On Thursday, April 11 at 6:30 p.m., two long lines wound through the Cohon University Center’s first floor, stretching from the Lee Lobby to the black chairs of Kirr Commons. A horde of students waited to storm into McConomy Auditorium — some were sitting, others standing, and most were buzzing with excitement. In an hour, they would see one of the greatest legends of their childhoods: Bill Nye the Science Guy, in a moderated Q&A hosted by the Activities Board.
Around 7:30 p.m., the doors opened and students rushed to fill the seats, packing the auditorium and leaving no row empty. On the stage below were a pair of chairs, one for Harper Zondlak, the moderator for the conversation and a fourth-year engineering student, and the other for Bill Nye himself. As Bill Nye walked onto the stage, the crowd erupted into cheers in the familiar rhythm of his famous theme song: “Bill, Bill, Bill!”
During the conversation, Nye charmed the crowd with his quips and jokes.
When asked how he felt about attending during Carnival he replied, “Well, during Carnival week, I was hoping it would be pouring rain,” earning loud laughs from the audience. After a few questions on Nye’s favorite jokes and hobbies, the discussion turned to his career and thoughts on science communication and the future of our generation.
“You are wonderful at bridging the gap between scientists and the general public,” Zondlak said, “So, what makes a good science communicator and educator?”
“Well, me, of course,” Nye said, jokingly. He went on to mention the acronym DIV: discipline in vocabulary. He explained how easy it is to define a word using the word iteslf rather than explaining the concept. Nye encouraged students to not only read their work out loud to identify these complex areas but also to approach science with a sense of humor when appropriate.
“How do you approach communicating with people who have different opinions, especially those not evidenced or science-based?” Zondlak asked.
“Well, that is the great challenge, isn’t it?” Nye said. “It is the uphill battle and this leads us to climate change.” He discussed how the greenhouse effect has been known since the 1970s and how his generation has done nearly nothing to stop it. Nye then directly addressed the audience, “It’s up to you guys.”
But what can we do about climate change?
Nye had two recommendations. First, talk about it. Talking about climate change, and important issues in general, can increase public attention and awareness. The second piece of advice was to vote. Though Nye did not disclose his political preferences, he encouraged everyone to take the environment into account when they vote. By following these two simple tasks, we all can take part in addressing climate change.
After a lengthy conversation on climate change, Zondlak said college graduates are “entering a world with climate crises, an interesting economy, and even more interesting politics. … It’s easy to feel powerless and scared. So how do you stay optimistic?”
“Oh, oh, oh!” Nye exclaimed. “Oh, you HAVE to be optimistic! If you’re not optimistic, you ain’t gonna do no nothings, peoples!”
Nye went on to give some examples. Did you think that Iowa State thought they were going to lose the NCAA tournament? Or that the Buffalo Bills went into the Super Bowl game thinking they weren’t going to win? The answer is NO! Nye said that in order to achieve anything, we need to maintain the mindset that we can pull it off.
“We are all in this together,” he said. “As different as we all may seem to be, people are all much more alike than they are different.”
Near the end of the panel, the conversation opened to the audience.
Nye answered questions about optimism, recounted his experiences on “Dancing with the Stars,” and showed off some of his ballroom dance moves. But inevitably, the time spent with Bill Nye had to come to an end. Amidst the cheers and claps, Nye and Zondlak turned to the audience with a smile.
“So, let’s change the world, right guys?”
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