Wikiquote preserves a conditional premise before the displayed sentence: Tyson addresses using scientific ignorance as evidence for God. In a later interview transcribed by Singju Post, he explicitly says quotation T-shirts removed that premise. The words are his; presenting them as an unconditional definition changes their context.
“God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on” Neil deGrasse Tyson, in a conditional argument about invoking God to fill gaps in scientific knowledge; standalone form omits the premise. · Verbatim: “If that’s how you want to invoke your evidence for God, then God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that’s getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on.”
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Evoking the world of Neil deGrasse Tyson — American astrophysicist. Theme: "God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Wikiquote preserves a conditional premise before the displayed sentence: Tyson addresses using scientific ignorance as evidence for God. In a later interview transcribed by Singju Post, he explicitly says quotation T-shirts removed that premise. The words are his; presenting them as an unconditional definition changes their context. Wikiquote conditional passage ↗
Transcript explicitly says the if-statement was removed from circulating versions; recording not independently reviewed. Tyson’s later explanation ↗
The statement comes from modern interviews and transcriptions, not public-domain writing. Only a brief premise is excerpted.
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Fact-check
Often misattributed
Tyson’s identity as speaker is not in dispute; the omitted condition materially changes what he is asserting.
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Wording and contextNeil deGrasse Tyson
Wikiquote preserves a conditional premise before the displayed sentence: Tyson addresses using scientific ignorance as evidence for God. In a later interview transcribed by Singju Post, he explicitly says quotation T-shirts removed that premise. The words are his; presenting them as an unconditional definition changes their context. Wikiquote conditional passage ↗
✓Tyson’s identity as speaker is not in dispute; the omitted condition materially changes what he is asserting. Wikiquote conditional passage ↗
Context
The setting behind the words
Tyson is challenging an argument that assigns unexplained natural phenomena to divine action. His later explanation says that omitting the if-premise turns a conditional criticism into an apparent declaration about God. Keeping the premise restores the distinction he himself insists upon. Wikiquote conditional passage ↗
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Tyson directs the Hayden Planetarium in New York and writes for nonspecialist audiences. His public science work includes NOVA ScienceNow, Cosmos and StarTalk.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson. Attribution discussed in Wikiquote conditional passage. Source and limits described above.
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Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘God is an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance that's getting smaller and smaller and smaller as time moves on’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/god-is-an-ever-receding-pocket-of-scientific-ignorance/