Bill Nye You Know I Had to Do It to Em
Why Bill Nye Is Non A Scientist - And Why Information technology Matters
This slice is expanded from a previous commodity that I wrote, which can exist institute here:
Commencement Off — Who is Bill Nye, and What Are His Qualifications?
Nib Nye the "science" guy was a favorite of many schoolhouse children growing upwards in the 1990's. He had a hitting TV series where he taught scientific concepts to millions of children, and for that he should be applauded, even by those who disagree with him politically.
So it'due south not unreasonable that many people are under the mistaken impression that Bill Nye is a scientist. But is Pecker Nye an actual "scientist" and what qualifications does ane have in order to be considered a scientist?
Let'southward starting time with his formal instruction. Bill Nye has a mechanical applied science degree, so he would have taken his fair share of physics courses, still, he has not washed the piece of work typically required to exist considered a "scientist".
Fourth dimension and time again, I encounter Nib Nye brought on national TV to speak every bit an adept on scientific problems. And amazingly Neb Nye views himself every bit being qualified to come on such shows! But Bill Nye has no scientific credentials any, also being a comedian in a lab glaze, and has never contributed any enquiry to the scientific community!
The below prune is a fundamental example of what I am talking about.
Princeton scientist with decades of inquiry experience: Here is what the scientific discipline says.
CNN Anchor (turns to the thespian who played a scientist on a children's show 20 years ago): Bill, Bill, what do you lot think?
Beak Nye, Thespian/Comedian: He doesn't know what he's talking near, only take my word for it.
Some random person: Something something Trump something something
The entire affair was like an episode of the Twilight Zone. These people were dismissing an actual scientist in favor of an actor who once played a scientist on Tv set to protect their political ideologies.
What Qualifies Someone To Be Called A Scientist?
In order to earn the privilege of calling yourself a "scientist" 1 unremarkably has to have an earned PhD (or at least a Master's) in the natural sciences. Simply equally one geneticist that I know told me, even afterwards earning his PhD, he still felt hesitant using the discussion "scientist" to depict himself. To be able to telephone call yourself a "scientist" is a very high honor, and non one that those in the scientific community use lightly.
[Author's Note: In my original writing of this article, I failed to give credit to scientists who take their Master'southward degrees who take done incredible work in the scientific community, and deserve that respect and recognition. And for that, I am deeply distressing. I idea about it, but and then honestly failed to mention information technology, equally it was not relevant to the case of Bill Nye. — That said, many of the replies insist that Nib Nye is a scientist, simply because he has spent a lot of time talking near science on Goggle box, and trying to educate people, simply this objection simply is non valid.]
I personally accept two scientific discipline degrees, an associate degree and a available degree in biotechnology. (Don't laugh, I am very proud of that associate degree, as my early college years were incredibly hard.)
I have washed research, in research labs, to further the cause of science. Yet even though I have my degree, and have washed scientific research, I have not earned the coveted social privilege of calling myself a scientist, considering I do non still take my PhD.
In order to earn the honor of being called a scientist, by those of us in the scientific community, one unremarkably has to have an earned PhD, or at least a Master's in the natural sciences.
Of course, there are cases where someone tin be described every bit a "scientist" fifty-fifty if they have no science degrees, such as in historical contexts. Many of the groovy scientists of past centuries had no scientific degree, in large part because they were the trail blazers. These were people who founded the modern sciences and contributed incredible insight into the natural world.
Just proceed in mind, that there was a time in history where most medical doctors never went to college. Someone living in a past century might be legitimately called "doctor", even without a college teaching, only that would not be true today. Similarly, it would be exceedingly rare, and virtually unheard of for someone in the 21st Century to be legitimately called a "scientist" without an earned scientific PhD or a Master's.
The one caveat to this would exist that information technology is possible , although incredibly rare, that someone might teach themselves molecular biology through books, and lectures online, and come out with something like a cure for testicular cancer. In a case like that, someone has clearly earned the right to call themselves a scientist, having done an incredible corporeality of self-education, and an incredible amount of research, displaying knowledge and power that could only be obtained past 1 with great understanding of molecular biology and related sciences.
