Bill Nye the Science Guy faints from exhaustion at USC

Bill Nye, the popular host of the 1990s TV show "Bill Nye the Science Guy," fainted from exhaustion Tuesday night in front of hundreds at USC's Bovard Auditorium, but recovered long enough to finish his lecture while sitting down.

"What happened?  How long was I out?" Nye said after coming back around, the Daily Trojan reports. "Wow, that was crazy. I feel like Lady Gaga or something."

At least one student was "perplexed beyond reason" by the lack of immediate response when Nye collapsed. "Instead, I saw students texting and updating their Twitter statuses,"  USC senior Alastair Fairbanks told L.A. Now. "It was just all a very bizarre evening."

That reaction from the audience -- some had lined up five hours ahead of the global warming lecture, according to the Daily Trojan -- had #billnye trending on Twitter on Tuesday night. Still, it's not as if Nye has never updated his social-network status because of something he was doing at the time.

Nye was not taken to the hospital, USC Program Board organizers told the USC paper.

"He kept trying to finish his speech though it was clear he was really woozy, and he did finish from a chair. What a trouper," sophomore Pierre Tasci told the DT.

Back in the day, we admit, the Ministry also spent some time less-than-conscious in Bovard. But that was probably more about having freshman biology there at the ridiculous hour of 8 a.m.

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Photo: Bill Nye, host of TV's "Bill Nye the Science Guy," snaps a cellphone photo in the East Room of the White House on Oct. 18 at a science fair hosted by President Obama. The fair celebrated students who'd won science, technology, engineering and math competitions. Credit: J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

Comments

[Jim]

Global warming is so real even Bill Nye is collapsing from heat exhaustion...

Or maybe the whole thing was Stage craft.

I hope he's ok.

[Patinwy]

You have to be kidding me! No one even bothered to go up to check on him until they sent out stupid messages on twitter and facebook? That is the epitome of lameness. UFB!

[Marc]

Trouper?

[Bonny]

I love Bill Nye--and not just "the Science Guy"; he was on a great comedy show called "Almost Live" out of Seattle. I hope he is better and healthy in general!