Bill Nye breaks down why we should wear masks: 'This is a matter, literally, of life and death'

Bill Nye the Science Guy is back and he's got no patience for your childish tantrums anymore. The '90s children's TV host recently took to TikTok with a PSA for those yet to grasp the importance of wearing face masks during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and shit got real. Using a candle and four different types of face coverings, Nye demonstrated in the simplest way how wearing a mask is imperative for everyone's safety while a deadly virus continues to run rampant across the world. "Why do people in the scientific community want you to wear a face mask when you are out in public?" the 64-year-old asks in one video.

"Well, please consider the following," he adds, in a callback to his classic TV show. Nye then goes on to demonstrate how a mask blocks particles from the wearer's respiratory system from getting into the air, which in turn slows the spread of the novel Coronavirus. "Face masks prevent particles from my respiratory system from getting into the air and then your respiratory system... Blocking the movement of air is an old trick," he explained. Nye begins his experiment by wrapping a crocheted scarf around his face and tries to blow out a lit candle. "This scarf won awards in the Washington State fair for both design and workmanship," he reveals. "It can block the movement of air, but only to a certain extent."

As expected, the candle goes out almost immediately, showing that a knit scarf doesn't offer much in the way of protection. Nye then performs the same test with a homemade cloth face mask. Although the flame appears to flicker ever so slightly, the candle remains lit, showing that even a DIY sewing project can keep air and respiratory particles from escaping. "If you're wearing one of these, you're protecting yourself and those around you," he explains.

Nye then pushes the experiment further by repeating the test with an N95 mask. Despite blowing his lungs out, the flame doesn't budge. "The reason we want you to wear a mask is to protect you, sure, but the main reason we want you to wear a mask to protect ME from YOU and the particles from your respiratory system from getting into my respiratory system," he exclaims towards the end of the video, dropping the friendly scientist act to drive the seriousness of the matter across. 

"Everybody, this is a matter, literally, of life and death, and when I use the word literally, I mean literally a matter of life and death," he continues. "So when you're out in public, please, wear a mask." Nye ends the video by performing the same candle test with a disposable blue surgical mask, once again proving how masks stop particles from your respiratory system from getting into the air. Bill Nye the Science Guy's break down of the science behind wearing masks is pretty foolproof and we imagine even the most stubborn anti-maskers out there would find it virtually impossible to dispute his logic.

According to CNN, Nye's videos have been viewed over seven million times since he posted them on Wednesday. Many, including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, have shared the videos on Twitter to get the word out to a wider audience. Seeing as how a good number of adults today grew up watching Nye and his scientific experiments on TV, perhaps this might be the final push that gets them to put on a face mask whenever needed. As comedian Dave Weasel put it: You can ignore surgeon general, Dr. Fauci, the CDC & WHO, but you can’t hide from Bill Nye.