Go Bill Nye!

[snarkbillie]

I don't get why Fundies think that you can't believe in G-d and accept that evolution is truth. I believe in G-d, and I believe that evolution is true. Not that difficult.

That only works if you don't take the Bible literally. If you don't believe in Bible-God or you do believe in Bible-God but take most of the Bible as allegory you can have evolution. If you stand on the Bible as a literal document and it "says what it says" you can't.

[Knight of Ni]

Just yesterday I was watching a video that had Bill Nye talking about the anti-science shift in the GOP. I loved Bill Nye growing up and still do.

[longskirtlotsakids]

I am reassured, however, that if it got down to a civil war between the Geeks and the Fundies, that Geeks would win. Because weapons, medicine, and engineering wins wars. God? Yeah, not so much.

[RandomTrivia]

Thanks for the great idea of checking the library. Ours had 147 titles when I searched for Bill Nye. I don't know if they're all his show. I put "Evolution" & "Fossils" on hold for my kids in honor of this thread

Glad to help. :) I need to get "Pseudoscience" from our library again, we didn't have time to watch it before we had to return it. Amazon has a ton of DVDs too. Not sure if they're copies of the show (I missed that one) but they look pretty good. Another good way to find out if a TV show is on DVD (at least in the US & Canada) is to check http://tvshowsondvd.com/, it's pretty comprehensive.

[RandomTrivia]

Parents, are there any science shows on the teevees anymore? I was having this discussion with my friend the other day, that when I was a kid/teens we had Bill NYE, Beekman's World, and Mr. Wizard. I wasnt sure if there arere science shows left on teevee or not.

Bill NYE FTW. I am so grateful growing up with a father who loved science. His favorite book was Cosmos by Carl Sagan, and he would sit and watch Mr. Wizard with me. I now realize how lucky I was.

Kid-level shows, or adult?

Kid shows, I'm not sure there's anything like Bill Nye anymore. PBS does have a lot of shows for younger kids with a science focus - Sid the

Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, even the Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That, all talk about experimenting and discovering things. And Neil DeGrasse Tyson was on Martha Speaks last month for an episode about astronomy. There is a show on the local PBS called SciGirls, but as far as I can tell, there were only about 8 episodes made.

There are always DVDs, I guess - and, I just remembered, there's a full DVD set of the Magic School Bus that just came out. I need to buy it; we were watching MSB on ION, but they aren't showing it any more, and they only seemed to have about 2 dozen episodes, so there are about that many that we haven't seen.

For older kids, I don't know. I mean, PBS still has Nova and Nature, but the "major" networks are a lost cause. Cable probably has some, but you'd have to track them down. (I've got the Tivo set to auto-record anything with DeGrasse Tyson, as a matter of fact.) Discovery and TLC used to, but they've gone all tabloid for the most part - although, Mythbusters does have some science, and the whole idea of testing theories. The Science Channel might be your best bet for older kids and adults, and NASA TV for space programs (although their programming is kind of vague, you never know when something good is on). I think it's Science that has a 6 or 8 part series about the moon landings coming up; it's a few years old, but should still be good.

I miss the "old" days, when you could find something interesting and educational on TLC, Discovery, or the History Channel.

And now I find out that Science is owned by the TLC/Disco conglomeration, and it's already started the downhill slide to mediocrity

And, more fun - local TV news put this story on their Facebook, and I made the mistake of reading the comments. So much for the rational people commenting on the Akin story last week. Although there was this gem:

Gravity is also a scientific theory (which is not the same as a laymen's theory), and no one teaches their children that god has his thumb on their head holding them on earth.

I need to remember that line.

[Chowder Head]

Anyone catch his interview this morning on CBS? loved some of his points.

[Marian the Librarian]

Bill Nye: proof positive that brains are sexy!!!

