I don't want people memorizing the planets or counting how many plants there are in the world. But I want them to know that the world is 4.56 billion years old, and I want them to know how we know it is 4.56 billion years old. It's wonderful and exciting, and it creates a reverence for nature. When I see people reject all that, it's kind of creepy.

Bill Buell (March 9, 2005). "Bill Nye, the Science Guy, brings humor to normally serious field". The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, New York): p. D-01.