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The Daily OrangeThe science guy
Bill Nye discusses critical earth issues
By Amanda Allison
Posted: 3/20/08, 12:35 AM EST Section: News
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"So…you guys have to do that," Nye told the 1,500 audience members in Goldstein auditorium Wednesday night. "It's a problem I want you to solve."
The famed "man who made science cool" came to the Syracuse University campus to discuss critical world issues our generation faces, including global warming, space exploration, energy consumption and the possible destruction of Earth by Apophis.
Brought by The Society of Physics Students, Nye spoke for nearly two hours and then opened it up for questions from the audience - including area high school and elementary school students.
"Everything he talked about was easy to understand," said Sierra Fox, a freshman vocal performance major. "He didn't treat us like kids, but he made it so that even the real kids in the audience could understand. He makes science accessible - he got me interested."
Nye, a Cornell University grad who became famous for his "Bill Nye the Science Guy" TV show in the late 90s, attempted to include everyone in the audience, from science-based majors (who cheered loudly upon hearing that the Second Law of Thermodynamics is Nye's favorite physics phenomena) to "metal heads" and "gear heads."
Because after all, as he exclaimed, "Who doesn't love physics?"
In between cracking rock jokes and explaining how he came to wear a bow tie (he learned it from his grandfather, who rented tuxes and bowties for every event), Nye focused his discussion on global warming.
"The Earth is my favorite planet, but things are changing," he said. "The world is getting warmer on our watch."
Nye showed several charts similar to those in Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," and even admitted he was skeptical at first about the true existence of climate change. Nye told the audience that as "a thinking mind" he confronted the issue, traveling to The Ice Core Lab in Glendale, Colo. to view lab samples of atmosphere captured in bubbles preserved in ice.
Nye added that this next election is the most important election in the history of the United States in terms of changing the current condition of the earth. The U.S. president affects every species on earth, from humans to jellyfish, he said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Henry Rosenberg
posted 3/20/08 @ 2:48 PM EST
Scientifically speaking, the article would be even better if it told us what the evidence is that the asteroid will collide with our home planet.
Amazon Herbs
posted 3/22/08 @ 5:40 PM EST
Very interesting article. I guess we will have to send people in a ship to plant nuclear warheads on the asteroid.
Ben
posted 4/16/08 @ 8:28 PM EST
Sign me up for the Armageddon plan! I'd gladly gamble my life for the prize of never paying taxes again. Btw, Bill Nye is the only person in history ever to look cool wearing a pocket protector/bow tie/lab coat. (Continued…)
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