Abstract:
Great scientific output typically peaks in middle age. A classic
literature has emphasized comparisons across fields in the age of peak
performance. More recent work highlights large underlying variation in
age and creativity patterns, where the average age of great scientific
contributions has risen substantially since the early 20th Century and
some scientists make pioneering contributions much earlier or later in
their life-cycle than others. We review these literatures and show how
the nexus between age and great scientific insight can inform the nature
of creativity, the mechanisms of scientific progress, and the design of
institutions that support scientists, while providing further insights
about the implications of aging populations, education policies, and
economic growth.
Source: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
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