Neil deGrasse Tyson — "I'm not a fan of people who say, 'I believe in science.' Science is not a belief…"
I'm not a fan of people who say, 'I believe in science.' Science is not a belief system. Science is a method.
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More from Neil deGrasse Tyson
"The greatest discoveries in science are not always the ones that get the most attention."
"I think it's important to have a sense of humor about the universe. It's a pretty absurd place, after all."
"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."
"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it."
"You know, the universe is a pretty big place. It's much bigger than people realize. And sometimes, you just gotta look up."
About Neil deGrasse Tyson (born 1958)
American astrophysicist, Hayden Planetarium director, and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey host who carries the Carl Sagan public-science mantle. Closely associated with Bill Nye (fellow science communicator) and Brian Greene (theoretical physicist and string-theory popularizer). For an intellectual contrast, see Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum — Ham's career has been organized around defending biblical 6-day creationism — exactly the science-education position Tyson's mainstream-science communication is structured to refute.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
Science is not a faith, religion, or ideology you choose to accept. It's a repeatable, evidence-based method for testing ideas about reality—forming hypotheses, gathering data, revising conclusions when evidence demands it. Saying 'I believe in science' treats consensus like a creed, which actually undermines science by implying its conclusions rest on personal conviction rather than a rigorous process anyone can apply and verify.
Relevance to Neil deGrasse Tyson
Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium and host of Cosmos and StarTalk, has spent decades translating astrophysics for mass audiences while defending scientific integrity against denialism. He distinguishes himself from advocates who adopt scientific consensus as political identity over methodology. This reflects his core mission: teaching people how to think scientifically, not just what to think—a distinction he makes persistently on campuses, podcasts, and television.
The era
In the 2010s–2020s, science became a U.S. political flashpoint. Climate change, vaccines, evolution, and COVID-19 split along partisan lines, and 'I believe in science' became a liberal slogan appearing on yard signs and bumper stickers. This tribal adoption troubled Tyson and other scientists: if scientific conclusions become a team jersey rather than a shared methodology, public trust erodes when those conclusions prove inconvenient or politically uncomfortable.
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