Bill Nye, known by millions as “Bill Nye the Science Guy” for his award-winning PBS series of the same name, fainted in front of an audience at the University of Southern California, but managed to get back up if a bit dazed.
Nye, now 54 years old, was giving a presentation in which hundreds of students and guests came to see one of the country’s few science celebrities.
Several minutes into it, Nye collapsed, stunning onlookers who weren’t sure what to do. But he got back up several seconds later and, being the consummate professional he is, continued the presentation without a hitch.
Nye did, however, ask how long he was passed out, and admitted the same thing happened to him earlier in the day. Paramedics were called and arrived on the scene, but it appears Nye was doing well enough and didn’t need medical treatment.
Nye’s gig as host of “The Science Guy” lasted from 1993 to 1997 after a successful run of 100 episodes. To this day schools continue to play episodes of the show to students because of its accessible, high-energy, fun exploration of scientific concepts.
Since then, Nye has continued to be a public figure, appearing on Larry King Live, the Discovery Channel, and also portraying himself on a number of more lighthearted TV shows. He’s also had a long-running public speaking career.
Before yesterday, there had been no widespread reports about Nye having any sort of medical problem.
