5 Things You Missed From Bill Nye's 'Evolution Vs. Creationism' Debate
Five moments from the 'Science Guy's' debate at Creation Museum.
Feb. 5, 2014 -- Bill Nye "The Science Guy," a bow-tied television personality and staunch evolutionist, faced off against Ken Ham, founder of Kentucky's Creation Museum.
Nye believes the Earth was created billions of years ago after the Big Bang. Ham believes God created the planet 6,000 years ago.
Here are five things you missed from the epic 150-minute showdown. We'll let you decide who won.
1. Nye Says Plenty of Religious People Believe in Science
"I just want to remind us all there are billions of people in the world who are deeply religious, who get enriched by the wonderful sense of community by their religion," Nye said.
"But these same people do not embrace the extraordinary view that the Earth is somehow only 6,000 years old."
2. Ham Said He Trusts the Word of God
"I'm only too willing to admit my historical science is based on the Bible," Ham said.
The Australian, who has built a ministry in Kentucky, said that although tests have indicated the planet has existed for far longer than 6,000 years, he believes those tests are fallible.
"I find there's only one infallible dating method," Ham said. "It's a witness who was there, who knows everything and told us, and that's from the word of God."
3. 'Science Guy' Brings A Prop
Nye's quirky television persona that made him a staple of science classrooms was out in full force during the debate.
At one point, he held up a chunk of Kentucky limestone he said he picked up on the side of the road.
"We are standing on millions of layers of ancient life. How could those animals have lived their entire life and formed these layers in 4,000 years?" he asked, referring to the Great Flood mentioned in the Bible.
Nye concluded the limestone couldn't have existed if "Mr. Ham's flood" really happened 4,000 years ago.
4. What About the Children?
Ham, who is a science teacher, argued children are being harmed by not being taught creationism in the classroom.
"I love science," Ham said. "If we teach them the whole universe is a result of natural processes and not designed by a creative god, they might be looking in the wrong places or have the wrong idea when they are looking at the creation in regard to how you develop technology, because if they look at just random processes, that could totally influence the way they think."
"I want children to be taught the right foundation," Ham said.
5. Kangaroos Explain Everything
If there really was a kangaroo on Noah's ark then Nye wonders why any kangaroo bones haven't been found between the Middle East and Australia.
"Somebody would have been hopping along there and died and we'd find him," he said.