19 Comments

That is the epitome of absurdity. Bill Nye is an actor! Bill Nye has exactly ZERO education in Science and exactly zero earned scientific credentials. That's like giving Barrack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. That's like propping up Zelensky as President of Ukraine, because he was a popular ACTOR who PRETENDED to be a President in some dumb broadcast production.

Are you going to be awarding anything to Barney the Purple Dinosaur next?

Bill Nye is a feckless & arrogantly-ignorant idiot of Logic/Reason.

Bill Nye is a repugnant charlatan of Science.

Bill Nye is a living cliché of Bernaysian marketing propaganda & political pandering.

Bill Nye has accomplished nothing worthwhile or notable in his entire lifetime as a trained monkey on a chain.

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I am astounded, flabbergasted, puzzled, saddened and mystified at Prof. Dawkins' decision to award Bill "the science guy" Nye such a prestigious award. Please tell me it ain't so.

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I share that sentiment very strongly. Cheers!

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Bill Nye thinks women are men. I don’t really care for anything he has to say after that. Can’t trust him.

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Hello Richard,

I’m feeling a bit puzzled about this post.

A quick Google search of Bill Nye and gender shows that, since at least 2017, he has been a vocal supporter of the idea that gender is not binary, but on a spectrum. And that there are more than two genders.

I’ve seen many of Bill’s videos and I know he is loved by many. But for me this is another sad instance of yet another person who is not knowledgeable in this area jumping on this terrible band wagon.

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Understanding that Bill is great on space and climate change, how does one overlook how wrong he is on sex and gender?

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Bill Nye managed what might have seemed impossible: he ruined a good reputation with one video. Everyone knows which one I'm talking about.

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Bill Nye is an excellent science communicator and his insistence on paying attention to climate change is fantastic. I looked up some of his shows on You Tube and they’re enormous fun. I was also particularly impressed by his ability to hold his composure when he was being “assailed’ by Ken Ham, after Ham invited him to the Ark Encounter exhibition. What Ham calls “lively”, personally, I’d call harassment, but Nye’s polite patience throughout is most commendable. I’m reluctant to give oxygen to Creationist nonsense, but Nye’s answers are spot on during this “tour” of the Ark, a version of which can be found here https://bitly.ws/3dZSr.

As for his views on gender, he is free to express himself as he wishes. As one of the significances of this topic is "freedom of speech", it would be deeply hypocritical to enact censorship on any basis of disagreement or to suppress or "cancel" his good work in communicating and promoting science. He is a good and decent man, who, as far as I know, is not the subject of any "scandals" or conduct which in any way brings his character into disrepute.

One of the main virtues of science is that ideas should be able to be discussed openly. It's one field in which it should always be that while you may disagree with someone, their right to speak should always be defended. Right or wrong, healthy debate has always been an important basis of scientific discovery. This a field wherein we should always be able to say "Vive la difference!" 😉 [Sorry, couldn't help the "pun" here. :) ]

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His ideas on gender equal saying the world is flat. Presenting demonstrable falsehoods as facts renders one incredible as someone presenting facts.

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New ton did alchemy. It's ok to be wrong in science, as Fred Hoyle was on the Big Bang etc etc. You just can't be biased or intentionally state falsehoods or material that is ill-informed, which several scientists are doing at this time on certain topics, without the same level of attention. As a communicator, Bill Nye has heard several scientists speaking on this topic. He is also probably referring to gender, rather than biological sex, as is Neil deGrasse Tyson. We may disagree with it, but there are reputable scientists whose position on this are that which he is stating. Specific scientific points of difference could be the basis of discussion, rather than umbrella dismissal of Nye as a science communicator, especially when this is one topic and one that, for all intents and purposes, is a matter of general debate.

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Well put. We are contradictory animals and can be correct on one point and wrong on another. We shouldn't all have to adhere to the same platform of opinions on everything, but should think critically about each one ourselves.

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Bill Nye believes that sex exists on a spectrum. I’ve lost my respect for him:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aQDBNJ3mPa0

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Bill Nye is not Newton. Bill Nye isn’t even a scientist. If you lie all you claim after that is cast in doubt.

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The only man that has the credibility to speak about saving the world is Jesus from Nazareth. Everyone else is just deluding themselves into thinking that the physical world needs saving (it doesn’t - the rocks are going to be fine).

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Wonderful interview Richard! Bill Nye is such an inspiration. Thank you!

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What an enjoyable episode! I enjoyed sharing with my kids. Bill Nye plus Richard Dawkins = fire

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Regarding Bill Nye's views on gender vs his role as a science communicator.....

When you serve in the public trust. Whether an actual political office or respected public figure in some area of expertise. There is a responsibility to separate your own thoughts and feelings from the subjects and responsibilities with which you have been conferred a public trust. Not doing so is an abuse of that trust, and the attendant power it confers. Nye should have stuck to his oeuvre and kept out of the gender discussion and anything else, which is a betrayal of that trust.

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Wonderful, thoroughly enjoyed the talk, but I've always read that wind + solar power won't be enough, that nuclear fusion will have to be developed as well? Other renewable don't store well or produce enough. Is this true?

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I always enjoy seeing the variety of ways scientific folks experience the symbol "true"!

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