12 Times Bill Nye Threw It Down For Science

After an appalling appearance on CNN's Crossfire that mostly involved adults interrupting each other in the name of climate change, John Oliver decided to host a "statistically representative climate change debate" with a global warming denier and Bill Nye, who has become the media's go-to climate guy in recent months. Watch the video, then take our poll: do you believe in climate change?

Is creationism a viable scientific foundation? Bill Nye was invited to debate the matter with Christian author Ken Ham in what science geeks may one day refer to as Science Super Bowl 2014. Watch the discussion in its entirety, but special moments include Bill Nye discussing fish reproduction (Are fish sinners?!) and the impossibility of the Earth's age as stated in the Bible (6,000 years).

Bill got his start as a mechanical engineer at one of the biggest multinational aerospace and defense companies (ever), Boeing. During his three years there, he invented the hydraulic pressure resonance suppressor in Boeing 747s that's still in use today.

During this TED Talk, Bill Nye explains how his father was taken as a POW during World War II and could tell the time by sticking a shovel into the sand and looking at its shadow during his four years in captivity. Eventually, Mr. Nye Sr. escaped, taking his sundial fascination with him. Bill's dad then invented the "sand dial," earning him lifetime membership in the North American Sundial Society.

According to Bill's curriculm vitae, the science guy holds three patents: the ballet toe shoe (2007, US patent #7,254,904), the digital abacus (1998, US patent #D399,522), and the educational lens (1996, US patent #5,515,203).

Bill entered a Steve Martin look-alike contest hosted by Warner Brothers Records and won the Seattle round, but he didn't make it to nationals. His win inspired him to start doing stand-up as Steve Martin at parties, which eventually led to a career in entertainment.

It's no secret that the bow-tie aficionado has a very unique necktie collection. Want to get the look? Bill shops at Nordstrom ("the store and the Rack"), Beau Ties of Vermont, and Astronomy2Go.

What do Bill Nye and Vice President Joe Biden have in common? A serious love for trains. As a kid, Bill loved model trains. But as an adult, Bill's passion is high-speed rail. According to his purely science perspective, trains roll with less friction than rubber tires, don't have to carry surplus motive power, and can be optimized for energy use and level of service.

As the CEO of The Planetary Society, Bill Nye brings together parents, teachers, kids, scientists, engineers, and space geeks to answer questions about our universe. He's an advocate for science education and "exploring other worlds and understanding our own."

According to his Reddit AMA, Bill hangs out with people like StarTalk host Neil deGrasse Tyson. Their topics of discussion? "Astrophysics, the business of television, baseball, wine, and women." Naturally.

Not so sure? Just ask these guys.

During a recent Reddit AMA session, Bill was asked if he would consider doing new episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy, to which he responded, "Stay tuned. ;)"

New Bill Nye episodes can be found on the Nerdist YouTube channel. Hooray!