Science vs religion bill nye biography

Yesterday our blog featured an interview with popular author and scientist Bill Nye. The interview was published on the one-year anniversary of Nye’s well-publicized debate with Ken Ham, which we commented on extensively last year. We have had several online exchanges with Ken Ham since then, but no communication with Bill Nye. We approached Nye and he agreed to an interview with our content editor, Brad Kramer, about his recent book. The email interview had two rounds: an initial set of four questions, then a set of followup questions (interweaved throughout the piece) to interact with his responses to the first round.

The debate last year was viewed by hundreds of thousands of people. Unfortunately, it reinforced the idea that science and biblical faith are at odds. As I wrote before the debate, we at BioLogos maintain that you don’t have to choose. You don’t have to give up Christian faith in order to accept the best, most rigorous science. We agree with what Bill Nye says about the science of evolution and the age of the earth. Dates based on nuclear decay, fossils, genetics, and other scientific evidences make a compelling case that all life on earth is related and developed over a very long time through natural processes. But we’re also brothers and sisters in Christ with Ken Ham and other creationists. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died for our sins and rose from the dead, and that the Bible is the authoritative word of God. (Read more of what we believe.)Nye has done great work over the decades as a science educator, inspiring millions of children to love science.

We share that love of science and, like Nye, the universe fills us with wonder. In the last year however, Nye has been moving beyond celebrating science itself into troubling rhetoric against the Bible and Christian beliefs. And he is rapidly becoming a major voice in the national science/faith discussion.In the interview, Nye clai

Brad Kramer: Before last year, most people (including a younger version of myself) knew you as the white-coated Science Guy on PBS. Now, you’re seen as a defender of science, rather than simply a promoter. What motivated you, as a former host of a popular children’s show, to jump into such controversial issues, especially involving religion? What are you hoping to accomplish, especially with your new book?

Bill Nye: My book Undeniable is akin to a primer on evolution. As such, it has little to do with religion. With that said, no matter what you may believe spiritually or otherwise, the Earth is clearly not 6,000 or 10,000 years old. (Incidentally, my lab coats are blue. That they are often perceived as white serves as another example of the troublesome nature of eyewitness accounts.)

BK: While you say your book has little to do with religion, you write in the book that it’s unreasonable to see any sort of divine “plan” in nature (p. 78). Paired with strong endorsements from many prominent atheists and agnostics on the back cover, can you see how many Christians would feel your book has an anti-religious agenda?

Nye: Put briefly, no; I don’t perceive an anti-religious agenda, especially with regard to Christians and Christianity. The issue being debated was creationism, the idea that the Earth is 6,000 years old. As I understand it, this involves the Bible’s Old Testament exclusively. As I understand it, Jesus of Nazareth and his worldview did not come to be until the New Testament times.

BK:It has been exactly one year since your well-publicized showdown with Ken Ham. Your remarks at the debate were very much focused on the age of the earth and universe, but your book is almost entirely focused on evolution. You hint in the book that you’ve had a learning curve about what really matters to people like Ham, and evolution is ultimately a more important battle line than geology or ice cores or other chronologi

American science communicator (born 1955)

This article is about the American science educator. For the British actor, see Bill Nighy. For other people, see Bill Nye (disambiguation).

"Everything All at Once" redirects here. For the film, see Everything Everywhere All at Once.

"The Science Guy" redirects here. For his television series, see Bill Nye the Science Guy.

William Sanford Nye (; born November 27, 1955) is an American science communicator, television presenter, and former mechanical engineer. He is best known as the host of the science education television show Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993–1999) and as a science educator in pop culture. Born in Washington, D.C., Nye began his career as a mechanical engineer for Boeing in Seattle, where he invented a hydraulicresonance suppressor tube used on 747 airplanes. In 1986, he left Boeing to pursue comedy—writing and performing for the local sketch television show Almost Live!, where he regularly conducted wacky scientific experiments.

Aspiring to become the next Mr. Wizard, Nye successfully pitched the children's television programBill Nye the Science Guy to Seattle's public television station, KCTS-TV. The show—which proudly proclaimed in its theme song that "science rules!"—ran from 1993 to 1998 in national TV syndication. Known for its "high-energy presentation and MTV-paced segments", the program became a hit among kids and adults, was critically acclaimed, and was nominated for 23 Emmy Awards, winning 19, including Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for Nye himself.

Nye continued to advocate for science, becoming the CEO of The Planetary Society. He has written two bestselling books on science: Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation (2014) and Unstoppable: Harnessing Science to Change the World (2015). He has appeared frequently on other TV shows, including Dancing with the Stars, The Big Bang Theory, and Inside Amy Schu