# Whose was your favorite "science guy" growing up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121 "2014-12-13T14:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/1 "2014-12-13T14:31:00Z")
[As I was watching this video of Bill Nye](http://mashable.com/2014/12/12/bill-nye-evolution-emoji/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-video), 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. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/2 "2014-12-13T14:35:17Z")
[Mr. Wizard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_RJtkKGw4c) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/3 "2014-12-13T14:41:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/4 "2014-12-13T14:44:15Z")
Mr. Wizard is the only one I watched whose name I remember. I watched 3-2-1 Contact regularly too, but darned if I can remember any of the characters. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/5 "2014-12-13T14:47:13Z")
[According to Mr. Wizard we don’t have to worry about coastal flooding due to ice cap melting;](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKiq5EwkzDg) At least that’s what the poster of this video took away from that experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/6 "2014-12-13T14:49:16Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Mr. Wizard is the only one I watched whose name I remember. I watched 3-2-1 Contact regularly too, but darned if I can remember any of the characters. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/7 "2014-12-13T14:50:51Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > 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. There was the Bloodhound Gang at the end, at least… but I don’t remember who they were. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/8 "2014-12-13T14:53:01Z")
Mr Wizard and 3-2-1 Contact for me too… Bill Nye and Beakman didn’t start coming on until I was in college (or very shortly beforehand). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/9 "2014-12-13T14:54:11Z")
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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUb7vJAj6bM).” Drawing a blank on the other titles. Entertaining and informative. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/10 "2014-12-13T15:04:24Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/11 "2014-12-13T15:14:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/12 "2014-12-13T15:19:47Z")
[Ask Andy](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19720103&id=zxgvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kigEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4340,2120462), a syndicated newspaper column. I sent in questions, but he never used them so I never got my set of World Book Encyclopedias. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/13 "2014-12-13T15:28:01Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/14 "2014-12-13T15:39:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/15 "2014-12-13T15:58:53Z")
This one is easy! Professor Julius Sumner Miller— “physics is my business”! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCcZyW-6-5o) https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q3epidOGI6Y?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=PL10ED1BADAF69310A ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/16 "2014-12-13T16:06:35Z")
We didn’t have cable so I missed the whole Mr. Wizard thing. Definitely Newton’s Apple and 3-2-1- Contact for me as a young kid. Bill Nye and Beakman were on at the same time (1993-1998) and even though I was 14-19 throughout that time you bet I totally watched them 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/17 "2014-12-13T16:11:01Z")
Another for Mr Wizard. Loved his stuff early 60s-ish. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/18 "2014-12-13T16:12:15Z")
Mr. Wizard. Which, thinking about it, was a weird name for a science guy. I desperately wanted to be one of his helpers on the show. He was on David Letterman’s first late-night show. Too bad he’s not around to be on the last. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/19 "2014-12-13T16:16:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > This one is easy! Professor Julius Sumner Miller— “physics is my business”! > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCcZyW-6-5o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCcZyW-6-5o) > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3epidOGI6Y&list=PL10ED1BADAF69310A&index=43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3epidOGI6Y&list=PL10ED1BADAF69310A&index=43) When and where did his show come on? He looks exactly like a mad scientist. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121/20 "2014-12-13T16:19:34Z")
Mr. Wizard was mine too. The Nickelodeon show from the 80s specifically. I also watched Ira Flatow on Newton’s Apple on PBS and What Will They Think of Next? on Nick. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whose-was-your-favorite-science-guy-growing-up/707121.md?page=2)