Slashdot Mirror
Sarah Palin Says 'Bill Nye Is As Much A Scientist As I Am' (cnn.com)
ClickOnThis quotes a report from CNN: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin mocked Bill Nye on Thursday, using the premier of a film that criticizes climate change scientists to call into question Nye's credentials. "Bill Nye is as much a scientist as I am," the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee said, according to The Hill. "He's a kids' show actor, he's not a scientist." Palin, who was speaking at the Washington premiere of the anti-climate change film "Climate Hustle," targeted Nye during a rant against the "alarmism" of climate change activists. Palin urged parents to teach their children to "ask those questions and not just believe what Bill Nye the Science Guy is trying to tell them" about climate change. Just because Bill Nye may be best known for his role in the popular educational TV series "Bill Nye the Science Guy," doesn't mean he isn't a scientist. In fact, he graduated from Cornell University's School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. From Wikipedia: In the early 2000s, Nye assisted in the development of a small sundial that was included in the Mars Exploration Rover missions. He holds several U.S. patents, including one for ballet pointe shoes and another for an educational magnifying glass created by filling a clear plastic bag with water.
"...he graduated from Cornell University's School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering."
Wouldn't that would make him an engineer and not a scientist? Of course, he's still significantly more intelligent than Palin or any of her kinfolk, he's just not a scientist.
Frequently, engineers do science and scientists do engineering.
The difference between engineering and science is often one of intent rather than activity. Very broadly speaking, engineering is about making things that work, whereas science is about trying to understand how and why they work.
If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
A scientist is someone who seeks to find the truth via the scientific process. Bill Nye is not this. He is an actor.
Actually he is an engineer and arguably a scientist too. He also happens to be an actor, scientific advocate, writer, and several other things besides. Unlike Sara Palin he actually has a talent beside self promotion. If you want to call him a citizen scientist, fine, but he's much more involved in science than 99.9% of the population. Particularly one former governor of Alaska.
He's actually quite good. He presents as much data as he has, and as his current audience can handle, in clear language and good logic. It's difficult to get every scientific detail explained in full in a public forum of any sort, but he does and has done clear scientific analysis for decades now, and he does his research to be prepared for the presentations.
He's done public debates with science denying fools before: there was an infamous debate with a creationist leader, at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...