:lol:

[BelieveinScience]

So I have a (probably) stupid question. Is bill nye the one who says we evolved from horses? I know there was kid science show that the host talked about that because we watched it in my christian school. THe teacher went on a tangent on how we didnt evolve from horses and thats the only reason I remember it!

[thoughtful]

So I have a (probably) stupid question. Is bill nye the one who says we evolved from horses? I know there was kid science show that the host talked about that because we watched it in my christian school. THe teacher went on a tangent on how we didnt evolve from horses and thats the only reason I remember it!

I can't remotely imagine Bill Nye saying that.

However, if you Google "humans evolved from horses," this is one of the first things that comes up:

vWBC0AnAAT0

Yes, it's one of the stupid questions Ray Comfort asks of the most clueless young people he can find.

[jaynie]

I can't remotely imagine Bill Nye saying that.

I can't remotely imagine *any* scientist saying that, because it's patently absurd. It sounds like the kind of thing that creationists would make up (in the vein of the crocoduck, almost) to convince people that evolution is wrong. The only thing I can conceive of *possibly* is that the dialogue might have been unclear, or that what was actually said is "we are related to horses through a common ancestor" and your teacher twisted that and you remembered his twisting more than the actual show (which is a common thing and I'm not trying to accuse you of having a bad memory because all of our memories are like that).

[Minerva]

Parents, are there any science shows on the teevees anymore? I was having this discussion with my friend the other day, that when I was a kid/teens we had Bill NYE, Beekman's World, and Mr. Wizard. I wasnt sure if there arere science shows left on teevee or not.

Bill NYE FTW. I am so grateful growing up with a father who loved science. His favorite book was Cosmos by Carl Sagan, and he would sit and watch Mr. Wizard with me. I now realize how lucky I was.

Does Magic School Bus still play? That show made me a geek. Bill Nye and Brain Bounce helped, but Magic School bus is what really made me love science.

[CynicMom]

If you have young children I strongly second the recommendation for Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid. Not only is it solid stuff, but my kid once emailed Dr. Scott (the paleontologist from Dinosaur Train) and got a reply!

Funny anecdote: A bunch of adults were at a family reunion last summer playing a guessing game. My son, aged 5, wanted to play. We let him have a turn and I gave him the words "Tyrannosaurus Rex". He was supposed to give clues so that the adults could guess. His clues were:

-It's a dinosaur from the Cretaceous time period

-It was a carnivore; you could tell from the sharp pointy teeth

-It was a theropod. This means they had a big tail for balance, walked on two legs and had three-toed feet.

The adults were all staring at him with their mouths open. Finally he said "oh, and it had tiny arms". Thank you, Dr. Scott!

[longskirtlotsakids]

Dr. X, your alternative hypothesis explaining the hyper-activation of the enzyme by my mutated protein is not an option. It is just super silly.

Oh, you darn heathens with your upregulation and inhibitions and qPCR! Don't you know you are going to burn in hell! It's the Bible that will lead you to truth!!

[longskirtlotsakids]

Don't you dare discount Martha Speaks. They had Tyson on this summer. Astrophysics and a talking dog- blasphemy straight from the devil's bunghole himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq62NT_ryrU

[Sprocket]

There is an amusing debate on the Bill Nye fb page. Joshua Steiner needs to read his bible more carefully.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bill-N ... 8947135361

Well, we all know he existed.. There is plenty of historical evidence.. He was born, and died on the cross is all a fact.

Then, again.. You were educated in a Catholic school.. I have talked to my Catholic friends, and they don't read the same things or even believe the same things as other christians do... Some of the time.

Without the Bible... we wouldn't know a lot about the history of the Middle East during the time period that the bible was written.

It NEVER says that! You want to know why Christians have such a bad image? First of all, because of our past... Second of all, because people hear things about the Bible and reinterpret what it says... The Bible never said that rape and murder was okay! Just because the events in the Bible took place does not mean that they were condoned by God. And I won't go into a science class claiming that... but I'm not going to repeal my beliefs just because some supposedly intellectual "scientist" tells me that I'm going to be a detriment to society if I don't.

