#Bill Nye explains the science behind skin color: ‘We’re all one species’

Bill Nye “The Science Guy” is ditching the educational VHS tapes for a TikTok clip posted this week, teaching a new generation of die-hard fans a timely lesson on racial equality.

In the clip, which now has 11.4 million views, Nye explains the reason why people’s skin tones vary, and encourages his viewers to “start treating each other fairly” based off the science of it all.

“It turns out everybody on Earth is descended from people that live here, Africa,” he says while pointing to a map. “As groups of us moved around the world, the color of our skin had to change, and here’s why.”

Using the color-coded visual aid depicting the intensity of ultraviolet rays on different continents, he demonstrates why some skin is lighter than others.

The closer you are to the equator, the more intense the ultraviolet rays are, affecting places like northern South America, Southern Asia and most of Africa.

“Skin is where we make Vitamin D. If you don’t get enough ultraviolet, you don’t get enough vitamin D,” the bow-tie wearing scientist, 64, says. “If you have too much ultraviolet, you break down your folates. You have to have it in perfect balance,” he explains, showing a meter ranging from pale beige to dark brown.

“Because the ultraviolet varies, the color of our skin varies, and that’s it!”

He ended the video with an important reminder: “We’re all one species! But we’re not treating each other fairly. Not everybody is getting an even shake,” he says. “It’s time to change things.”

On Nye’s TikTok, which has 3.1 million followers, he’s revived his old video series with short clips like this, including the  popular “Consider the Following” segment.

He also used it as a force for good recently to demonstrate why people should be wearing face masks.