Bill Nye Joins Dancing With the Stars Because He Loves the Cosmos, Wired
"In order for us to carry out our mission to get the world -- our world -- excited about and supportive of space exploration, we need to engage people everywhere. The show is watched by millions. I'll be there as your CEO of The Planetary Society and a student of Carl Sagan. Buzz Aldrin appeared on this show three years ago."
Keith's note: I am the first one to suggest that NASA and space enthusiasts need to find new ways to connect to the other 99% of society who need some outreach. But I expect that the net value to the popularization of space exploration by this stunt will be the same as was the case with Buzz Aldrin's appearance on Dancing With The Stars: fleeting, hard to measure, and somewhat embarrassing. Based on this sample of Nye's jittery dance style I do not think he'll stay on the show long enough to make a difference. I don't even think that a colored mohawk haircut would help him. Wake me when it is over.