Bill Nye, television's iconic "Science Guy," turns 57 today.
Kids of the '90s remember him fondly for his educational show, but Nye is still an important public advocate for a scientifically literate society.
Earlier this year, Nye critiqued creationism in a video that went viral. In it, the comedian and educator urged parents not to pass on their creationist beliefs to children.
"If you want to deny evolution and live in your world that's completely inconsistent with everything we've observed in the universe that's fine," Nye said in the video. "But don't make your kids do it, because we need them... we need people that can build stuff and solve problems."
The video sparked a heated debate with creationists.
Nye later give an exclusive interview with The Huffington Post, during which he discussed creationism, religion and education.
"Unlike science, creationism cannot predict anything, and it cannot provide satisfactory answers about the past," Nye told HuffPost Science in August. "Teaching creationism in science class as an alternative to evolution is inappropriate."
Following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, Nye weighed in on climate change during an interview for online video series "What's Trending."
"This is just the beginning," Nye said, regarding climate change. "I'm not saying there's going to be a Sandy every weekend or every year, but every decade we can expect more and more stronger storms."
Born William Sanford Nye on Nov. 27, 1955, Nye attended Washington, D.C.'s prestigious Sidwell Friends School and later graduated from Cornell University with a degree in mechanical engineering.
His educational television program, "Bill Nye the Science Guy," was produced by Disney and aired on PBS and local stations from 1993 to 1998.
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