Here are a few take-aways from this documentary directed by David Alvaradao and Jason Sussberg
1. Bill Nye was the host of a kid-friendly PBS series in the 1990s heralding science in all of its guises from the simple to the complex. It is still popular with thousands of fans who saw him as their mentor and father figure.
2. His advocacy of science is not affirmed by creationist Ken Ham who has used his debates with Nye to fund a Noah's Ark theme park, and Joe Bastardi, a TV weathercaster who regularly ridicules "the Science Guy."
3. For centuries activists and advocates of science and religion clashed again and again. Now the conflict is between secular scientists and Christian fundamentalists who hold to the literalism of Biblical accounts of creation.
4. Nye is a committed to convincing the public of the dangers of global warming which he sees as catastrophic. "Climate change is happening," he says, "humans are causing it, and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us." Addressing this human-made tragedy should be the priority but there are still plenty of skeptics who don't accept scientific explanations.
5. This celebrity, according to his best friend, was always driven by the need to be famous. Along with this demanding strain, Nye struggles with fears that he may be stricken by Alexia, a crippling neurological disease that runs in his family. The science guy candidly admits that is why he never married or fathered children.
6. Nye exudes pride over his leadership as CEO and official face of The Planetary Society (founded by his mentor Carl Sagan); they are hard at work on a small-sized, solar-powered spacecraft.
Bill Nye: Science Guy was presented as part of the AFI Docs Film Festival 2017.