Bill Nye is back and he is on a mission. The former mechanical engineer became popular in the ‘90s as creator and host of the PBS program Bill Nye the Science Guy, a kids’ show that explained scientific concepts in fun and engaging ways. Now he hopes to garner the attention of adults—specifically those who deny the importance of issues like climate change.

A new documentary, Bill Nye: Science Guy details Nye’s mission to increase science literacy in the nation and takes viewers behind the scenes to explore his private life. Nye entered the public spotlight once again back in 2014 when he debated prominent creationist Ken Ham. This attracted the attention of filmmakers David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg who make documentaries about science and technology. They grew up watching Nye on PBS and share his concern that science has lost its rightful place in some pockets of the country.

“Science literacy has never been more important,” Alvarado explains. “One of the threads in the film is the debate between evolution and creationism. Right now something like 40 percent of the voting electorate think that evolution never happened, that humans appeared to exist in more or less their present form very recently. That’s a major problem for democracy if a population is not scientifically literate.”

Nye explains in the film that his concern is for future generations and the issues they will face. “As a science educator, I am really more serious about it than ever,” he says. “These people who are denying science, denying evolution, denying the efficacy of vaccinations and especially denying human-caused climate change—we just can’t have this. I’ve got to fight this fight.”

The film not only follows Nye’s journey of advocacy for all things science, but it also explores his personal life giving viewers a glimpse into what the man behind the bow tie is really like. He even opens up about his romantic life.

Bill Nye: Science Guy airs on WHRO TV 15 on April 18 at 10 p.m. 

Read more about the filmmakers and the making of the documentary.

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