Students lined up across the second floor of the Marshall Student Center, waiting to see pop icon Bill Nye hours before the lecture. The “Science Guy” told the 1,300 students they were part of the space and climate generation.

The lecture on Tuesday was structured like his ’90s PBS television show, Bill Nye the Science Guy, in the way he combined science and humor to entertain the audience.

He talked about the possibility of finding life on Mars, sundials, climate change and shadows.

“If you’ve never done this, I strongly encourage you to do this. Go outside on a sunny day with something very white, like a white shirt, or a napkin or a piece of paper. Cast a shadow on it with a pen, or your finger. Or your friends head,” Nye said. “If you look at the shadow, the shadow will be gray.”

Nye then said why he wanted them to examine an ordinary shadow.

“If you look closely enough, then you will see that the shadow is ever so slightly light blue,” he said.

Nye educated students about what people need to create to help stabilize the climate and the innovations of space technology.

He showed students pictures a spacecraft took on Mars.

“The color of the rocks, gives you the first idea of what the rocks are made of,” Nye said.

Students were also continuously encouraged by Nye to invent new technology.

“If you can do it, you will get rich,” Nye said. “Then maybe, you will change the world.”

Before the lecture, students created a variety of cheers demanding Nye’s presence.

Nye showed he felt like he connected with the University, when he assured one student that he would do his best to come back to USF and perform an energy analysis of the Tampa campus.

ULS Student Director Tim Repass said there were about 800 people in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom and 500 people in Oval Theatre overflow seating.

“It worked out great. There was a lot of people who took advantage of (overflow seating),” said Repass. “I was surprised how full it was. Maybe we can use it for (future) lectures if they enjoyed it.”

Repass said that although the lecture started a little late, he was pleased to see the audience cooperation and excitement.

“There was a lot of energy in the room,” he said.