Ithaca Grad Bill Nye Is Alive, So Check Before You Share That Death Post

When a black-and-white post saying Bill Nye had died popped up in my feed, my stomach dropped. You know that awful moment when a headline makes you stop scrolling and think, “Wait, what?” That was me.

Bill Nye was the one person who could get me interested in science, and when I saw that post, for a few minutes, I was afraid the Science Guy was gone.

Take a breath: the rumor is false. Nye’s official website is still sharing his work, and The Planetary Society lists him as its chief ambassador and vice chairman. If that post shows up in your feed, please don’t pass it along. Take a minute to check before you share. Your friends will thank you.

Bill Nye’s Cornell Years Connect Him to New York State

Did you know that there's a New York connection behind the Science Guy? Nye graduated from Cornell University in Ithaca in 1977 with a degree in mechanical engineering. While he was there, he took an astronomy class taught by Carl Sagan, the famous Cornell professor who helped spark Nye’s interest in science.

Nye came back to Ithaca in 2019 to speak to Cornell graduates. He shared Sagan's advice and encouraged students not to let fear stop them from changing the world.

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Bill Nye Made Science Fun for a Generation

I first discovered Bill Nye the Science Guy in high school. I was babysitting kids who were only allowed to watch PBS, and somehow watching their shows became a favorite part of the job for me. Bill made science funny, lively, and easy to follow. Suddenly, learning about science didn’t feel like homework.

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Years later, I’m using some of those lessons in my own homeschool curriculum. The show first aired in 1993, bringing experiments and silly songs into classrooms and living rooms. If you grew up watching, you probably remember how quickly Bill could make a person curious about something they'd never thought about before.

So yes, the Science Guy is still here. And I don’t know about you, but I’m very glad I checked before believing that post.