The Patents of Bill Nye, The Science Guy®

William Sanford Nye is someone who encompasses numerous labels. He's a scientist, a comedian, a Steve Martin look-alike, an educator, a mechanical engineer, an inventor, and an advocate. We know him as Bill Nye, The Science Guy®.

“Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!”

“Bill Nye, The Science Guy!”

His name evokes the energetic, weird, and exciting theme song, much like the man himself, who joyfully explains the world with reverence.

So, how many patents does Bill Nye have? In addition to his 19-time Emmy-award-winning show, Nye holds three distinctive US patents:

• The Educational Lens
• The ballerina's Toe Shoe
• The Throwing Technique Trainer (developed with "baseball guru" Steve Goucher)

Additionally, his name appears on patents from his tenure as a mechanical engineer at Boeing®, along with a design patent for a Digital Abacus (with William M. Pease). 

Let’s explore Bill Nye’s inventions and patents in details:

1. Bill Nye's Educational Lens

Image from Google Patents

The patent, in Nye's voice, radiates a Mr.-Rogers-level of endearment.

He begins by stating, "Modern statistics indicate that the education of American youth is falling behind the other industrialized nations of the world in matters related to science." Using the plural first person, Nye emphasizes: “Science is for everyone. All of us use and benefit from science.”

He continues, stressing the importance of connecting scientific concepts to the physical world to make science interesting and encourage more children to pursue careers in scientific fields.

This collapsible lens, crafted by Nye, aims to teach children how a lens functions. Constructed from polyethylene plastic filled with water, it creates a convex lens. Initially inspired by Ziplock® bags, Nye first used this concept to create a crude magnifying lens. But realizing its shape didn't mimic a real lens, he designed the Educational Lens.

2. Bill Nye's Toe Shoe for ballerinas

Image from Google Patents

This patent offers insight into how Nye sees the world in motion, detailing the scientific aspects of a dancer en pointe. He explains the forces and torques acting on the dancer's body when in a motionless pose, showcasing his ability to connect scientific concepts to the physical world.

Nye's invention of the Toe Shoe was prompted by an episode titled "Bones and Muscle," where he visited the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Witnessing young dancers with multiple foot surgeries led him to contemplate the design of the ballet shoe. He discovered that the centuries-old "pointe shoe" was notably uncomfortable and even painful for dancers.

He invented a ballet shoe capable of providing appropriate support to prevent or reduce injury.

3. Bill Nye & Steve Goucher's throwing technique trainer

Image from Google Patents

A collaboration between Nye and "baseball guru" Steve Goucher, this patent combines Goucher's baseball technique knowledge with Nye's mechanical engineering expertise. The resulting device guides a baseball player's arm to learn proper throwing technique, positioning the player optimally for a throw.

The top ball holder determines finger placement on the ball. Nye and Goucher also developed and sold the Skipper Stick®, a ball retrieval stick attached to a bat, allowing players to pick up balls from the ground without bending over. While the Skipper Stick® trademark is registered to Nye Labs LLC, a search in the USPTO Patent Database yields no results. 

D-BAT® previously sold the Skipper Stick®, but it has been discontinued.

Key takeaways from Bill Nye's patents

Bill Nye's ability to transcend fixed identities is truly inspiring. He reminds us that the lanes in life are meant for all to use. He demonstrates that human beings can embody multiple labels, and limitations shouldn't restrict us from exploring diverse spaces — a true inspiration. 

Want to know how to file your own patent? Read our patent filing 101 article, where we go into detail about precisely this.