After Bill Nye the Science Guy recorded a video for Big Think in which he ripped on Creationism and its denial of evolution, the internet briefly exploded with news that he had called Todd Akin a “fucking idiot” and challenged him to a debate. Of course this was posted by the satirical news site Daily Currant and never actually happened, but it showed how suddenly relevant Bill Nye had become after his video had racked up 4.6 million views.
Today he’s back in the news—not to drop F-bombs or challenge anyone to a debate over the science of “legitimate rape,” but he has given a follow-up interview to Associated Press imploring parents not to push Creationism on their kids.
The Earth is not 6,000 or 10,000 years old. It’s not. And if that conflicts with your beliefs, I strongly feel you should question your beliefs.
…
If we raise a generation of students who don’t believe in the process of science, who think everything that we’ve come to know about nature and the universe can be dismissed by a few sentences translated into English from some ancient text, you’re not going to continue to innovate.
In the video Nye suggests that American dominance as a superpower stems largely from our scientific innovation (which necessarily includes technological innovation) and that it’s simply impossible to rectify the tenants of Creationism with sound science. “The idea of deep time—of these billions of years—explains so much of the world around us. If you try to ignore that your worldview just becomes crazy. It just becomes untenable.”
“But,” he tells the AP, “I emphasize that I’m not questioning someone’s religion—much of that is how you were brought up.” It’s like the old saying goes, you are entitled to your own opinions and your own traditions, but not your own facts.
AP notes that “46 percent of Americans believe God created humans in their present form about 10,000 years ago.”
That’s way too many. However, we should also remember that just rejecting a god mythology doesn’t alone make a country progressive and innovative—look at North Korea.
Still, way to go Bill Nye the Science Guy. Check out the original video below, as well as the non-sequitur-filled response from the head of the Creationism Museum.
September 24, 2012 at 7:24 pm, Eric Rooney said:
Bill Nye the Scinece Guy! Used to watch his show every day after school.
September 24, 2012 at 7:40 pm, Stephen Weber said:
Ken Ham is a typical non scientist who starts out saying, "I'll tell you what science is…"
Nope sorry. He lives in a spin doctor fantasy world..
Engineering does depend on believing in millions of years. Nuclear decay as science doesn't fit into a creationists 10000 year period of life. So we go back to poisoning our people with metals containing unsafe amounts of radioactive elements. ( A minor point really, but this grain of sand point would be overlooked by a creationist engineer…)
September 24, 2012 at 7:41 pm, Stephen Weber said:
Oh and I am biased to love Bill Nye. He is unshakable.
September 24, 2012 at 7:50 pm, Chris Shaw said:
You moron Ham, I hope he didn't build airplanes of hopes, dreams, and beliefs that have no solid footing in reality. "There's no actual proof of this, but I belief this plane will fly without wings because God said so." blah blah blah.
September 24, 2012 at 8:17 pm, Cleve Shields said:
Ken Ham is so full of nonsense. Historical versus observational science, what's that? What's so bad about humanism?
September 25, 2012 at 12:34 am, DREGstudios! Art & Design said:
Here in TN, they have taken steps though new legislation to allow creationism back into the classroom. This law turns the clock back nearly 100 years here in the seemingly unprogressive South and is simply embarrassing. There is no argument against the Theory of Evolution other than that of religious doctrine. The Monkey Law only opens the door for fanatic Christianity to creep its way back into our classrooms. You can see my visual response as a Tennessean to this absurd law on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2012/04/pulpit-in-classroom-biblical-agenda-in.html with some evolutionary art and a little bit of simple logic.
September 25, 2012 at 1:13 am, Jeff Brammer said:
So we are just suppose to accept the theory of evolution and be done with it? We shouldn't question it? We shouldn't even consider a creator that put a world (a universe) in motion that sustains itself?
September 25, 2012 at 1:53 am, John Weaver said:
If you tell a lie long enough and loud enough, it becomes truth…Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf
September 25, 2012 at 2:50 am, Marvin Wininger said:
So does he have an answer for where the stuff came from that banged or boomed or combined & became bigger & better?