And then in very very rare instances, someone with incredible ability, and who has contributed incredible research might be considered a scientist by those of u.s.a. in the scientific community, fifty-fifty without an earned PhD.
But how does this compare with Bill Nye? Does Bill Nye accept any scientific degrees or scientific credentials?
The answer is simply no. Even so, that does not stop Bill Nye or CNN from pretending like he does.
Neb Nye's "Honorary PhDs"
Non long ago, someone that I know called me on the phone to argue with me about Bill Nye's qualifications. She kept insisting that Neb Nye IS a legitimate scientist because he has not ane, but six honorary PhDs.
Originally this person told me that Nib Nye had six doctorates, and my face must have contorted in confusion listening to the phone, because no one — or at least no one that I know of — has six legitimate PhDs in science, let lonely Nib Nye. Then a quick Google search revealed that these were honorary PhDs.
Once that picayune detail came out, things fabricated sense.
I kept trying to explain to this person advertisement-nausium, that an honorary degree doesn't hateful anything. Honorary degrees are handed out similar candy by universities, thanking people that they like for coming to a university to speak.
Honorary degrees, unlike degrees with honor, are handed out by universities to people that they like, and the person does not have to have ever done anything of significance. That's why some universities (such as MIT, and the Academy of Virginia) don't hand them out at all. They cheapen real degrees from people who accept done actual work, and create confusion for those who don't understand what an honorary caste is.
Information technology's unfortunate, because the original intent for an honorary PhD was to award people who did not take PhDs for contributing splendid piece of work to a particular field. A possible instance might exist a calculator engineer who figures out a new, faster, and better way to sequence Deoxyribonucleic acid — This person would most probable exist given at to the lowest degree one honorary PhD in molecular biology.
The practice of handing out such degrees has been criticized by many, because now we live in a globe where universities unremarkably honor PhDs to someone who has done no work in the field, simply for showing up to speak at an upshot, or for donating money to a university.
Oprah Winfrey, for case, has 4 honorary doctorates.
http://www.businessinsider.com/celebrities-who-accept-honorary-degrees-2015-viii/#jack-nicholson-has-an-honorary-doctorate-from-chocolate-brown-26
This is why an "honorary caste" doesn't mean anything. With an earned PhD, a pupil has often slaved away for five or 6 years in a molecular biological science lab trying to find a genetic variable in rats that might assist lead to a better agreement of why humans become lung cancer. But with an "honorary PhD" one merely has to be a comedian in a lab glaze who enjoyed the filet mignon on his flight across the country one afternoon.
Once again, don't get me incorrect here, I mean no boldness to Oprah… but I do mean to boldness Beak Nye, a man who goes on TV pretending to be a scientist even though he has no clue what he'due south talking well-nigh, and millions of Liberals believe whatever nonsense falls out of his oral cavity, over people who have bodily science degrees, and over actual scientists.
I pointed all of this out to said person that I mentioned before, merely she kept insisting that in science an honorary PhD actually means something different (it doesn't).
So, let'southward accept a await at the six honorary doctorates that Bill Nye has, and how he obtained them.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Found — Speaker
Equally far equally I can tell, Bill Nye was awarded his "PhD" hither merely for showing up at the consequence to speak. The university website gives no details other than that. No papers had to be published in scientific journals, and no pesky dissertation had to be written. He but had to show upwardly, and talk to students who earned actual PhDs.
https://science.rpi.edu/itws/news/rensselaer-graduates-1613-208th-commencement
Johns Hopkins University — Speaker
Same as RPI, Neb Nye has never written a scientific paper, or done any enquiry that would qualify him as a "scientist" or earn him a doctorate.
https://commencement.jhu.edu/our-history/honorary-degrees-awarded/
https://commencement.jhu.edu/our-history/commencement-speakers/
https://www.youtube.com/lookout?v=aHLXRiMWLj4
Willamette University — According to the university website, Nye was awarded an honorary doctorate for his science TV shows. The website also notes his work in engineering. But once more, nix here that would authorize him as an bodily scientist.
