American scientist and entertainer Bill Nye is identified for his straightforward strategies to clarify numerous tenets of science. This time, he explained racism via scientific theory. In a video posted by former American basketball expert Rex Chapman, we see Mr Nye explaining the cause behind diverse skin colours. Mr Nye is seen in front of a world map. The colour gradations on the map show how a great deal ultraviolet light from the Sun falls on every latitude. The regions close to the equator obtain the most quantity of sunlight and the concentration lowers towards the poles. Mr Nye shows us one more map with diverse shades of brown. He says, “It turns out that everybody on Earth is descended from people that live here, in Africa.”
Mr Nye explains how diverse groups of humans dispersed about the world and adapted to their new environments. The skins had been adapted in order to balance among vitamin D generation and folate breakdown. Mr Nye then says, “When the ultraviolet varies, the colour of our skin varies.” Towards the finish, he says, “But we are all one species. But we are not treating each other fairly. Not everybody is getting an even shake. So it’s time to change things.”
Mr Chapman wrote, “Bill Nye destroying racism in one minute. ‘We’re all one species…” The video spread like wildfire on Twitter and has garnered more than 5.7 million views. Watch it below:
Bill Nye destroying racism in one minute.
“We’re all one species.”…
pic.twitter.com/Moc7qLsjNq— Rex Chapman???????? (@RexChapman) September 26, 2021
This opened up a discussion on race and species on the microblogging platform. One user reiterated Mr Nye’s point by adding more insight into the evolution of homo sapiens. They wrote, “50,000 years ago, 4 sibling races sharing this world. Homo Sapiens, Neanderthal, Denisovan, Homo floresiensis. Now only we stay, and each single individual on Earth is Homo Sapiens. One species, one race.”
50,000 years ago, four sibling races sharing this world.
Homo Sapiens
Neanderthal
Denisovan
Homo floresiensisNow only we remain, and every single person on Earth is Homo Sapiens. One species, one race.
— Brett doesn’t have time for your shenanigans (@BWiSfull) September 26, 2021
Another compared different animals belonging to the same genus and species. They wrote, “Genetically, we’re all the same.”
Genetically we’re all the same. Just like with many other creatures. In the same way that A German Shepard and a Doberman Pincer may look different but they’re still the same genus & species (canis familiaris), A Sphinx and a Maine Coon are also both still Felis catus.
— Sailor Death – Popoto Warrior Princess????️⚧️????️???? (@sailordeath) September 26, 2021
“There shouldn’t even be a need to prove why racism is wrong,” wrote a person
There shouldn’t even be a need to prove why racism is wrong
— GrantLA???? (@GrantedLA) September 26, 2021
While users found the video quite insightful, others were sceptical.
What from the last two years would make you think racists might be swayed by this rational scientific argument?
— Joseph O (@enemy4thepeople) September 26, 2021
It’s so not destroying racism though. Racism is a power structure.
— Federico Chispas (@dfsparks) September 27, 2021
This user wrote, “There are and have always been those who will exploit our perceived differences for their personal gain.”
Seems so simple…perhaps too for some. But as we’ve seen recently, there are and have always been those who will exploit our perceived variations for their individual get.
— Rudy Renaud (@tweettweetRMR) September 26, 2021
Someone also compared racism to the anti-vaccination drive.
Racism is just one more shade of antivax, absolutely nothing to do with the science, it really is all about feelings.
— Bryan de Paepe (@bdepaepe63) September 27, 2021
Mr Nye is a mechanical engineer, science communicator and tv presenter. He is finest identified as the host of the Television show Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Bill Nye’s video on racism was 1st published on his TikTok channel in 2020 and had gone viral at the time.