Bill Nye has leg up on 'Dancing': 'It's all physics!'

Bill Nye has a message for anyone who thinks he'll be easy to beat on the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars": He's The Science Guy, not Mr. Nice Guy.

"We're in this to win this," Nye said. "I mean, I went to a pretty tough engineering school and then I worked in children's television with 'Sesame Street' and 'Mr. Rogers.' I played in that league."

Besides, Nye said his scientific expertise is going to give him a leg up on his less scientifically methodical competition.

And, at least according to his professional partner, newcomer to the show Tyne Stecklein, it's not all just talk.

"He's a great student. He's very smart, obviously, which helps," Stecklein said. "He picks things up really quickly and he gets it and he enjoys it. And he works really hard."

While the rest of us will have to wait and see if Nye has the goods to back up his tough talk, the executives at ABC can look forward to seeing a surge of a whole new demographic of science nerds tuning in.

Season 17 of "Dancing With the Stars" premieres September 16 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

"It's all physics. It's all the study of motion," he said. "I'm feeling great."

It’s time for this nerd to get dancin’. O yes, season 17 of #DWTS, here I come. #GMADancing

— Bill Nye (@TheScienceGuy) September 4, 2013

I'll be shakin' it on #DWTS this season with the wonderful @TyneStecklein. I can already feel the burn...

— Bill Nye (@TheScienceGuy) September 4, 2013

SO EXCITED to share that I am one of the new Pro dancers on DWTS!!! My celeb partner is the wonderful @TheScienceGuy!!! :)

— Tyne Stecklein (@TyneStecklein) September 4, 2013

Wow what an incredible day! Im so excited for the journey ahead! Thanks for all the support for @TheScienceGuy and I!!! Good night world :)

— Tyne Stecklein (@TyneStecklein) September 5, 2013