“Bill Nye is as much a scientist as I am,” Palin said. “He’s a kids’ show actor — he’s not a scientist.”
Technically, she’s correct — she’s not a scientist and Nye isn’t, either. He’s an engineer who became famous as a TV personality promoting science education. But he has vastly more scientific knowledge, experience, and credibility than she does.
Bill Nye has impressive credentials. He’s worked for Boeing, has designed scientific instruments for space missions, has been awarded patents, and also has been awarded honorary doctorates by Rensselaer and Johns Hopkins. And he’s been a professor at Cornell. Unlike Palin, when he opens his mouth, he knows what he’s talking about.
Palin’s fame comes from being an ignorant twit and the matriach of a famously dysfunctional family. A former sportscaster, today she’s a big hit with the redneck voting bloc by being a cheerleader for stupidity. She’s currently promoting a propaganda film that claims the world’s best professional scientists are dishonest and climate change is a hoax. (Read that story here.) She’s as distant from serious science as Nye is close to it.
Most people have enough sense to keep their mouths shut about topics they know little or nothing about so they don’t embarrass themselves in front of strangers. When you see something like this, you’re watching a world-class moron turn idiocy into performance art.