Bill Nye, once the Science Guy, now the Dancing With The Stars guy

Bill Nye and his dancing partner, Tyne Stecklein. (ABC/Craig Sjodin)

 

Bill Nye, better known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is -- besides a beloved science educator -- the CEO of The Planetary Society, a the world's largest non-governmental space interest group.

So maybe it makes perfect sense that Nye is one of the 12 celebrities announced today as contestants on season 17 of Dancing With The Stars. In some ways, Bill Nye has always been dancing with the stars.

Right? Right?!?

Bill, buddy! What are you doing?! You had a reasonable supply of gravitas. You had modest gravitas capital that was slowly accruing with age and parody Twitter accounts. You just spent all your gravitas to join a reality TV show headlined by Snooki.

There's not much more to add here. Nye's dancing partner is Tyne Stecklein, whoever that is. The show premiers on Sept. 16. This hasn't been confirmed, but we're guessing Nye is the first DTWS contestant to hold six honorary doctorates. 

Who knows. Maybe Nye, until now known as a fierce climate change activist, will use DTWS as a platform to convince all the remaining skeptics that anthropogenic global warming is really real. By foxtrotting around or whatever. 

Yeah.

Kate Allen is the Star's science and technology reporter. 

Comments

[Giles Slade]

I think this sends a few very cool messages, including (1) that nerdy, geeky guys are actually quite cool in their own way and pretty girls like like Tyne Stecklein who looks quite nice here) like them; (2) athleticism is not confined to jock sports, it's cool to be a good dancer.

I still think Bill should lose the bow tie, but it seems to work for him. He's rebranding himself and having fun.

[Hagenaar]

I see your point about being taken seriously. But when Tyne Stecklein says she wants to dance with me, I'm going to say yes. Not astronomy. That's basic biology.

[L Koby]

Don't 'dis Bill Nye, PLEASE. He has taught my children so much! Let him Dance with the Stars!

[D]

Is this badly photoshopped, or does he have a freakishly long left arm?