Bill Nye has big ambitions. Just how big is made abundantly clear in his latest book, “Everything All at Once,” in which the Science Guy says he aims to “remake our transportation network, solve climate change, drastically reduce poverty, and vastly improve human health.”
Phew! Just how does Nye intend to do all that? On Wednesday, July 12, Nye was the featured guest on the latest episode of MACH in VR, the new virtual reality series from NBC News MACH. In addition to sharing his ideas for fixing the big problems that face us, Nye detailed his “eight principles of everything” and explained why it’s so vitally important for all of us to cultivate what he calls the “nerd mindset.”
The one-hour event — Nye's first ever trip into VR — took place in AltspaceVR, a leading VR app, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the twelfth. Nye was interviewed by MACH’s editorial director, David Freeman. The wide-ranging discussion was followed by a question-and-answer session where audience members posed their own questions to Nye.
The event was free of charge and open to all. Anyone with a VR headset (HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Daydream, or Samsung Gear VR) could join. Those without headsets attended in mobile view mode with a compatible Android phone or in 2D mode on a qualifying Mac or PC, as well as via a YouTube live-stream (see below).
Previous episodes have featured Seth Shostak, a leading expert on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and Sean Carroll, a theoretical physicist at Caltech. More episodes are in the works!