Mask up
The Genius of Bill Nye Unmasked
Want to understand the benefits of wearing a mask during the Covid-19 pandemic? Don’t call the doctor, call the Science Guy!
Growing up in the mid-1990s, I often tuned in to the TV show, Bill Nye the Science Guy, on PBS. I loved watching Nye’s intriguing experiments, the kids on the show who made science seem cool, and especially the parody music videos at the end. Nye has the gift of being able to create simple and understandable presentations that engage the viewer and provide insight on a particular scientific concept. He displayed this ability once again in his recent TikTok videos which are available to the public and discuss mask-wearing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The second half of the video series can be found at the end of this story.
Like many other people, I believe wearing a mask in public at this stage of the pandemic is an easy and effective action we can take to reduce the spread of Covid-19. In recent years, the practice of medicine has become increasingly evidence-based leaving behind much of the unproven anecdotal dogma of the past. For example, doctors used to order anti-arrhythmic drugs for abnormal heart rhythms seen in patients in the hours after a heart attack until studies showed that this practice was actually detrimental to recovery. In general, this paradigm shift towards evidence has been of great benefit to the medical field. However, there are occasions when the requirements of data-driven medicine can stand in the way of common sense.
At the moment, the medical evidence regarding the effectiveness of cloth masks in the pandemic remains fairly low-quality for a couple of reasons. It is difficult to ethically conduct prospective studies with a proper control (i.e. non-mask-wearing) group. Likewise, it is also challenging to isolate confounding variables in retrospective studies because additional elements of mitigation in certain populations have often been implemented alongside mask-wearing. This lack of quality data can be frustrating to public health leaders and medical providers who are usually hesitant to make recommendations without strong clinical evidence.
Enter Bill Nye. In his two short videos, Nye reviews in clear language why masks are important and provides a concrete visual demonstration that viewers can link to his verbal explanation. One doesn’t require a Ph.D. to understand this Science Guy. Nye uses science to explain the concept of masking as it applies to the broadest of audiences. His message is so powerful and important because society can’t receive maximum benefit from masking if only the scientifically inclined mask up. We need each and every one of us on board. Thank you, Bill Nye, for sharing your gift of science with the world.