I don't believe in slavery.. but most of American society has a wrong view on how slavery has been practiced through the ages.. Because the evil that we committed when we brought the slaves from Africa.. and treated them like scum... Back in ancient times, slavery was not based on nationality or skin color.. but rather on the prisoners of war. If you want a reason for racism in America... the sole blame can go on the theory of evolution and Darwinism.. Because society rationalized that if African Americans looked more like Apes, then they must be less evolved then the white man.. Christianity is not responsible for the development of racism.. it was because the church accepted it as a logical theory back in the 1860's.

Based on your logic, Richard.. I can say the same thing about science... how it promotes the killing of people in Afganistan or in America (death sentence injections..), or how people can have abortions or whatever you want.. Science has caused its fair share of bad things in the world.. You can't blame everything on religion.. I can also say, that I hope science someday falls apart... If either one falls apart, society will crumble.. That is why religion can't fall..

I've reread it all.. And it certainly doesn't sound crazy.. I've reread what you said to.. I haven't seen a single fact yet.. except for your first comment on micro-evolution.

This is exactly why Bill Nye should never have made any comment on it.. He needs to stick to science.. And if he doesn't want to be religious.. stay out of Christianity.

They did when they forced Africans to get the small pox vaccines.. They went into the villages in Africa.. And made them all get the vaccine.. And then because they incorrectly used Gorilla kidney tissue to produce the vaccines, they caused a new type of virus to form, otherwise known as HIV/AIDS.. Scientists have done awful things.. Agent Orange for example in Vietnam.. How about all of the war-time technology that was invented.. You can't tell me that was invented under good intentions.. of killing people.

The crazy... it goes on and on.

[tropaka]

Apparently Answers in Genesis created (ha) a response video to Nye's.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/artic ... -s-science

LOUISVILLE, KY.— The man known to a generation of Americans as “The Science Guy†is condemning efforts by some Christian groups to cast doubts on evolution and lawmakers who want to bring the Bible into science classrooms.

Bill Nye, a mechanical engineer and star of the popular 1990s TV show Bill Nye The Science Guy, has waded into the evolution debate with an online video that urges parents not to pass their religious-based doubts about evolution on to their children.

Christians who view the stories of the Old Testament as historical fact have come to be known as creationists, and many argue that the world was created by God just a few thousand years ago.

“The Earth is not 6,000 or 10,000 years old,†Nye said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It’s not. And if that conflicts with your beliefs, I strongly feel you should question your beliefs.â€

Millions of Americans do hold those beliefs, according to a June Gallup poll that found 46 per cent of Americans believe God created humans in their present form about 10,000 years ago.

Nye, 56, also decried efforts in recent years by lawmakers and school boards in some states to present Bible stories as an alternative to evolution in public schools. Tennessee passed a law earlier this year that protects teachers who let students criticize evolution and other scientific theories. That echoes a Louisiana law passed in 2008 that allows teachers to introduce supplemental teaching materials in science classes.

“If we raise a generation of students who don’t believe in the process of science, who think everything that we’ve come to know about nature and the universe can be dismissed by a few sentences translated into English from some ancient text, you’re not going to continue to innovate,†Nye said in a wide-ranging telephone interview.

In the video he tells adults they can dismiss evolution, “but don’t make your kids do it. Because we need them.†Posted by Big Think, an online knowledge forum, the clip went viral and has 4.6 million views on YouTube. It has garnered 182,000 comments from critics and supporters.

It drew the ire of the creationism group Answers in Genesis, which built a biblically based Creation Museum in Kentucky that teaches the stories of the Old Testament and has attracted headlines for its assertion that dinosaurs roamed alongside Adam and Eve.