https://web.archive.org/web/20110312040839/http://www.willamette.edu/news/library/2011/03/commencement_2011.html
Rutgers Academy — Nib Nye was paid $35,000 to speak at Rutgers, and he was also given an honorary doctorate for showing upward. During the speech communication, Nib Nye attacked human being-made Global Warming/Climate change skeptics. This is non surprising considering that Bill Nye has attacked actual scientists many times before simply for not like-minded with his preconceived ideas.
http://dailycaller.com/2015/05/18/bill-nye-paid-35k-to-tell-students-to-dismiss-global-warming-skeptics/
http://www.nj.com/education/2015/05/rutgers_graduates_class_of_2015.html
Lehigh University — Honorary doctorate in pedagogy. Teaching is not exactly scientific discipline, it'due south the art of teaching ideas to students in different ways so that they can larn the concepts. While I will criticize Bill Nye for falsely representing himself as a scientist, and while I will point out that his presentations are often faux and misleading, there is a lot of room for praise here, and an honorary degree in educational activity is definitely appropriate.
Millions of kids watched Nib Nye the science guy growing up, and became interested in science every bit a result. Personally, I was a fan of the other popular xc'south kid's testify, The Magic School bus, as well as the books. (Fo-shizzle-my-Frizzle)
Despite my criticism, when Neb Nye is teaching about topics that don't deal with his preconceived political and social ideas, he does an amazing job, and shines like a superstar!
Every bit someone with a passion for scientific discipline, and for teaching, if I could reach the number of people that Bill Nye has, and get that many people interested in science, I would exist very grateful for my life!
Merely beingness a comedian in a lab coat, even 1 with an educational Goggle box show, does not a scientist make.
Simon Fraser Academy — Again, Pecker Nye was given this honour for his educational work, not considering of any notable scientific contribution. The article on the SFU website does not specify whether Bill Nye spoke at the event, nonetheless that detail is not actually important.
https://www.sfu.ca/sfunews/stories/2015/pecker-nye-receives-honourary-degree-from-sfu.html
So, again, beating a dead horse that some people still will not get, Bill Nye is non a scientist, and has not done the work to earn the privilege of calling himself a scientist. He's as much a scientist as Rachel Dolezal is an African American.
Pecker Nye's Work for NASA
But…but… Nib Nye did work for NASA!
Yes, Beak Nye has washed work for NASA, merely so has the person working in their deli, that does not make them a scientist. While it is truthful that Pecker Nye has done work for places such as NASA, his contribution was every bit an engineer, not a scientist.
What's the difference? I personally went to a school that was large on engineering. Mechanical Engineering was probably the largest program there with hundreds and hundreds of students at to the lowest degree. My program, Biotechnology and Molecular Bioscience, was substantially smaller, with a few dozen students, and a number of closely related programs, such as Bioinformatics, and expert old standard Biology.
While an engineer volition apply physics and calculus to design machines, it's the job of the scientist to written report the natural world. Both fields are extremely technical, and Bill Nye undoubtedly had to take a lot of physics courses, but that still does not make him a scientist.
If Pecker Nye wants to go on TV explaining how a motor works, then neat! If Pecker Nye wants to continue a kids testify and explain the mating habits of the black widow spider, then great! Merely Beak Nye is not a biologist, or a climate scientist. That does non mean that he cannot have an opinion, but he is not an expert in these areas.
Disturbingly, what we accept is Bill Nye going on TV, dismissing actual scientists, and arrogantly accusing actual scientists of non agreement what they are talking about, only because they don't buy into Bill Nye'southward nonsense.
Conclusions
Over the past few years, Bill Nye has become a political activist, and out of nowhere became popular in one case again. While many people are under the mistaken impression that Bill Nye is a scientist, he does non have whatever scientific credentials. His six honorary doctorates were given to him for his work on educational Television shows, and for showing up every bit a guest speaker, not for any bodily scientific enquiry that he's done.
Unfortunately millions of people practise non understand what a scientist is, and will undoubtedly continue to take everything that Pecker Nye says every bit if it were coming from a scientific authority, and non simply a comedian with a pop Tv show.
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Further Reading: Priceonomics-Why Exercise Colleges Give Out "Honorary" Degrees?
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