The 64-year-old, who is also known as The Science Guy, has taken to his TikTok page to break down the science of how human beings came to have different skin tones.
- Jul 20, 2020
AceShowbiz - Bill Nye the Science Guy returns with another viral video, and this time, he tackles racism. In a video that he shared on his TikTok page on Sunday, July 19, the 64-year-old TV personality broke down the science of how human beings came to have different skin tones.
In the beginning of the video, Bill showed a map of the continents which was color-coded based on the intensity of ultraviolet light each region of the planet receives. "It turns out the closer you are to the equator, the more intense the ultraviolet light is. It's red and purple. Then if you move away from the equator, it changes the color to orange, yellow, green and gray."
He then showed "the same map of the same continents with just one color." He added, "It turns out that everybody on Earth is descended from people that lived here… in Africa, and that we are all the same inside, no matter our skin color," before explaining that as people migrated around the world over the centuries, it changed the skin color.
"Our skin is where we make vitamin D; if you don't get enough ultraviolet, then you don't get enough vitamin D. But if you get too much ultraviolet, then you break down your folates. You have to have it in perfect balance. And because the ultraviolet varies, the color of our skin varies," Bill continued. "And that's it, everybody! That's why we have different color skin!"
Despite the different skin color, Bill noted that "we're all one species!" He then addressed racism, saying, "But we're not treating each other fairly. Not everybody is getting an even shake," while rattling the bottles of vitamin D and folates. Concluding his video, Bill said, "So it's time to change things."