The group produced a response video featuring two scientists who say the Bible has the true account of Earth’s origins, and that “children should be exposed to both ideas concerning our past.â€

Nye, who is prone to inject dry humour into scientific discussions, said Earth is about 4.5 billion years old.

“What I find troubling, when you listen to these people ... once in a while I get the impression that they’re not kidding,†Nye said.

[MonkeyMomma]

Yes, it's one of the stupid questions Ray Comfort asks of the most clueless young people he can find.

I got the distinct feeling that the blond girl really just wanted Comfort to STFU and didn't really care.

[Katydid]

I love Bill Nye!!! I'm so glad he's speaking out!

[RandomTrivia]

Don't you dare discount Martha Speaks. They had Tyson on this summer. Astrophysics and a talking dog- blasphemy straight from the devil's bunghole himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq62NT_ryrU

The Martha episode was great. Sesame Street needs to have a geek week, too.

There was also an episode of Stargate Atlantis with both Tyson and Nye. (And for triple-geek points, McKay's date was the actress who played Kaylee on Firefly.) Made my geeky heart happy.

Me3-r5rsUSI

Tyson's been on the Big Bang Theory, too. I wonder if they've asked Bill Nye to guest-star?

Edited to fix the Youtube link

[YPestis]

Creationism is unique in that it has so such a large following for a developed nation like the US. What's really bad is the people that understand evolution least like to wallow in their ignorance. Note how so many fundies shudder at exposing their children to classes which teaches evolution or professions that utilize it. They treat evolution, and by extension science, in similar vein to how religion is run. No data is needed. No evidence need to be extrapolated. No peer reviewed publications. Untested dogma is accepted and all situations must fit that dogma. Since religion is based on faith, there is no need for hard data on the existence of Jesus' rise from the dead to believe it happen. However, science doesn't operate by those principles. Instead, everything that we have and everything we accept is based on decades of research which needs to be observed, quantified and tested. Science can't "prove" anything, but it can disprove many hypothesis. However, evolution has yet to be unproven as a viable hypothesis by neither scientists nor creationists. As our society develops, we are becoming increasingly dependent on science to live and understand everything around us. We can't continue to ignore the theory of evolution and all the professions which utilize it's principles in the hope that the principle will disappear. I feel people will feel rather confused and closed off from professions if they are raised to believe the creationists' rhetoric. Paleontology and geology and biology are all touched by principles involved in evolution. I hate to think a fundie child will shy away from such topics because they think learning it will turn them away from Christianity.

[Evilbad]

Don't these fundies consider that god gave us these brains in order to figure this stuff out? That by remaining willfully ignorant, they are refusing his gifts?

I seriously love Bill Nye.

[CaptainCynic]

And this is why I have the theme to Bill Nye's show as the ringer on my phone. He's one of those people you'd have to be absolutely bug-nuts crazy to try to refute.

[fencesitter]

I love me some Bill Nye.

The US really has an interesting blend. We have some of the most awesome research going on here. Scientists from all over the world come to my university to participate in research.

And at my children's school, evolution is never addressed because then they would have to teach Biblical creation in science class.

I have always questioned the fundie mindset in evolution. According to fundie doctorine, one'd think that god would lead their kids to the "truth", so if they are so hell bent on their kids not learning evolution it is kind of saying that they think it is true. Their insecurities about their children learning about evolution basically show they they are insecure in their beliefs... (not that I think the 2 have to be exclusive.) guess it is just the blind obedience thing and they don't want kids asking questions they can't answer.

[synchroswimr]

The Martha episode was great. Sesame Street needs to have a geek week, too.

There was also an episode of Stargate Atlantis with both Tyson and Nye. (And for triple-geek points, McKay's date was the actress who played Kaylee on Firefly.) Made my geeky heart happy.

Me3-r5rsUSI

Tyson's been on the Big Bang Theory, too. I wonder if they've asked Bill Nye to guest-star?

Edited to fix the Youtube link

I liked that episode a lot. It made me smile