'Bill Nye the Science Guy' visits Kirtland

Published Oct. 27, 2011
By Michael P. Kleiman
377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- During its five-year run on the Public Broadcasting System in the 1990s, the program "Bill Nye the Science Guy" earned 18 Emmy awards and notoriety for its host who wanted the show to get youth around the world excited about science.

Several members of the television series' viewing audience heeded his call and now serve at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy and Space Vehicles Directorates here. On Oct. 21, 2011, they had the opportunity to meet their inspiration face-to-face.

By the end of his five-hour tour of various AFRL programs, however, Nye appeared to be the one inspired.

"The thing that impresses me is that everybody loves working here at AFRL. That is a symptom, or a feature, of a well-run organization. People love to come to work here," said Nye. "They are playing with these amazing toys all day. I am very impressed how excited everyone is about their projects, research and the hardware they make."

Nye kicked off his visit to the base by participating in a demonstration of the Active Denial System, which provides a non-lethal option for U.S. troops to engage adversaries at extended range. He then toured the Starfire Optical Range, a unique optical research facility comprised of 3.5-meter and 1.5-meter telescopes and a 1.0-meter beam director to track low-earth orbiting satellites. At the Davis Advanced Laser Facility, the renowned television personality witnessed an oxygen iodine laser burn a hole in a coin, which he got to keep.

Following lunch at the new Battlespace Environment Laboratory, Nye visited several space weather-related projects residing in the edifice. After a stop at the Space Vehicles Directorate's headquarters building, the tour concluded at the Aerospace Engineering Facility with a briefing on the Demonstration and Science Experiments satellite, scheduled to launch in January 2014. Nye ended his New Mexico trip that evening providing the keynote speech at the Phillips Research Site's Dining Out conducted at Sandia Resort.

After the AFRL tour commenced, Nye discussed life before, during and after his Emmy award-winning program, and shared his vision of the future. Prior to "Bill Nye the Science Guy," the notable scientist volunteered at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. While serving there, he contemplated how to enhance science literacy across the globe. Shortly thereafter, with the help of two creative individuals, Nye's thoughts turned into action with a weekly program aired on PBS.

"I had these two producers, Jim McKenna and Erin Gottleib, who made an important decision that ultimately contributed to the success of 'Bill Nye the Science Guy.' They believed the show should be shot with a single camera. They also had a gift in hiring good people. We had a really great crew and they had good morale," Nye said. "I mean I admit I had a vision. I wanted to change the world. That was my thing."

Since the show ended in 1998, Nye has maintained a presence primarily on cable outlets. He hosted "100 Greatest Discoveries" and "Greatest Inventions with Bill Nye" on the Science and Discovery Channels, respectively. Six years ago, Nye returned to PBS with a 13-part series entitled "The Eyes of Nye." Currently, he can be seen on the show "Stuff Happens" airing on the Planet Green Network. His off-camera endeavors have been primarily focused on the Planetary Society, which he has led the last 13 months.

"I am the executive director of the Planetary Society, which was started in the winter of 1979-1980 by Carl Sagan, Lou Friedman and Bruce Murray. I had Professor Sagan for astronomy when I was in college," said Nye. "I've been a member (of the Planetary Society) since 1980 and then I was asked to be on the board when Professor Sagan died. Then, I became vice president, and now, I'm on the payroll."

Space exploration and science education have also kept Nye's attention. For the former, he believes the world looks to the United States to be the leader, and for the latter, Nye suggests passion for the topic will generate interest and ultimately participation to affect global change.

"People all over the world are building all kinds of spacecraft and all kinds of rockets, but people expect the United States to be doing stuff out in deep space, so it is critical to remind everybody of the importance of space exploration to your everyday life," Nye said. "Likewise, if you are passionate about science, young people or students will think it's enchanting and worthwhile and will want to be a part of it or they'll respect it. We need a scientifically literate society so we can make good decisions such as on climate change and other significant subjects impacting the world. It's a village and we all got to work together."

Regarding technologies that will define the 21st century, Nye spoke of "swarms of machines" such as the cell phone that will be even more personalized for the end user and mini-micro rovers that will perform various tasks in outer space. In the short term, he stated advances in material science would change the globe.

For example, carbon composites 10 times the strength of steel will soon be a reality. Finally, Nye believes better ways to store and distribute energy will also be the focus of scientists in the decades to come. Nevertheless, during his brief AFRL visit, he got to experience and witness the research of today that will impact the world of tomorrow.

"It's an exciting time. We have huge opportunities in education and public outreach, and AFRL clearly has a role," said Nye. "You see everybody you meet wants to be a part of this. What impressed me today was the passion and commitment of everybody at AFRL. It's great."