September 25, 2012 at 7:04 am, Foster Frank Diebold said:
You do realize that evolution isnt accepted blindly, right? It's studied and tested over and over. It isn't even called a fact. It's called a theory like everything else in science. It's a collection of known facts to form a solid idea until better evidence comes up. it's ALWAYS changing. The reason creation isn't considered in a lab is because it cannot be tested. there is not evidence for it.
September 25, 2012 at 7:07 am, Foster Frank Diebold said:
That has nothing to do with evolution, Marvin. That's a theory in itself. No one has a solid answer for that origin. No scientist, no creationist. But at least some people aren't audacious enough to claim knowledge of such things.
September 25, 2012 at 4:58 pm, Rah Kohli said:
http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Nothing-There-Something-Rather/dp/145162445X
September 25, 2012 at 8:20 pm, Jeff Brammer said:
Mr. Diebold, I see where you are coming from, but evolution, even when called a theory, seems to be taught as fact. Yes, creation takes faith to accept, but evolution takes more faith in my book.
September 25, 2012 at 10:40 pm, Foster Frank Diebold said:
But a Theory is the closest thing to a fact we can get in science. Gravity is a theory and taught as fact, for example. It's taught as fact because they teach what we understand. And it doesn't take much faith to accept evolution if you understand the actual theory.
September 25, 2012 at 11:34 pm, Jeff Brammer said:
Foster, do you just want to avoid putting any trust in a God that is all powerful and is the creator of our world? Would you be willing to explore that possibility?
September 25, 2012 at 11:44 pm, Foster Frank Diebold said:
What does evolution have to do with a god in particular? you can accept both as truth. It's true that I don't believe there is a god, but it isn't some denial or avoidance. I believe things when proof is demonstrated to me. No proof of any god has been presented to me yet. That does not mean I'm avoiding it or claiming it completely impossible. There are 3000 gods that have been believed in or worshiped over time. How would I even BEGIN to explore all of those possibilities? Have you explored them all? We shouldn't seek out things that seem interesting and call them true, we should seek out what is true and call it true. I do not claim there is no god. I just claim that I have no good reason to believe in any of the proposed gods.
September 25, 2012 at 11:56 pm, Rah Kohli said:
Even if he believed in God, it still doesn't make it scientific. thats the whole point of this argument. you can believe in whatever you want to, but certain things should be taught/conveyed as science and certain things shouldn't. creationism is simply not science. there is no experimentation, no research, no empirical data that supports creationism. Evolution, though a theory, has decades of research and experimentation backing it. We've even witnessed evolution happen before our very eyes (that's why you get a flu shot every year, the virus mutates and evolves). This isn't a question of having trust in a God. This is an issue of science. The fact that people are trying to convey creationism as science is insulting to both science and religion. The great thing about religion and God is that one chooses to believe in God based on faith and faith alone. We do not need proof that God exists to believe in him, this is a basic sacrament of Christianity. By trying to justify or prove God's existence by "scientific" means is literally challenging the very meaning of faith and religion. I personally believe that a God of some sort exists. But I do not think children should be taught anything other than pure science in a classroom. Evolution is our best and most scientific explanation of how we came to be. Who's to say God didn't make evolution happen? The point is, saying that we are only 10000 years old is wrong. It is not the truth. Children should not be lied to. It is still possible to believe in God and accept evolution as true. One does not necessarily have to exist without the other. But until God's existence is proven, science is the only thing that should be taught in a classroom. God's existence is and will forever be a mystery that science can't solve. So don't teach it as science; that would be an insult to the mysticism of religion.
October 14, 2012 at 11:09 pm, Curtis Norris said:
Of course we're supposed to question it. So happens, there's a way to do that. That "way" is called science.
April 17, 2013 at 9:05 am, Steve Fields said:
When you old crazy people would like to stop playing make believe and prove that there is a god without saying "The bible is right" then we'll talk.
April 20, 2013 at 5:30 am, Miser Doops said:
@John Weaver You just pointed out what the Catholic church does.
September 25, 2012 at 7:02 pm, Lacey Petersen said:
Sorry to whoever he offends by being a rational, practical being… Not. Facts are facts.
October 26, 2012 at 7:00 pm, Matthew Didier said:
do you guys not have an editor? it's tenet not tenant and that use of rectify is a stretch.
October 26, 2012 at 7:51 pm, Steve Mizek said:
ZING