Bill Nye Calls Ark Encounter 'Disturbing,' Argues 'Every Science Exhibit Absolutely Wrong' After Visit
Bill Nye "The Science Guy" has reflected on his recent visit to Kentucky's Ark Encounter, the life-sized Noah's ark theme park built by Young Earth Creationist Ken Ham, by calling it "disturbing," arguing that on the Ark's third deck, every single one of the science exhibits is "absolutely wrong."
Nye, who has debated Ham on the topics of evolution and creationism in the past, visited the Ark Encounter on July 8, and was given a tour of the biblical attraction by the Answers in Genesis and Creation Museum president.
Nye told NBC News in a report on Saturday that he was very alarmed by what he saw. He said the Ark Encounter was an "eye-catching attraction" but then described the experience as "much more troubling or disturbing than I thought it would be."
He added: "On the third deck (of the ark), every single science exhibit is absolutely wrong. Not just misleading, but wrong."
Ham also talked about Nye's visit in a Facebook post, and said that it turned into an "almost two hour debate" as they walked through the three decks of exhibits at the Ark.
"Numerous children, teens, and adults swarmed around us as we passionately interacted as the audience grew. There were thousands of visitors at the Ark Encounter again today and a large group of them had a unique opportunity I'm sure they will never forget. Bill challenged me about the content of many of our exhibits, and I challenged him about what he claimed and what he believed," Ham explained.
"It was a clash of world views," he added, noting that he prayed for Nye at Ark, and that they ended with a "friendly handshake."
In another Facebook post on Sunday, Ham promised that more video excerpts will be released over the coming week through AiG.
Nye has repeatedly explained that he does not believe the Earth to be 6,000 years old, or that dinosaurs lived at the same time as humans. He has said that teaching children such beliefs as scientific truth is dangerous and harmful to their education.
"It's all very troubling. You have hundreds of school kids there who have already been indoctrinated and who have been brainwashed," Nye continued, describing how one young girl on the Ark asked him to change his way of thinking.
"The parents were feeding her word for word," he argued.
In an interview with The Christian Post ahead of the official opening of the Ark, Ham hinted that Nye might be making a visit.
He also said that the Ark is a reminder to the world of the Bible.
"To remind the coming generations of the truth of God's Word. It's our way of presenting the truth of God's Word to the world," Ham said. "In a world that is becoming increasingly secularized and biased, it's time for Christians to do something of this size and this magnitude."