SCIENCE: Bro, do you even science? Meet (or remember) Mr. Wizard, the original Science Guy

Mr. Wizard was Bill Nye before Bill Nye was The Science Guy.

While preparing lab experiments and activities for our September 19 Open House (ahem, register today), a tweet came across our @WallyWaterdrop feed:

Meet the science guy who inspired Bill Nye: Mr. Wizard http://t.co/uF1tJZbwXy pic.twitter.com/oS6B3pvRRi

— At the Smithsonian (@AroundTheMall) September 8, 2015

As author of this blog, I'm a child of the 1980s, back when Mr. Wizard was a staple on Nickelodeon. But even well before that, Don "Mr. Wizard" Herbert was televising science experiments in the 1950s and '60s, showcasing the hands-on homemade wonders he created in his garage.

It turns out that The Science Guy Bill Nye was one of many kids captivated by Herbert's wizardry.

WATCH: Christen and Ryan's two-minute tour shows you what happens after the flush

How do you take 280 acres of tanks, towers, and tunnels, and a process that takes more than 24 hours from start to finish, and trim it down to less than three minutes?

Christen and Ryan give it a try.

Ryan Melton and Christen Wood are operators at our Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cuyahoga Heights, and they wanted to give folks an intro to the work it takes to turn sewage into clean, safe lake water.

Pay attention. They move quick, but by the end, they give viewers three key steps in the wastewater treatment process.

EVENT: We'll treat the water, you tweet the pics. #neorsdTOUR will include a photo contest

If you are joining us this Saturday, make sure your phone is charged and get your Tweeting thumbs ready.

Our Open House this Saturday, September 27 from 9 to 2 starting at our Environmental & Maintenance Services Center will feature a photo contest and you can join the fun using the #neorsdTOUR hashtag.

RELATED: 5 things to remember if you're headed to our Open House September 27

Share your best photos on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and tag them with #neorsdTOUR for a chance to win two T-shirts and a #neorsdTOUR prize pack.

Wedding at a wastewater treatment plant? Hyped headline, but points for creativity.

Oh for goodness sake.

A beautiful education center near a wastewater treatment plant mentions the phrase "wedding reception" and suddenly the media thinks they're inviting couples to say their nuptials waist-deep in poo.

See for yourself.



King County in Washington operates the Brightwater Center, an education complex and community gem available for outreach, training, and public events. When its Wastewater Treatment Division mentioned the center welcomes "your wedding reception or special event" in a Facebook post last week, local news took it and ran.

OPEN HOUSE: 7 memes show why your kids would love to tour a wastewater plant (#neorsdTOUR)

Spend a Saturday visiting a wastewater treatment plant? Any number of memes might capture your initial reaction to that opportunity, but here's why considering that September 27 is not as crazy as you think.

1. WOW factor.

Many kids and adults don't think about what happens to the water that flows down the drain. That water gets cleaned and released to the lake, the same source of our drinking water. At our tour, you'll be able to see the processes at work to clean your wastewater safely.

2. Fishing v2.0

We collect and study fish in local streams to be monitor water quality. But our electrofishing boats don't use rods and reels. They use electricity to stun the fish so we can net and study them before releasing them safely. We'll show you how it works.

VIDEO: Jake's dad is cool, and here are five reasons why in 20 seconds.

For Mothers Day, we celebrated some of the top momisms that might have revealed her inner wastewater professional. For Fathers Day, we find dad's got a bit of the same blood in his veins.

Jake and his dad were guests at a previous Open House of ours, and his honest answer to our simple question revealed a bit about the wastewater treatment process, and in our minds, about dads as well.

Happy Father's Day weekend to all dads and father figures out there.

LIST: 7 reasons Captain America and Hollywood would love seeing a wastewater treatment plant, you know, like ours

If Captain America and Nick Fury need to adjust their Cleveland filming schedules anticipating rain this week and are suddenly faced with time to kill—I mean geez how much time can one spend in a commissary tent?—I'm just going to put this out there:

We'd be happy to welcome them on a plant tour.

I know, I know, these guys are busy, but hey, Hollywood might even find inspiration for a future flick around facilities like ours. With three treatment plants a short drive from downtown Cleveland, there's plenty to see. Afterall, this work is what keeps our Great Lake ready for its cameo, right?

Here are seven superhero-worthy attractions our clean-water infrastructure and employees would have to offer.