stations across the country. It remains available on Apple TV.
This month the White House announced Nye as a 2025 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom citing the series, others that followed, his books and Nye’s ongoing efforts to promote science education and research. The White House noted Nye’s “dedication to science education continues through his work as CEO of The Planetary Society and as a vocal advocate for space exploration and environmental stewardship. [He] has inspired and influenced generations of American students.”
Energetic science education
“Bill Nye the Science Guy” was a frenetic lab coat and bow tie-wearing fictionalized version of Nye the engineer and science lover. The show helped educate millions of kids in homes and schools with its fast-paced, quirky humor, and actual science experiments. It won 19 Emmy Awards and was nominated for 23 in the show’s six-year run.
In 2017, as an anti-science sentiment began to rise across the U.S., Nye returned to television via Netflix with “Bill Nye Saves the World,” a science show aimed at adults. In an interview with The Conversation that year, Nye said he hoped the show and his ongoing efforts to promote and protect science education would help reverse that rising tide: “With the right science and good writing,” Nye said, “we’ll do our best to enlighten and entertain our audience. And, perhaps, we’ll change the world a little.”
Trust earned by sharing the magic
During the presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, White House officials described Nye as a “cutting-edge” mechanical engineer and a “beloved science educator for the nation,” adding that Nye “earned the trust of millions of children and families by sharing the magic of fun and science.”
The character Bill Nye the Science Guy was first seen onscreen in 1989 when Nye starred in the Washington Department of Ecology video “Fabulous Wetlands,” wading into Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge salt marsh wearing a lab coat and green bow tie. The lab coat has come and gone through the years, but Nye’s bow tie has remained a signature.
The signature remained
At the Presidential Medal of Freedom awards ceremony on January 4, President Joe Biden placed the medal around Nye’s neck. It sat on Nye’s chest just below a red and blue-marbled bow tie.
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