As I was watching this video of Bill Nye, I realized that Bill was more my kid’s science guy. And, although I loved Bill!Bill!Bill!Bill!, my children liked Beakman’s World better.
My science guy was Ira Flatow, although in my head his name was Newton. P.S., I could not find Bill Nye The Science Guy, Beakman’s World or Newton’s Apple on Netflix. Why do I pay for it? It never has what I want.
Mr Wizard, though he was the only one on when I was younger. Beakman didn’t show up until I was 12 and I didn’t like it nearly as much, though I recall really liking Newton’s Apple.
Also, I’m not even sure when Bill Nye showed up on the scene, but as a kid of the 80’s I think Mr Wizard was our only real choice for a Science Guy.
I loved me some 3-2-1 Contact but I don’t think the show had any one host. The format as I remember it was short science videos. Wow, I haven’t thought of 3-2-1 in forever.
When I was in Junior High, there was a series of movies starring “Professor Research” (Dr. Frank Baxter). One of his assistants was Eddie “Green Acres” Albert, back when he had red hair. One title was “Hemo the Magnificent.” Drawing a blank on the other titles. Entertaining and informative.
Jearl Walker, who I saw on public television in the 70s. I vividly remember him demonstrating the Lidenfrost Effect by sticking his hand in molten lead.
Carl Sagan. But it’s stretching it to say Cosmos came in my childhood.
I would hear things about Mr. Wizard growing up and thought it sucked that it wasn’t still on.
So, about the closest was probably Dr. Honeydew from the Muppet show.
I remember staying home from school sick and seeing the educational science shows on PBS that were broadcast for high school and thinking how it was so much more awesome then anything I had to learn. It sucked they couldn’t show that on weekends too where I could see them.
It’s a sad state we are in now that there is no Bill Nye on tv. Saturday morning cartoons have been wiped out in favor of educational programing, but no science wizards.
It’s practically criminal.
Well, my favorite “science guy” was a triumvirate: my grandfather, who used to show me fun kitchen science and let me play in his machine shop, my father, who would take me on tours of his labs and show me his work, and my stepfather, who helped me with my science fair projects and whose enthusiasm for the scientific method was infectious.
But assuming we’re talking about public figures, then Mr. Wizard was my guy. I enjoyed Bill Nye the Science Guy, but it was a guilty pleasure, as I felt a little too old to be watching “kids shows” by that point; I was 18 when his show first aired!
I don’t remember Mr. Wizard except for cultural references, nor do I remember Bill Nye, and science was my favorite subject. 3-2-1 Contact and Chicago City Colleges science programming was basically where I got my info, from my recollection. I was born in '75. Was I just born in between the two science guys or did I just somehow miss them? I do remember Newton’s Apple, though. oh, and Square One.