Bill Nye speaks about space, environment

Bill Nye the Science Guy blinded an audience with science Thursday at Hanover College.

At 7 p.m., the time the lecture was scheduled to begin, the auditorium was packed. Twenty minutes later, he entered, running around the front of the stage. Nye, now in his 50s, has graying temples appears spry as ever.

He is a man on a warpath that he said hopes will lead to a more scientifically knowledgeable society.

Nye’s lecture, part of a Hanover College series of speakers, concerned the future of the environment, ecological conservation and space exploration, during which he peppered in the jokes that have made his comedic style of education famous.

“Someone asked me, ‘Is your name really Bill Nye?’” Nye said. “I said, ‘It’s William.’ He replied, ‘Why did you change it?’”

Nye also mentioned one of his projects, the Mars dials. The Mars dials are sun dials that were mounted on Nasa’s Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, allowing scientists to tell time on the planet.

“I wasn’t the first to propose it,” he said. “But I was the first to jump around and bang on tables.”

Nye was responsible for a message inscribed on the Martian landers’ dials: The text “Two Worlds, One Sun” is written around the Mars dials in English and Chinese. Nye said he was inspired by his father, whom he referred to as “Ned Nye, Boy Scientist.”

His father was interred as a prisoner during World War II and became interested in sundials during his stay behind enemy lines.

As Nye jumped from topic to topic, he went on to mention he drives a hybrid car.

“It’s not made of unobtainium,” he said, referring to the cost. “It’s made of car.”

Nye criticized General Motors Corp. and the other Big Three automakers for continuing to release gas-inefficient cars, such as the new Chevrolet Suburban due out this year, advertised as running at 14 miles per gallon. The hybrid Nye drives boasts 44, though Nye mentioned the most efficient mode of transportation is the bicycle.

“You take a bowl of oatmeal and go 30 miles,” he said. “Nothing is more efficient than a bicycle.”

Nye is best known for his role as Bill Nye the Science Guy, an educational children’s television personality who taught viewers science tempered with humor. He is currently working on a new series to be released via iTunes involving math humor.

“Dare I say it?” Nye asked, shouting. “We can change the world.”