Bill Nye the Fashionable Liberal Opinions Guy

...After a career in aerospace, where he admirably made things and improved the world by enabling jet travel — well before his pearl-clutching carbon panic phase — Nye was introduced to the world of sketch comedy. Ironically, while his acting is pretty good, it was his science that would become the big joke.

As an actor playing the role of “The Science Guy,” Nye served an important purpose: getting children interested in science. It wasn’t an original idea, of course. Children of previous generations were entranced by science-themed entertainers like Mr. Wizard. At least Nye looked the part, though: he might charitably be considered a character actor for the quintessential pencil-neck geek.

As a science advocate, Nye would follow a now-familiar pattern. He would start out as a fun, harmless communicator — not a true scientist, but at least a good entertainer — and then he would get bored and turn to political grandstanding...