"If an argument lasts more than five minutes, both…

American astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson wrote in 1998:

“It’s sometimes said that if an argument lasts more than a few minutes, both sides are wrong. A splendid aphorism, but there are at least two other causes of a protracted disagreement: one is insufficient quality or quantity of data, another that at least one party is too stubborn to abandon a long-held view.”

“If an argument lasts longer than 10 minutes then both sides are wrong,” deGrasse Tyson wrote in 2007. “If an argument lasts more than five minutes, both sides are wrong” was attributed to him in 2008. Although deGrasse Tyson admitted that the saying had existed earlier, it’s not known where he had heard it.

Wikipedia: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson (/ˈniːəl dəˈɡræs ˈtaɪsən/; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and science communicator. He is currently the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space and a research associate in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. From 2006 to 2011, he hosted the educational science television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS and has been a frequent guest on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Real Time with Bill Maher.

Google Books
The Columbia History of the 20th Century
Edited by Richard W. Bulliet
New York, NY: Columbia University Press
1998
Pg. 474 (“Paths to Discovery” by Neil deGrasse Tyson):
It’s sometimes said that if an argument lasts more than a few minutes, both sides are wrong. A splendid aphorism, but there are at least two other causes of a protracted disagreement: one is insufficient quality or (Pg. 475—ed) quantity of data, another that at least one party is too stubborn to abandon a long-held view.

Grasscity Forums
#1 Response to my e-mail on the truth from Neil deGrasse Tyson
chiefMOJOrisin
Posted 24 September 2007 - 11:42 AM
(...)
In my e-mail I was very blunt in telling him how I felt about the whole topic and here is what he had to say…...

Thank you for your heartfelt appeal below. As a guiding principle, I take to heart the following quote: “If an argument lasts longer than 10 minutes then both sides are wrong.”

The Lippard Blog
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008
The Amazing Meeting 6 summarized, part two
(...)
Keynote by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was clearly the rock star of skepticism at the reception on Thursday night, surrounded by adoring fans (perhaps it was his hat, as P.Z. Myers suggests), gave the keynote address to the conference.
(...)
Conspiracy Theory: They tend to tacitly admit insufficient data. If an argument lasts more than five minutes, both sides are wrong.

Twitter
andy stenz
‏@andystenz
If an argument lasts more than five minutes, both sides are wrong. -Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson
4:08 PM - 15 Jun 2012

Democratic Underground
BootinUp
Sat Aug 9, 2014, 11:11 AM
If an argument lasts more than 5 minutes both sides are wrong.
This and other great observations by Neil Degrasse Tyson
(Video provided.—ed.)

Twitter
Corrigan Vaughan
‏@nerdsrocket
“There’s an old saying: ‘If an argument lasts more than five minutes, both sides are wrong.”
“Oooh, congress hasn’t heard this.”
#startalk
7:26 PM - 2 Jan 2015