Bill Nye: Space Fights, and Advocating for Science and Bow Ties
By • March 30, 2026 0 490
Georgetowner Bill Nye likes to remind people that in the Constitution, specifically Article 1, Section 8, Clause 8, Congress is tasked with promoting the progress of science.
Nye, a science advocate, author, actor and comedian who’s best known for hosting the ‘90s children’s science show “Bill Nye the Science Guy” on PBS and Disney, doesn’t want everyone to become a scientist, but stressed the importance of appreciating it.
Bill Nye receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Courtesy SSM&L NYC.
As chief ambassador of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest nonprofit space organization, Nye remains one of the country’s most visible advocates for scientific exploration. Now, as NASA prepares for the highly anticipated launch of Artemis II on April 1 — a mission that will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years — Nye is once again at the center of the conversation.
“The Planetary Society is 42,000 people around the world who have an enthusiasm for scientific exploration of space,” Nye told The Georgetowner when we spoke in February. After leading a coalition of 19 science organizations in a letter-writing campaign, proposed funding cuts were reversed — though, he warned, similar efforts may be needed again. “We’ll push back again.” He added, “For example, somebody in the administration had this great idea to cut NASA funding by a fifth and NASA science funding by almost half.”
Bill Nye and Carl Sagan. Courtesy SSM&L NYC.
He spoke about the 1968 Apollo 8 mission, when NASA beat the Soviet space program to the moon.
“Politically, the U.S. has got to put people back on the moon, it’s been 60 years,” Nye said emphatically. “For crying out loud, get this done!”
He had high praise for new NASA administrator Jared “Rook” Isaacman, who was sworn in on December 15, 2025. Nye called him “the right guy,” and mentioned that the hardest part of the job is to deal with Congress.
With April being Earth Month, Nye emphasizes practical habits like recycling and composting — systems he saw succeed in cities like Seattle and Los Angeles, where he spent decades before returning to Washington. He hopes programs like D.C.’s food waste collection will expand, making sustainability second nature.
Bill Nye Light Sail 2-TPS (Washington, DC). Courtesy SSM&L NYC.
His environmental awareness dates to childhood. As a Boy Scout canoeing on the Potomac River near the Potomac Electric Power Company, he recalls seeing the river lined with dead fish. “The effluent from the power plant was so hot, it just killed fish,” he said.
Conversely, when Nationals Park was built, it was designed to avoid contaminating the Potomac or Anacostia Rivers, a move Nye called “progress through regulation.”
“Everybody’s running around with the perception that all regulation of any kind is bad,” he said. “I disagree with that as much as you can disagree with anything.”
Bill Nye at the 2017 March 4 Science. Courtesy SSM&L NYC.
Nye, a native Washingtonian, is celebrating his fourth anniversary of living in Georgetown. He loves the accessibility of the neighborhood and how easy it is to walk around and go to stores, dinner, the post office and gym, all without getting in your car.
“When I was in high school, Georgetown — especially east of Wisconsin Avenue — was a little sketch,” he said. “It was run down, and now to see it coming back in such a cool fashion is very nice.”
Nye occasionally visits his alma mater Sidwell Friends School where he reflects on a life that has taken him from Lafayette Elementary to Alice Deal Middle School, to Cornell, where Carl Sagen was his teacher. He continues to inspire many to learn about science in classrooms, on television screens, and in their community.
Bill Nye getting his star on the Walk of Fame. Courtesy SSM&L NYC.
Touching on the 250th birthday of the U.S. and 275th birthday of Georgetown and his hopes for the future, Nye quoted a friend of his, Wally Hoosier, who has since died. Things were concerning in 2005; we invaded the wrong country and killed the wrong guy and made a mess of a part of the world that we’re still dealing with. Things were troubling in 1965 during the race riots, and there were assassinations, denying people the right to vote, and so on.
“Those were bad, but he pointed out things were really bad in 1865,” Nye said. “So, if we can get through that, we can get through this, but boy is it a troubling time—Georgetown will be part of it, a nexus and another center for opinions about how the U.S. should conduct itself in the future.”
Of course, we couldn’t let Nye go without asking him about his bow tie collection.
Young Bill Nye in science classroom. Courtesy SSM&L NYC.
His impressive collection is over 500, on racks that slide out and are on display. They are carefully arranged by color and occasion, such as which ones he’d wear with a tux versus which ones he’d wear with jeans. He emphasized that when doing science experiments, they’re easier than dealing with traditional ties, which tend to get in the way in a lab.
There was nothing better for millennials when teachers would roll the old televisions on a cart into the classroom and “Bill Nye the Science Guy” appeared on screen, bright bow tie and all.
“They’re part of the décor of the bedroom,” Nye said. “It’s not for everybody, but my wife is quite supportive.”
More information on Bill Nye can be found at billnye.com.
