And that's just the point, isn't it? Nye is a liberal propagandist, not a real scientist, although he plays one on TV and fools millions of people. Your comment about the new Dark Age is correct and on point.
Ever read "The Marching Morons" by C.M. Kornbluth? It's not an exact analog of the current situation but close enough to be very scary. We're well on the way to becoming an Idiocracy.
Theyve simply replaced the fear of vengeful spirits with false science.